Which telescope should i buy?

Question

Hi. Im an engineer and i am about to buy a telescope. Since it is my first one, i still have no clue what should i consider for buying it.

I want it 100% for astronomical use. I'm not interested in landscapes (or spying my neighborhoods lol). All i want to do is look at planets and stars.

I was told i could use a newtonian ecuatorial telescope with a power of 1050x (150 x 1400), with a 6 inches lens. And i am wondering if that is the appropriate telescope i need. I dont know if it is too powerful or not powerful enough.

Also, i was once told that if i get a powerful telescope (like the one i just mentioned) i will not be able to look at planets. That they will be too blurry and that i should get a less powerful telescope (one for landscapes). I dont know how much of this is true. I find weird that a telescope can be "too powerful" to watch planets and i am confused.

So, Which telescope could be the most appropiate for me? is the one i mentioned ok?

Thanks guys

Answer 1

OK I'm a beginner astronomer also and before i got mine i thought the same thing. I eventually  found a SkyQeust XT 4.5 Dobsonian reflector telescope from www.telscope.com for 300$. It is strong enough to see Saturn, its rings, and some large moons around it. It has a diameter of 114mm and its focal length is 900mm. The only thing to put together is the base which is still easy. You better look at some reviews before you buy them. Just don't buy  one from a store. Trust me i have experience.

Answer 2

Forget about POWER-- and don't buy a department store telescope that advertises 750x ------ and has pictures from the Hubble telescope on the outside of the BOX!

The practical limit is 50x times aperture -- so a 6 inch scope's maximum usable power is 300x. Everything must be perfect to get that high. Normally about 30x aperture is all you can get.

In my 8 inch LX90 I usually use 100x-200x power--almost all of the time. I would suggest that you attend a meeting or public observing event of your local Astronomy club-- and look through their telescopes and ask questions BEFORE you buy anything.

Answer 3

Well, you have already had the best advice you will get, but if you want to see planets, you will need at least an 8" reflector with a good solid mount, possibly a Dobsonian type. Alternatively get an SCT type, which are shorter in length and lighter but you will need an equatorial mount, or a wedge fork mount.

Do NOT buy it from any salesman in a department store, who usually knows little or nothing about telescopes. If some one tells you that the stars will be blurry because it (a 6") is too powerful the guy doesnt know what he is talking about.

You do not rate a telescope by its magnification (any telescope can magnify to any magnification theoretically) but by its light gathering ability and that depends on the aperture so the bigger the aperture the better. (As long as you can carry it if you want to set up in your back yard, portability is important) The focal length and size ofthe eyepiece are what determines magnification.

Most amatuers use a magnification around 200, but on good nights I can go to 350 or even more with my 4" Refractor with no problem because of the quality of the optics, but that is used for astrophotography. Again, better optics cost more money. You get what you pay for.

Why not go to a suitable site on the web to learn more about what might suit your needs. Try for example www.skyandtelescope.com or www.astronomy.com which are good sites for beginners. Being an engineer should make it a bit easier to grasp the basics of optical systems and mounts.

There is a huge amount of telescope types and manufacturers for your needs, but expect to pay a reasonable sum (not cheapo cheapo) and get the best you can afford.

Learn a bit about them before you buy and try a few out at you local club.

Answer 4

Best advice would be from Derrick Pitts Astronomer @ Franklin Institute

www.fi.edu

Answer 5

Dear Sir:

I am pleased that you are interested in entering the Astronomy Hobby. It seems that you have already looked

around a bit and talked to some people about telescopes.

I urge you to go to the following site and visit it ten, fifteen,

even 20 times to begin to get a familiarity with telescope

equipment, parts, and assemblies.

              http://www.astromart.com

That site charges a one time fee which is very low, and

after that, there are no more fees to pay. what you get for

your money is a series of excellent reviews on products

and access to a huge listing of used equipment which if

you know what you are looking for can save you a lot

of cash money.

Next, it is important to realize that without an unlimited

budget, it will not be possible to replicate the performance

of the Hubbell Telescope with a hobby instrument kept at

home. What you need will be a "compromise" between

what your personal budget allows, and what is convenient

for you to pick up, haul around, and take back home.

From the optical standpoint, what you want is the largest

objective lens (REFRACTOR) or mirror (REFLECTOR)

telescope you can possibly afford. You will also need the

sturdiest and best machined mount that you can afford,

as well as a reasonable selection of the very best eyepieces that your budget will allow. Please note that premium optics cost lots of money, and that the eyepieces normally furnished with telescopes only provide the basic optical views, not

startling - fantastic - supurb views. Premium quality eyepieces cost from $200 to $500 US Dollars each, depending upon model and mfgr. A good used mount for your new telescope (GO-TO Model) will cost about $900 to $5000 depending upon size and model.

Now the telescope itself. Refractor Telescopes tend to become very expensive after you pass the 6 Inch Objective Lens size...$500 to $5000 range takes you up to about an

8 Inch refractor which is a pretty big unit, and rather heavy.

The same money will start you into an 8 Inch Reflector telescope and carry you on up to about a 10 to 12 Inch unit depending upon type and quality. I would not invest in anything less than an 8 Inch Reflector Type Telescope if

you want to observe deep space objects. Please look closely at the Schmidt Cassegrain Type of folded light path reflector telescopes. They are convenient to handle, assemble, and move about single handed. They are also fairly easy to haul inside of a vehicle. With the folded light path, they are much shorter than the full size - long tube reflector telescopes. Also,

you don't have to climb a ladder to get into comfortable viewing positions with them.

I seriously encourage you to join an Astronomy Club near you and attend a number of meetings before you actually purchase anything. If you go to the club often, you will probably get invited to one of their Star Parties where members bring their own telescopes and gather to look

at some particular outer space happening...  There you will

have the opportunity to look through telescopes owned by other people and get some idea of actual performance and cost.

Never purchase a telescope in a box at a store based upon the salesman's advertising gimmicks. You have no idea

how it will work at your home, or how practical it is for your intended usage until it is actually at your house and set up. Most often the only way that will happen is if you meet a friend (seller) at the Astro Club and he brings it over to your house with him one day for you to try before you buy....Avoid talking with anyone about telescopes with less lens or mirror size than 6 Inches if you are serious about deep space.

My set up is not the best by any means, but it works pretty good for my needs... Meade 6 Inch Refractor (Cost $500 Used) e/w GO-TO Mount (Cost $500 Used) and Collection of High Quality Eyepieces (Cost $1500 Used). Then I still need a good set of filters which I have not purchased yet...but I do have a few misc filters to tinker with.

Recognize also, that with a reflector type telescope, you will also need to collate the scope each and every time you take it out to use. And, given a "big mirror" you will need to allow the mirror to adjust (expand/contract) to outside temperatures prior to use, or your view will be all blurred and distorted. Most people have no idea that this is important.

A lot of folks start off with Dobsinian type Reflector Telescopes, and that is just fine. That design of telescope is generally less expensive to purchase but also larger to handle and transport.

Beyond all the talk about the actual unit you will buy, it is important to discuss where you will use the actual telescope.

Are you planning on using it in the City (your back yard) or way out in some dark rural area. How bright is the night sky

where you will use the telescope - really how bright??? Is it pitch black there? If not, and there are hundreds of bright security lights and street lights all over the place, you will not

be able to use your new telescope there with any degree of success. Remember you are interested in looking at very dim objects light years away, or many millions of miles away. So a brightly lit up billboard sign just down the street will kill your night sky views immediately.

It might turn out that the only way you can use this new telescope is to haul it in your car to a remote site far from home. This factor will limit the overall size of the package you will want to purchase. I assure you that hauling it in and out again and again will limit its total usage time before long.

Is the air clean and crisp where you live, or is the air constantly filled with haze and smoky overcast?  If you always have haze and smoky overcast, don't even think about getting a really good telescope. It is wasted time and energy.

Regards,

Zahbudar