Telescope Basics

Considering buying a new telescope?

While new stargazing equipment can be exciting, there are a few pitfalls that beginners should be on the lookout for in order to have a positive experience.

Here are a few tips to keep you on the right track as you look for new gear:

1) Magnification = Meaningless.

Well, not quite, but not a relevant factor when buying a new telescope. A common marketing strategy used by entry-level telescope manufacturers is to advertise the highest magnification theoretically possible for a given telescope, often in the hundreds (i.e. "200X power" or even greater). In reality, magnification is of far lesser importance since the primary function of a telescope is to gather light and concentrate down to your eye, rather than magnify. Therefore a more important attribute to look for in a beginner telescope is aperture (diameter of the mirror or lens) rather than magnification. A 3.5" reflector telescope is a great size for a beginner, and the magnification can be adjusted by using different eyepieces. In fact many objects in the night sky - such as the Moon - appear to degrade in quality when viewed with excessive magnification. As a reference point for those who have visited us at our events and viewed any of the planets or the Moon, the highest magnification we use is only about 150X, and most of our viewing is done closer to 70X magnification. The higher the power used, certain optical effects cause the image to degrade and appear dimmer, fuzzier and less detailed. A sharper and more detailed view is always preferable to an arbitrarily high magnification.

2) Is a Computer/GPS Controller Necessary? Not really.

Technology has come so far in the last few years that most entry level telescopes now include some sort of hand controller with a GPS or auto-align feature built in. While these options are clearly advantageous for avid astronomers and astrophotographers who want to automate their setup and get their equipment going as fast as possible, a new stargazer will be robbed the hugely rewarding experience of learning the sky for oneself! Spend some time with a simple star chart (available for free at www.skyandtelescope.com or the Android/iOS app SkySafari) and get familiar with the primary constellations, it's not nearly as difficult as you might guess and you'll be finding planets, clusters and galaxies in no time, and you'll have saved the extra cost while you're at it!

3) Reflector/Refractor/Mak-Cass? Depends on you!

The best telescope design isn't the same for everyone, it's simply the one you'll use the most often! Reflector designs offer great light-gathering capability for a modest cost yielding beautiful views of deep-sky objects (galaxies, nebulae, clusters), but can be large and cumbersome to transport. Refractor designs are often a little more compact and crisper for the same aperture, but tend to run a little higher in cost and often require a special mount due to their ability to support slightly higher magnifications, though they can produce excellent images of planetary objects such as Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon. Maksutov-Cassegrain (or Mak-Cass) designs are a great compromise utilizing optical features of both reflectors and refractors, offering relatively large apertures in a compact form that's easier to transport, but tend to be costly and require more maintenance to perform optimally.

Ultimately, finding a telescope that fits your budget, interests and intended usage scenarios will be as unique as each individual, but the one that gets used is the one that's best!

Join us Wednesday Nov. 18 @ 6:00 PM for our free program: “All About Telescopes” Email Register@StandleyLakeStargazing.com to sign up!

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Looking for a new telescope? The experts at Mile High Astronomy in Lakewood would love to help you out, visit them at www.milehighastro.com and www.facebook.com/MileHighAstro/

Leave comments and questions on our page and feel free to reach us directly at contact@standleylakestargazing.com. As always-

Stay well, and clear skies!