please can you help

[nivek]

hi i am looking to buy a telescope the first one is a celestron refractor optimum mag 175x and maximum mag 52x and the other one is a danubia 900 refractor astro telescope 72-300x mag maximum mag 300x 6x24 finder scope 2x barlow lens could u please tell me what good images of the moon saturn and jupitar and which one is ok if any thanks

[rowan46]

welcome to sgl nivek. refractor telescopes come in lots of styles and sizes. A good small refractor costs in the region of £300-£400 if it's below that price it will not be one of the better ones. however celestron do some good scopes and some not so good ones a little more info about the scope (perhaps a link) a better idea of your expectations and perhaps an idea of your budget may help people give you advice a little more tailored to your needs

[E621Keith]

I think you should avoid either of those. If a telescope advertised its magnification, it's a toy.

Magnification can be calculated by dividing the focal length of the scope with that of the eyepiece. Max usable magnification is usually 2 times the aperture in millimetres, however it depends on atmospheric seeing, so most telescope will not be able to exceed 200x in practice even though they are theoretically capable of much more.

You will only find the max usable magnification in a real telescope in small print, buried deep in the specification, or not stated at all.

What is your budget? If you are on a tight budget, you should look at a Skywatcher Heritage 130p. If you have a bit more money, then 150p or 200p dob will be a good start. If your budget is less than £100, you should consider a pair of 10x50 binocular instead.

[ronin]

Nivek, the figures given don't make sense.

"mag 175x and maximum mag 52x" means the optimum is above the maximum which isn't right.

Which Celestron refractor??

Next: "danubia 900 refractor" - never heard of Danubia.

Guess 900 is the focal length, if so to get 300x needs a 3mm eyepiece which in the simplest terms is a joke.

Where about in the world are you?

What budget have you got to spend?

[cantab]

The main place stocking "Danubia" branded telescopes is Argos. who seem to have introduced them just after Christmas. The online descriptions fail to mention the aperture, the single most important specification of the telescope, and generally come across as having been written by someone not knowing anything about scopes. Thus, I'd say avoid Argos altogether, they give me even less confidence in their instruments than Amazon and Toys R Us.

[Double Kick Drum]

I've just had a look at that scope on the Argos site. £102 (its price) will get you a decent pair of 15x70 binoculars (Celestron Skymasters aren't bad by all accounts) that you will find much easier to use and more rewarding in the long run.

It will also give you a little bit of change to invest in the book "Turn Left at Orion" and a pocket sky atlas, which will give good advice and help you find objects in the night sky.

Magnification is not the most important thing in astronomy. Aperture and dark skies are. 300x magnification on a tripod that flimsy is totally useless.

Most astronomers on this forum do not use 300x magnification very often, unless the sky is particularly still and they have some serious kit.

Good luck with your search!

[Chris H]

Agree with above, my first proper scope was a Skywatcher Heritage 130p it has 5 inches of aperture and is an excellent telescope to start out with. Sherwoods sell them for £120.00

[DOBBY]

Hi Nivek... as Kickdrum says..binoculars will probably be better than than the argos 'scope.

What is your budget ?

what are you hoping to see ?

[rory]

id tend to agree with ALL the above advice . avoid those telescopes and either get a 150p skywatcher or a good set of binoculars along with a source of reference. welcome to the forum nevik.

clear skies..

[Damo636]

welcome to sgl nivek. refractor telescopes come in lots of styles and sizes. A good small refractor costs in the region of £300-£400 if it's below that price it will not be one of the better ones

Not necessarily. The Tal 100RS is simply superb for £250. It is a step above any of the Chinese offerings in a similar price bracket.

First Light Optics - Tal 100RS Refractor Optical Tube Assembly

[todd8137]

hi from me i am glad you asked because those toy scopes from argos are not that good

[Adrian Condon]

Hi Nivek,

Welcome to SGL ........... smart start!!!!!

Secondly, Astronomy is all about patience, waiting for skies to clear, so practice in the art is essential. So do not be tempted to race out and purchase unsuitable or even crappy equipment.

To really help, it would be useful to know the following:

a) your age; as this would be a good indicator as to suitable equipment;

your budget;

c) transport... car?

To start with there is an excellent book called "Stargazing for Beginners" by Will Gater and Anton Vamplew. It costs £14.99 and will help with how to choose equipment and tons of info on Astronomy, (could cheaper on-line). It is published by Dorling Kindersley.

Then, if your budget is lower than £300, I would recommend binoculars plus a sturdy tripod with a video handle.

Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 bins costs £65 These came out tops in the Sky @ Night magazine. They will gather plenty of light and give good views of the Moon and wide views of the constellations and Messier Objects. Plus, as an astronomer bins are always useful.

CELESTRON SKYMASTER 15X70 BINOCULARS

Then the next purchase should be a good sturdy tripod, it is difficult to hold binoculars above 10 mag steady, 15 mag need a tripod.

The Horizon 8115 would I believe fit the bill.

Horizon 8115 2 Way Heavy Duty Tripod

Incidentally, it can be used with a camera or a camcorder as well.

and finally, think of attending a Star Party, where you will be able to meet with SGL members who are happy to show and explain their equipment to you.

This will give up a good idea of what future purchases you may wish to make.

There is SGL 7 Star Party in Hereford starting 22 March 2012, the last party SGL 6 had about 150 gazers and was very educational.

The last rule of astronomy is never never purchase on magnification.

Cheers

Adrian

[kenmyers]

I would recommend

SkyWatcher Heritage 130P FLEXTUBE Telescope

SkyWatcher Heritage 130P FLEXTUBE Telescope

£130

This is a fantastic first scope. Possibly the best you can buy for this price and better than some £500 scopes of the same aperture. The optics on these telescopes are AMAZING! You will see Jupiter, mars, moon, saturn and some nebula and galaxys in eye popping detail. The scopes require no knowledge or training. If you can make it point up, you win.

[nivek]

thankyou to you all for your very good advice

[Nosivad]

Hi Nivek, I would agree with everything the others have said. Don't waste your money on something that is little better than a toy. A good pair of binoculars on a solid tripod will give you great views of the moon, M42, M31, Jupiter etc. You can also use them for normal terrestrial viewing.