Buying a Telescope

For the first time buyer there is an extraordinary array of different telescopes on offer, spanning various price ranges from “affordable” to “exceptionally expensive”. However, to begin in this hobby you need not break the bank.

When shopping for a new telescope, first be VERY WARY of department stores and/or any other types of shops that advertise telescopes by promoting how much power they have (i.e. 300 or 650 power!!), as this is NEVER the case with these items. This often results in the buyer, setting up the “toy”scope, and being disappointed with the views due to substandard optics, a “wobbly” mount and plastic fittings.

They key to buying ANY TELESCOPE is APERTURE, which is the diameter of the lens or mirror that collects the light. The greater the aperture the greater the light gathering capability of the scope. In fact, by doubling the aperture the light gathering power goes up by a factor of four, therefore an 8 inch aperture telescope would have 4 times the light gathering power of a 4 inch one, which makes the images brighter.

Doubling the aperture also increases the resolving power of the telescope, which results in the ability to show finer detail on the planets and split closely spaced stars.

It is also the aperture that influences the highest useful magnification that any telescope can deliver. This is usually about 50 times the aperture in inches, therefore a 4 inch scope has a higher limit (under the appropriate atmospheric conditions) of 200x magnification.

So when out shopping, consider buying the telescope with the largest aperture that is within your budget, while also keeping in mind other factors such as:

• Where can you store it
• The need for portability
• When and where you will use it.

So to answer the question... What is the best telescope to buy?........ The answer is simple ............... The best telescope to buy is the one that you will get the most use from.

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