What telescope should I start with?
Makal asked:
I’m new at astronomy and star gazing and I find it very fascinating. I want to buy a telescope that can let me see constellations and planets. But i don’t know which kind of telescope to buy. Please can i have suggestions on what kind to buy or start off with. Please mention the price. thanks.
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I’m new at astronomy and star gazing and I find it very fascinating. I want to buy a telescope that can let me see constellations and planets. But i don’t know which kind of telescope to buy. Please can i have suggestions on what kind to buy or start off with. Please mention the price. thanks.
August 24th, 2009 at 12:40 am
No telescope will show you constellations: they are only visible with your naked eye.
Here are a few web pages with good information on beginner’s telescopes:
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:
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:
I strongly recommend that beginners steer clear of astrophotography until they have learned their way around the sky. Astrophotography is by far the most expensive and difficult area of amateur astronomy.
Many people who buy telescopes have no idea how to find interesting things to observe. A good introduction to finding things is NightWatch by Terence Dickinson (Firefly). A more advanced book is Star Watch by Phil Harrington (Wiley).