Telescope buying guide.

Introduction

Telescopes can be expensive and confusing. With so many telescopes on the market, how can you possibly choose the right one? This guide is to help beginners and inexperienced astronomers choose the perfect first telescope.

My Skywatcher Esprit 80ed.

How much does a telescope cost?

The most important aspect of choosing a telescope is the cost. Telescopes can range from fifty pounds to tens of thousands. It is easy to be intimidated by the high cost that most astronomers spend on their gear, but don't worry. You can get some very good telescopes for relatively cheap.

As a beginner, you should expect to spend around £100 - £250 on your fist telescope. Anything less than this would be horrible quality, and anything more could become very tricky to use if you are starting out.

IMPORTANT: Never buy a telescope from a supermarket. These are always horrible junk that you will never see anything through. Instead, use sites like Rother valley optics or First light optics. The cheapest telescopes on these dedicated sites will triumph over anything in a supermarket.

Which telescope is right for me?

To choose a telescope, you must understand yourself. What do you want to do with the telescope? How much space do you have? What do you want to see? These questions are the important foundations to any astronomer. A single telescope doesn't do everything perfectly. There is always compromise. Experienced astronomers will have dedicated telescopes for different purposes. As a beginner, you need to choose what to compromise on.

The best telescopes for The Moon

Because the Moon is so close and bright, nearly any telescope can offer great views. The Skywatcher Heritage 76 is a great option if you only want a casual look. Similarly, Celestron has a Lunar themed Firstscope. At £65 these are both a great deal, however its not perfect. I would highly recommend spending an extra £20 - £30 on a new eyepiece which will provide much better views. Here are some good choices. Also, these telescopes are very light weight and designed to be used on a table. If you choose this option make sure you have a table in the garden or you will be on the floor hunched over.

Celestron Firstscope. At £65 this is a great start for a casual astronomer.

The best telescopes for The Planets

This is where things get fun. There is a wide range of telescopes to choose from that are suitable for planets. There are two main categories. Reflectors and Refractors. A reflector uses a large mirror to gather plenty of light. A refractor uses a lens. There a benefits to both.

A Refractor

A refractor is what you think when you hear the word "telescope". These use a single lens at the front. The main benefit of these telescopes are the views. They are very sharp and high contrast views, giving pleasing results when used on the Moon and bright planets. There are downsides to them. Because of how lenses scatter light, the colours can be distorted on a cheap telescope, creating blue and red fringes around bright objects.