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Best Telescopes for the Novice Astronomer |
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Wednesday, 04 July 2007 |
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The best telescope is not the most expensive or the biggest, rather the best telescope is the one that meets your needs and that you’ll use the most. When buying a telescope, looking for the best one is an exercise in looking for a telescope that best meets all of your astronomy needs. First, learn a bit about astronomy by reading magazines like “Sky and Telescope.” This is a good way to get a sense of the best telescope for your purposes.
Next, measure the area where you plan to place the telescope. You may also consider purchasing a telescope that you can transport and assemble with minimum difficulty. You also need to consider the best telescope mounting. The less money you invest in the mounting, the more you can spend on optics, which will give you a better resolution and view of objects in the night sky.You should also determine if astronomy is a lifelong pursuit for you, or just a passing phase. If it is a short term hobby or something you are only doing as a hobby with your kids, the best telescope for your needs is likely something less expensive. If you have only a limited budget, you may also want to consider buying a used telescope, because the best telescope you can buy on a shoestring budget may not give you the performance you need unless it is secondhand. In your telescope research, you should also research the size of the aperture you need. The aperture will determine how much light the telescope can gatehr and the clarity of the image you will see. You should also determine whether your telescope dealer will align the telescopes internal optics, a process called collimating the optics. You will likely also have to do some collmating at home once you set up the telescope to get the best telescope clarity. |
