Telescopes for Beginners - Great Tips and Guidance

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Telescopes for Beginners

I recommend buying the best telescope you can afford. Investing in a good telescope will greatly enhance your enjoyment of astronomy and reduce the need to upgrade later.

For those on a tight budget, any telescope listed here is an improvement on department store telescopes.

The telescopes listed here are the most popular and best value for money for beginners on the market.

Celestron NexStar 8 SE Telescope

This is a fantastic telescope for beginners because although it requires some investment it is unlikely that you will need to upgrade in the future as your skills improve. This telescope is easy to use - the GoTo function is a boon for both new and more experienced astronomers. It’s easily portable and works well in light polluted areas so you are guaranteed to use it.

My favourite starter telescope. Highly recommended.

Rating

Buy now at Amazon.com

Read my more detailed review of the Celestron NexStar 8 SE Telescope

Telescope Buyer’s Guide

Once you have made the decision to take the plunge and buy a telescope there are many features you need to consider. These may include cost, user friendliness, portability, optical quality and performance. You also need to think about where you are going to keep it, where you are going to use it and what you are interested in seeing. The choices can seem bewildering.

The best advice is simply to buy the telescope that you will use the most.

Please do not waste your money on a cheap, department store telescope. Especially, ignore anything that is sold on the basis of its massive magnification or power. Its much better to start with binoculars and then save for a quality telescope.

Magnification

The focal length of a telescope is the distance it takes for the light to be refracted or reflected to a point of focus. This light is then magnified by the eyepiece.

The power at which a telescope is operating is determined by the eyepiece being used. To work out the magnification simply divide the objective focal length by the eyepiece focal length. For example a telescope with a 1000 mm focal length using a 10 mm eyepiece is operating at a 100 times magnification. If the eyepiece is changed the magnification will also change.

Magnification is not as important a factor as some people think. In fact, too high a magnification can be a hindrance to good observing. Some objects in the night sky can only be seen clearly at low power settings. The key to observing fine detail is not power, but the aperture of the telescope.

Aperture

In the observing world aperture is crucial - it determines the amount of light a telescope can capture. The aperture is the diameter of a telescope's main (objective) lens or primary mirror.

A bigger aperture generally means a higher cost and a bulkier telescope.

Optics

Quality optics are the key to a great viewing experience. You get what you pay for. I recommend that you buy the best scope you can afford for the type of observing you plan to do.

Refracting Telescopes

Usually, a high-quality refractor will give you the best optical performance for a given aperture. The type of glass used in the lenses is important. Designs using ED glass perform well, but the best colour correction is found in apochromatic glass designs.

Advantages

Better suited for use in light polluted areas than other types of telescope.
Easy to use and reliable.
Rugged, simple design - easy to care for. Lenses are set in the factory and rarely need resetting.
No collimation is required.
Great for viewing the Moon, planets, and other bright objects. A good refractor will show excellent detail.
The sealed optical tube eliminates air currents and protects the optics.
No obstructions to the light path.

Disadvantages

More expensive per inch of aperture than reflectors or cats.
Heavier, longer and bulkier than equivalent aperture reflectors and cats.
Not great for observing deep sky objects due to the lack of aperture. Here reflectors outperform refractors.
May get some some false colour in telescopes using achromatic glass.

Reflecting Telescopes

If budget is more of a consideration, in general a big reflector (Newtonian or light bucket) is the best value, especially if you want a large aperture. These used to be the mainstay of amateur observing and although cats are now more popular, reflectors still offer good all round viewing.

Advantages

Lowest cost per inch of aperture.
Reasonably compact and portable, depending on the aperture. More portable than a refractor of the same aperture.
Excellent for faint deep sky objects such as remote galaxies, nebulae and star clusters.
Reasonably good for lunar and planetary work, but not as good as a refractor.
Reflector telescopes do not suffer from chromatic aberration
Optics provide very bright images.

Disadvantages

The open tube allows air currents which can degrade the image.
The optics are exposed to the elements and so need frequent cleaning.
The optics may need to be re-aligned (collimated) on a regular basis
Reflectors with large apertures can be bulky and heavy although truss-tube telescopes are much more portable.
Secondary obstruction results in some loss of contrast.
Mirror coatings can degrade images and may eventually need re-coating in order to preserve their reflective ability.

Cats (Compact Telescopes)

If you want a compact telescope with superb all round performance a cat (Schmidt-Cassegrain or Maksutov) is a great and very popular option.

Advantages

The best all-purpose telescope design. Combines the optical advantages of both lenses and mirrors, giving razor sharp images over a wide field.
The light path is "folded" so that, for a given focal length they are compact and not too heavy. This also makes them easy to use and highly portable.
Can be totally computer driven.
All purpose use - excellent for deep sky, lunar, planetary and binary star observing or astrophotography.
Pretty much maintenance free.
Closed tube design reduces air currents and protects the mirror against tarnishing.
Price - less expensive than equivalent aperture refractors.

Disadvantages

Price - more expensive than reflectors of equal aperture.
May give slightly less contrast than a refractor.

Which Telescope Should I Buy?

If, like many people, you are spending too long trying to choose your first telescope, then my quick guide will help you get started.

Of course, if money where no object, there are some really fantastic telescopes out there. For example, Takahashi telescopes have sensational optics, with a price to match.

If you are only interested in planetary observing, its worth investing in a good quality refractor. For beginners looking for all-round viewing here are a couple of possible options, depending on your budget.

Option 1 - Basic set-up

This is a great set-up to get you started if your budget is a bit limited.

Telescope

Orion SkyQuest XT6. Overall the best value starter telescope - this is a 6 inch Newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount. It will provide the best all-round views on a limited budget - lunar, planetary, double stars and deep-sky objects - even quasars. It is portable and simple to use. There is no “go-to” facility or tracking. This means you don’t have to fiddle around with complicated computer control systems and its also a good way to learn.

If your interests are more inclined towards galaxies and deep sky objects, you might want to consider an 8 inch, or even a 10 inch, Newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount - For example the Orion SkyQuest XT8 or XT10. Bear in mind these telescopes are, of course, more bulky than the XT6.

Finderscope for the main telescope - included in all these models.

Accessories

Eyepieces

These telescopes come with a 25mm Sirius Plössl telescope eyepiece. To improve your viewing experience its well worth investing in a short-focal length eyepiece which will give higher-power views of planets and double stars. A well made 6.3mm Plössl eyepiece is ideal.

Recommended Stargazer Start-up Kit

Books and Maps

I recommend a guidebook such as Star Watch, a simple star map, a planisphere and a Moon map.

Software

A planetarium software can be a great help in planning your observing sessions.

Red LED Flashlight

A red LED flashlight helps you see what you are doing without losing your dark adaptation. Especially important at star-parties.

Notebook

Useful to record your observations and any drawings you may make.

Be Prepared

Warm clothing for winter. Thermal underwear, socks and gloves. Boots, sweater, jacket. Flask for hot drinks.

In summer - consider insect repellent.

Option 2 - Best Buy Set-Up

There nothing wrong with the above set-up, but here’s a fantastic set-up which in my opinion offers great value for money.

Telescope

Celestron NexStar 8SE. You really can’t go far wrong if you purchase this type of telescope. It’s easy to set-up and has a full “go-to” capability, which will save you lots of time. It’s great for city observing where faint objects are hard to find. It’s compact and portable with excellent optics.

Finderscope - A StarPointer finderscope is included so you can look for objects yourself.

Accessories

The telescope comes with a 25mm eyepiece and a star diagonal.

Eyepiece and filter kit

Additional eyepieces and filters will really enhance what you can get out of your telescope. This kit contains everything to get started in visual astronomy at a fraction of the cost of purchasing the items individually.

OIII Filter

If you like to look at planetary and emission nebulae, get an oxygen III filter (not included in the kit)- the boost in contrast is fantastic.

Vibration suppression pads

Great for additional stability.

Power Tank

A Celestron 12v power tank will save you money on batteries

Other accessories

Please see recommended stargazer start-up kit above

Celestron 21024 Firstscope

The Firstscope telescope is aimed at new astronomers on a tight budget.

It will get you started and help you learn the basics of astronomy. Of course, it will not perform as well as more expensive telescopes. Its optics compare favourably with department store telescopes.

An ideal gift for children.

Rating

Buy now at Amazon.com

More detailed review of the Celestron 21024 Firstscope