Reflector or refractor, which is better for me?

Question

I am willing to spend up to about $3000. Which is the best type and also brand to go with. I am upgrading from a 60mm refractor and would like to be able to view nebulae and detailed planets

Answer 1

you can get an amazing dob for that money.

you can get a pretty good refractor and mount for that money.

what are your other requirements? i'm thinking portability requirements, setup time, the size of your eyepiece collection, and so on. the scts are good all-round scopes. not brilliant at any one thing, but decent at everything.

please attend some local star parties or other astronomical events.

Answer 2

Reflectors tend to take up less space at the expense of less effective aperture.  (So less light intensity.)  That mirror in the middle of the light path is the culprit.  It is a trade-off as to what you want, what you can store, and what you can afford.

If you live in a rural setting, urban glare is not such a biggie and you can get good performance from a refractor.  However, big mirrors are cheaper than big lenses most of the time, and with a folded light path, you can get a pretty good focal length.  

The Schmidt-Cassegrain scope that I used to have (before Hurricane Katrina flooded the garage) was enough that I found the ring nebula and several other nebulae with it.  It was a Celestron, but other brands are good too.

Answer 3

Its always a matter of preference, but focal and aperture length are a must. I have had this one for for awhile now and its the last one I might ever need. It has GPS and computer interface. 279mm aperture with 2800mm focal lenth, perfect for no matter where you are are night. Take a look:

http://www.telescopes.com/telescopes/cat...