Choosing a Telescope
Choosing a telescope that is going to be right for you requires a little bit of research. We often get asked what is the best telescope for beginners and we always tell people that there isn’t one, there are great beginner telescopes for sure but the right telescope for you is the one that meets your requirements and let’s you look at what it is you want to look at!
Right off the bat, forget about telescope magnification – it’s really not that important. If you’re looking at a telescope that is advertising the magnification as its main selling point then walk away. Telescopes collect and focus light and so the most important factor is its light gathering capability, or aperture. As a general rule of thumb, bigger apertures gather more light, and the more light you gather the more you will see! But before you can decide how much aperture you can get for your budget when you are choosing a telescope there are a few questions that you need to ask yourself 1st.
1) What do I want to look at?
- The Moon and the planets, deep space, or both
2) Where do I live?
- Are you in an area affected by light pollution
3) Do I plan to travel with my telescope?
- How much kit can you reasonably transport
4) What is my budget?
- How much aperture can you afford
When it comes to choosing a telescope the first thing you need to decide is what you want to look at – your two choices are the planets or deep space.
For just planetary observation your best choice is a Refractor telescope. If, however, you want to spend your time gazing into deep space at nebulas and star clusters then you will want a Reflector telescope (also known as Newtonian or Dobsonian). If you want to do both then your best bet is to get a Catadioptric (Cassegrain) telescope, these combine the advantages of the other types whilst also doing away with most of their disadvantages. Right now these are the most popular telescopes on the market. Go here to find out more information on the different types of telescopes.
For the next stage of choosing your telescope you need to think about where you live and if you and your scope are prepared to travel. Light pollution effectively rules out deep space observation in built up areas so there is little point getting a reflector telescope if you don’t plan to travel. If you plan to travel then your next big decision is how portable does it need to be. Bigger aperture might be better but it also makes a telescope much bulkier. It is also worth noting that reflectors will require extra care on the move as they can be quite fragile and refractors tend to be the largest of all the types due to their design. My choice for portability is a catadioptric. Do not forget about essential accessories such as the tripod and mount – it is crucial for observation that your set-up is sturdy. This additional kit is bulky and needs to be factored into your ‘realistic’ travelling plans, just how much equipment do you really want to lug around?
Now that you have an idea of what the best telescope for you might be it is time to consider your budget and any features that you consider important to you, such as computer aided navigation of the stars. You don’t necessarily want the most expensive telescope you can buy – you want the right type of telescope, at the right size for your needs with the greatest aperture you can afford with your budget. Now that you are almost at the point of choosing a telescope to buy I would also advise sticking to a trusted brand of telescope bought from a reputable store. When asked I always recommend Orion or Celestron, both produce high quality excellent astronomical telescopes.
