Best reflector telescopes according to redditors
We found 517 Reddit comments discussing the best reflector telescopes. We ranked the 97 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 517 Reddit comments discussing the best reflector telescopes. We ranked the 97 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Hi /r/pics!
I enjoy building stuff, and this won’t be my last telescope--I have three more planned over the next few years, plus a shipping container observatory! The last two times, I got a ton of questions (which I love to answer), but I’ll hit the most common questions that were asked on the previous telescopes:
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How much did it cost to make?
It’s difficult to put a number on it. More than $1000, less than $2000, but there were so many small components and wasted materials it’s hard to say exactly. The optics (primary mirror, secondary mirror, spider combo) I picked up for $600 from eBay two years ago, which was a steal at twice the price. I used around $100 worth of plywood, about $80 of steel for the mirror cell, about $60 worth of plastics for the baffles and bearings, about $60 of aluminum for trusses...and I forgot how much I paid for the focuser, maybe $70? I’m also not counting wasted materials (wood, plastics, aluminum that I screwed up), which is probably in the $200-$500 range.
Also, I had to learn to weld (with help from /r/welding) in order to make the mirror cell, and bought all the welding equipment, which put me back a few hundred. However, I’ll be using that in the future, so I’m not counting that as a material cost.
If this were a professionally made dobsonian from a company like Obsession Telescopes, it would be worth around $6000.
How much does it weigh?
The entire assembly is 85 lb. The heaviest part by far is the mirror box (the thing with handles), which is a 26 lb. mirror (a 1.68” thick slab of glass), 11 lb. of steel, and 24 lb. of wood. Next time, I’m going to make the mirror cell detachable from the box so I can walk more than 30 feet before having to set it down. :P
How do you transport it?
It breaks into components (secondary cage, trusses, mirror box, rocker box, base) and can store in the back of a hatchback. It’s just a little bit too big for my Civic, but I was planning on trading up to a hatchback next month anyway because transporting lumber and raw materials is starting to put some serious nicks in the upholstery in the back seat of my Civic.
How long did it take you to build?
I began drafting the project back in January, with most of my serious design work in the spring. I welded the mirror cell in May, worked and reworked the design off and on through the summer, and did the final stretch of construction and finishing in September.
Can you take pictures with it?
Not really, at least not without another platform that I’m going to build. I have some DSLR cameras I picked up off of eBay (at an INSANE PRICE, I got a Canon D60 and Canon 20D, no lenses or batteries, for $80!!). The camera mounts right onto the scope, and I will be trying astrophotography. However, the full moon is a few tens of thousands of times brighter than the Orion Nebula, which requires around 30 second exposures to pick up anything at all. The problem is, the sky moves about a quarter of the way out of frame over 30 seconds, so all you get is a blur. It needs a tracking mount (called an “equatorial platform”) to stay fixed to a certain spot in the sky, and I’m in the process of designing and building one now.
What’s the focal length and focal ratio of the mirror?
Honestly, I don’t really know, the eBay auction is expired and I bought the optics two years ago. I think it was 2000mm, but once I used the jig to measure the optimal distance between the secondary mirror and the primary mirror, I went with that and didn’t bother going back to calculate the FL.
What should I do if I’m interested in astronomy but don’t have a huge budget?
First, subscribe to /r/astronomy!!
My advice is to get a mini-dob like this one. Some people will advise binoculars, but I disagree; a mini-dob is much easier to handle and you don’t have to deal with hand jitter. After you’ve found a bunch of Messier objects and want more, get an 8-inch classic dobsonian like this one.
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Past projects, in chronological order:
Software and math:
Future projects (in planned order):
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If you have more questions, fire away! I’ll be happy to answer them!
Head over to /r/telescopes and read the stickied thread over there. Great community. You may find a particular need will lead you to a certain telescope, but for purely visual observing, it's hard to beat a dobsonian reflector. Dobs are often called "light buckets" because the primary mirror is large and can collect a lot of light, making for better views. Don't even think about astrophotography because it's way too damn expensive.
The cheapest dob worth buying is the $200 AWB OneSky. It's a collapsible tabletop scope with a 5" primary mirror. Another scope of the same size and price is the Zhumell Z130. Zhumell is a respected dob maker, and I haven't heard many reviews of the Z130, but it won the "best telescope value" award for 2016. It's slightly less portable, but that portability requires a little bit of setup, so the choice is kind of just about your personal situation.
With a telescope like one of those, you will be able to see all the planets (Uranus and Neptune will appear just as blueish dots), Saturn's rings and moons, and Jupiter's moons and great red spot (in good seeing conditions).
You will be able to watch the moon in great detail, and see galaxies - Andromeda will look like this, nebula - Orion will look like this, and star clusters - M13 will look like this, all depending on seeing conditions.
If you can afford an 8" dob telescope, you will be able to collect 250% as much light as with a 5" telescope, and will get better results. Again, Zhumell is a good manufacturer. The Z8 is $400 and often considered the best value for an 8" dob because of the good accessories.
If you are ok buying used, you may be able to get a lightly used 8" for the price of a new 5". I got this collapsible 8" telescope for $250 lightly used. I once saw an 8" go for $100, but the person selling didn't know what they had.
Here is a picture that I took last week. My son and I set up in the town center and invited people to look at Saturn and its rings and moons.
Good times.
Would this telescope be powerful enough for an image of this clarity??
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0007UQNKY/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_img?_encoding=UTF8&colid=32H2LFBQBWTJQ&coliid=I3PKKGCNP138VH&psc=1
For camping (Sorry, a tad over $100):
For Cooking:
You're after the Skywatcher Heritage 130. Pretty much the same telescope, hence the OneSky not entering the market.
Don't get the celestron. Their low-end range is very bad for a variety of reasons.
At that price range, I'd recommend the Sky-Watcher Heritage 130p. It has the same aperture (you'll be able to see the same objects), but on a sturdier mount, and better optical quality (the celestron has a flawed spherical mirror). It's on a very stable dobsonian-style mount, but you'll need to put it on a table to use it at eye level. It's pretty much what everyone on this sub recommends, and for good reason.
The moon will look phenomenal (it does through any telescope!) and brighter deep sky objects (Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy) should also be visible. The planets will be doable, but I recommend getting a better quality eyepiece for higher magnifications. The 6mm Gold-Line eyepiece is a good choice that won't break the bank.
Clear skies!
Don't buy either of those. Not great.
If your budget is around $200 get an AWB OneSky
If you can stretch to $250-300 get a 6" Dobsonian
If you can stretch to $400-450 get an 8" Dobsonian
Yeah, buy the XT8 instead.
(Or the Skywatcher 8". It's cheaper than the XT6 on Amazon right now.)
Hello :-)
If you aren't in a hurry, you can regularly get a refurbished/2nd XT6 and XT8 for $200-$285 over at https://www.telescope.com/Sale/Clearance-Center/pc/6/777.uts?&refinementValueIds=4567. If you check the used market, you might get one for even less.
 
New, the Orion XT6 costs $279. New, a 8" costs $350 (that's a sale currently, with one that has much better accessories than the XT8)for a much better price.
Within your budget, the only things worthwhile are the OneSky and Mini 130. The OneSky is very compact, the Mini has contrast benefits (closed tube, possibly thinner secondary hodlers) and a regular focuser.
Outside the US, the OneSky is sold as SkyWatcher Heritage 130p, and another one is the Bresser Messier 5". The Mini is more expensive here.
 
The XT4.5 has slight contrast benefits due to it's "more relaxed" aperture ratio (->possibly mirror aberrations, coma... Easier to reach higher magnifications with cheap eyepieces). The set comes with a lot of stuff (though a cheap barlow isn't ideal). It has a slightly smaller aperture than the OneSKy/Mini130 though.
For the price-difference of the XT4.5 and XT6, the XT6 is very much worth it. The increase of aperture shows noticeably more detail, and it's height makes it easier to observe standing/seated.
Speaking of, for the OneSKy, I use a Ikea Bekväm.
It still beats any of the sets on tripod. The 127eq, 114eq, 130eq and similar all suffer from a mount that's not overly stable, bad accessories, and flawed optics (flawed "bird-jones" type or spherical mirror in case of the 130eq). Even though some of these have amazingly good reviews, they are not good at all. Beginners reviewing them are just happy to see the moon "up close".
 
> planetary viewing
Do keep in mind that only three planets show noteworthy detail and aren't even up all the time. So a larger aperture for some deep-sky observing is always a good idea :-)
Links on what to expect in different telescope aperture sizes
Size/Portability
 
All telescopes require one or more eyepieces to get the most out of it. But recommendations depend on the telescope you choose. Avoid eyepiece sets, they are never worth it (overpriced, mediocre, Plössl-type eyepieces under 10mm have horrible eye-relief).
 
Clear skies! :-)
Telescopes can be anywhere from sub-$100 to tens of thousands of dollars, it's really all about what you want to get out of it. If you're just getting into the hobby I'd highly recommend this telescope. It's sub 100 and decent quality. You can also add a $30 filter to look at the sun with.
If you're willing to spend more money, this is a great telescope at $400 USD.
Astrophotography can be as simple as putting your phone's camera up to they eyepiece or connecting a DSLR or CCD camera to a computer-controlled telescope to get many hours of images to stack to bring out the detail. Of course, this can get really expensive.
Do note: there's a saying that the more you spend, the longer you'll have to wait to use it.
Stars are never more than points of light in all amateur telescopes, so even if you aimed a scope at them, they're going to look just like they do to the naked eye, just brighter. The exception from your examples being Castor, which is a nice double star that only a telescope will resolve. A number of stars are double stars, often appearing as a blue/gold pair that look very nice in telescopes. These are always interesting to see in light pollution. The challenge is finding them since you don't have many stars visible as a reference to aim the scope. A few stars are deep red carbon stars, but will require modest aperture (at least 8") to easily spot amongst light pollution.
As far as other objects are concerned, a few will be visible in a telescope.
Star clusters (open clusters and globular clusters) are good targets in light pollution since the brightness of stars increases with the square of the aperture, whereas light pollution does not (light pollution through a telescope can never look worse than it does to the naked eye). In fact, by using high magnification against many globular clusters, you can dim the light pollution without dimming the stars. This increases contrast, which makes them easier to see. By increasing magnification, you drop the exit pupil, which in turn makes all objects with a surface area dimmer (the moon, planets, galaxies, nebulae, and light pollution). But optical point sources like stars, are not affected by exit pupil, only by aperture. An 8" telescope will make stars 816 times brighter than the naked eye shows them, but light pollution will never get brighter.
A few planetary nebulae will be visible in light pollution. They are bright, but small, and require modest magnification to see easily. An O-III filter can help them stand out more since these kinds of nebulae strongly emit light in the O-III part of the spectrum. A select few are bright enough that an O-III might not be needed.
Many other nebulae will also be visible with line filters like O-III and Hydrogen Beta filters. Reflection nebulae will not, however.
Most galaxies will be invisible. They are full spectrum objects whose light cannot be isolated from light pollution with a filter. Since most galaxies have low surface brightness, they are easily lost even in modest amounts of light pollution. The Andromeda Galaxy's core will be visible as a faint smudge through a telescope.
Because galaxies and nebulae have a surface area, they get dimmer with increased magnification, the same way light pollution does. So you cannot use the same trick you use on star clusters to increase their contrast. The only way to increase contrast of emission nebulae and planetary nebulae is with a UHC/narrowband, O-III filter, or H-Beta filter. If you did get a scope, I would recommend buying a good quality UHC/narrowband, then O-III, and then an H-Beta filter (in that order, as funds allow). The key is good quality though. Cheap UHC/narrowband filters behave more like broadband filters, and do a poor job of isolating the light from emission and planetary nebulae. Expect to pay $80-100 for a quality filter.
Planets are unaffected by light pollution, and even a small aperture (3" to 6") can reveal far more than the naked eye or binoculars can. However, viewing detail on the planets requires a decent quality telescope, and favorable viewing conditions.
Telescopes I would recommend to get started
Specifically I recommend avoiding all Celestron PowerSeekers and AstroMasters. They are very, very poor quality.
I also recommend avoiding all refractors. They are extremely overpriced for how much aperture you get, often come on wobbly mounts, have poor focusers, and exhibit chromatic aberration (unless you spend a couple thousand on a nice one), which will seriously rob planetary contrast. Newtonian reflectors with parabolic mirrors on Dobsonian mounts are by far the most cost-effective way to get decent aperture, and aperture is what will best resolve double stars, make star clusters brighter, show planetary and lunar detail, and allow you to use decent magnification against small planetary nebulae.
I own one of these, it's decent:
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21049-127EQ-PowerSeeker-Telescope/dp/B0007UQNKY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487998236&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=telescope&psc=1
Light pollution is the #1 problem you'll face. Something cheesy like this though can legit see the rings of Saturn.
UFOs typically fast moving. Try sighting the ISS and you will understand why people don't typically bust out a telescope to look at UFOs.
PLEASE listen to the AutoModerator bot post. Those of us who spend a lot of time on here answering these kinds of questions ALL agree with it (which is why it posts what it does).
None of those that you list are worth the money. They are all low-quality scopes that will do more to discourage you than support your interest.
Your price-point is a tricky one. $300 USD would be a little better. But there's still some good options. The SkyWatcher Heritage 130P is your best bet around that price point. If you can push a little further, though, even better would be the Orion XT6 Dobsonian. I cannot recommend ANY motorized/GoTo telescopes for even twice that price (though some people may disagree).
https://www.amazon.com/Orion-8944-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9UW/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1497733605&sr=1-2&keywords=dobsonian+telescope+6+inch
A brilliant telescope for a young child would be the Orion Funscope. I have several scopes but I have this in the boot of the car all the time just in case. It's a table-top scope which does away with complex mounting issues and the usual awful tripods that come with cheap scopes. It's got 2 decent eyepieces and a great little laser finder that other scopes like this don't have. As a very amateur astronomer for years, this is by far the best bang for buck out there in telescopes.
I actually don't know of a 4" from Orion. They make a 4.5" that runs a little over $200 on Amazon. There's also this 5" Jones-Bird Reflector from Celestron. Quality seems ok for the price, but collimation is tedious.
You don't need very much magnification at all, as they're visible with the naked eye. But if you want a really clear, detailed image, you want to collect a lot of light, so the diameter of the telescope is what really matters. The bigger the better. This one is a pretty good bang for your buck, especially if you also get this to go with it.
> I'll be picking up this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Orion-SkyQuest-Classic-Dobsonian-Telescope-x/dp/B001DJ4FEE
No, save yourself 100 quid and get the better one! Behold: Sky-Watcher Skyliner 250PX. Same size, better in all regards. Also possibly faster delivery.
As for accessories, you'll definitely want a planetary eyepiece (a 6mm "gold line" should be enough for starters), a collimation tool, and maybe a replacement for the 10mm kit eyepiece (a 9mm "gold-line" will do great here too).
Paging /u/schorhr for the eyepiece links! He has the best deals saved on his notepad :)
You're correct, you are missing an eyepiece. They come in many different magnifications. When I got my first telescope, I also picked up these, http://www.amazon.com/Orion-08890-1-25-Inch-Telescope-Accessory/dp/B0069VXRLS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418025111&sr=8-1&keywords=orion+eyepiece+kit .
Giant wall of text incoming. Feel free to pm me for skype, irc, or hangout info and we can talk more in depth if you have questions.
The thing that always wows people the first time they look through a decent telescope is Saturn. All of the sudden its not a point of light. Its a disk with ears. Kids and adults alike are always astounded. Many people think its fake it looks so cool.
Astronomy is the study of space. Astrology is the belief that the position of the stars and planets determines or explains personality traits.
The first thing you have to decide when buying a telescope is what you want to do with it. Do you want to use it for visual astronomy or astrophotography? If you want to take hubble style deep sky images then you will need to spend in the 1000s of dollars to start. If you want to do visual observing then you can spend as little as $150 and on up to 1000s+.
Next thing to decide is if you want something computer guided or manually guided. Computer guided will cost more but you wont be relying on your brain as much. Manual guided scopes will be cheaper but you will need to invest in charts and books more.
Things to know about all telescopes:
Resolving power is dependant on the size of the apature or main mirror. This is kind of like megapixles on a camera. The bigger your opening the more light you can collect and the better resolution you'll have.
Magnification is the x rating (100x etc). It will let you know how big you can make something. These numbers are usually exaggerated. It's a mathematical function based on the focal length of the telescope divided by the focal length of the eyepiece. Useful magnification will be based on the resolving power of the scope (based on mirror/aperture size) and the sky conditions. Think of having a low res picture then blowing it up. It gets all distorted and pixelated. That is kind of what will happen if you over-magnify a small telescope with a small aperture.
Now we can discuss the pros and cons of different designs.
Refractors: This is what most people think of when they think of a telescope. They are made of lenses. Glass or plastic, depending on the cost/quality. They are generally heavier and more expensive than other types of telescopes. They are fairly low maintenance and can be some of the best or worst telescopes out there.
Reflectors: These use mirrors instead of lenses. They are generally bulkier than other types of telescopes, but dollar for dollar there is no better way to get a large aperture. They can be a little finicky, requiring collimation (A Process that makes sure a circle looks like a circle and not an oval).
Catadioptric: Combines lens and mirrors. Generally maintenance free, lighter than refractors and less bulky than reflectors. These are good all around telescopes, but aren't generally great at any one thing.
Scope choice is important based on how you plan on using it. If you dread lugging around a big scope and setting it up, you'll never use it. If you're like me, and live in a light polluted area, you will travel with your telescope a lot. You need to make sure it fits in your trunk.
All of that being said this is an excellent beginer telescope that is fairly cheap. With it, you will be able to count craters on the moon, see the rings of Saturn, see cloud bands on Jupiter, and get into some deep sky objects like some of the brighter star clusters and galaxies and nebulas.
If you're interested this is an album of some of my astrophotography.
Clear skies.
No, that will be awful. In that price range check out the tabletop reflectors such as this 100mm Orion SkyScanner.
Well, the traditional starter is a 50-mm refractor...what most people think of as a telescope. The optics are usually fine, but the mounts are horrible. I still remember battling mine. And the one my wife bought at the thrift store has confounded my kids. Tradition!
Another option would be a Newtonian telescope, which uses a mirror instead of a lens. They don't look like a "normal" telescope. However, they work just as well...and the mounts are a lot easier to use. The tabletop versions are portable and are intended for kids...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FM4A108/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UQ6E4Y/
That's what I would have gotten myself way back when.
The absolute best telescopes for beginners is a good 8 inch dobsonion. If you are willing to take the time to learn the night sky and don't need goto a good one is 400 or so new. For 650 you can get a push to 8 inch scope that allows you to tell it what you want to see and it will tell you how to push the scope to see it. True motorized ones are much more expensive
The reason 8 inches is the best starters is it's big enough to provide great views of everything from the moon, the major planets and all the brightest deep space objects. The dobsonion type scope is easy to setup,very stable, and light enough that it's not a big production to get it out and ready.
If you get a scope order the book "turn left at Orion" on Amazon. It is a great book that gives you easy to understand directions on where to point a scope any time of the year to see the best objects currently in the sky. Also see if there are any astronomy clubs in your area because they are normally very willing to help you get started
Astrophotography is a whole other can of worms and requires specialized telescopes mounts cameras etc
Below are some examples of Scopes and good reading:
https://www.amazon.com/SkyWatcher-S11610-Traditional-Dobsonian-8-Inch/dp/B00Z4G3PRK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=skywatcher+dobsonian+8&qid=1569033244&s=gateway&sprefix=skywatcher+dobs&sr=8-3
https://www.telescope.com/mobileProduct/Telescopes/Dobsonian-Telescopes/Classic-Dobsonians/Orion-Limited-Edition-SkyQuest-XT8-Classic-Dobsonian-Bundle/pc/1/c/12/sc/13/101452.uts
https://www.telescope.com/mobileProduct/Telescopes/Dobsonian-Telescopes/IntelliScope-Dobsonians/Orion-SkyQuest-XT8i-IntelliScope-Dobsonian-Telescope/pc/1/c/12/sc/27/102012.uts
https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundreds-Telescope/dp/1108457568/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=turn+left+at+orion&qid=1569034887&s=gateway&sprefix=turn+left&sr=8-1
In before someone else mentions the used Skywatcher 8 inch dobs that are currently on Amazon for under $300. Probably your best bet.
I don't know your budget but this is a great telescope for a 9 year old and you wont be disappointed. It's durable and a really good scope that will last a long time. Maybe get a barlow lens because it doesn't come with one but it's the best bang for the buck. You will be taking this puppy out and orion has a great customer service. Here is the link
http://www.amazon.com/Orion-SkyQuest-Classic-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/tags-on-product/B0000XMSNO
How technical / mechanically savvy is she? Has she shown a strong interest in astronomy, or are you giving her this gift in the hopes that she'll find it interesting?
The reason I ask is that while the second one you linked to is a better instrument, it's harder to operate the mount and get the scope to point where you want it. A non-mechanically savvy or only partially interested kid may lose interest because the mount could prove to be too frustrating to use.
I've had numerous telescopes in my life, currently have a mid-grade refractor on an equatorial mount, and it's a pain in the ass even for me. I don't use it as often as I would like because it's cumbersome. Cheap equatorial mounts also vibrate like crazy, blurring images the instant you touch the focuser.
The only reason to get an equatorial mount is if you want motorized / aligned tracking of objects. A smooth alt-az mount is just as easy to keep objects centered with IMO, and it's SIGNIFICANTLY easier to just aim at them.
If she does have a strong interest, and you're willing to stretch your budget a bit, you can get her a scope she'll grow into rather than grow out of, by getting something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Orion-10014-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B0000XMSNO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417754292&sr=8-2&keywords=orion+skyquest
The problem with binos is that you'll never be able to hold them steady enough to study things. You'll need a tripod and mount.
Nevertheless, enjoyable viewing can be had with a good set.
Here's what I'm working.
Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 $75
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-SkyMaster-Binoculars-Tripod-Adapter/dp/B00008Y0VN/
70-Inch Pistol Grip Tripod with Bag $55
https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-70-Inch-Pistol-Grip-Tripod/dp/B01LQX0P8Q
Total Cost ~$140 shipped
This is slightly more costly than most decent starter scopes.
Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker Telescope ~$133
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21049-127EQ-PowerSeeker-Telescope/dp/B0007UQNKY
If money is of little object, get a basic scope and the binoculars I stated earlier. You'll enjoy having both capabilities and it will help you hunt down objects. Also fun for people who come with you to have something to do while you work the scope.
I will say that binoculars get uncomfortable if you're not laying down, or sitting naturally and even then it can get tiresome on the eyes and neck. Nothing beats a telescope imho. You can learn the sky and develop good habits just the same.
Rule of thumb is avoid cheap refractors. With refractors you need top notch optics to get good results, and you will never find them on cheaper ones. Don't be fooled by the magnification number, 300x magnification is useless when your optics cannot produce good results to begin with. It's just a cheap trick they use to impress beginners
Your best bet, with a 200€ budget is to get a good pair of binoculars, something around 15x70 and a tripod. If you still want a telescope, what you need is a reflector. Check out the dobsonians in Amazon, they're great and pack a lot of power for what you pay for, best bang for your buck as a beginner. Example: Orion 8944 SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DDW9UW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_DsWCCb75RADY1
Telescopes are one thing where price does really matter though, it is advised to spend as much as you can on one, because quality and results obtained exponentially go up the pricier they are.
My suggestion would be to get a pair of nice binoculars, and if you like what you see thru them in the night sky (completely dark, away from City lights preferably) save up for a nice telescope. I've seen quite a few deep sky objects with just these cheap Olympus 10x50 ones, in completely dark skies. Olympus Trooper 10x50 DPS I Binocular (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000AKGX3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HIWCCb36S5DK2
Good luck!
You can get a 6" Dobsonian for about $250. That's where I would start for visual observing. Astrophotography is a whole other kettle of fish and you'll need to stretch your budget by a factor of 5 to get started. The best way to get into astrophotography on a limited budget is to use your camera lenses and get wide field shots using a tracker like the Vixen Polarie.
Holy Batman this is an amazing response!
The 4 year old has used a telescope before, he's just absolutely fascinated by space right now. If it was just him, I'd definitely be getting the £50 type scopes. Due to my interest, I really don't believe any model I get will be a waste of money.
I had the Heritage in mind, but had never looked at that Skyliner 150p, which has lead me to the 200p....I'm sure you know the feeling!
Already purchased Turn Left at Orion, definitely want a moon filter/scope as well as a planetary one.
Finder scope is essential from what I've read.
I think I'm settled on either the Heritage 130p or the Skyliner 150p. Is there any justifiable reason to even consider the 200p? I'm fairly certain I'll go in the middle for the 150p, but always welcome opinions!
Yet this Orion StarMax and this Orion SkyQuest keep appearing in my research. It will be between those 4 for sure, if you have any specific advice on those along with any accessories I need I would be eternally grateful.
A 10" telescope will set you back $630.
Ah gotcha. I wasn't sure the age of your son, but it's awesome you are looking for one for your young son and helping him to venture into the world of science. If I were you I'd just wait and find a decent scope on craigslist. If he is still interested in astronomy in a couple years then I would throw down some money on a scope. I think a smaller scope for seeing the planets and looking at the moon will be interesting for him. The Orion XT6 is pretty large, but they do sell a 4.5" model which would be a bit smaller and cheaper. Link
I wouldn't buy anything from Wal-mart or K-mart though, those scopes are kind of trashy. I used to have a Tasco when I was younger that I won in a fundraiser and I could see the moon and not too much else so it was kind of disappointing.
Best of luck.
> I am looking for a really good telescope that is between 100 to 150 dollars...200 would be pushing it. Does anyone have any good recommendations?
There is no "really good" telescope within your budget. An 8" Dobsonian would be ideal but it costs $330. Stretching your budget a little you could get a 4.5" one for $230.
I just started with the stargazing hobby a month ago with a cheap $120 reflector (https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21045-Equatorial-PowerSeeker-Telescope/dp/B0000Y8C2Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1485796129&sr=8-2&keywords=114mm+eq).
I did enough research and know full well it's no where near the level of telescopes the folks at /r/astrophotography use. But you know what? It didn't matter. Just being able to see some of the little things in space close-up was enough to really make me want to invest in this hobby. Seeing the Orion Nebula close-up, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the crescent of Venus, and even the moon craters all for the first time felt amazing and rather humbling. I mean all those things have always been there but I've never bothered to really absorb it until now. Mind you I live in a Bortle 9 region, but I've already planned trips down to a Bortle 2 zone just a couple hours from me and I am super excited.
Well apparently I'm not the only one who wants this sweet telescope... /u/call_mecthulhu, come on down! We both totally have unrealistic wishes for items! Woo!
Here's my revised advice, get this telescope and this adapter.
I'm not thrilled with the aperture value (f7.8 or something at 1000mm) but it does come with cheap German Equatorial mount. You can use the finder piece and the mount controls to manually track stars and planets. I believe the German Equatorial mount, if my memory serves me correctly, can be set to various angles so that you will only have to adjust one knob to track any body in the sky (as opposed to having to turn two knobs like an etch-a-sketch to track).
Long exposures are needed to photograph planets, stars, galaxies, etc. You'll want the tracking ability, even if it is done manually.
I just bought a Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker Telescope for my family. We've looked at the moon, Mars, and Venus. It can imagine the rings of Saturn, but I haven't had a chance yet. I'm going to buy this phone/tablet mounting bracket so I can take pictures through the scope.
Under $50: 76mm newtonian w/dobson mount
Under $100: an 80mm refractor for each eye (tripod not included)
Under $200: 127mm newtonian w/ equatorial mount, tripod, starfinder and 3 lenses
I started with this one. A celestron 130slt. I know people don’t like the computerized ones but in my opinion, for an amateur, it’s really great. Amazon has a warehouse deal for $320 right now. It’s a great telescope for beginners. I even took some pictures of the moon and stars. You can see the rings separated from Saturn but you cannot tell that there are two rings if that makes sense.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007UQNNQ/
While nothing special https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-NexStar-130-Computerized-Telescope/dp/B0007UQNNQ has been a great learning scope for me.
Equipment (I’ll link everything as well)
Hardware:
-Celestron NexStar 130SLT Computerized Telescope
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007UQNNQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_sHMFDbRWV6XEC
-iPhone 7
-phone mount
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DZ45CPA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_IIMFDbJMWY647
Software:
-NightCap Camera by Realtime Dreams Limited
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nightcap-camera/id754105884
No processing was done.
Random question but I was wondering if you could compare the two telescopes below with the one OP originally asked about.
https://www.amazon.ca/Celestron-31051-AstroMaster-130EQ-Telescope/dp/B0013Z42AK
https://www.amazon.ca/Celestron-NexStar-130-Computerized-Telescope/dp/B0007UQNNQ
I'd mainly be interested in Jupiter and Saturn and would be willing to go up to the $599 cost of the NexStar but would rather just get a cheaper one if there isn't much difference.
this was my first scope, http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-NexStar-130-Computerized-Telescope/dp/B0007UQNNQ/ref=pd_ts_zbs_p_10693141_3/188-2997468-6997211?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=right-5&pf_rd_r=1RKJ9NYZ56K083VFJHY2&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=236989901&pf_rd_i=524138
You can see all the planets, and even the Galilean moons clearly, and the shots of the moon are awesome. Good for the Great Orion Nebulae as wel.
Argentina eh? Is that 570 American Dollars?
Good looking scope.
Do you have dark skies where you are? I started off with a Celestron 130mm, but I live in San Jose, CA (which has bad sky pollution), so sold it for a smaller 90mm Mak. In city areas, I think 90mm Maks or (or small Dobs) are the way to go. Easy set up.
But this is a personal preference (I have no patience for those EQ mounts! It took me three trips from my room to the drive way to set everything up. Then you have to align it, etc.)
Get this while it lasts:
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-31045-AstroMaster-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B000MLL6RS/ref=sr_1_16?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1279354330&sr=1-16
It has a 130mm mirror and only costs 223.19. Free shipping.
While it's not directly related to the telescope, if you are buying from amazon the Orion 27193 XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope and Beginner Barlow Kit isn't going to be in stock for another 3 weeks.
In my opinion you will not be missing much to get the one without the additional barlow lens+red light.
Instead I would spend that extra $20 the way u/schorhr's recommended to me by buying the book, Turn Left at Orion. It is an awesome book that teaches you a ton about all different aspects of astronomy including what you can see in a telescope, and where/when you can find it.
If you don't mind tossing a bit more money on it this might be a better purchase if you want to keep things on the cheaper end.
Orion SkyQuest XT6
I actually just used my cell phone camera, but with the help of an Orion XT6. I've been getting into astrophotography a bit recently, but I still need a few parts before I can start taking really nice pictures.
https://www.amazon.com/Orion-8944-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9UW
Comes highly recommended as one of the best affordable stater telescopes. I can throw my own personal experience behind that.
I'll check out James Web, thanks.
This Orion has great reviews. I have a Skywatcher myself, which is slightly more expensive. Of course you can also go the second hand route, just have to take a good look at the state of the primary and secondary mirrors.
This was taken with a Dobsonian scope, large but cheaper -- good bang for the buck but not very portable. Looks like prices have gone up since I bought it in 2011, I paid $529 from Amazon. This one: http://www.amazon.com/Orion-8946-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DJ4FEE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1395592101&sr=8-4&keywords=dobsonian+telescope+xt10
A friend of mine has one of these monsters:
http://www.amazon.com/Orion-8946-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DJ4FEE/ref=sr_1_1?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1396383050&sr=1-1&keywords=orion+xt10
The term "light bucket" gets bandied around, and these dobsonians are certainly that. Even the smaller ones.
They're not super portable, but for beginning back yard stargazing, it would be hard to go wrong with one of these.
You can get a pretty darn decent 10" Dobsonian for far less than that. For instance - here's one for $500.
when you see a measurement such as 6" it just means the primary mirror (big one at the back of the telescope) is 6 inches in diameter. "dob" is just an abbreviation of "dobsonian" which is just a type of mount for the telescope.
The one I have is the skywatcher heritage 130p, which after checking is a little smaller than 6" (5.1") and cost £140
Here it is on amazon.
Interesting. With your sub $200 can you see anything but the moon?
I also saw this dob from an old post
Skywatcher Heritage130P FlexTube Dobsonian Telescope Black
Skywatcher Heritage130P FlexTube Dobsonian Telescope Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002828HJE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_2NZ1Db7QCXVE9
Morthylist:
Item which would most make you seem like an old posh Englishman: Keep calm and carry on mug ("Random" WL)
Most "oh god, I would never be seen with this in public" looking item: As much as I love the movie, I'd still be a little embarrassed to be carrying The Little Mermaid around ("Moving Pictures!" WL)
Most phallic looking item: Uh...a sword, I guess ("If I had a million $$$s" WL)
Akeleielist:
Most geeky item: Coffee mug with a caffeine molecule on it ("Random" WL)
Item which would most help you achieve a goal: Running shorts to get my butt back in shape ("Fandom" WL)
Best item to bring to a deserted island: A telescope? I can look for ships on the horizon during the day, and look at the pretty astronomical sights at night! ("If I had a million $$$s" WL)
Love you both! :)
I would recommend an 8-inch dobsonian. You will see the planets very nicely in them, and you'll be able to see deep sky objects at a dark sky location.
You won't be able to do much astrophotography with this though, because dobsonians can't track, you could buy a GoTo dobsonian, which are more expensive but will move to and track an object as long as it is aligned.
A new 8 inch dobsonian from Orion is currently $400 on Amazon.
But keep in mind, when viewing deep sky objects, you won't see beautiful, colorful nebula like you do in pictures. It will appear grey, and you will see less detail. The pictures you see from people's telescopes are stacked and post-processed, bringing out colors and making it look nicer.
Also, go to /r/telescopes, which is a subreddit made for the stuff you're looking for .
Haven't used that one, but it's 5.1 inch, so that's plenty big enough to see Saturn. Good eyepieces are key, though, to getting a good image. I had a cheap Meade 4 inch and it did okay. The model you link to included 1.25" eyepieces, so that's a good start. I haven't been into that stuff in years, though, so I don't know what else is available on the market.
EDIT: This one might be a better choice: http://www.amazon.com/Orion-Classic-Dobsonian-Telescope-Beginner/dp/B003ZDEUS2
Get an Orion XT8. Big enough to see cool shit, small enough to be transportable. That'll cost you 350, or 400 bucks if you get the version with a barlow lens. Barlows are great for planet viewing, as they make everything 2x bigger.
Too bad you didn't post this a couple of weeks ago. I got my XT8 + Barlow kit for $369. Now it's $420.
Thanks for the writeup.
I'm looking at a 8" Dobsonian.
I like the collapsible feature. I have a Celestron 102 now, and its footprint with tripod open is a bit much in my living room.
How do you like your dobsonian? I'm currently debating buying this Sky-Watcher 8" Dobsonian as my first telescope (hopefully of many) but I haven't been able to get a handle on whether this is a good deal or not in terms of price, brand, or whether a dobsonian is good for a "starter" telescope.
So it sounds like 8" Dobsonian and a little learning is the best way to go. Thoughts on this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Sky-Watcher-8-Collapsible-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B004Q78OII/ref=sr_1_1?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1449087907&sr=1-1&keywords=8%22+Dobsonian&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011
I have the exact same scope. Mine came with a 25mm Ploessl that allowed me to see Jupiter and it's four moons and allowed me to get a decent glance at saturn and it's rings. I've had mine since February and the planets haven't exactly been in good locations for viewing (and at convenient times...), but I'm in the northern hemisphere, so it'll be different for you. I got a Orion lens kit that came with a barlow x2, 6.3mm, 7.5mm, 10mm, 17mm and 40mm lenses as well as six different lens filters. Orion 1.25" lens kit
The issue I had with planetary viewing (and in general) is that my 6.3mm and 7.5mm lenses get me to almost 200x magnification, which as was mentioned, will be about the limit for the scope, problem is, my views were VERY blurry and hard to focus, I know my scope is collimated well (Something you should double check), but planets and the moon were crappy for getting sharp views. That said, the other night, I got great close ups of the moon, so I'm thinking the issues I'm facing are atmospheric, not equipment. Would love to know what you all think about that!
Hope my info helps!
Awesome! I got this one for myself for Christmas. :)
Orion 09798 StarBlast 4.5 Equatorial Reflector Telescope, Metallic Green
I started off with a 100 dollar 4.5 inch (70mm is 3 inch i think) orion tabletop. Then I added a barlow lens and a 6mm eyepiece for about 40 dollars each. You can find cheaper pieces though.
The tabletop I had is pretty good for beginners, I could see dark objects like the andromeda galaxy and orions nebula. Planet views are good too but the eyepieces that come with the scope dont get you a lot of zoom which is why i got a 6mm and a barlow.
https://www.amazon.com/Orion-10012-SkyScanner-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B00D05BIIU/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=orion+4.5&qid=1562969551&s=gateway&sr=8-11
https://www.amazon.com/Orion-8920-Expanse-Telescope-Eyepiece/dp/B0000XMXXO/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=6mm+orion+eyepiece&qid=1562969593&s=gateway&sr=8-2
https://www.amazon.com/Orion-08711-Shorty-1-25-Inch-Barlow/dp/B0000XMWQW/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=orion+barlow&qid=1562969613&s=gateway&sr=8-3
You can find cheaper eyepieces and barlow lens though.
The smaller the eyepiece, the more zoom you have, the barlow lens doubles your zoom.
For stuff like the moon, Jupiter, and Saturn, a ~$100 telescope is fine to start with. Some people will say to get binoculars, but I think that it is horribly outdated advice.
Do you have a local astronomy club? If so, it might not be a bad idea to visit one of their public observing nights and check some stuff out.
Even in the middle of light polluted Phoenix, I have no trouble doing sidewalk astronomy on planetary objects, and even a few of the brighter nebulas.
My daughter is just barely out of the "toddler" stage, and uses this telescope on her own to look at the moon: http://www.amazon.com/iOptron-6004-iExplore-Refractor-Telescope/dp/B009S0VT62/ref=sr_1_4?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1394183296&sr=1-4&keywords=telescope
I'd never recommend that telescope to anyone though, but it was a gift from an astronomer friend, and it's cheap enough to where if she breaks it, I'm not out much. Maybe in a couple more years she can start using my 8" dob.
For a telescope suggestion, I'd stay away from any equatorial mounts. Cheap equatorial mounts are more frustrating than anything.
If $100 is your budget, Orion has a nice table-top dob that would make a nice starter scope. http://www.amazon.com/Orion-10012-SkyScanner-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B00D05BIIU/ref=sr_1_6?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1394183296&sr=1-6&keywords=telescope
The problem with the table-top scopes is sometimes it's hard to use the finder scope. Once your daughter becomes familiar with the scope though, she shouldn't have trouble hitting the moon, and Jupiter.
If she plans on looking at the moon a lot, I'd suggest a lunar filter (about $20). http://www.amazon.com/Orion-05662-1-25-Inch-Percent-Transmission/dp/B0000XMUWS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1394183584&sr=1-1&keywords=lunar+filter
I know that pushes things up to ~150, but upping your budget a bit will pay off well. The toy scopes under $50 aren't really worth bothering with.
If your budget is limited, you could consider the Celestron Firstscope, which is a 3" table-top reflector. Combine a firstscope with a lunar filter, and you are talking about $60 or $70, and would still make an "okay" starter telescope.
As for keeping here interested in space/astronomy you could download and install stellarium on your computer for her. Stellarium is a free/open source planetarium program. Simply set your location, and you can view everything visible in the night skies of your area.
Also, there are a ton of "citizen science" programs your daughter could participate in.
Check out cosmoquest.org and zooniverse.org
>I asked him if the other planets are flat. He said there aren't any other planets (!!!!). Just the moon and the sun.
You can show him the planets in the sky and also show that they change position from night to night, whereas the stars stay the same relative to each other. A phone app can help you locate ojbects in the sky.
You can also buy a cheap telescope that will allow you to view the major planets. Seeing Saturn's distinctive ringed shape or Jupiter's moons, with his own eyes, might help. (Could also take him to a local star party.)
You can definitely get a nice hobbyist telescope for a reasonable to semireasonable amount of money. I don't know much about brands so definitely don't take this as buying advice, but here are two consumer telescopes at opposite ends of the price range for that market.
https://www.amazon.com/Orion-SpaceProbe-Equatorial-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B00D05BKOW
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-StarBright-Schmidt-Cassegrain-2800mm-Telescope/dp/B000ARFND2
I have put some effort into research for binoculars/telescopes myself and I bought Cresta Prestige PB321 for €30
$200 budget can also buy you this telescope https://www.amazon.com/Orion-10015-StarBlast-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B00D12U1IK that I got recommended from some site somewhere.
I can see Jovian moons with the binoculars but I don't have them long enough to look at anything more. I also have a lot of light pollution, so I doubt I should expect much more than Jovian moons with €30 binoculars
I'm thinking of buying that telescope if I still care enough to use my binoculars when my birthday comes around. I don't want to spend a lot of money on a 3 month hobby
I bought THIS off of craigslist for around $120(?) and I can see Saturn with it. It's just crazy to see it with your own eye.
Starblast via amazon.
It's a reflector so it has mirrors instead of lenses. Portable, decent aperture, good optics. I don't think you'll do much better for 200$ unless you get lucky on craigslist or ebay.
You can also get it on an equatorial mount but it'll cost more that way.
Ack, don't buy that telescope it's crap. I'd advise you save a bit more and get something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Orion-10015-StarBlast-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B00D12U1IK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1374094182&sr=8-2&keywords=starblast+4.5
But if $60 is your top dollar you can do better than the Barska with these:
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21024-FirstScope-Telescope/dp/B001UQ6E4Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1374093969&sr=8-3&keywords=celestron+tabletop
http://www.amazon.com/Orion-10021-FunScope-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B00D05BIGC/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1374093969&sr=8-7&keywords=celestron+tabletop
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21036-PowerSeeker-70AZ-Telescope/dp/B003AM87PU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374094004&sr=8-1&keywords=celestron+70az
Biggest issue you are going to have is for children to have any good luck, they will need to be able to find stuff to look at. With that said, I would bundle any telescope checkout with a copy of "Turn Right at Orion" as well as a red headlamp. I would also consider having parents sign some sort of release form that if the scope comes back damage you can go after them for the cost.
You might do better with a GoTo telescope. These make it easy to find stuff to look at if you get them positioned properly. I am not sure of you budget, depending on that I would go with this
http://www.telescope.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=102026&utm_source=google&utm_medium=comparisonshopping&utm_campaign=US-googlemerchant&gclid=Cj0KEQiA1b7CBRDjmIPL4u-Zy6gBEiQAsJhTMHDaTbPhQ5-buq2SReWnyk_Mz2gYSK67XVWMkvSpdgMaAvPv8P8HAQ
I would also reach out to your local astronomical society to see if they would help. Here is a example of what the New Hampshire Astronomical society does.
http://www.nhastro.com/ltp.php
The telescope they use is this one
https://www.amazon.com/Orion-10015-StarBlast-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B00D12U1IK
I would actually not recommend the one you have listed. The larger scope will allow users to see more objects as well as a tripod will be harder to control shaking then a tabletop mount.
I'm pretty into astronomy, but just as 99% of our communication is nonverbal, 99% of my astronomy is naked-eye, watching the constellations swim by as the year goes on. The planets are a special treat, they add a lot of spice to the night sky with their movements.
My first scope was an Orion FunScope, a 76mm Newtonian Reflector. My next scope, a year later, was a 8-inch Orion SkyView Pro, an equatorial (follows the Earth's rotation) Newt Reflector. Newtonian Reflectors are my scope of choice, easiest to use. It requires a lot of patience and knowledge of the night sky and how the Earth rotates. My biggest achievement is locating Nova Delphini with only star-hopping.
http://www.rocketroberts.com/astro/firstscopes.htm
Fun Scope and First scope are table top, easy to handle, ‘scopes I’ve read about. A finder scope on the side to locate objects is important shouldn’t be overlooked. Edit: I’m partial to this one but I’ve never used it. Again, note the finder scope that helps with pointing the scope at your object. https://www.amazon.com/Orion-10033-FunScope-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B00FM4A108/ref=pd_sbs_421_4/130-6793756-0166417?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00FM4A108&pd_rd_r=47425607-60fe-11e9-953e-dd131782f63a&pd_rd_w=VqyX5&pd_rd_wg=j4E2u&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=J6SKZGWA068T3AY8WFN9&psc=1&refRID=J6SKZGWA068T3AY8WFN9. Edit edit: you might want to look into a smartphone adapter. Not too much $$. This sends the image from 5he scope into,the phone camera. Bingo, big display screen foe all to view. Some an be klunky and might be best to 5he adults to set up.
I had an 8" dobsonian when I was a little older than you, it's no problem.
>I can't buy AWB telescope since my parent's don't seem to trust the site.
lame. No worries, just buy the other version:
https://www.amazon.com/Zhumell-Portable-Altazimuth-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B07BRLSVWM
Light pollution filters can help with viewing certain things, personally I have never tried one but I would spend the money on eyepieces first.
Go ask on /r/telescopes You will get better answers there.
Though the usual answers are
AWB OneSky
Zhumell Z130
Arpertura DT6
Mine looks exactly like this but different brand. Feeling ko same manufacturer nila sa china, branding lang. My telescope apparently came from korea.
So thats $500 without shipping and taxes medyo lalaki yan. Baka pumatak na ng $1000+.
http://www.amazon.com/Orion-08890-1-25-Inch-Telescope-Accessory/dp/B0069VXRLS/ref=pd_sim_p_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1EW2QNPBT13A068NG434
is this a good buy?
Hey, I was going to ask a similar question like OP but I've had my mind set on the XT8. This would be my first telescope. I saw in amazon this kit would this be good for a beginner or is it overkill? It's a bit expensive but if it really makes a difference then I'd go for it.
Okay I went with the XT8, this is the kit you recommended. You'd recommend that one over this one?
Thanks for the recommendations.
I'll definitely be getting a Barlow (most likely this kit), especially if I get an Orion.
I love your astrophotography! I never knew there was equipment like the Optron Skytracker or the Vixen Polarie, it's a different equipment approach to astrophotography. I'll probably be getting a scope first, but I may explore getting telephoto lenses for this in the future.
the 10mm one from this. http://www.amazon.com/Orion-1-25-Inch-Premium-Telescope-Accessory/dp/B0069VXRLS/ref=pd_sim_421_7?ie=UTF8&dpID=513A3GPm9yL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR138%2C160_&refRID=0ZWMZJSHFDKGAGVJZ6VV
Also what about something like this? Keep seeing 1.25 or 2 inch
http://www.amazon.com/1-25-Inch-Premium-Telescope-Accessory-silver/dp/B0069VXRLS/ref=pd_sim_421_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=513A3GPm9yL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR138%2C160_&refRID=1XS7J23SB3HQF2A9F9J1
That's good, as it will save you a fair whack of money.
I bought this one from the US a year ago and I've been mostly happy. It's great for looking at the moon, Jupiter, Mars and Venus. I haven't tried to get a good look at Saturn yet because I need to spend some time re-collimating it, but it should just do the job.
The bad thing about telescopes is that no matter what you buy, you'll wish you bought one with a bigger mirror 6 or 12 months down the road. Better lenses can help squeeze a bit more viewing out, but you
canwill quickly spend way more on lenses and other odds and ends as you spent on the scope itself.This isn't meant as a discouragement at all, just consider your purchase really well before jumping in.
Upon further research, mine is about half the diameter I think... I have this: http://www.amazon.com/Orion-09798-StarBlast-Equatorial-Reflector/dp/tech-data/B0069VYPV4
It's a nice little scope for the amateur stuff I wanted to do. I've seen Jupiter and been able to pick out the bands and some moons.
Close to your price range and pretty good:
http://www.amazon.com/Orion-StarBlast-Equatorial-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B0069VYPV4/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1427654078&sr=8-15&keywords=telescope
Orion 10012 SkyScanner 100mm TableTop Reflector Telescope (Burgundy) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D05BIIU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ejnmDbD6KVS7K
This one? Yeah as long as you don’t mind bringing some sort of table outside this is the better telescope. You could always build a tripod with a flat surface on top of the legs, people have done that and loved it. For the $100 though, if those were your only choices, go with my link above vs the short refractor. You’ll be happier.
Astronomers without borders onesky is pretty good too, $200.
Edit: also this...
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/skywatcher-heritage-130p-flextube.html
/r/Astronomy plug. I personally got this telescope, and it works phenomenally out of the box. I didn't want to go all-in on something I might not be interested in :p
As far as other ideas that fit for a more quiet person go:
No it's definitely alright! I appreciate that you are being completely honest. I can spend up to $100. So, that SkyScanner 100 is good? I see it for $100:
https://www.amazon.com/Orion-10012-SkyScanner-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B00D05BIIU
The heritage is a bit out of my range. How about this one.
4inch table top skyscanner.
http://www.amazon.ca/SkyScanner-100mm-Table-Top-Reflector/dp/B00D05BIIU/ref=sr_1_14?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1456808726&sr=1-14&keywords=telescope
Woulf a tabletop be a bette choice for a newbie? I would assume they would put more quality into the scope itself if the tripod is not needed?
You could get an Orion Skyscanner or the slightly smaller Orion Funscope/Celestron Firstscope. Or in the more expensive direction an Orion StarMax mak. (My preference would be for the Skyscanner in this case, 4" aperture and universal while not being too expensive if it breaks.)
I was the same a couple years ago and wasn't sure where to start. I ended up settling on this:
https://www.amazon.com/Orion-10012-SkyScanner-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B00D05BIIU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479685615&sr=8-1&keywords=orion+skyscanner+100mm
It can be mounted to any standard tri-pod too. I live in the suburbs in a very light polluted area however I can still see the moons of Jupiter (and very slightly the bands in the planet) and I can easily make out the rings of Saturn.
I later bought a barlow lens and just a few weeks ago I bought a clamp that fits over the lens so I could take pictures. This is one of the ones I took of the moon a couple weeks back.
Imgur
I went with a similar scope based on your recommendation. I'll let you know how it goes. The only downside is the inverted terrestrial viewing. I don't have any hot neighbors so I guess it won't matter.
I bought this one for my first one LINK accompanied by this. I can see Saturn's rings, Jupiter's moons, and Mars.
*disclaimer I live near Atlanta so some of the pictures are hazy. There are a few planet pictures in there but my Iphone really cannot deal with that faint of light. You can do whatever you want with these pictures, I just love to share them with people.
These are all the moon pictures I managed to grab before the harvest moon and of course the harvest moon itself, I took the pictures using an Iphone 4s.
I use this telescope; however mine is a bit larger - they both look the same though.
This is great info. It makes me realize that what I'd hoped to do is probably impossible, but makes me excited for the other possibilities that exist. Even if I just use the telescope for viewing, but can use a camera and tripod separately to recreate an image similar to the stacked M42, I would be incredibly thrilled.
Would getting a telescope like this one potentially help alleviate the focal length issue, or would it still limit me to exposures that are too short (if I were to try the same methodology of stacking): http://www.amazon.com/Orion-09007-SpaceProbe-Equatorial-Reflector/dp/B00D05BKOW ? I know it wouldn't be as good for viewing the DSOs, but if it gave me more of an opportunity to try astrophotography on them, it might be worth the trade off.
this one is good
I have an Orion 130ST with a cheap Orion drive. I mount my camera on the tripod for photography but when I mount it to the telescope, I get that ugly coma issue stuff.
I understand that a coma corrector corrects coma issues but I'm wondering if it would help on such an inexpensive scope like I have. I'm considering putting some money into a new mount and I'm wondering if I can get away with using my current scope.
I would probably need a new focuser as well. Is it worth the upgrades or do I just get a new scope?
Thank you for your detailed reply. :)
About the optics type issue, thanks for pointing out which of those have spherical mirrors. I'm aware of the problems spherical mirrors bring in but somehow I forgot to check that when browsing for scopes. haha It's my first telescope purchase, so I asked help for that reason. :) Also I know those mounts are not very very sturdy but for this price range I know I have to make some compromises. I guess for now it would be better to buy a scope with a parabolic mirror and ideally upgrade the mount at a later time when a bit more cash flows.
Last thing. What do you think of these if I may ask? Skywatcher Explorer 130p and [Orion 09007 SpaceProbe 130ST] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D05BKOW/ref=psdc_499154_t1_B0000XMSWK). Optics for both are stated to be parabolic. Are dobsonian still better than these? For planetary/lunar observation too?
thanks
If you can find a local astronomy club or planetarium, they would have much better telescopes to look through. A moderate sized amateur telescope is way out of the price range you are talking about, but it's the kind of thing lots of astronomy club members have
If you decide you want one of your own, a tabletop one is better than one of those long refractors with a spindly tripod. The best optics in the world don't help you if the stand it is on wobbles around. "table-top" doesn't mean you have to use a table, anything stable and reasonably flat will work - stack of concrete blocks, tree stump, etc. To see much of anything, you need to get away from city lights, few trees to block the view, and preferably dry stable air.
A bigger telescope can overcome light pollution from a nearby city, but you won't be getting a bigger telescope with your desired budget. One on the rooftop of a planetarium or university building can be much bigger if it doesn't have to be portable.
It takes time for your eyes to fully adapt to dark conditions - be patient.
Those are nice shots.
I'm almost tempted to beg Amazon for a gift card in exchange for that telescope since I know for sure that my in-laws purchased it off their sit, however. Maybe buy this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D12U1IK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fPxnzbC9B0TSH
I actually went with the StarBlast. I also bought a couple of lenses and a Barlow, and a sun and moon filter (which, in total costs more than the scope itself, but should be translatable, when I decide to scale my project).
Honestly, dropping a couple of hondo on a scope doesn't mean that much to me, but I know me (I got into yoyo's, then the next thing I know I spent $2000 on freaking yoyo's), so I have to mind myself in that regard, and not go too crazy.
I hope that we'll be able to talk in the future, because I'll be wanting something more later on. I just needed something right now, as my girlfriend (who is amazing and has written over 250 papers...not on astronomy, btw) wants to go out this weekend to a hike to view with some people (thus my need).
I took Astronomy I and II in college, and loved it, so I'm stoked that she's into it. I am an engineer and have a degree in mathematics, so bring on the nerdy, baby. :)
Edit: Edited.
With your budget, definitely this. I started with a much larger telescope and bought the FunScope as as a grab-and-go scope and am highly impressed by it even though it is much smaller. From a dark sky spot, you'll see plenty with it although you may want to invest in better eyepieces later on.
Thanks mate. I have been look g at the funscope astro dazzle and it looks great for him. Only issue is they don't sell the in this country. I can get one shipped in from the US which wouldn't an issue but the shipping and customs charges might make it a tad expensive.
Just a thought is this the same thing?
FunScope 76mm TableTop Reflector Telescope https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FM4A108/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_wCLRBb1A75TXD
Thanks again!
Zhumell z8: You mean below ones? I am ready to splurge more, if its worth it.
https://www.telescopesplus.com/products/zhumell-z8-deluxe-dobsonian-reflector-telescope
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002UPSPX2/
Skywatcher 6" dobsonian :
https://www.amazon.com/SkyWatcher-S11600-Traditional-Dobsonian-6-Inch/dp/B00Z4G3D22
As of now I am looking either at the
Orion 27193 XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope
or Zhumell z8 if that good
Binoculars : any recommendations.
I was considering this at first Orion starblast II 4.5 EQ reflector
But mu friend told me that it doesn’t have an autotracker so now I’m considering buying Sky watcher S11600 traditional dobsonian 5”
I do want to observe planets and the moon atm and no for obeserving the milky way I’ll have to travel to other cities.
Yes. A skywatcher 6" dobsonian.
If you're locked into purchasing from Amazon, you have these options for an 8" dob:
$355
https://www.amazon.com/SkyWatcher-S11610-Traditional-Dobsonian-8-Inch/dp/B00Z4G3PRK/
$390 but out of stock until August 4th:
https://www.amazon.com/Orion-8945-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9V6/
hey! My first telescopes were refractors, don't bother with them for planets. I'd have to say the sky-watcher 8inch is a pretty good start, its the one I'm currently using myself. only 385$ usd on amazon, no shipping with prime, either!
https://www.amazon.com/SkyWatcher-S11610-Traditional-Dobsonian-8-Inch/dp/B00Z4G3PRK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500760446&sr=8-1&keywords=dobsonian
Leaving aside all the "read the sticky" responses, one thing I'd recommend is, if you see one that interests you on Amazon, check prices at a few other places like the manufacturer's website, other vendors, and any photography/etc stores in your neck of the woods. Prices can vary, often in breathtakingly silly ways.
Depending on your location it can be worth looking at used stuff on Kijiji as well; every now and then I'll see people local offloading one telescope or another for whatever reason at "you're kidding, right?" prices.
Past that, if you're mainly interested in lunar/planetary observation from an urban environment, you've got some pretty forgiving targets - if you had a 16" Dobsonian with high-grade eyepieces it wouldn't hurt your viewing of the moon by any stretch, but you definitely wouldn't need that kind of gear.
I was actually salivating over this just last night.
*edit: Oops, just saw the UK note. My fault. Dumb question - wouldn't you be able to just buy that from the US Amazon site?
I have this one and I love it: https://www.amazon.com/Orion-10014-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B0000XMSNO/ref=pd_sbs_421_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0000XMSNO&pd_rd_r=4PBPDVSK8CK92CENCT31&pd_rd_w=E0pXs&pd_rd_wg=Ltec5&psc=1&refRID=4PBPDVSK8CK92CENCT31
I can certainly see the 4 major moons and the cloud bands on Jupiter with a Dobsonian 4.5 that I got my kids for Christmas
Saw them on the second night out and second time I ever looked through a telescope (first night was spent checking out the moon). I'm not sure, seems doubtful actually, that I could make out the shadows with the 4.5. A week into owning a telescope and I already want a bigger aperture!
Yes I'm located in the U.K and cool thanks for this advice :) I've done some looking around and I was thinking about the http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0000XMSNO/ref=pd_aw_sbs_2?pi=SY115&simLd=1 Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 because I'm just not sure.. But I will definitely take what you have said into consideration and look at everything you have linked.. :) thank you reddit stranger
I might be able to get a used Celestron 21045 D-114mm F-900mm from someone in my area, any opinions on this "used couple times" telescope locally?
.
"Celestron number 21045 D-114mm F-900mm coated optics this is what is on the side of it only used couple times"
.
Sounds like it might be this thing, though idk about the D part of what he described.
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21045-Equatorial-PowerSeeker-Telescope/dp/B0000Y8C2Y
It's this one It is very closely related to the winner of the 2013 best beginner's scope for the value with the best visuals. In telescope land. Or something :-)
I have one of these http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21024-FirstScope-Telescope/dp/B001UQ6E4Y/ and was very impressed despite the low price. I used it quite a bit for a few months before buying a much bigger and better scope of craigslist. One of the problems of lower end scopes is the quality of the eyepieces. Even that $40 scope allowed for me to see the bands of Jupiter and splotches on Mars, and using better eyepieces made it much better. Unless your son will be using the scope during the day I would recommend getting a reflecting scope. You get a bigger telescope for less money, which is great for seeing the fainter objects in the sky like galaxies, and nebulae.
If I were buying something for my son in this price range I would probably go with this: http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21045-Equatorial-PowerSeeker-Telescope/dp/B0000Y8C2Y and also get him some other presents, like a moon filter, or better eyepiece.
If he sticks with it, he can upgrade eyepieces, the mount, etc. to get improved performance out if it and use those on later scopes as well. It would be more difficult to
This will be a really broad question but here goes...
What is the best starter telescope I can get? I have literally nothing right now. No camera, no mount, no scope, nothing. I want to get into the hobby, but I just want to make sure I spend my money the best way possible without spending a fortune.
Was looking at the Celestron 127EQ but from what I understand is you can't take photos with it.
Edit: I'd like to be able to see planets like mars, jupiter, and saturn with some good quality.
I sent op's image to my brother, who has a Celestron 127eq. He said he's seen Saturn similar to the image on the left, not quite as good. He's also been able to see a couple of Jupiter's moons.
Not as nice as OP's scope, but it will get you looking at planets, and might be easier to aspire to.
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21049-PowerSeeker-127EQ-Telescope/dp/B0007UQNKY
For looking at the moon, you really don't need something crazy expensive. You could get a small dobsonian type like this for some good moon views. If you wanted to get more into looking at planets or nebulas you would want to go bigger. The one I was using to get this shot was a 10inch dobsonian which was around $600.
Hello,
I'm a complete noob to amateur astronomy. I once had a cheap refractor telescope as a kid, but it's long broken. I'm currently looking to get a new one, primarily for the purposes of stargazing, but perhaps further down the line take some photographs (issue is I don't have a camera, nor am I sure I will get one). I'm more interested in viewing deep field objects, but as I understand it, the only way to do so is through long exposure with a camera (?).
I'm currently looking at a few different models:
Celestron NexStar 4 SE Telescope -this one being the absolute limit of my budget
Celestron 21035 70mm Travel Scope
Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker Telescope
From what I've gotten from the 'What Telescope?' post, I need to choose between deep field and planetary viewing. What will I be able to see with my eyes, versus a camera?
I bought a pretty decent one online on Amazon. It's a beginner telescope but still quality. Cheap for what it is I think and great for a kid. I'll update with the link ...
Astronomers without Borders have some amazing telescopes and least expensive
Don't go for a high end one , just pick a beginners
https://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=4&zenid=bbpmck0h912ddr7e1qifog4hc4
Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker Telescope https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007UQNKY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1NVqzbW67QQ09
Gskyer Telescope, AZ70400 German Technology Astronomy Telescope, Travel Refractor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DBK1GIK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_oPVqzbHVZ19R7
Don't worry about the books for now, once you trigger interest he will do his own research on the web.
Feel free to reach me if you need any help.
All the best
If she loses interest, I won't. So I think I am going to go ahead and start with a scope. Is something like this any good http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007UQNKY/ref=psdc_499154_t2_B00D05BIIU
I am buying my son this telescope for Christmas. I hear good things, and it falls within your budget. Our goals are to see lots of Moon craters and check in on Saturn and other planets.
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21049-127EQ-PowerSeeker-Telescope/dp/B0007UQNKY
So something like this?
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21049-127EQ-PowerSeeker-Telescope/dp/B0007UQNKY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1376235060&sr=1-1&keywords=telescopes+for+astronomy
Wow seriously??
Does it come with any carying case type of thing? I'm hoping for a backpack-style one so i can load it in the car easily
this one looks badass , but it again comes down to not really knowing much on the difference O:
Hey, great idea introducing your cousin to astronomy! His first views through a telescope may be times he remembers for the rest of his life. :)
You may want to try Amazon's International Shipping section. It has a lot of well priced scopes!
https://www.amazon.com/International-Shipping-Direct/b/ref=as_li_ss_tl?node=230659011&linkCode=sl2&tag=amazon123405-20&linkId=b739aa289b437281a7069081d2ffef8b
Here is my pick for your budget:
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21049-127EQ-PowerSeeker-Telescope/dp/B0007UQNKY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1526851326&sr=8-3&keywords=telescope&th=1
That scope is good enough to see details on the planets (jupiter's clouds, saturn's rings) and a lot of the brighter deep space objects (nebulas, clusters, galaxies). If you go out to the country, you'll be able to see a lot of fainter objects, perhaps up to around magnitude 10.
Hope it works out!
If you have Amazon Prime, it's on sale for $330 for until the next hours or so. https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-NexStar-130-Computerized-Telescope/dp/B0007UQNNQ
I'm new to astrophotography. Can I get a view like that with this telescope? (I also have these accessories)
Hi,
I am Irish, so would be buying from either Amazon UK or one of the Euro sites.
The old telescopes I had were the kids style refactors, I dont have expectations of the telescope tracking to object being spot on, but anywhere in the ball park is fine, I can use charts for the rest.
I live in a pretty dark area and holiday in the International Dark Reserve so lucky with the lack of light pollution.
As for what I expect to see, Planets with some detail ? making out Saturn's rings or Jupiter's moons would be great of course. Some deep field objects.
I thought the pics one of the reviewers took here were class
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0007UQNNQ/ref=pe_2443651_89585181_em_ti
Found this setup on amazon. https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0007UQNNQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&psc=1
This would be my first scope and I do want to use it for some astrophotography including planets, the moon, milky way and some more visible M objects. Will this meet my needs or am I out to lunch on thinking this?
Thank you for your response! So, pretty much, I have [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-31045-AstroMaster-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B000MLL6RS) and if I want to see the planets / deep sky objects (given that I'm in the right place to do them), purchasing this one would do the trick?
This telescope cause I've dreamed of being able to gaze at the moon and planets better since I was a kid.
is this a worthy upgrade or too similar to what I've got already?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-31045-Astromaster-130EQ/dp/B000MLL6RS/ref=pd_ys_sf_s_560798_b1_5_p?ie=UTF8&refRID=17H1YVGA656815361K3Q
I can see the mount itself is worth upgrading for, the aperture is 28mm wider (130mm vs. 102mm), though the focal length is 400mm shorter (650mm vs. 1100mm)
The Best Buy website has some of the same telescopes as the Orion website. The one that looks like the best pick based on the budget:
Astromaster 130EQ
I'd prefer this scope to a 6" Dob since it's possible to add tracking and get started with astrophotography using the EQ mount.
As mentioned in a previous post, most scopes in this price range on a tripod will not provide pleasing views. If you want to see things with as much clarity and detail as possible, you need to get a Dobsonian telescope and get the largest aperture (the diameter of the telescope) as you can afford. This scope will be your best bet within your budget.
You can get a 6" Dobsonian for about $300. This only comes with a single eyepiece, so to get higher magnification views of the Moon and planets you may also want a second eyepiece and a Barlow lens. For $400 you can get the telescope with both, or for $430, an 8" Dobsonian with both. You'll be able to see more with the 8" telescope, but it's also a little heavier and less portable.
Also look at the sidebar of /r/astronomy. There are some guides for buying your first telescope there.
For the planets viewing from your backyard will be fine because they are very bright, but for most DSO's you will need to go to a dark spot, use this http://www.jshine.net/astronomy/dark_sky/
Id go with a 6 inch dobsonian because you have the aperature to see DSOs but is small enough that you can actually take it to a dark site where you can view them.
http://www.amazon.com/Orion-XT-6-Classic/dp/B001DDW9UW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1331787043&sr=8-2
Now for eyepieces:
You take the focal length of the scope, and divide it by the focal length of the eyepiece and you get the magnification it will provide.
For example the 6" scope I linked has a focal length of 1200mm, so with a 10 mm eyepiece you will get 120x.
Tthe best views of the planets are going to to be about 180-200x when you factor in seeing conditions and having to adjust the scope for the planets moving(move faster at higher mags).
For DSOs you want to use lower magnifications because they are very faint, so you will want from 40-100 depending on what you are looking at.
The orion sirius plossl eyepieces I have give great crisp clear images so im sure you will be happy with them, and they are not very expensive at about 40-50 each.
Barlows basically double your scopes focal length, so when used with an eyepiece it doubles the magnification. They effectively double your eyepiece collection so consider them when you are picking eyepieces.
Also download http://www.stellarium.org/ it is free and will teach you the constellations and will show you how to find anything you want.
Edit: also learn to collimate whatever scope you get or else you wont see anything good.
So right now I'm deciding between these three telescopes, including the ones you recommended (thanks!).
http://www.amazon.com/Vixen-39951-A70Lf-Telescope-Porta/dp/B0027VSSU4
http://www.amazon.com/Orion-8944-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9UW
http://www.amazon.com/Orion-8945-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9V6
Do you think that these are reasonable deals and prices?
Based on the very little info you provided (and my advice for most amateurs) I'd recommend a dobsonian, because you will get the most bang for your buck if you're willing to spend some time learning the sky, and in the short term you will be able to see planets and the moon very clearly. You save money with a dobsonion because the technology is very simple- it is essentially just a long metal tube, with two mirrors mounted on a simple pressboard mount. What you save on simplicity, you can put towards aperture. The aperture does two things- it allows more light to enter your eye allowing you to see fainter objects (such as nebula, galaxies, etc), and increases the highest useful magnification of the scope, which is better for planetary viewing. Overall, bigger= better so long as the optics are decent.
One of the advantages of the dobsonian telescopes is the simple movements- it has an Altazimuth mount. That means there are two perpendicular axes for the mount, a vertical and a horizontal. It makes pointing the thing incredibly easy. "Equatorial" mounts are much less intuitive, they are set up to follow the arc of the sky and have adjustments that move the scope in counterintuitive ways. These mounts are much better for photography, but for simple viewing they are cumbersome in my opinion.
The disadvantage to the dobsonian is the lack of a motorized mount and the lack of a goto system (unless you spend much, much more). This means you will have to learn the sky, and once your skills improve, you will never be able to use this scope to photography deep sky objects. However, since they are so handy for quick viewing, even if you move on to different equipment, the scope will still be useful. I still use mine for photographing planets even though I have upgraded to an SCT, and just last week I used it to photography the International space station.
Anyways- so you can benchmark your price for this, here's a link to the amazon page for an Orion 6" dobsonian. https://www.amazon.com/Orion-894... It's about the least amount you can spend without being disappointed by the scope as your hobby develops. If you can swing it- spend a bit more and get an 8" or 10". There are entire reddit communities devoted to this hobby you can check out, a lot of great advice about equipment there. The first link is good for someone that's on a budget, the second is good if you're curious about astrophotography.
https://www.reddit.com/r/telesco...
https://www.reddit.com/r/astroph...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DDW9UW/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1MX591ICBLWRE
this one right here. I just didn't know exactly what i need. When i google it i find so much information
ok, so I guess I'll be getting this https://www.amazon.com/Orion-8944-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/product-reviews/B001DDW9UW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_paging_btm_2?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=avp_only_reviews&sortBy=recent&pageNumber=2
I have that sticker on my telescope. To be specific, this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DDW9UW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Um, I bought it at a local store, but it was a 10" Orion Dobsonian reflector. Here it is on Amazon, but I'm sure you can probably find it cheaper on other sites.
In case it helps have heard very good things about this as a starter scope. Fairly serious power for that price. Do your research and avoid common mistakes made by beginners when buying their first scope.
Hey there and thanks again. I'm from Germany, btw.
The Heritage 130p basically is an identical design to the 76/300, just with an extendable tube, right? Link on Amazon. Because I'm actually tempted to return the 76/300 (still within the first 14 days) and get the 130 instead if the difference is so huge for just ~100 EUR more.
Definitely confused. I saw where you mentioned none are good for the balcony, but I think you were quoting something I mentioned. SO it appears the Mak is what I need along with a tripod. Any tripod suggestions? It appears one comes with it based on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-NexStar-127SLT-Computerized-Telescope/dp/B0038LX8XE/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1503862572&sr=1-1&keywords=slt+127
Also do you have a brand for the Dobsonian 8? It seems to be a standard name.
Also an owner of the the XT8 dob. It is my first telescope and has been great fun so far. Setup and calibration was easy too. You can also get it with a beginners barlow kit.
Possible con: It weighs around 40 lbs, so if you want a really portable scope it may not be your best option.
That is some awesome advice. Other people are recommending a dob as well. Do you know any thing about this one?
http://www.amazon.com/Orion-SkyQuest-XT8-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9V6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1369432158&sr=1-1&keywords=orion+skyquest+xt8
Also, for $30 more they have this option which to me sounds like it might be worth it?
http://www.amazon.com/Orion-Classic-Dobsonian-Telescope-Beginner/dp/B003ZDEUS2/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1369432158&sr=1-2&keywords=orion+skyquest+xt8
Or do you recommend any dobs?
Tbh that looks like a really good beginner scope. It's not meant to be an investment, it's meant to help you determine if stargazing is right for you.
You could also look at:
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21024-FirstScope-Telescope/dp/B001UQ6E4Y
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21049-AZ-DS-127EQ-PowerSeeker-Telescope/dp/B0007UQNKY
Portability might be a factor for you, I know it is for me...so always read the reviews carefully!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0038LX8XE/?coliid=I1TOJTBWZ7SY8K&colid=1TM050NZ9C1HA&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it