Hello from southampton.

[JamesM]

Hi Sam and welcome to the forum. Well after reading the above replies there does seem to be some sound advice contained within them but I would like to add a couple of thoughts of my own. Firstly there is no rush, so please take the time to do the research and as they say, "...the stars aren't going anywhere!" It is very easy to get information overload after a while, whether it be this setup versus that combination and what if I want to do this but later want to do that etc. Secondly, this time of year is a good opportunity to take advantage of public observation nights that are organised by local astro societies and observing groups. If you check out the communities section, there might be a local gathering organised by members here that might be within travelling distance from you. Thirdly, the best research is always at the eyepiece and only you can decide on what will best meet your own aspirations. All the data and specifications of this scope versus that scope won't mean a thing unless you have established a datum point upon which you can hang them from and thereby make sense of what those specifications actually do. As well as making a note of a particular scope that has caught your eye because of the view it provides, remember to make a note of the eyepiece too as this can also make a significant difference to the view being enjoyed.

Overall, the best value scope is the dobsonian, as most of the money goes into the mirror rather than a fancy mount with motors or Goto. It's simple and intuitive to use but you will need to manually track the objects by hand which is not difficult but is something that will require a degree of control particularly at high magnifications e.g when viewing planets. You asked the question about refractors being an alternative to reflectors and indeed they are a lot simpler to use in that they are more portable, don't need collimating (tuning) as do reflectors and are pretty much ready to go out of the case whereas reflector's mirror will need some time to cool down to get the best out of them. Many of the cheaper refractors present good views, though they will show what is termed 'false colour' or what is better known in photographic circles as colour fringing on bright objects such as the edge of the moon or planet and on very bright stars such as Sirius. It's not something that is significantly noticeable or distracting and many people just accept it, bearing in mind of course that it isn't noticeable at all on deep sky objects (DSO's) such as galaxies and nebulae. If you desire a refracting scope that has been corrected for this colour aberration then the budget rises significantly and you will see these scopes referred to as 'triplets' or Apo's which use three pieces of glass to solve the problem rather than the typical two that apply to the cheaper scopes. The more expensive refractors tend to be used more commonly for astrophotography though of course it is possible to observe with them too.

In summary, take your time and ensure some of the research is at the eyepiece and a dob offers the best value for money as it offers a lot of aperture (aperture equals resolution or detail on objects) due to its simple no thrills construction. Hope that helps,

Clear skies and enjoy the forum

James

P.S Keep asking those question, the daft question is the one you didn't ask!

[sologuitarist61]

Welcome Sam and great image

[Sorgan]

The problem I can see with the dobsonian is it looks heavy, if I'm going to lunk it around to find dark areas I'm going to be knackered!

ive joined the south coast astro group so in the new year I hope to go to one of their meets and start learning.

[todd8137]

Hi from me enjoy Sgl

pat

[Oily]

Welcome to SGL Sam

[michigander]

Welcome to SGL, Sam!

Dana

[Matt Scunthorpe]

Welcome to SGL.

Matt

[tranas]

Hi & welcome to lounge. Nice picture .

[Bizibilder]

Hello Sam and welcome to SGL!!

[Siriusmeg]

Hello and welcome from me too

[Astro_king]

Welcome to SGL