Newbie with $100 US Dollars to spend

[Ckesk]

I've always had a love for the stars and cosmos but just recently got the bug for astronomy. I don't want to invest a ton of money just yet but want to get started. I've got about $100 budget, should I go the bins route or is there a decent enough scope for that price?

I was thinking about the 15x70 Celestron bins with tripod.

Thanks in advance!

[John]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

For $100 binoculars are the best option - you would need to double your budget for any sort of decent scope.

Personally, in your position, I think I'd go for a good pair of 10x50 binoculars, which could be hand held plus a suitable book of good objects to view with binoculars. The Celestron 15x70's are good but will need a tall sturdy tripod for all but the shortest of viewing sessions and suitable tripods can cost at least as much as the binoculars, which would blow your budget.

[Ckesk]

Thanks for the response.

The 15x70 with tripod are only $89 on Amazon, seems good unless this tripod isn't suitable:

Amazon.com: Vista Explorer 60-Inch Lightweight Tripod with Tripod Bag: Camera & Photo

Last question, if I upped the budget another $50-100 dollars what would be a good scope to get?

[barkis]

Hello and welcome to SGL Ckesk.

If you hold off until you have managed to increase your budget to double the amount, you might pick up a second hand bargain in the way of a 130mm -150mm Dobsonian telescope. Most amateurs moving up in aperture look to sell their old scopes, and these are, on the whole always in very good condition.. The deal might even include an eyepiece or two if you're lucky:).

Ron.

[Ckesk]

I went the bins route after a couple failed attempts at a scope on craigslist. I ended up with some Barska 15x70s. They arrived yesterday and, of course, it has been raining since.

Thanks for all the advice!

[Jon Sales]

Go for bino's.

You'll be very disappointed with a $100 scope. More of a toy scope really from Walmart.

Get the best pair you can with your money. Do your research before you buy and look for at least 10x50. That's 10x magnification by 50mm objective lenses. The bigger the lense at the front of the bino's the more light grasp = brighter image.

Hope this helps.

Incidentally I spent £30 over here on some Meade 10x50 bino's 2 years ago. I thought they wouldn't be that brilliant for the price but was pleasantly surprised at how light they areand how clear the image is.

I suffer from an astigmatism in both eyes, my right being the worst and still not 20/20 vision with glasses. But with these bino's even I can see clearly by adjusting the dioptre on the right eyepiece so that both my eyes see through them perfectly.