What's a good, affordable telescope for someone who's never owned one

[1MileCrash]

What's a good, affordable telescope for someone who's never owned one, and just likes the sky?

 

[Insanity]

Its been a while since I looked at purchasing one, I've had a 4.5" reflector for almost 20 years now. Meade, have a few additional lens and filters, plus a solar filter. Took some decent photos of both a lunar and solar eclipse.

Would this be for a child, or an adult?

 

[1MileCrash]

It would be for me. And I'm 21, so it would be for a child. :P

 

[KingNothing]

I think it depends a lot where you are. You can find a really nice one on craigslist for a fraction of the price. Just make sure it's in proper condition and that you bring a gun to the person's house just in case.

 

[Insanity]

It would be for me. And I'm 21, so it would be for a child. :P

But not a 9 year old child. Was asking if someone who would understand how to handle one with care and such. Course some adults may not know either, but anyways.

Better question may be what is your budget? A new Meade 6" Newtonian reflector is about $700.

 

[DaveC426913]

There's a whole FAQ specifically devoted to your question.
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=391086&highlight=telescope+FAQ

 

[DaveC426913]

My rules in nutshell:

Do NOT mind the claims on the box about magnification. Magnification is bogus.
The number one factor in a telescope is diameter of lens.
Plan to spend no less than $250 (if it were new). Less than that will get you junk.
Be wary of used. Scopes can suffer from abuse that's hard to spot.

 

[Topher925]

This http://www.astronomics.com/main/product.asp/catalog_name/Astronomics/category_name/0H0G4CMPXQRN9HD6SNP5ES9TU7/product_id/TOA150" is pretty nice.

If you want a good answer, you're going to have to give us more information. Do you want something big, something portable, good DSO's or bright objects, tracking, go-to, budget, etc.

 

[chroot]

Topher925 is right! We need some more information about your intentions are in order to suggest a good telescope for you. If you're not sure what your intentions are yet, you should find a local astronomy club and hang out with them a bit. Many clubs even have a few 'scopes that can be lent out to new members, so you can try a few before you make a commitment.

If you're looking to do some "window shopping," here are some instruments that I think would each make a great general introduction to the hobby.

A classic "10x50" binocular is a cheap and intuitive way to get into the hobby. This is a handy size for all kinds of other uses, and doesn't require a tripod. You can see many deep sky objects, including a few nearby galaxies and tons of beautiful star clusters. They are also great for the Moon.

http://www.celestron.com/c3/product.php?ProdID=140

Orion's ShorTube 80 is small, very portable 'scope. It has a big, wide field, shows you lots of stars, and makes learning the sky easier than many other 'scopes. It's great for planets, and shows you a much larger variety of galaxies than the binos. You can buy it with the tripod, or separately to use with a tripod you already own.

http://www.telescope.com/Orion-Shor...Telescope/p/24688.uts?keyword=orion shorttube

If you want get into galaxy hunting, a 6" or 8" Dobsonian-mounted Newtonian reflector is a great place to start. This design is much less portable than the first two I mentioned, and takes up a closet. They make up for it with the wealth of objects you can see. These are great jack-of-all-trades telescopes, and are capable of some amazing sights. There are many different models from different manufacturers, with a few neat twists here and there.

http://www.celestron.com/c3/product.php?CatID=107&ProdID=662
http://www.telescope.com/Orion-Buil...onian-Telescope/p/99182.uts?keyword=dobsonian

- Warren