What is a good scope ?

[MorgonGreen]

Hi guys,

I just wanted to know what is the best telescope for spotting planets are great detail ?

Thanks

[MorgonGreen]

For an intermediate level. 

I have a Bresser 70/700 and was wondering what would be a good upgrade ?

[John]

I hate to bring money into this but there are many scopes out there so some idea of a budget would help narrow things down a bit

[Charic]

For Planetary use a Refractor of 3" minimum would be nice. For Deeper space a reflector of 6" minimum would be good too. What ever you decide, get the biggest you can afford, as either telescope can achieve admirable results if chosen carefully ?

Provide a little more information about what you want to see, and how you want to capture that image, i.e. photographically or just visually for your own memory, then hopefully members here can well advise. Also give a budget that they can work on. 

I went just for a visual system, and my Skywatcher Skyliner works very well for my requirements. I haven't spent a vast fortune on eyepieces either, as the f/6 ratio on my telescope works well with these EP's.

[MorgonGreen]

I would want one that could see deep space and i could take images ?

Any idea's 

[SkyGibbon]

200mm f/6 newt/dob would be the cheapest choice for visual as a decent upgrade. Pretty much equal to a 6 inch apo, only a heck of alot cheaper. Just try and get one with a quality mirror.

[happy-kat]

Budget will help with replies.

Take images of planets?

Or take images of planets and deep space objects?

[MorgonGreen]

Yes take images or both.

The budget does not matter.

I just want a good telescope which can take images of both deep space and planets.

Thanks

[happy-kat]

The telescope is the cheap bit.

Mount mount mount is the general message I always read and getting the book 'Making Every Proton Count' before spending a penny :-)

[MorgonGreen]

So your saying the telescope is not the expensive bit - it is the mount for the camera... ?

[John]

I think the challenge is that the approach you take to building an imaging system for the deep sky is quite different from what you need for solar system imaging. Visual observing has, to some extent, a different set of needs again, just to add to the complexity.

Deep sky imaging is very dependant on having a really solid and accurate mounting system which is why the advice is "start with the mount". Solar system imaging needs a long focal length to get the image scale wheras deep sky imaging needs the opposite, on the whole. Visual observing needs large apertures for deep sky which are not really needed or desireable for either of the imaging approaches.

You are really talking about 2-3 mount/scope combinations to suit these requirements or at least a good mount plus a couple of scopes to suit the differing uses, visual, deep sky imaging and solar system imaging.

[thohem]

No the mount for the telescope not camera.

Deepsky and planets are different things to image. For planets you want FL (some meters) and therefor a higher f-ratio. For DS you don't need as much but you need alot of aperture and a small f-ratio.

So a SC with 150/2000 would be best for planets while a newt with 200/800 or so for DS.

As mount you want as sturdy as possible - eq6 or higher. Plus guiding for DS and some accessiories.

[Moonshane]

_{If the budget does not matter too much (i.e. you have a large budget) then perhaps a heq5 or eq6 for the mount plus a Skywatcher ED 80 for wider fields and a large perhaps 9-12" SCT for planetary imaging.}

_{For visual observing you need more aperture so perhaps a 10-12" dobsonian. The requirements of visual observing and imaging are very different.}

_{That said, my advice would be visual only for a while then make a further investment when you have researched the subject a little more. For this you could do worse than a larger dobsonian - maybe 8-10" which would complement your existing scope for the minute for visual astronomy.}

_{I am a keen photographer but have never had the time for astro photography. The inclination is not there either given I enjoy the visual side so much.}

[MorgonGreen]

I don't suppose you could link these products ?

Thanks 

[Moonshane]

They will all be available from here. Just search the terms or use the button links

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/

[Alkaid]

Easy fella....if you're new to astronomy then if you don't mind I will just mention a few things.

1) If you're going down the photography route then you still need to understand the basics of visual use with an EQ mount. You need to understand polar alignment, drift alignment, focal length, focal ratio, periodic error and all manner of weird and wonderful things. On top of that your PC skills will be thoroughly tested, as will your patience with the UK weather whilst getting exposures.

2) One can spend a hell of a lot of cash on astrophotography. The mount and tripod are key to preventing vibration and errors. Some mounts cost in excess of £5k.

I think its great that you have the enthusiasm, don't let this diminish. But astro is a slow learning process, so get used to visual use first, learn the tech terms and how they effect other parameters and enjoy the learning process. It would be easy to blow your cash on a set up that becomes a pain for you and in the end doesn't get used much. No one on this forum wants that to happen and will advise you the best that they can.

[NGC188]

This post has a different edge to it; I'm not sure if we're being put on or not. Well, whatever, before you do anything, find a local astronomy club and go to one of their open star parties. There you will find astronomers with all sorts of interests, everything from A to Z will be available for you to see and question. Once you've had this experience, you'll be able to make an informed judgement as to exactly what and how you want to get started in this hobby. For us to try and tailor make a set-up for you with such vague questions would not be fair to you. You need to get out there and get your own answers to the questions you ask. It's very hard for an accomplished amateur to answer the questions from a newbie such as yourself. Besides, you'll have a great time at the star party....good luck

[ronin]

One slightly odd aspect of imaging is you need to decide where to start, and to an extent where you will finish.

Start can be an EQ5 with dual axis motors, a 70mm ED refractor and a DSLR. Throw in an adaptor and a remote timer and you can get going.

Question: Do you stop here or go better ?

Better means a guide scope and guide camera, it also means a goto.

So that EQ5 should have been a goto EQ5.

Guide scope, tube rings and guide camera mean more weight, the EQ5 is not solid enough so get an HEQ5, goto HEQ5 to function with the guide system.

The 70mm ED will have some CA, it is just an ED, so now look at an apo, your nice ED was say £300, respectable apo is £800-1000, good apo is £3000-4000. Settle for reasonable.

The DSLR is now by far the worst item so that has to go (DSLR is for holiday photos after all), should have gone before the scope change.

Reasonable cooled ccd starts around £1500, Atik 420.

To get the good images you need to look at mono imaging, check the cost of a good set of LRGB filters and a filter wheel.

So now every item you started out with has been replaced.

You have bought 2 imaging rigs, not one. The second one costing around £4000-5000, more if you go mono, the first one about £1000.

See now why you have to decide where to start and then where to finish.

The worrying factor is that the first is a reasonable start, the second with all the upgrades is also a reasonable second imaging rig, it is not excessive. So step 1 is £1000, step 2 is £5000. That is a hell of a step in cost.

[ollypenrice]

Before MorgonGreen buys anything at all he or she should do a lot more reading. The one scope which does everything does not exist just as the one car that can tow a caravan uphill through deep mud and then lap Silverstone faster than a Grand Prix car does not exist. 

The subject is too large for one thread but I would advise the OP to read up on the following vital concepts:

Focal length.

Focal ratio.

Equatorial mounts.

Autoguiding.

Without a grasp of these terms advice is largely useless and at best anecdotal and random. 

Olly