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Hello! Where to start?

Rusty-

By Rusty-
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Rusty-

Rusty-

Posted
Posted

Hi, im very new to all this, but always loved astronomy and after watching that stargazing programme the other night, i thought ide actually go about buying my own telescope :D

I'm 19, and have no experience what so ever.

If i could see things like Saturns rings for myself, it would be awesome!

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Double Kick Drum

Double Kick Drum

Posted
Posted

Hi and welcome to the lounge.

Binoculars are normally a better start in astronomy as they help you learn the night sky quicker than using a scope. However, you would need a scope to see the rings of Saturn.

I'd suggest doing a little reading first and ask questions here about things you are unsure about.

Remember, there is no such thing as a stupid question. The last thing you'd want to do is buy a telescope from Argos (for example) and discover it is virtually unusable.

My tip is - any telescope which advertises its magnification is a toy and is to be avoided. Reputable manufacturers do not readily quote maximum potential magnification. Aperture (the width of the lens or mirror) is far more important as this is what collects light from an otherwise dark background.

Happy hunting!

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K3ny0n

K3ny0n

Posted
Posted

Hi and welcome,

Don't go and buy one right away on your £50 - £150 budget.

Save it up each month for instance and you will defiantly see the plus side when you come to buy a scope.

Only my opinion mind.

Rob

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JamesM

JamesM

Posted
Posted

Hi Rusty and welcome to the forum. As said above, I would hold fire on any expenditure. There's no rush as the stars aren't going anywhere and in any case, there are so many events now taking place which will allow you to look through all types of scopes and sizes to enable you to have a better idea of what to expect. Aperture is indeed important if you want to look at the fainter stuff like galaxies and nebula but less so for planets and the moon that are comparatively much brighter. If you join a local astro club, they might well have scopes that you can hire or loan to get you started and again will provide you with some idea of what to expect when you look through the eyepiece. Other considerations when choosing a scope might include the set up time, how long it takes to cool down, where you are going to store it and whether you can travel with it to dark sites if you live under a light polluted sky etc. Please ask questions if you need to know more.

Hope that helps and clear skies in the meantime!

James

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