Which telescope is best for amateur stargazing?

[Yashbhatt]

This question may have been there on PF, but I didn't find it. I am already in love with physics and find looking at the cosmos quite inspirational(like something which gives you chills). I was thinking of buying a little telescope. I eventually found a DIY kit called the Galileoscope(http://galileoscope.org/)

I also had a look at Orion A70 and Celestron Powerseeker etc.

Now I am quite confused about which one to buy. Can anyone help?

 

[davenn]

hi ya

you have given no indication of your budget capabilities

you would get sick of that galileoscope really fast and would be looking for something better

the other 2 would be great starting scopes. But you may find that in a year or so you would be looking for something bigger.

My suggestion would be just to start with something a bit bigger and better initially else you are just going to end up with a collection of no longer used scopes and wasted money getting to where you really want to be

the range of US$400 - 700 would get you a great 8" f5 Newtonian scope on a Dobsonian mount that would keep you out of trouble for years till you may decide to go to a much more expensive computer controlled GOTO type scope

these were commented on in another thread just a few days or so ago

you can see my Newtonian and GOTO scopes

EDIT: I must add one other thing ... If possible, before you buy anything, get to and join a local astronomical club/society and find out what other people are using. Hopefully you have one nearby.
You may even find some one who has a scope for sale that's in good condition and save you lots over buying the same or similar in a shop.
My first 3 scopes were shop bought small refractors 20mm, 40mm, 60mm. I outgrew them all very quickly.
My first decent scope was a home built 8" f5 Newtonian that I bought off a astronomy club member. That scope lasted me for more than 15 years before I did an upgrade! Today ... some 40 years later, I still have the optics for that scope. ( maybe a retirement rebuild project )cheers
Dave

 

[Chronos]

The astronomy club thing is a good idea. You not only need to weigh the views, but, the effort required to obtain those views. A good starter scope would be around 80mm for a refractor, or 120mm for a reflector or cat system. A reflector in the 5" range [~130mm] is an excellent beginner scope. There are some good ones available for little more than a couple hundred bucks. That's less than the price for a decent TV.

 

[Yashbhatt]

Unfortunately, I have no astronomy club nearby as far as I know. I mean it exists online has a phone number and an address at skyandtelescope.com but actually no such number exists.

I thought the same about the Galileoscope because one can observe only the moon, planets and a few stars. My budget is not very high. I think $200 max. Is that too low for a good telescope?

 

[Yashbhatt]

And please seehttp://www.galileotelescope.com/productsdetails.php?pro_id=91.

It's a Newtonian Reflector. Aperture 76 mm and focal length 900 mm and its quite affordable.

 

[davenn]

it looks good, but what the optics are like ... ie. how sharp, no serious colour etc abortions, who knows without actually trying it out.

do some googling and see if you can find any online reviews for it

cheers
Dave

 

[Yashbhatt]

Didn't find any reviews online. What about the Orion A70 or Celestron powerseeker? They are better than the galileoscope, right?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Her is a real nice top ten list with fairly detailed reviews
http://telescopes.toptenreviews.com/telescopes-for-beginners-review/

 

[davenn]

What about the Orion A70 or Celestron powerseeker? They are better than the galileoscope, right?

as I commented in post #2, yes, good starting scopes

Yashbhatt ...
a serious recommendation ... don't buy anything under $200, you are likely to be quite disappointed with the results.
$200 to ~ 300 not so bad but you will still yearning for something better
$400 - 500+ will get you a scope that will give you many years of enjoyment till you want a scope with much bigger mirror etc

If you really only have a ~ $200 budget at the moment. consider saving a bit longer and getting that up to the ~ $300 - 400 mark

The reason I'm trying to guide you this way is because many people spend a small amount on a scope and because of its combination of low quality ( particularly optics) and its low light gathering power they end up being seriously disappointed in what they can see with it and often the scope will just sit doing nothing and the person will loose interest in astronomy
You, instead, want to get a scope that will encourage you to learn and cause your astro interest to grow Greg ... that's brilliant, a great starting place for scope buyers

Dave

 

[Chronos]

The celestron 127eq powerseeker was on amazon today. It's a well regarded beginner scope. There are some reviews here .

 

[Yashbhatt]

Thanks davenn. I get what you are saying. But won't these heavy scopes be a trouble to handle for me?(I have never handled any telescope).

 

[davenn]

the ones indicated ... look at the $250 - ~ $450 scopes in that review list link that Greg posted
They are not overly heavy ... say compared to my 9.25" GOTO Celestron

There is a huge advantage with a heavier scope and stand tho ... They are so much more stable to use
they don't vibrate around all over the place for ages with the slightest bump.
With the light scopes and tripods, guys will often have a bag of sand that they will suspend from under the centre of the tripod to try and cut down the vibrations

(I have never handled any telescope).

And therein lies the huge reason to be able to get to an astronomy club so you can see scopes of all types in use and handle them :)

Where are you ? you said you had no clubs locally ? ... just wanted to check that for you

Dave

 

[Yashbhatt]

I'm in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India. Its a small city.(Home of the RELIANCE Industries).

 

[davenn]

Hi Yashbhatt

ahhh ok I found your city on google Earth

yup may be a little difficult for you to find a club in easy travel distance a little unfortunate
If I was you I would start asking around and see if you can find other individuals that have a common astro interest and start arranging some get-togethers

Are you still at school ? ... primary? high school? university ?

Save up and buy the best quality scope you can afford :)
keep in touch on the forums and others and myself can continue to guide you

If you haven't already, download and install Stellarium

its an awesome program for looking around the skies on your computer

cheers
Dave

 

[Yashbhatt]

I thought exactly the same thing. I have a few friends who are interested in astronomy. Maybe we can buy a telescope in group and arrange out of the city trips for star gazing.

I am at the pre-university level. Just passed out high school. And what do you say about the celstron 114eq powerseeker, the one which Chronos mentioned. I also had a look at the Orion Funscope. It's not very huge but online reviews say that one can see some deep-sky objects using it.

 

[davenn]

Chronos linked to the 127eq powerseeker, a little bigger than the 114 ( unless that was a typo on your part ?)

That's a 5 inch diameter mirror, looks a respectable scope
have a look and see what else they have on Amazon in the 6 - 8 inch mirror size

Dave

 

[Yashbhatt]

My mistake. I searched 114 instead of 127. I had a look at the 127eq powerseeker on amazon. See this https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B0007UQNKY/ref=cm_cr_dp_cust_img_see_all_txt.

They are some photos taken through the 127eq.

And what about the Orion Funcsope?

 

[davenn]

......

And what about the Orion Funcsope?

I think you would be seriously disappointed
I have a scope about that size, it was thrown in as a freebee when I bought a big scope
good for looking at the moon only ... its optics were pretty poor
keep away from anything new under $100

try and aim for a scope with a mirror of at least 5 or 6 inches diameter


Dave

 

[Yashbhatt]

Ok. By the way, can I get your email id in case I want to ask you something about telescopes? I think posting a personal question every time at PF won't be a nice idea.

 

[davenn]

just send me a PM in those instances

... to do that, click on my user name and select the second option

but for most stuff, keep posting in this thread you are already using
that way you may get input to a question that I can't answer but someone else may be able to

cheers
Dave

 

[Yashbhatt]

Okay. Thanks for the valuable advice. :thumbs:

 

[waternohitter]

Hi, finding the best telescope especially for beginners is confusing. Actually, it depends on your budget and your purpose. But, I would want to share one that I found that said to be good for starters and easy to use. I just do not know if this will work good. They named it as "Saxon 767 AZ Newtonian Reflector Telescope" It is ideal for Planets and Nebulae Observation.

 

[davenn]

yup, a reasonable small scope for a beginner and at AU$154 quite affordable

Dave

 

[Yashbhatt]

yup, a reasonable small scope for a beginner and at AU$154 quite affordable

Dave

But you mentioned that I should start with a bigger one, din't you? So, I have decided to start only if I find a good one with about 130-150 mm aperture.

 

[davenn]

it really depends on how you see yourself progressing with astronomy
If you already have a solid interest and want to get into the optical side of things ... yes I would still recommend getting a better scope for a start :)

Others just want to have a little dabble and see what it's all about and for them a cheaper scope is a good start till they can see if they want to progress further

Dave

 

[montoyas7940]

What did you end up buying?

I was going to suggest binos as a first purchase but am late to the thread -I think.

 

[Yashbhatt]

What did you end up buying?

I was going to suggest binos as a first purchase but am late to the thread -I think.

I have not yet bought it. You can still suggest any good ones if you know.

 

[rodentraiser]

I would think of your future telescope like a pony for the kids. You can get a cheap pony that bucks and bites, but no one will ever use it. Or you can spend some extra money and get a well mannered pony that the kids can actually ride.

My suggestion would be to buy a reflector, not a refractor, with a mirror 6" to 8", f/5 to f/8, either on an equatorial mount or as a Dobsonian telescope. You have to consider where you're going to observe from, so if you're going to travel any distance, you have to be able to lift and carry the scope to and from your car and set it up. And one other thing to consider: your eyepieces are half your telescope. Don't get a good scope and then skimp on the eyepieces. You really will only need about three and maybe a Barlow lens. And don't forget a book of star charts. I still use my old Mag 5 or Mag 6 books.

Do you have a library near you? Because they sometimes have a lot of good books about getting a telescope. Even if you don't have an astronomy club in your area, you might want to try to pick up Astronomy or Sky and Telescope magazine. There are a ton of ads in the back, and it doesn't hurt to call some of the stores and see if they can help you. Just don't let yourself be pressured to buy anything.

Once you have decided what you want to buy, you might want to try Craig's List. I don't know about your area, but where I live there seem to be some very good deals for telescopes that have barely been used. Good luck!

 

[rodentraiser]

Sorry, I just now realized that calling some of those stores from where you live would be super expensive. Is there a college or university in your area? Because sometimes the colleges have astronomy classes and there are telescopes available for those classes to use. Maybe the teachers could help you learn to set one up.

 

[Yashbhatt]

Sorry, I just now realized that calling some of those stores from where you live would be super expensive. Is there a college or university in your area? Because sometimes the colleges have astronomy classes and there are telescopes available for those classes to use. Maybe the teachers could help you learn to set one up.

I am still searching for someone who is interested in astronomy. I live in a small city and hardly anyone here is interested. Even if they are, they are not so much interested, just occasional gaze at the night sky. I am trying to find online whatever I can. I have access to some farmhouses outside the city and can thus get good views maybe.

 

[Yashbhatt]

it really depends on how you see yourself progressing with astronomy
If you already have a solid interest and want to get into the optical side of things ... yes I would still recommend getting a better scope for a start :)

Others just want to have a little dabble and see what it's all about and for them a cheaper scope is a good start till they can see if they want to progress further

Dave

I would like some advice on a few telescopes I have selected. Which one would be the best of these three?
(1) http://www.tejraj.com/national-geographic-telescope.html

(2) http://www.tejraj.com/sky-114eq.html

(3) http://www.tejraj.com/sky114x900ng.html

Thanks,
Yash Bhatt.

P.S. I know you will advice me to go for a bigger scope. But this is the maximum my parents would allow. If you know any other scopes that cost around $150, then please suggest them.

 

[davenn]

Hi Yashbhatt
welcome back ... wow 11 months since we last heard from you ... hope you have been doing well

I would like some advice on a few telescopes I have selected. Which one would be the best of these three?

(1) http://www.tejraj.com/national-geographic-telescope.html

this a really small table top unit about a 4" mirror (115mm) ... wouldn't be my first recommendation, you are likely to outgrow it very fast

(2) http://www.tejraj.com/sky-114eq.html

this one has the same mirror size as the first one ... so you are not gaining anything optically. The equatorial mount would take some getting used to

(3) http://www.tejraj.com/sky114x900ng.html

this one also has the same mirror size as the first one ... so you are not gaining anything optically.
advantages
1) shorter tube - easier to pack for travel
2) mounting can be use in equatorial or Al-Az modes

--------------

this ...
http://www.tejraj.com/startracker-6inch-dob.html

6" mirror, Dobsonian mount

or this...
http://www.tejraj.com/startracker-8inch-dob.html

8" mirror, Dobsonian mount

would really be my recommendations to you. but they may be out of your price range ??
The thing is spending money on one of those little 4.5" scopes, you may well find you out grow it really fast
and you would have been better off putting that money you spent towards something a little bigger for a start

a 6" mirror scope is still a reasonably small scope
a 8" scope is the most common average sized scope for the majority of people
its a smaller number of real enthusiasts that go for larger scopes 10" and uphow's that help you ?

Dave

 

[Yashbhatt]

Hi Yashbhatt
welcome back ... wow 11 months since we last heard from you ... hope you have been doing well
this a really small table top unit about a 4" mirror (115mm) ... wouldn't be my first recommendation, you are likely to outgrow it very fast

this one has the same mirror size as the first one ... so you are not gaining anything optically. The equatorial mount would take some getting used to

this one also has the same mirror size as the first one ... so you are not gaining anything optically.
advantages
1) shorter tube - easier to pack for travel
2) mounting can be use in equatorial or Al-Az modes

--------------

this ...
http://www.tejraj.com/startracker-6inch-dob.html

6" mirror, Dobsonian mount

or this...
http://www.tejraj.com/startracker-8inch-dob.html

8" mirror, Dobsonian mount

would really be my recommendations to you. but they may be out of your price range ??
The thing is spending money on one of those little 4.5" scopes, you may well find you out grow it really fast
and you would have been better off putting that money you spent towards something a little bigger for a start

a 6" mirror scope is still a reasonably small scope
a 8" scope is the most common average sized scope for the majority of people
its a smaller number of real enthusiasts that go for larger scopes 10" and uphow's that help you ?

Dave

Yeah. I think you are right.

One more question I have is : Should I go for an equatorial mount or a Dobsonian? After all a Dobsonian is just a modified version of an alt-az mount.

 

[davenn]

Hi ya
if I was you, I wouldn't consider starting with any scope where the mirror is less than 6"

One more question I have is : Should I go for an equatorial mount or a Dobsonian? After all a Dobsonian is just a modified version of an alt-az mount.

for a first time scope buyer, I would suggest you would be better off with a Dobsonian type ( or any with an Al/Az mount)
this is because any equatorial scope that isn't polar aligned is a nitemare to use when trying to align on a star/planet etc
it takes a fair bit to get used to even when it's polar aligned

EQ mounts are great if the telescope has computerised controlD

 

[Yashbhatt]

Hi ya
if I was you, I wouldn't consider starting with any scope where the mirror is less than 6"
for a first time scope buyer, I would suggest you would be better off with a Dobsonian type ( or any with an Al/Az mount)
this is because any equatorial scope that isn't polar aligned is a nitemare to use when trying to align on a star/planet etc
it takes a fair bit to get used to even when it's polar aligned

EQ mounts are great if the telescope has computerised controlD

Thanks. I have decided that I won't start with a small scope.