Like anything else, though, there are many telescopes in between.įirstScope Signature Series from Celestron Telescopesġ. Here are my specific recommendations, from the most miniature telescope to the largest for casual stargazers. You can get a smaller Schmidt-Cassegrain with a four-inch diameter mirror for around $700, but honestly, I think the smallest you should go is a six-inch diameter for about $1,100. Because of the compact optics and the technology, these are more expensive telescopes, but if you can afford them, they are worth it. This is a huge time saver for locating celestial objects, especially in areas with light pollution. These systems have at least 30,000 to 40,000 telescope targets in their databases. Many also have “go-to” systems that automatically point your telescope at any celestial telescope target in the sky. That allows you to track whatever you’re looking at through your scope as it moves along in the sky, keeping your target in the field of vision. Another huge advantage is that almost all Schmidt-Cassegrain scopes have motorized drive systems that keep up with the Earth’s rotation. They are more expensive but are more compact and portable than most reflector telescopes. Unlike reflectors, the eyepiece is in the rear of the scope. Schmidt-Cassegrain scopes are reflectors with greatly refined optics that make them much smaller and much more portable. These are easy to operate because the mounts operate very simply up and down and back and forth. Many reflectors are referred to as Dobsonian scopes. Honestly, I think an eight-inch reflector is probably the biggest you’d want to go with. When shopping for a reflector, the mirror diameter defines the size. Mirror diameters range anywhere from three inches for young kids to over 30 inches for fanatics. The larger the primary mirror in the scope, the more light you can collect and the clearer the image. Undoubtedly, you get a lot of bang for your buck with reflectors, but the downside is that they are generally big and bulky. That smaller mirror is at an angle that reflects the image to the outside of the tube to the eyepiece. The image collected by the primary mirror in the back of the scope bounces to the other end of the telescope tube to a smaller flat mirror. Reflectors gather light with a concave parabolic mirror inside the end of an open tube. Reflector telescopes are formally known as Newtonian Reflectors since they were invented by none other than Isaac Newton in the 17th century. The diameter of the objective lens defines the size. The minimum you will want is a 60mm refractor, meaning it has a 60mm objective lens. The wider that lens is, the more light-gathering ability you’ll have. Refractor telescopes gather light with the objective lens, where light enters the front of the telescope, and the eyepiece is on the other end. There are also spin-offs of each type of telescope. There are three basic types of telescopes: reflectors, refractors, and Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes. Higher-magnification eyepieces can be helpful with planets and the moon but are not necessary. Usually, 100- to 200-power magnification is the most you’ll ever need for most celestial targets. Most telescopes come with two or three eyepieces. Galileo said it best: telescopes “reveal the invisible.” Magnification, or “power,” is controlled by which eyepiece you use and the scope’s focal length. While magnification is essential, the light-gathering ability is much more critical to a telescope’s main job: to allow you to see far away objects too faint to be seen with the naked eye as clearly as possible. They both have excellent websites that you can purchase from directly or that can direct you to a brick-and-mortar dealer.īefore I get too specific, I want to emphasize that the primary mission of your telescope is to gather as much light as possible. In my opinion, the best brands of telescopes are Orion and Celestron. Nothing against any of them, but there are a lot of junky scopes that find their way onto their shelves and websites. My strongest recommendation is to avoid telescopes at retail stores and general shopping websites. I don’t want your telescope gift to wind up in what I call the closet of no return. I want you to buy right and not just buy cheap. Maybe it’s you! As with anything, you get what you pay for. Since this is the big gift-giving season, I want to help as many of you as possible find the best telescope for the best price, depending on who you’re buying it for. That’s always tough for me because I’m not sure what their definition of “expensive” is, so I have to ask them for a specific price range. I’m often asked to recommend a “not all that expensive” scope. Over the years of writing this column and putting on astronomy and stargazing presentations, I’ve received inquiries from many nice folks about purchasing a telescope for themselves or that special someone.
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