Telescopes ?

Question

can anyone recommend a telescope for about 200 quid ?

Answer 1

$200 isn't going to buy you a very good telescope. the cheapest telescope with fairly good results is about $430. its the NexStar 130 SLT. its not the best telescope in the world, but its the cheapest your going to find with any results.

i would recomend starting out with some good binoculars. a handy set of binoculars are great for observing the moon, and the planets in our solar system which is really all a beginner wants to see. they are portable, cheap, and great for the amateur astronomer.

people automatically asume that binoculars aren't as powerful as a telescope. actually, some bincoculars are better and are more powerful than cheap telescopes. with the binoculars, you can see jupiter's 4 galolein moons, and maybe a couple more depending on how powerful they are. you can probably see saturn's ring system and catch venus's moon like phases.

so if your price range is only 200 then i sugest the following:

http://www.telescopes.com/binoculars/bir...

http://www.telescopes.com/binoculars/spe...

when you save up enough here are some scopes you should consider buying. they're expensive, but well worth it. i highly recomend dobsomian.

http://www.telescopes.com/telescopes/dob...

http://www.telescopes.com/telescopes/dob...

Answer 2

I would be looking for a 6-inch Dob for that budget, or a 4.5-inch Dob if a 6-inch is beyond your means. These telescopes have much steadier mountings than many other inexpensive telescopes and you will get good views of the Moon, planets and brighter galaxies, nebulae and star clusters as well. From a good site, a 4.5-inch telescope will show you all the Messier objects and a good many more NGC, IC and other objects too. A 6-inch is far better and you'll never regret buying one.

Answer 3

Here are a few web pages with good information on beginner's telescopes:

http://www.gaherty.ca/tme/TME0702_Buying...

http://www.scopereviews.com/begin.html

http://observers.org/beginner/j.r.f.begi...

For more advanced information, read Phil Harrington's Star Ware, 4th edition (Wiley).

You'll get the greatest value for your money with a Newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount, such as these:

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

http://www.skywatchertelescope.net/swtin...

Buy from a store which specializes in telescopes and astronomy, either locally or online; don't buy from department stores, discount stores or eBay as mostly what they sell is junk. Find your local astronomy club and try out different telescopes at one of their star parties:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community...

The SkyWatcher 6" Dob sells for £179 in the UK...that would be your best bet:

http://www.opticalvision.co.uk/astronomi...

Answer 4

Geof has covered the telescopes;  however, you can also start with a good pair of binoculars.  A set like these would be a fun way to enjoy the skies, especially from a really dark site.  Despite the department store telescope's marketing hype, much of astronomy takes place at low magnification.  

http://www.telescopes.com/binoculars/ast...

or

http://www.telescopes.com/binoculars/ast...

Answer 5

Check Orion's web site.  They have some nice computerized ones.

Answer 6

no matter what you buy (read geoff's answer), please don't forget to budget for some star charts. there is nothing worse than buying a new telesscope and not knowing what to point it at.