Stargazing New memeber, telescope question?

[TheOak84]

Since i heard/researched about this Planet X (Nibiru), 2012 (end of days), Mayans (Sumerian), Annnunaki (aliens), revelations (bible) and all that, I want to start to look into our heavens!

So, i wanted a good telescope that can see to at least pluto...

Anyway, what does everyone think about all the stuff i mentioned?
its a touchy subject. I personally think that this Planet X exists, there may be some life on it. I don't believe we were engineered by aliens, at least, not originally. But i do think that if this planet does enter our orbit, that will be the end of time, and there's where God comes in.

Who owns a telescope and knows how to use it?

 

[BoomBoom]

Since i heard/researched about this Planet X (Nibiru), 2012 (end of days), Mayans (Sumerian), Annnunaki (aliens), revelations (bible) and all that, I want to start to look into our heavens!

Anyway, what does everyone think about all the stuff i mentioned?

 

[TheOak84]

ha, ya, its nuts...

Well, i wanted a telescope for a while, but i wouldn't even know what to look at. Then i heard about all that nonsense, so i wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Also, itd give me a good reason to learn HOW to use a telescope.

Now that that's cleared up, can anyone help?

 

[russ_watters]

We don't entertain crackpottery and conspiracy theories, so that line of discussion will not continue (but you can search the forums for answers to your questions about those crackpot claims). However, we can help you with telescope questions.

So, i wanted a good telescope that can see to at least pluto...

There is no distance limitation for telescopes. There are size and brightness limitations. Pluto's magnitude is 15, which is pretty dim and requires a pretty big scope to see it visually. This is about the smallest/cheapest that has any chance of picking it up: http://www.telescope.com/control/pr...ctors/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=08042

Pluto is also very small. So small, in fact, that with an amatuer telescope it has no discernable size: it is indistinguishable from a dim star. And because of that, finding it is extremely difficult unless you use a camera and a tracking or guiding telescope.

Bottom line, you'll probably want to set your expectations a little lower for your first telescope. Jupiter and Venus are up right now (though Jupiter will disappear behind the sun soon). Saturn will be coming around in a month or two. And the moon is always a good beginner target. As well, there are some bright nebulae, clusters, and galaxies that can be seen with a telescope such as this: http://www.telescope.com/control/pr...ctors/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=09747

 

[BoomBoom]

I just got my 1st ever telescope a few months ago. It's nothing special, but a good starting point probably. You can easily see the bands of Jupiter and a few of the moons with it.

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=09964"