Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: SofiaMar on 09/04/2015 12:48:07
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Hey guys!
Could you help me with advice. What telescope is better to buy for beginners?
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I ve heard Levenhuk and Celestron ones are not bad
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http://www.space.com/15693-telescopes-beginners-telescope-reviews-buying-guide.html
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Hey guys!
Could you help me with advice. What telescope is better to buy for beginners?
Welcome to the forum! :)
I recommend a reflector telescope. This seems like a good one:
http://www.optcorp.com/celestron-powerseeker-127eq-telescope-21049.html?gclid=Cj0KEQjwxpipBRCap8PR2Om7vq4BEiQA6V7OVeMbMYdxVR88DT-9mSj0AIr7SVbxmBSVxWNiFa7J3JAaAite8P8HAQ
What price range do you have in mind?
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If cost were not a limitation, I would recommend a telescope with a GPS and computer control for a beginner.
- The computer works out where the objects are in the sky (a beginner will have trouble finding interesting objects).
- This is especially a problem in the city, where the lights wash out most of the stars on a star map.
- But a city person in the country also gets lost, because they can suddenly see far more stars than they could in the city!
- The computer keeps the object centered in the eyepiece, despite the rotation of the Earth (otherwise it quickly drifts out of view, and you have to find it again).
- These pointing systems (sometimes called "GoTo" computers) are coming down in price, and appearing on smaller and smaller telescopes.
- This has allowed me to see things like globular clusters, which would be impossible for me to find in the city lights (but you also need a fairly large telescope to collect enough light to see these - this was with an 8 inch/200mm reflector; with this, you can also see the color bands on Jupiter and the rings of Saturn).
But in reality, cost is always an issue, especially for a child or a beginner.
- With a short exposure (eg 1/100 second), a tripod-mounted camera with a good zoom can get an image of the Moon better than you can see with your eye.
- A pair of binoculars (light enough to hold comfortably and steady) will give a better view of the Moon than the naked eye. They have the added advantage that they can be used for land-based activities like nature walks and bird spotting. (Astronomical telescopes usually invert the image, which makes it rather frustrating for looking at things on Earth!)
- Any telescope for $200 or more will give an excellent view of the Moon. The Moon is easy to find because it is so big and bright. Even Galileo's tiny telescope was enough to see the craters on the Moon, which caused a minor stir at the time.
- Make sure a telescope comes with a tripod, as you really can't hold a telescope steady enough to see anything clearly, even on the Moon.
- A small telescope like this will show the largest 4 moons of Jupiter. Galileo's crude telescope was enough to see these "Galilean" moons, which caused a major stir at the time, because it showed that the Earth was not the center of the entire universe.
- Ensure that the telescope comes with a small "finder" scope, as it can be very hard to find the desired object in the narrow field of view of the main telescope.
Whatever you get, be aware of size and weight. You want to be able to quickly disassemble it, fit it in your car (to get it home, or take a trip out of the city), and for the user to be able to lift and move it easily. A 200mm telescope is quite awkward for an adult to move.
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A lot depends on what you want to do with your telescope. It's not so much the brand that you need to think about, but the actual design. A Dobsonian, for example, will give you a great view at low cost due to big mirrors in a simple container, but they generally aren't great for astrophotography as most don't have automatic tracking controls. It's hard to offer any advice without knowing what your actual plans are for it. You'd really be better off asking the question at a dedicated astronomy forum like the one at www.skyatnightmagazine.com/forum (http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/forum) which has a subforum for people looking for equipment advice and experts who will steer you in the right direction. It isn't a decision you want to get wrong.
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Hi guys!Unfortunately, I arrive late in this thread, but I hope not to bother you if I ask you which kind of refractor telescope would you suggest me:) (please note: I'm not a pro astronomer)
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Hi everyone, I noticed this is an outdated thread but maybe this could help somebody that is still looking for a telescope.
As even_au pointed there's no doubt that a GoTo mount will be super helpful for a beginner. Although they tend to be pricier you can take a look at the Celestron 130SLT at a really good price point.
On the other hand, you can go for manual telescopes (knowing you'll have a deeper learning curve) and trying to go for a cheaper yet great scope like the Orion Starblast 6.
Hope that helps!
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Thanks!
What's your experience / expertise in this area?
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Levenhuk Strike 60 NG is a good compromise between price and quality. In any case, it seems to me
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The short answer is a medium Dobson reflector - at least 150 mm diameter (or 6"). In astronomy Bigger is always better but moving around a bulky dob is a bit hard and not usually suited for beginners. Of course, there's a whole discussion about refractors too - but those are much more pricey.
Getting back to learning and beginners, a good pair of binoculars is even nicer. They're easy to use, to carry around anywhere and have a huge field of view (you can see more "stars" or star asterisms with them). They're also good for some bright Deep sky objects (a few dozens): Open star clusters, Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies, Orion Nebula, Pleiads, etc
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There are many telescopes in market,piking best telescope a for beginner depend on your budget. if you have low budget go for Celestron 21035 70mm Travel Scope. if you spend over $500 go for Celestron NextStar 6 SE
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There are many telescopes in market,piking best telescope a for beginner depend on your budget. if you have low budget go for Celestron 21035 70mm Travel Scope. if you spend over $500 go for Celestron NextStar 6 SE
Why do you recommend these brands?