Telescope Buying Guide
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It has never been a better time to enter into the realm of amateur astronomy. With such a large and diverse amount of telescopes available there is sure to be one that fits your needs. Whether you fantasize about buying that dream telescope or are actually considering it, this guide will help you narrow down your decision to a few options by exploring some basic definitions and concepts that are crucial finding the best telescope for you.
It is important to determine what you are really looking for in your telescope before you make a purchase. What do you want to look at? Where do you live? How much light pollution is prevelent in your area? How much storage space do you have? Is image quality really important? And how much do you want to spend? These are all important questions to answer, and by doing so can bring you closer to finding the right unit. Lets dive in.
How to Choose a Telescope
It has never been a better time to enter into the realm of amateur astronomy. With such a large and diverse amount of telescopes available there is sure to be one that fits your needs. Whether you fantasize about buying that dream telescope or are actually considering it, this guide will help you narrow down your decision to a few options by exploring some basic definitions and concepts that are crucial finding the best telescope for you.
It is important to determine what you are really looking for in your telescope before you make a purchase. What do you want to look at? Where do you live? How much light pollution is prevelent in your area? How much storage space do you have? Is image quality really important? And how much do you want to spend? These are all important questions to answer, and by doing so can bring you closer to finding the right unit. Lets dive in.
Magnification
Magnification is a huge selling point in the marketing of a telescope. However the truth is, almost every telescope has an infinite range of magnifications. The reason for this is that the magnification of the telescope is dependent on the eyepiece that you choose to install on your telescope. However, just because you installed a large eyefinder, that does not mean that you will get a crisp and clear image. Each telescope has a maximum magnification it is able to achieve, the image quality delivered at the maximum magnification is also dependent on aperture and atmospheric condition. When you decide to go with a magnification that far exceeds the power of the telescope you will be left with a dull and blurry image, as the telescope is not designed to show a good image of something that far away. As a general rule for finding the maximum magnification (eyepiece) you should have on your telescope, multiply 50 times the aperture (in inches), and this will give you the maximum magnification.Aperture
Probably the most important aspect of any telescope is aperture (the diameter of its main optical component). This could be either a lens or a mirror, depending on what kind of telescope you have. The greater the aperture is on the telescope, the more light it is able to gather and the better the quality of image it will return to the end user. If you are looking through a telescope with a 10 inch aperture it will give you better quality with a much further away image then one with an aperture of only 3 inches. For further away galaxy's you would want to consider an aperature of at least 7 inches in order to get a decent picture, however for simply looking at the moon you can consider a telescope with an aperature of around 3 inches or larger.What Types of Telescopes are Available?
Refractor Telescope
A refractor telescope is the most popular telescope and normally the one people think of when asked about telescopes. A refractor is comprised of a long tube that eventually leads to a lens in the front of the telescope and a eyepiece at the end of the telescope. The lens in the front of the telescope focuses the light into the eyepiece which then allows the end user to see a visible image. Refractors can tend to produce the best images from all of the telescope classes, however, having this capability can drive up the cost of refractor telescopes. That being said, they are well worth the cost if your budget will allow it, as they are one of the best units you can get. Another side note, having such detailed lenses means that refractor telescope can actually be quite large and can cause problems with storage if you do not have ample room for it.
Reflector Telescope
The next type of telescope is the reflector telescope. This telescope differs from the refractor telescope in that it uses mirrors to gather light instead of a lens. A reflector normally uses a curved mirror which actually collects the light and reflects it into focus, creating a image. The reflector telescope is good for beginners as it can give you the most aperture for smallest price. One of the only downsides to owning a reflector telescope is that the primary mirror may need to be adjusted from time to time, as many uses may loosen the mirror.
Compound or Catadioptric Telescopes
The last category is the Catadioptic Telescope or Compound Telescope. This telescope is more of a hybrid telescope, that mixes qualities of both refractor telescopes and reflector telescopes. The way it works is to have light reflected from the mirror towards the front of the telescope, then again to another small mirror that reflects the light into the eyepiece. Because of the way the light is bended to produce the image, these types of telescopes can actually end up being smaller then their reflector and refractor brethren. This type of telescope is perfect for someone looking for a powerful telescope that is actually very portable. These telescopes normally have a price range between the reflector and refractor telescopes and are good for people looking to expand into astrophotography (taking pictures of images displayed in the telescope).
Summary
In summary, it is very important to understand some key concepts such as: aperture, focal length, and magnification before purchasing a telescope. Aperture, being the most important, should carry a lot of weight when making your decision. Also take into account the three different types of telescopes: Refractor, Reflector, and Compound/Catadioptric. Telescopes are an awesome investment that can bring you and others many hours of fun and entertainment, while they bring a galaxy hundreds of light years away right before your eyes. Whatever telescope you are looking for, you can find it at OutdoorPros
