These are just some of the questions we regularly hear from readers who want to take their first steps in the world of practical astronomy. They are certainly worth consideration to ensure you spend as little of your heard-earned cash to get great views of the night sky.
Tucked away in the corners of many garages and spare rooms sit dormant telescopes: telescopes designed to gather views of moons, stars and planets, purchased with excitement, but now gathering dust. Perhaps some were too cumbersome to take in and out at night, others too complicated to set up, or maybe underwhelming views led to disappointment.
Admittedly, there is a bewildering array of equipment available; however, we can divide all those variations into just three basic types. The second type we will consider, invented by Isaac Newton, are known as reflectors because they utilise mirrors instead of lenses to achieve an enlarged sky view. The final type of telescope design involves mirrors with a hole in the middle.
We call telescopes of this type Cassegrains. With this basic separation into groups established, we can review the benefits and compromises of each. Read our guide to the best beginner telescopes , or if portability is your thing, find out which models made our list of the best travel telescopes. The most popular type of telescope, refractors have many appealing qualities. They tend to be lightweight, easy to set up and intuitive to use, give sharp views and require practically no maintenance.
Interchangeable eyepieces offer varying magnifications and increase the range of viewable objects. Good portability allows for trips to enjoy darker skies away from light polluted areas.
Or in basic terms, bigger is better. In this respect refractors have limits. Very large lenses are prohibitively expensive and quite unmanageable for amateurs.
Refracting telescopes available to the amateur today therefore tend to be available in apertures between 60 — mm. Within that range we find inexpensive models with a single front lens, up to telescopes with multiple lenses that provide a sharper more natural view, at a premium price point. The quality of the optics in the telescope, determined predominantly by their cost, will have a significant bearing on the quality of the views, and the cheap refractors that tend to be popular at electrical goods and camera shops are often disappointing.
Generally speaking, smaller refractors less than 90mm diameter are best suited for wider views of the night sky, which might include star clusters like the famous Pleiades , M Although some detail and moons may be seen when observing Jupiter and Saturn, in either case the planet itself will appear quite small and very bright in the view.
Some brighter galaxies and nebulae may be visible under good skies, and with experience it becomes easier to pick out the interesting objects. However, larger refractors mm in diameter and upwards can really open up the skies, and under reasonably dark skies there will be hundreds of deep-sky objects that can be viewed including galaxies, globular clusters of stars and bright nebulae.
By: Alan MacRobert November 12, Save Dark Skies. By: Diana Hannikainen November 11, By: Bob King November 10, By: Camille M. Carlisle November 9, This Week's Sky At a Glance. By: Alan MacRobert November 5, Astronomy and Society. By: David Dickinson November 4, Stellar Science. By: Jure Japelj November 3, By: Monica Young November 3, Constant Contact Use. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact. Tags new telescope Telescopes.
Log in to Reply You must be logged in to post a comment. Ramon-Casha November 27, at am I would just add that the above apply mostly for visual observing.
Tony Flanders September 20, at am This is a good point. Philip-Sherman November 30, at pm I believe that there's one additional factor that should always be considered: the capabilities of the intended recipient. December 19, at am Great article. These statements are disappointing. I expected something better. Below I have outlined what I consider to be the best retail level telescopes on the market today. The Celestron can be set up without tools, and it comes with two Kellner eyepieces.
An additional selling point for this telescope is the included finder scope, which is a great accessory for beginners. This telescope is designed with a 76mm aperture, and it features a Dobsonian style. The Celestron is an upgraded version of the original FirstScope, and with a weight of only four pounds, it can be transported and used almost anywhere. Gskyer is a well-known brand that helps tons of people dive head-first into the world of astronomy. The optical device is a beginner-friendly tool that anyone can use.
The coolest feature is the smartphone adapter. Astrophotography used to be a hobby that was out of reach for most. The AW 70mm telescope uses a refractor optics system, and for easier viewing, it comes with two comfortable eyepieces.
It features an aluminum tripod, which is designed for better balance, and the tripod can be raised up to 50 inches. The AW 70mm telescope is a complete package, and it comes with a manual, tripod, aiming platform, eyepiece, finder scope and optics tube. This is a classic Newtonian reflector telescope, and it has been redesigned with a new mount and fresh look.
For smooth, precise control, it features a new altitude slow motion rod, and the rod significantly increases pointing accuracy. This telescope comes with a StarPointer finder scope, which helps beginner astronomers navigate the night sky with a red dot.
This telescope is engineered for the beginner and works well for observing the moon, stars and planets. The red dot finder scope makes it easy to sight objects, and the altitude rod allows for precise pointing. The Celestron ExploraScope AZ comes with everything an amateur astronomer would need to get started. Orion is one of the biggest names in the consumer astronomy market.
This telescope model is a perfect example of why. The optical tube is quite long, creating a significant focal length. Use the included red-dot finder to line up the view, and enjoy the show.
The large mirror within the optics tube gathers a decent amount of light and sends it to the eyepiece. The large aperture increases the brightness of distant star clusters, nebulas and galaxies, and the inch optical tube is small and compact. The Orion SpaceProbe ST is something that the whole family can enjoy, and it comes with everything you need to get started with amateur astronomy. A pair of 1. The only real downside is the price, which is significantly higher than many other entry-level telescopes.
This product is another great choice for beginners and comes with a 76mm reflector aperture. For easier viewing, the optical tube can be moved around and features a portable, lightweight design. The Celestron comes with two eyepieces, and it was inspired by Galileo. The optical tube sits on a rotating tabletop stand and allows you to observe objects in the night sky.
Even if you purchase this telescope and never use it, the exterior is stylish enough to serve as a beautiful tabletop decoration. As another entry-level scope, this product features a simple design and requires no tools to set up. For convenience, it has a StarPointer, which is permanently mounted to the optical tube. A quick-release dovetail attachment makes positioning this telescope easy, and the convenient pan handle allows for quick and accurate pointing.
The Celestron AstroMaster LT 76AZ comes with a pre-assembled tripod, and the steel tube legs serve as a sturdy foundation for countless hours of observation.
A major selling point for this product is the portability, and the compact design makes transporting this scope quick and easy. Here we have another popular telescope from Celestron, and the NexStar 8 SE is designed for consumers who have plenty of money to spend.
This Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope features an eight-inch aperture, and it has a StarPointer finder scope attached to the optical tube. The included database comes with 40, objects, and you can define up to objects of your own. We then averaged those numbers. We tested three different computerized mounts, allowing for a side-by-side comparison of their functionality.
A recurring word of advice from our interviewed experts: Figure out how to work your computerized system before you get out under the night sky! Using a 35mm film canister and the Ronchi screen that Jones sent to us, we improvised a Ronchi eyepiece. After replacing the normal eyepiece with the Ronchi eyepiece fitted with the screen, we focused the telescopes on a bright star to see whether we observed a pattern of parallel lines on the object. As expected, we observed lines that appeared relatively straight and parallel to the edge, rather than the warped lines that would indicate some type of aberration or distortion in the main optical unit.
The majority of commercial telescopes nowadays are manufactured in China or Taiwan; the standardized manufacturing and testing methods those companies use ensure more consistent optical quality than in the past, as well as increasingly affordable prices. Its primary 5-inch mirror offers crisp, intimate views of the moon and bright planets, and provides an entry into views of distant galaxies and star clusters. This telescope operates on a fully computerized system with a handheld controller to guide the telescope across the sky.
In contrast to our experience with some competing models, we found that this controller worked seamlessly, offering micro adjustments and responsive tracking with the attached controller system. The telescope and the included tripod together weigh about 27 pounds and easily disassemble into several portable pieces.
We chose the 5SE as the best telescope for most beginners because of its size, functionality, and cost. We were looking for portability in a telescope, so we set aside the larger models, the 6SE and above. Then we set aside the 4SE model due to its more limited capacity to offer views of deep-sky objects. Although we would recommend upgrading to the NexStar 6SE if size is not much of an issue for you—an extra inch of aperture opens up more light-gathering potential and thus more viewing opportunities—we stand by the 5SE as the model that hits the sweet spot where performance and size meet.
Initially we had to decide whether to include these computerized models at all in our testing pool. These new technologies will literally find things in the sky for you, making star charts and an internalized knowledge of the stars virtually obsolete. But what happens when that technology stops working for whatever reason? Are you still the expert you once thought you were? And do you really need a computerized telescope when star-finding applications are so readily available on a smartphone?
These were all questions posed to us by the Rose City Astronomers, many of whom have gotten fed up more than once trying to help a beginner navigate their fancy tech-heavy telescope. In the end, we found the technology to offer a true advantage for a beginner—these computerized mounts can help speed up the learning process and assist novices in navigating the endless sea of stars without their having to commit years of their lives to accumulating that kind of knowledge.
If you want to learn the old-fashioned way, a great way to involve the whole family is to get a copy of The Stars: A New Way to See Them , an astronomy how-to written by H.
Rey, the creator of Curious George. The GPS features are built into the mount, not the telescope itself. When you enter information such as the date, the time, and the nearest city to your observing site, the NexStar 5SE offers up a database of nearly 40, nighttime objects.
This database allows you to identify objects you see through the scope, as well as to instruct the telescope to find new objects. The Tour feature offers a list of the best objects to view tailored to your time and location anywhere in the world. Besides offering an appealing collapsable size for transportation and storage, in our tests the NexStar 5SE excelled in its ease of setup and use.
Along with an extensive user manual, the NexStar 5SE comes with an expedited and abridged setup manual replete with instructional photos intended to get you using your telescope as fast as possible.
Using these friendly instructions, we had the telescope mounted and set up in under 15 minutes and were already playing with the SkyAlign telescope-alignment features. The NexStar 5SE includes a 25mm eyepiece, which serves as the best starter eyepiece to expand upon later. It also comes with an ultra-sturdy steel tripod and allows for the attachment of the optical tube with no tools necessary. This telescope does take eight AA batteries, and those are not included.
When the mount is in use, these batteries drain fast, offering an average of only two to four hours of power. When using your NexStar at home or near a wall power outlet, consider investing in an AC adapter, like this one from Celestron. This telescope is manufactured especially for sale by the nonprofit organization Astronomers Without Borders, whose profits go toward expanding astronomical scientific educational programming in underserved countries around the world.
We vetted the OneSky for all of these common issues, and it passed our examination with flying colors. The OneSky is easily portable. The optical truss tube assembly collapses from its inch viewing length to 14 inches, and it weighs only 14 pounds. The tabletop Dobsonian mount, a simplified alt-azimuth mount, is steady and smooth, and it works well when the OneSky telescope is sitting on a table or some other solid platform.
0コメント