Is the Vivitar refractor telescope good for seeing stars? If not what are the best ones?

Question

Is the 50X/100X any good?

Answer 1

in star gazing, light gathering is important, magnification is not.  agree with the first comment, learn more.  pick up a copy of Astronomy or Sky and Telescope.  there are plenty of online resources to get smarter about the types of telescopes.

good luck...gary

Answer 2

One of those is what got me into astronomy.  The only thing I had any luck view with it was the moon, you might be able to view some bright double stars with it but don't expect too much from that scope.

As for the best ones, that depends on how much you are wanting to spend and what you are wanting to do with it.  I currently have this:  http://www.telescope.com/control/product... and I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting a good scope.  If it is a bit too big for your budget they also make 6 and 8 inch versions.  But be sure to learn form my mistake, it is better to save up and get a good telescope than to try and buy one for as cheap as possible.  This is one area where the old adage " You get what you pay for" holds very true

Answer 3

Like one of the posts said, it isn't so much the magnification of your telescope as it is the light gathering capacity of its mirrors.  To look at stars and other celestial bodies, the larger the mirror, the better. You really don't start gathering useful amounts of light for looking at distant stars and planets until you get into a 10 inch mirror or larger.

A 50X/100X telescope is good for looking at the Moon and for local observations.  I have personally used a 360 power telescope and it gives a pretty good image of the craters on the Moon and the like.  Anything telescope less than 360 power at a cost of less than $200.00 is a toy, in my opinion.  They may be good for a first-time starter telescope, but don't expect much from the device.

That's been my experience.

Answer 4

browneyes -

I am afraid you have found a scope that is not very good, really. It is more of a toy than an instrument. The optics are marginal, the mount is very shakey, and it is being advertised based on magnification rather than aperture - a sure sign of an inadequate telescope. I cannot recommend a telescope that costs much less than $200. Here is one that is pretty good for that kind of money:

http://www.telescope.com/control/product...

Or this one - a slightly bigger version:

http://www.telescope.com/control/product...

Or a Dobsonian with lots of aperture, like this one:

http://www.telescope.com/control/product...

Frankly, any of these would be a much better choice than the one you mentioned.

But the best advice is to take your time with this purchase. If you rush it, you will not be happy with the results. The advice about an astronomy club is excellent. You can find them anywhere on line. If you go to an open observing session, you will receive a warm welcome and an opportunity to look through the various types of scopes to see what to expect. It may be a lot different than you think. You should be prepared to spend a little more money (decent scopes run anywhere from the ones listed above to well over $10,000). And, most important, you should not buy a scope until you know why you want the one you are buying. Try before you buy, and take your time. This hobby requires patience, and now is the time to start. Good Luck and Clear Skies!

Answer 5

Never buy a "department store" telescope-- plus stars look the same regardless of how much magnification you use--

Try one of these suppliers or attend a star party by a local Astronomy club and ask lots of questions--

http://www.telescope.com/control/main

http://www.astronomics.com/main/Telescop...

Answer 6

Sorry, but no, that is a poor excuse for a telescope.  Cheaply made with a weak mount and no aftermarket service at all.  Poor optics.  

There are several different kinds of telescopes and all of them have some excellent features. Refractors and Reflectors, plus Schmidt-Cassegrain, APO refractors and more. There are also several mounts to chose from and the mounts are just as important as the scope is. All of the different scopes and mounts have some features that some people like and do not like.

There is no one scope that is "better" than another except for the junk scopes out there which are all just a waste of money. Never, ever buy from Walmart, Costco, Target, or any other discount store like that. Junk scopes are flooded into the market from those stores. You will be buying nothing but bad optics and plastic.

______________________________________...

http://oriontelescopes.com/

Orion is the very best for value and for customer service too. I have 2 of their scopes and I will only buy from them from now on.

The Orion site has some excellent diagrams and explanations of all types of scopes and mounts.

Things to consider are size--can the user lift and transport the scope to the viewing site easily? If not, then it will gather dust in a closet. Can the viewer reach all the k***s and buttons? I have a long tube large manual refractor and it is very dificult for me to reach the k***s when I am pointed to Zenith. I am not a tall person.

Take your time in making your decision.

I would like to suggest that you join a local astronomy club or astronomical society BEFORE you spend your money on a scope. There are many different kinds of scopes and what is perfect for one person is not perfect for another. Everyone has their own set of eyeballs and no two are the same. If you join a club, you can attend a few of their star parties and try out members scopes to see what works best for YOU, before you buy a scope. The members can also help you when you get your scope and show you how to get the most out of your new scope as well as to help teach you where the treasures in the sky are located. Hint: they will be especially helpful if you take cookies to star parties. Most clubs have loaner scopes and extensive libraries that you can gather more information from too.

Some people will suggest that you purchase binnoculars. Not a bad idea but dont buy anything less than 10x50 and you must have a tripod too or you will not be happy with your astronomical views because they will be too shakey from your movements. Personally, I prefer a scope to binos because if binoculars are not aligned properly at the factory, then you get double images and distortions that cant be fixed.

But when you buy go Orion and you wont be disappointed. Don't try to learn everything all at once or you will be overwhelmed and discouraged. Patience is the key to Astronomy.

You will also need a good star chart program.

http://www.stellarium.org/

This is great freeware that you can download. Just tell it where you are and it will tell you what you see.

I wish you all the best. Enjoy