Beginner Telescope Buying Guide: Dobsonians, Binoculars & More
A beginner telescope buyer should start with 7×50 binoculars and star charts, then join a local astronomy club to try different telescopes before buying. Dobsonian reflectors offer the most aperture per dollar and the simplest mount, making them the most common first-telescope recommendation. Avoid automated “goto” mounts until you’ve learned basic star-hopping navigation.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- 7×50 binoculars (7x magnification, 50mm objective lenses) are a common starting recommendation for new stargazers before any telescope purchase.
- Dobsonian-mounted Newtonian reflectors provide more aperture for the money than any other common beginner telescope design.
- Catadioptric telescopes (Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov-Cassegrain designs) fold their light path into a compact tube but typically have slower, longer focal ratios.
- A single quality Barlow lens can add one new magnification option to your existing eyepiece collection rather than requiring separate eyepiece purchases.
- Cheaper Newtonian reflectors sometimes use spherical rather than parabolic primary mirrors, introducing spherical aberration into the view.
What telescope should a beginner buy?
There isn’t a single correct answer to what telescope a beginner should buy. The right choice depends on your budget, storage space, transport capability, and observing goals. This guide consolidates common advice given to newcomers on astronomy forums into a single reference.
Why join a local astronomy club before buying anything?
What you gain from club membership
Find a local amateur astronomy club and attend a meeting as a guest before spending any money. Arrive early to mingle and tell members you’re new and looking for equipment advice. Then attend a club star party, many of which are open public outreach events.
Club attendance lets you see how different telescopes and mounts are transported and stored in real-world conditions. You can observe the setup complexity and time required for various rigs, and look through many different instruments to learn their individual strengths and weaknesses firsthand.
How club star parties reset astrophotography expectations
Advertisements typically show bright, colorful nebulae and galaxies captured through long-exposure astrophotography. Visually, through an eyepiece, faint deep-sky objects usually appear in shades of gray-green rather than the vivid colors seen in photographs. You can see color in bright stars and planets through modest telescopes, but cameras integrate light over long exposures in a way the human eye cannot replicate.
Finding used equipment through club connections
Club members are often gear collectors with used telescopes sitting unused. Buying secondhand from a club member, after trying that exact scope in person, is a practical way to get quality equipment at a lower cost than buying new.
Do you actually need a telescope to start?
Many beginners get significant enjoyment from binoculars and star charts alone. A good pair of no-frills binoculars from a reputable optics company provides wide-field views, makes learning the sky easier, and is highly portable. A classic recommendation for beginners is 7×50 binoculars, meaning 7x magnification with 50mm objective lenses.
I use binoculars at nearly every observing session for quick looks and for star-hopping between targets, even after acquiring telescopes.
What are the main types of beginner telescopes?
Comparing common telescope designs
| Design | Typical Mount | Aperture per Dollar | Portability | Notable Trait |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newtonian reflector | Dobsonian (alt-azimuth) | Best | Good relative to tube size | Simple to use, popular for beginners |
| Newtonian reflector | German equatorial | Same optics, higher total cost | Lower due to mount bulk | Supports polar alignment and motorized tracking for astrophotography |
| Catadioptric (Schmidt-Cassegrain or Maksutov-Cassegrain) | Fork or equatorial | Moderate | High, compact folded tube | Slower focal ratio, dimmer image surface at equal aperture |
| Refractor (high quality) | Various | Lowest per inch of aperture | Varies with size | No central obstruction, strong contrast for planets and double stars |
Newtonian reflectors on Dobsonian mounts
Alt-azimuth-mounted Newtonian reflectors, commonly called Dobsonians, deliver the best aperture per dollar of any common design. You can get a large mirror and bright views for reasonable money. Dobsonians are simple to use and easier to transport than a similarly sized tube on an equatorial mount, which is why they’re popular with beginners.
Newtonian tubes on German equatorial mounts
Newtonian optical tubes can also be paired with German equatorial mounts. Optically the view is the same as on a Dobsonian, but equatorial mounts add complexity and cost because they allow polar alignment and motorized tracking needed for long-exposure astrophotography.
Catadioptric telescopes
Catadioptric designs, including Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes, fold the light path to create a fairly compact tube with a longer focal length. They are more portable than a large Newtonian of comparable aperture, but generally have slower focal ratios, meaning the image surface can appear dimmer than a faster Newtonian of the same aperture.
Refractors
High-quality refractors, not the cheap department-store types, use well-corrected lens systems and often expensive glass to produce very high-contrast views. Because they have no central obstruction, they can deliver excellent planetary and double-star performance. High-quality refractors tend to cost more per inch of aperture than reflectors.
Why does mirror quality matter in cheap reflectors?
Some inexpensive Newtonian reflectors cut costs by using a poorer mirror figure, including spherical rather than parabolic mirrors that introduce optical aberrations. Searching “spherical aberration” explains why paying a bit more for a properly figured parabolic primary mirror is usually worthwhile in a reflector telescope.
Should a beginner get a computerized “goto” mount?
Weighing automation against reliability
There is a wide range of mounts and automation options available. Dobsonians can be fitted with electronic encoders, while German equatorial and fork mounts may include computerized goto systems preloaded with tens of thousands of catalogued objects.
These automated systems are attractive, but long-term serviceability is a real concern: encoders or hand controllers can fail, firmware can become corrupted, and older manufacturers may no longer stock replacement parts.
A practical mount recommendation
Choose an optical tube assembly that meets your observing needs and pair it with a mount that is no more complex or automated than necessary. Quality optics on a simple, sturdy mount will give many years of reliable use. Learning star-hopping and reading charts builds lasting navigation skills, so you won’t depend on a computer to identify what you’re looking at.
What eyepieces and accessories should a beginner buy first?
Start slowly and test before buying
Don’t rush to buy many eyepieces right away. Use your astronomy club to test eyepieces and discover what performs well with your specific telescope. Experienced amateurs often bring a selection of popular eyepieces to share so newcomers can compare performance before spending money.
Some hobbyists use exotic eyepieces that cost more than an entire beginner telescope, so be courteous if someone hesitates to hand over an expensive one. For many telescopes, classic Plössl eyepieces perform very well. Short focal-length, fast reflectors sometimes benefit from higher-end wide-field eyepieces, though those can be costly.
Buying eyepieces and Barlow lenses with a plan
Buy eyepieces with a plan rather than at random. You want a range of focal lengths rather than duplicates that produce the same magnification. A high-quality Barlow lens is often the best single eyepiece-related purchase because it multiplies the usefulness of your longer, more comfortable eyepieces.
For example, if you own 10mm and 20mm eyepieces plus a 2x Barlow lens, you will only create one additional unique magnification, since the Barlow-doubled 10mm duplicates the 20mm’s effective power. Choose focal lengths that give a useful spread of magnifications rather than overlapping ones.
Consider Barlow lenses of 2x, 2.5x, or 3x and map out the resulting magnifications in a simple spreadsheet before buying, to avoid unnecessary purchases. A good Barlow lens gets used more than most beginners expect, so it is worth investing in a quality one.
Glossary
- Dobsonian: an alt-azimuth mount design paired with a Newtonian reflector, prized for simplicity and low cost per inch of aperture.
- Alt-azimuth mount: a simple mount that moves up-down and left-right, without tracking the sky’s rotation.
- German equatorial mount: a mount aligned with Earth’s rotational axis, allowing motorized tracking for astrophotography.
- Catadioptric telescope: a design that folds light using both mirrors and lenses, including Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes.
- Focal ratio: a telescope’s focal length divided by its aperture, affecting image brightness and field of view.
- Spherical aberration: an optical defect from a spherically shaped mirror or lens that blurs the focused image.
- Barlow lens: an accessory placed before an eyepiece that multiplies magnification, commonly by 2x, 2.5x, or 3x.
- Plössl eyepiece: a common, affordable eyepiece design known for solid all-around performance.
Final tips for buying your first telescope
Buy what you’ll actually use, learn basic optics and sky navigation, and take advantage of local club resources. Try telescopes before you buy, prioritize solid optics and a mount you can comfortably handle, and plan eyepiece purchases sensibly rather than impulsively.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best first telescope for a beginner?
A Dobsonian-mounted Newtonian reflector is commonly recommended as a first telescope because it delivers the most aperture per dollar and is simple to set up and use. Many beginners are also advised to start with 7×50 binoculars and star charts before buying any telescope at all.
Should I buy a telescope with a computerized goto mount?
Goto mounts are attractive but come with long-term reliability concerns, since encoders, hand controllers, and firmware can fail or become unsupported over time. A simpler, sturdier mount paired with quality optics, along with learning manual star-hopping, is often recommended instead.
How many eyepieces does a beginner need?
A beginner doesn’t need many eyepieces at once. A better approach is testing eyepieces at an astronomy club to learn what works with your specific telescope, then buying a small range of complementary focal lengths plus a quality Barlow lens rather than duplicating magnifications.
Why do deep-sky objects look gray through a telescope instead of colorful like in photos?
Astrophotography images use long-exposure cameras that integrate light over time in a way the human eye cannot. Visually, faint deep-sky objects like nebulae and galaxies typically appear in shades of gray-green through an eyepiece, while bright stars and planets can show visible color even in modest telescopes.
Are refractor telescopes better than reflectors for beginners?
High-quality refractors produce very high-contrast views and strong planetary and double-star performance because they have no central obstruction, but they cost more per inch of aperture than reflectors. Newtonian reflectors, especially on Dobsonian mounts, generally offer more aperture for the same budget.
Why does a club recommend I try telescopes before buying one?
Trying telescopes at a club star party lets you see how different scopes and mounts are transported, stored, and set up in practice, and lets you look through several designs to compare their real strengths and weaknesses. Club members are also often a good source of used equipment you can test before purchasing.
OK, some updates
The two eyepieces I have DO filter light for solar viewing. (I got daring, and held up just the eyepieces, and could barely make out the clouds covering the sun.) I am estimating that they are similar to shade 14 welders hood lens, an apparent standard for watching eclipses.
@jim hardy
Thanks for clearing that up. I think I can visualize the lens mounting concept you were sharing, now.
@DennisN
Thanks for verifying the size standard – should help my online shopping experience, a lot.
I bought some filter paper on Amazon for my binoculars. I assume this would also work on the telescope, assuming I can also find a clear eyepiece for the other end? However, since I have a 6mm, and 20mm eyepiece, I probably won't need to use the filter paper, unless I should buy a lens size for moon/planets that is substantially different than the 6mm or 20mm that I have for the eclipse? What would be the best size to use for viewing the moon and nearby planets?
I am loathe to spend money for adapters and such, in light of the fact that this is a cheap (toy) telescope, and should I actually get real enthusiastic, I would no doubt buy something much different/better, that the adapters might not fit. However, I WILL investigate the links you provided, to see if I can buy just a lens, for moon and planet gazing, while I explore the depths of my potential enthusiasm.
Thanks!
I thought just recently that I might try a simple check on the adjustment. Just turn one of the three main mirror screws 1/4 turn and then check if a ground image is clearer.Go in loosen direction first? So as to not squeeze mirror.?
I think you'll do best at night looking at a star. When mine is out instead of a point they look like a teardrop.
I'm still very much a novice at alignment. I find diagonal mirror way more difficult.
Hopefully an 'old hand' will chime in.
Jim, I thought just recently that I might try a simple check on the adjustment. Just turn one of the three main mirror screws 1/4 turn and then check if a ground image is clearer. Then return that adjustment back and do the same to the next adjusting screw. Any improvement would tell me I should realign the main mirror. As for the second mirror up front, I have read the manual and will have to work on that a bit to devise something or get the correct tool.
an introduction for guys like us just starting
https://starizona.com/acb/basics/equip_eyepieces_understanding.aspx
old jim
Hi, Blank_Stare, I'm a telescope beginner, but I have learned more about it recently…
There do not appear to be any model numbers on them, although there are some measurements listed on one end of each lens – 6mm, and 20mm. The diameter of the eye piece, where it fits into the angled telescope piece, appears to be about 25mm – but I am having a hard time measuring it with the tools on hand, so I might be off a few mm. (Is that a standard for sizing eye-pieces? If so, I am in trouble, because I don't see anything on Amazon that's even close…)
6mm, and 20mm These seem to be the focal lengths of the eyepieces as jim hardy explained above, see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyepiece#Focal_length.
The diameter of the eye piece, where it fits into the angled telescope piece, appears to be about 25mmThere are different diameter standards, and yours seems to be 0.965 inches (24.5 mm), see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyepiece#Barrel_diameter.
I recently bought a cheap entry level scope with the same eyepiece diameter as yours, and since I have planned to try to photograph the Sun, I have bought some accessories for this, I list some of them here as examples:
Adapter which enables use of 1.25 inch (31.7mm) eyepieces and filters for telescopes built for 0.965 inch (24.5mm) eyepieces:
Solar filters that can be placed in front of the telescope (note: three diameters, check product description):
Various filters:
Camera mount:
But please note:
but my eyepiece is at a 90 degree angle (perpendicular) to the barrel of the telescopeI guess you mean there is a star diagonal mounted between the telescope tube and the eyepiece, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_diagonal. Check your telescope if you can unmount that piece if you for some reason would like to, and mount an eyepiece directly to the telescope tube.
i have an ancient Celestron "Comet Catcher", not quite so nice a scope as yours i think.
Once in a while you have to align them
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-resources/how-to-align-your-newtonian-reflector-telescope/
old jim
I have a question about my Celestron 130EQ reflector. Previously I had a 70mm refractor and I remember being astounded at the sharpness and contrast of edge on views of the ridges on the moon that it gave. The 130 pulls in a lot more light; it is uncomfortably bright when looking at a full moon with the scope unrestricted but it's images don't seem to be nearly as well focused as the 70mm was at what I think is about the same magnification.
Makes me wonder what the process for making the 5 inch mirror is, but thus far I haven't really checked close enough to actually tell. Everything about the 130 is well made and works good, but I am a bit disappointed about the blurriness of the view.
DC
Please explain how the PVC pipe, or sewing thread spool helps you grind down the lenses? It sounds like you may know a useful trick that I'd like to learn more about.No, no you use the lens as is.
the lens out of those "point & shoot" cameras (thrift shops are full of them)
View attachment 206053
is about 3/8 inch diameter . Cheap ones are plastic better ones glass.
I put it in something that i can sand to fit into the telescope eyepiece holder.
Sorry for the confusion.
old jim
@jim hardy
By "Blacked out", I guess I mean they look like the lenses used in welding goggles. The glass is very dark, nearly black.
That article is interesting, but my eyepiece is at a 90 degree angle (perpendicular) to the barrel of the telescope. I suppose I could try to set up a screen off to one side, but I don't see me traveling 8 hours to Makanda, Ill, and then having the patience to set something like that up when I get there. I'll have to think about it – maybe I can come up with something small and simple, that will travel well. I still have 7 weeks to get creative.
Please explain how the PVC pipe, or sewing thread spool helps you grind down the lenses? It sounds like you may know a useful trick that I'd like to learn more about.
THANKS!
Is that a standard for sizing eye-pieces?I think one inch is standard , 25.4 mm. OOPS TIL it's 0.965 inch, as Dennis pointed out below.
I've never seen "blacked out" eyepieces.
if anyone has a favorite source for buying eye pieces that will fit this telescope,Are you handy with small hand tools?
Old film cameras are literally a buck or two in thrift shops. I take them apart for the lens which i can put in a PVC pipe fitting or old sewing thread spool and sand down to 1 inch..
Standard focal length is about 35 to 50 mm, wide angle is shorter. I have a zoom lens out of a fancy little Canon that should be fun but have yet to mount it
"Focal" was an inexpensive department store brand. It'll do the job of getting you started.
Its objective lens(the big one) is 60mm diameter, its focal length is 700 mm, .
magnification is (focal length of objective) / (focal length of eyepiece)
so your 6 mm eyepiece gives 700/6 = 117 X which is completely unusable on a cheap tripod because you can't keep it still let alone aim it.. But power sells.
Your 20mm gives 700/20 = 35 X way more useable and great for moon and Jupiter, it'll show Saturn's rings.
A 35 from a thrown away camera will give 20X great for the moon.
Eclipse ?
I'd say use your telescope to project an image of the sun onto another surface, as in this article
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/how-to-look-at-the-sun/
I've never spent much time with a telescope, so my knowledge is pretty limited. I've spent a few hours over my lifetime, looking at the heavens through the lens of someone else's equipment, but that really doesn't count for much, when it comes to actually learning about the equipment.
A few years ago, I acquired this (old?) telescope and wooden tripod in a bundle of other things at auction. I'm preparing for the Solar Eclipse in August, and I'd love to use this telescope to watch it. When I went to use it, I quickly realized that there were no clear eye lenses – only "blacked-out" lenses. The problem is, since I know my knowledge of telescopes is almost non-existent, I am not certain if the lenses are OK for solar-gazing. I mean, I can not imagine any other purpose for black-out lenses, but what would I know?, ya know? They say "SUN Japan" on them, but I think that's a brand name? There do not appear to be any model numbers on them, although there are some measurements listed on one end of each lens – 6mm, and 20mm. The diameter of the eye piece, where it fits into the angled telescope piece, appears to be about 25mm – but I am having a hard time measuring it with the tools on hand, so I might be off a few mm. (Is that a standard for sizing eye-pieces? If so, I am in trouble, because I don't see anything on Amazon that's even close…)
The telescope appears to be of the brand "Focal", made in Japan. It also says: "Astronomical Telescope F=700mm D=60mm", and also "code no. 20-20-66".
It looks similar to this telescope: https://www.ebth.com/items/6190881-scope-telescope-with-tripod mine is orange, however. I think this may have been a K-Mart purchase for the original owner, as I am seeing several (outside) forum posts that would indicate it. It's clear to me that this is not a high quality optical instrument, but rather, more of a toy. Still, it will do for a starter telescope, and if I get excited about the sport, I will consider upgrading in the future.
I have images of my telescope I would like to add, but apparently I lack the intuition to understand the interface in order to do so. Perhaps adding pictures is only allowed for paying members of the forums?
I am just starting to research this telescope, and, among other things, will be looking for clear lenses, so I can watch planets this winter, when skies are crystal clear at night. Please forgive me if I have left out any pertinent information. I'll be more than happy to provide anything that I can find, if you tell me what to look for.
Any assistance you can offer to help me get this scope "Eclipse Ready" in the next few weeks will be most appreciated, and if anyone has a favorite source for buying eye pieces that will fit this telescope, I would love to hear about it. In the meantime, I will be blindly searching eBay, Amazon, and Google, while I try to figure out what I have, and what lenses I am looking for to fit it…
Thanks
I'd ask him for a subscription to "Sky and Telescope " magazine.
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/
They have weekly updates on what's in the sky
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-june-9-17/
After a few months you'll be able to make an informed choice.
It's a lot of fun to build one.
Hi everyone! I have one question:) I got interested in astronomy and cosmology so that my husband wants to buy a present for me and I'm not sure which telescope to choose…
The instructions are a hoot!I've bought quite a lot of items from China and had many good laughs reading "Chinese English" instructions… some have been almost impossible to decode. And this is a fun picture I remembered from an article about a small video camera (which I did not buy, though).
but what can I expect for $35?The instructions are a hoot! "After find out the big goal, then debug with different eyepieces." And "if the window is big, the natural light is good, and the view is clear" sounds like a password between secret agents.
I think I agree with you – your next purchase should be a good mount. No matter what you look at, a good mount will help, while the optics will depend on what exactly you want to be looking at.
Dad built an equatorial mount from plumbing fittings. A 2 inch Side Outlet Tee makes for sturdy leg mounts.
View attachment 203740
will post a photo if i can find one.
View attachment 203741
If I upgrade in the future I plan to get a scope with a motorized mount, since I'd very much like to be able to take long exposure photos.But I should add that I am aware of the photostacking option too, of course, as the youtuber Forrest Tanaka describes in this video from beginning to end:
Astrophotography without a star tracker
He had a tutorial also on telescope guiding. I've watched all his tutorials, I post them here for others who may be interested:
Astrophotography P1: Telescope OTAs
Astrophotography P2: Choosing & Using Telescope Mounts
Astrophotography P3: Guiding Your Telescope
and here is his youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ForrestTanaka/videos
If I upgrade in the future I plan to get a scope with a motorized mount, since I'd very much like to be able to take long exposure photos.Just make sure the mount you get is a good one. Wait the extra month or three if you need to save up more. Trust me, it's worth it. You do not want a so-so mount when doing astrophotography…
Same goes for the rest of the gear too I suppose. I bought some used equipment and have been plagued with equipment problems ever since. :frown:
Thanks, Dave!
As Sophie said, it's the beginning of a long and slippery slope as aperture fever sets in and the bank account starts to feel the strain :biggrin:Yes, I've heard that telescopes and astrophotography can be quite addictive… a fun thing is that I've got a shopping list of accessories to get (e.g. better eyepieces, barlows, various filters, camera adapter, finderscope) and the cost of the accessories I plan to buy are about 3 times the cost of the telescope I bought…:smile: but the accessories will be useful for a possible future new telescope, so I don't mind.
a solid mount is very important and if you find the optics are not too bad, then it may be worthwhile investing in a better mount to stabilise the unit in a better wayThanks, I will definitely consider that. I realized the importance of a good mount very, very quickly with my shoddy mount :biggrin: The last time I checked the Moon with my bare eyes it did not bounce up and down or back and forth… :smile: If I upgrade in the future I plan to get a scope with a motorized mount, since I'd very much like to be able to take long exposure photos.
If you haven't already, don't forget to download Stellarium http://www.stellarium.org/ Done :smile:.
I've been thinking about getting a telescope for years, and I have finally done so!awesome, Dennis
As Sophie said, it's the beginning of a long and slippery slope as aperture fever sets in and the bank account starts to feel the strain :biggrin:
a solid mount ius very important and if you find the optics are not too bad, then it may be worthwhile investing in a better mount
to stabilise the unit in a better way
If you haven't already, don't forget to download Stellarium
http://www.stellarium.org/
and then start to learn to star hop around the sky to find objects
Dave
Take a look at Jupiter, too. It's pretty visible at this time of year. Those moons will blow your socks off although you may not see any detail of Jupiter's actual surface.Thanks, will do!
Impress your friends too!I will definitely do that!
I clearly saw with my own eyes surface details, craters etc.A brilliant experience!! Take a look at Jupiter, too. It's pretty visible at this time of year. Those moons will blow your socks off although you may not see any detail of Jupiter's actual surface. Impress your friends too!
Unfortunately for you , it's the beginning of a slippery slope and you will need to be strong to avoid limiting your spending to a sensible level. Food and new shoes for you (and the kids?) are actually a priority. :wink:
I've been thinking about getting a telescope for years, and I have finally done so!
I decided to go for a very cheap entry level scope, since I wanted to get a feel for the craft before I go for better stuff (which I very well may do).
I am a little embarrassed to share the specifications here since it's probably a comparatively shoddy piece of equipment, but anyway:
It's a 70 mm refracting telescope with a focal length of 300 mm, and it came with two eyepieces, one Barlow lens, one erecting eyepiece, moon filter and a mount. I paid merely $35 for it :smile: (link to the telescope is here).
First impression: I actually managed to assemble it without the instructions. I looked at the Moon the other night and was very pleased with what I saw; for the first time I clearly saw with my own eyes surface details, craters etc. It was quite a moment for me, I have to say.
Magnification with the various accessories is from 15x up to 150x. Later I will try to fit a camera to it.
The mount is not very good, and neither is the stability, but what can I expect for $35?
A small cost for a man, a giant leap for my eyes! :biggrin: Maybe I will post Moon photos on PF later…
my first telescope was a celestron equatorial 114 powerseeker id go with that its around 130 i think
if you have a good pair of binosCanon make a range of extremely sexy image stabilised binoculars. Big / small and high/ low magnification. The only trouble is that they will set you back nearly 1kGBP which could buy you a fairly respectable s/h telescope and mount. But bins are good for much more than stargazing. More decisions. . . . . .
A good tripod is probably the best incremental value if you have a good pair of binos. Nearly all of them have a fixing hole for a cheap adaptor.
Choice of telescope depends on your money, your strength, transport situation and suitability if your garden.
Don't even consider the rubbish that's on sale in non-specialist stores. Ugh- nasty.
Read a lot of different opinions before choosing. Your personal formula is very important.
I thought a lot before my choice and no regrets (for me). I got an 8" Newtonian (Dobson mount) which will (they tell me) allow me to see loads of stuff. Still waiting for right conditions and my learning process.
Wow! Thanks for the great post. I only recently started thinking about astronomy. Binoculars are great, but I have trouble keeping my arms steady enough to get a good look at anything. Any good ways to keep binoculars steady?[/QUOTE
Me too. I need to find a good telescope.
In the UK. Saturn is a bit too low on the horizon and is too much on the fuzzy side*. I may have too high expectation, I suppose. The rings are very visible (as a single one on X150) and I was v. chuffed to see it, first time. Jupiter, being much higher, is much more stunning from here.
My commercially minded 'man at the shop' tells me I need to launch into astrophotography if I want better pictures. But that is a potential money pit.
*Much better in the southern hemisphere, I guess.
Saturn is spectacular now.
yup, it's at its best for the year at the moment
There are plenty of compact film cameras about in the junkshops. I've been known to disassemble one and mount its lens in a plastic pipe fitting for an eyepiece, in a pinch.
Want to try one of those with zoom ….
Saturn is spectacular now.
but if mounted on the truck, then there his the huge advantage of being able to drive to a darked site :)
For some playing around at home and to keep the local light out of your eyes, it would take very little effort to make a frame to fit the
truck deck and secure a black material to the frame. If out of aluminium tubing, you could make it fold up and the material permanently
attached to the frame.
DaveMobile observatory sounds cool! I was wondering about a suitable design for a helmet, too!! I wouldn't mind betting that some Victorian geezer has got a patent on something like that. :biggrin:
But what about your naglers?Televue Naglers are built for the cold :wink::wink:
seriously good eyepieces
Dave
AND – since the best viewing tends to be in very cold air, such as winter – you won't freeze your Plossls off.
:wink:But what about your naglers?
but if mounted on the truck, then there his the huge advantage of being able to drive to a darked site :)But but but…
you can do that whether or not the scope is mounted or simply stowed… :sorry:
For some playing around at home and to keep the local light out of your eyes, it would take very little effort to make a frame to fit the
truck deck and secure a black material to the frame. If out of aluminium tubing, you could make it fold up and the material permanently attached to the frame.Yep, and now you got yourself an actual observatory.
AND – since the best viewing tends to be in very cold air, such as winter – you won't freeze your Plossls off.
:wink:
wonder what happened to @Keiran OConnor ?
would be nice to know if he is now making use of his scope ?
Dave
The other problem with being on a truck is that you won't be able to easily position yourself to block sources of light pollution.but if mounted on the truck, then there his the huge advantage of being able to drive to a darked site :)
For some playing around at home and to keep the local light out of your eyes, it would take very little effort to make a frame to fit the
truck deck and secure a black material to the frame. If out of aluminium tubing, you could make it fold up and the material permanently
attached to the frame.
Dave
There are several local spots (including my garden) that are not bad for light pollution when I turn our own house lights off.I've done scoping from my backyard here in the big city. Planets are bright enough that it's not an issue. But if you're looking at anything else, you'll want your full night vision, which takes a half hour to kick in. And any light source is enough to destroy it, even a streetlight a mile away, or light from a neighbor's windows.
But the extra height will take me above hedges and things.Frankly, I prefer an area where the horizon is high for two reasons.
1] It hides a lot of light pollution. If you're high up, any light within ten miles will destroy your experience.
2] The viewing near the horizon is dreadful anyway. Air disturbances, sky glow and the shear thickness of the atmo make it very poor viewing.
Talking of light pollution, I have a feeling that I could benefit from a blackout sheet over my head like old photographers. I'm surprised that I haven't seen something like that on suppliers' sites.Your night vision takes more than a half hour to reach optimum, and less than one second to be destroyed. You'd need to wear a sheet over your head for the entire night.
The other problem with being on a truck is that you won't be able to easily position yourself to block sources of light pollution.I wondered about that. There are several local spots (including my garden) that are not bad for light pollution when I turn our own house lights off. But the extra height will take me above hedges and things. At the moment, Mars and Saturn are too low in the sky for me to see them from my garden (especially as the Dobs is so near the ground). I shall just have to experiment. It's the little practicalities that make hobbies fun. I just ended a long and involved relationship with a Sailing Cruiser and she was crammed full of practical problems to solve (never pay someone to do something that you can do yourself, of course). :smile:
Talking of light pollution, I have a feeling that I could benefit from a blackout sheet over my head like old photographers. I'm surprised that I haven't seen something like that on suppliers' sites.
Yes, I did try it and it was noticeable. But the Hilux has very stiff suspension and it wasn't too bad when I wasn't dancing about. A couple of scissor jacks could solve that problem. All this stuff is about problem solving and feeling smart when it works! :smile:
At the moment, we have wall to wall cloud and rain stopped play in the UK. It should be so much better now that the Moon has gone on holiday on the sunny side of Earth but . . .The other problem with being on a truck is that you won't be able to easily position yourself to block sources of light pollution.
Enjoy the shaking of the entire truck as you shift around. :wink:Yes, I did try it and it was noticeable. But the Hilux has very stiff suspension and it wasn't too bad when I wasn't dancing about. A couple of scissor jacks could solve that problem. All this stuff is about problem solving and feeling smart when it works! :smile:
At the moment, we have wall to wall cloud and rain stopped play in the UK. It should be so much better now that the Moon has gone on holiday on the sunny side of Earth but . . .
haven't travelled with it yet but I plan to use it on the back of my truck, which would be more pleasant than scrabbling around on the ground in some random open field.Enjoy the shaking of the entire truck as you shift around. :wink:
I bought a s/hand 200p Dobs recently and immediately got myself a couple of good eyepieces. Using such a crude mount makes you learn fast about finding things up there. 8" is very good for dim objects but it does require some effort to get it out into the garden. I haven't travelled with it yet but I plan to use it on the back of my truck, which would be more pleasant than scrabbling around on the ground in some random open field.
As people have already said, the best one to buy depends on individual circs. I think I made a good choice 'for me' and the views can be stunning.
Start cheap and you can always sell it on for a better chosen upgrade. (Sell before buying another. Be strong!!)
Go-to is all very well but, like sat nav in cars, it doesn't give you a clue where you are or how you got there. It's something to aspire to when you have learned a bit about the business.
Erm…. Pretty dark, won't have the light pollution of somewhere like New York. I live in a town just off Liverpool (pretty rural area).
Why can't I see anything from my telescope ? The moon looks great but besides that I can't find anything ? It's really cheap think it was Around £200.How dark is your sky? I can see very little from where I live near NYC with my fairly powerful telescope, but if I bring it to my mother's up in the mountains, I can see much much more.
Yeah Jupiter and tried finding Venus, I heard it was close to the moon all last week. Very cloudy up my end past week or so unfortunately :(.
Why can't I see anything from my telescope ? The moon looks great but besides that I can't find anything ? It's really cheap think it was Around £200.What else have you tried to find? Jupiter? It's pretty easy to spot right now and looks great even in a cheap telescope.
[edit] And FYI, there are two moons transiting in front of Jupiter tonight. You should be able to see the shadows with even a cheap telescope.
One word of caution – telescopes are like any other gear, from computers to cars to metal detectors. A lot of people develop very strong 'religious' opinions about what is good and what 'sucks'. These people will often lead you to a very specific set of fairly high end gear, often in very specific combinations. You might end up with something really nice, but you will almost certainly pay much more for these kinds of objects of worship. Talk to a lot of people, and if they start frothing at the mouth or baying at the moon you might want to try somebody else…
From Sky and Telescope, probably for US observers
cloudy here this morning
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/astronomy-podcast-april-2016-04012016/
Get up before dawn, and you'll be rewarded with a bright triangle of beacons in the south that's roughly the size of your clenched fist held at arm’s length. The red-supergiant star Antares, marking the heart of Scorpius, is at the bottom of the triangle. To its upper right is Mars, and to its upper left is Saturn.
Hi thanks for the message, I over-shot the price lol. Must have been more near £100 unless the price has dropped over the years. Here's the exact one I have :)
http://www.harrisoncameras.co.uk/pd/Danubia-Merkur-60A-Refractor-Astro-Telescope_567065.htm
I feel like I am getting close to seeing something because I can see the shades of black getting lighter when am moving it through the sky looking for things, it's a improvement from total darkness anyway lol.
Why can't I see anything from my telescope ? The moon looks great but besides that I can't find anything ? It's really cheap think it was Around .hi Keiran
welcome to PF :smile:
£200 (~ AU$350 – 400) isn't really a very cheap scope, it should be quite reasonable results
learning to find other objects much fainter than the moon takes a little more effort and learning to find your way around the sky
Programs like Stellarium ( free download) is an awesome starting point
but for a start, lets take a step backwards …. you didn't even tell us the make and model of the scope you purchased
maybe also give us a link to where you got it from
Dave
Had a small telescope as a child but am still pretty new to stargazing, thanks for the advice :)
besides that I can't find anything ?Be aware the telescope only shows you a very tiny piece of sky. It is hard to find things at first when learning , and impossible at high power . Start at lowest power , find something, then swap eypieces to higher power..
Might be as simple as aligning the finder.
Orion Nebula is a good practice target.
I first saw Saturn with a really cheap one-inch 10-30x zoom terrestrial scope on a camera tripod. Stumbled across it by accident. Was so excited i ordered Petersen's Field Guide to the Stars and Planets…
Sky and Telescope magazine has a good website and i really enjoyed their publication – one of the few magazines i ever read cover to cover as soon as it arrived..
if you're way advanced – No offense meant , just i assumed you're a beginner
old jim
you can never listen to marketing. The box will show you brilliant pictures of M13 but the reality is that you will never see that on the scope in question.
Shame, it did say I could see Saturn's rings and Jupiter on the description. The moon looks great anyway lol
The really cheap telescopes are not very good at seeing dim objects because they have really small apertures and do not collect a lot of light. my first telescope cost around 100 quid and the moon was really the only thing I could easily see.
Why can't I see anything from my telescope ? The moon looks great but besides that I can't find anything ? It's really cheap think it was Around £200.
Moons crater,Jupiter,Saturn,pieldes and a globular star cluster.
The funscope is similar to my telescope(celestron firstscope).there is no difference between them except the company.in my opinion it is perfect for an amatuer.I myself am yet learning.and firstscope seems to be a decent scope to start with and so is funscope.What sort of objects have you seen?
The funscope is similar to my telescope(celestron firstscope).there is no difference between them except the company.in my opinion it is perfect for an amatuer.I myself am yet learning.and firstscope seems to be a decent scope to start with and so is funscope.
The best scope for you is tne one you enjoy using. Sounds like a success on that point. Beyond that you must decide what will please you in the future. Don't worry about getting down to magnitude 20. Eyepieces are your best friend. A good eyepiece makes a scope your slave, not master- and they are aperature insensitive. The best views for any aperature size comes from high quality low mag eyepieces.So, in your opinion is the Orion Funscope fine?
The best scope for you is tne one you enjoy using. Sounds like a success on that point. Beyond that you must decide what will please you in the future. Don't worry about getting down to magnitude 20. Eyepieces are your best friend. A good eyepiece makes a scope your slave, not master- and they are aperature insensitive. The best views for any aperature size comes from high quality low mag eyepieces.
My first telescope and the only one I have and ever bought till date is the celestron firstscope.its a 76 mm dubsonian type reflecting telescope.it is pretty amazing actually.the moon looks awesome through it and you can see Jupiter too.I absolutely love it.I am looking forward to buy an advanced telescope than it but I think that firstscope is a perfect beginners telescope.
My first telescope was a cheap department store 10X to 30X 1 inch zoom handheld with a tripod mount.
With it on my camera tripod i stumbled across Saturn. It only looked like a black-eyed pea , but even that was thrilling.
So i took next step and ordered a Celestron "Comet Catcher."
It is a small Schmitt-Newtonian , not very expensive .
Using just a camera tripod i had a lot of fun with it.
It did a great job on last visit of Halley's Comet before the tail fizzled out .
http://www.telescopebluebook.com/other/celestron.htm [Broken]
http://www.telescopebluebook.com/other/cometcatch.jpg [Broken]
I never progressed beyond that little beginner's scope. Still use it.
The Schmitt lens at end is nice because it keeps dust off the main mirror.
It'd make a great finder for a serious telescope.
Dad's 70th birthday was coming up. Retirement getting tedious, he was tiring of making birdhouses for the neighbors..
He'd wanted a telescope since he was a kid so i ordered him an 8 inch Meade mirror and mounts.
We built a redwood tube for it. It became the darling of local astronomy club.
Advice given above regarding a hookup with local enthusiasts is most excellent. Do-It-Yourselfer's are always eager to help out.
The guys at Southern Cross club showed us how to improve our mirror mounting scheme
and how to make an equatorial mount from plumbing fittings.
I found Petersen's Field Guide to the Stars and Planets a pretty good starter-out book.
old jim
Obviously, you should start with one of these:
http://www.celestron.com/browse-shop/astronomy/telescopes/cge-pro-1400-hd-computerized-telescope
http://www.meade.com/products/telescopes/lx600/lx600-acf-16-f-8-with-max-tripod-and-max-wedge.html [Broken]
with one of these, of course:
http://www.telescope.com/Accessorie…e-Eyepiece/c/3/sc/47/p/8347.uts?ensembleId=69
:woot:
I have not had the opportunity to observe through any of those instruments, nor try out the mounts. Orion is quite a popular company, so if you join a local club, you may get to try some of these instruments and compare them to others. That is the best way to make your choice before you spend a dime. Good luck to you.
We often have questions about what telescope an aspiring amateur astronomer should buy. The "correct" answer can be elusive and is highly dependent on a lot of variables, including the expectations of the questioner, budget, storage capacity, available transport, etc. Rather than type all this advice over and over, I'd like to offer this post in the hopes that it can be made "sticky" so others can add to it, and it can remain near the top of the astronomy forum.Hello, nice thread for beginners.
Can you tell me how are these for beginners:
http://www.telescope.com/Orion-SpaceProbe-130-EQ-Reflector-Telescope/p/9851.uts?keyword=spaceprobe 130
http://www.telescope.com/Celestron-SkyMaster-20×80-Binoculars/p/9117.uts?keyword=20×80
http://www.telescope.com/catalog/se…&keyword=astroview+90&refinementValueIds=4508
Certainly. Newts are cheap to buy at almost any aperture.and specially if they are Dobo mounts :smile:
Agreed, but 8" f/12 is a bit of a beast (and a specialty item, not found so easily I think), and decent parabolic mirrors are really affordable esp. Chinese ones. Good or even great starter scopes like small (say 6"f/8) dobsonians are available for $300 or so.Certainly. Newts are cheap to buy at almost any aperture.
Agreed, but 8" f/12 is a bit of a beast (and a specialty item, not found so easily I think), and decent parabolic mirrors are really affordable esp. Chinese ones. Good or even great starter scopes like small (say 6"f/8) dobsonians are available for $300 or so.
Next, learn a bit about optics, if you can. Many inexpensive Newtonian telescopes hit a price/aperture price point by compromising on mirror quality. This means that you will be paying for spherically-figured primary mirrors and not the more difficult-to-figure parabolic mirrors. Google on "spherical abberation" to see why you might want to consider paying a bit more for better optics.One thing to note here. A spherical mirror is just fine for either small apertures or long focal ratios. For an 8-inch aperture, the f-ratio needs to be about f/12 in order to be diffraction limited with a spherical mirror. Anything faster than f/12 with an 8-inch aperture will not be diffraction limited. For smaller apertures you can move to a faster f-ratio and still be diffraction limited with a spherical mirror since the airy disk increases in size with decreasing aperture.
I have a moderately priced Newtonian that I bought at a steep discount (maybe because it didn't have the auto tracking motors and other high end toys, but still costs some bucks) that I bought to replace a much lower end Newtonian that I had earlier. And it magnification and quality are really good. And I sometimes take it out and set it up. I'm glad I have it. But 90% of the time, I use binoculars. Aside from viewing the Jupiter and Saturn, I get no other real value out of it. If I use my Barlow adapter and lens to get the supposed 250 X magnification, I am constantly adjusting as the object is running out of my field of view. That is the one nice thing about buying a unit with a tracking motor. But that would require even more effort to set up. I am a 5-15 minute observer. I don't attend all night (or even a couple hours) events. Hence the Good pair of binoculars.
I might even get enough enjoyment out of a spotting scope of 50-60X (I don't have one, but I rarely use my telescope above these ranges either, due to keeping the object in my field of view). Very simple, point and look. Primitive, down and dirty. But then I don't hang out with the amateur astronomer crowd. You really might enjoy that.
About binoculars. Money doesn't always buy the best set of glasses. I have several pair, my most expensive are actually my poorest for night viewing. It is a high end name brand 7-21X50 variable magnification set (I think Bausch, but I don't use them enough to even remember). I couldn't pass them up at 50% off. They're ok, but color is dulled out (made for the deer hunter or possibly winter viewing during the day on snow, which might explain the less that stellar performance??). My best set is a modest 10X50 (some cheap set that I pick up and marveled at how clear the image was) and my most used is a 7X40 due to its much lighter weight and good optics. The 7X40 was my first set and wasn't expensive but a good brand name that I still use. The reason I have a few sets of glasses is so I can share with my guests if anyone wants to join me (once in a while the wife, but she would rather see something in the big telescope, looks and is almost always disappointed aside from Jupiter and Saturn).
So my advice isn't as an enthusiast but a casual user.
EDIT to my last post: Porters.com is aparently out of business, As you can see, I shop at B&H a lot more :)
most tripods have a hook on the bottom, you can by small sandbags from any video or photography shop like BHvideo.com
just mount the sandbag on the hook and it will increase the tripod's stability and keep your binoculars extra steady. Just make sure the Binoculars you have come with a screw mount so you can attach them to a tripod.
Tripod? Or even monopod.
Really cheap ones can go for < $30, but you get what you pay for.
I'll bet if you ask around your fam & friends, someone will have an old tripod they don't use anymore.
Wow! Thanks for the great post. I only recently started thinking about astronomy. Binoculars are great, but I have trouble keeping my arms steady enough to get a good look at anything. Any good ways to keep binoculars steady?