Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b83b14cd4142fe10848741bb2a14c66b.jpg

Hi, Am new to astronomy and need some advice

Dark Lawton

By Dark Lawton
in Welcome

Recommended Posts

Dark Lawton

Dark Lawton

Posted
Posted

I am looking to purchase my first real scopse since the tasco one i had has a kid and i have found five choices,

Celestron NexStar 4 SE,

Celestron NexStar 127 SLT Mak,

Celeston Nexstar 130 slt​

SkyWatcher Star Discovery 150P,​

skywatch skymax 127 syncscan​

I would be grateful for your thought, advise and suggestions one these as am just a beginner but ever since a kid I have been fascinated by space and cant wait to start looking to that start lol  

Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 31
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Indibush

Indibush

Posted
Posted

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Like what's already been said, decide what you want to see, then look at the F numbers. If you want to look at detail on the planets and the moon, you need a slow telescope, with a F number of 10 of more. If you are interested in far away galaxies and nebulae, go for a F6 or less. Then look at the scope with these specs.

Good luck [emoji437][emoji437][emoji437]

Tony.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Vox45

Vox45

Posted
Posted

I am looking to purchase my first real scopse since the tasco one i had has a kid and i have found five choices,

Celestron NexStar 4 SE,

Celestron NexStar 127 SLT Mak,

Celeston Nexstar 130 slt​

SkyWatcher Star Discovery 150P,​

skywatch skymax 127 syncscan​

I would be grateful for your thought, advise and suggestions one these as am just a beginner but ever since a kid I have been fascinated by space and cant wait to start looking to that start lol  

Thanks

To come down to these 5 choices it means that you had criterias (price, portability, weight, etc) If you could tell us what those were we could help you chose or guide you to something you might have even not considered ;)

Let us know :) lots of experienced users here will be able to help you find the best scope for your needs

Link to comment
Share on other sites
malc-c

malc-c

Posted
Posted

I am looking to purchase my first real scopse since the tasco one i had has a kid and i have found five choices,

Celestron NexStar 4 SE,

Celestron NexStar 127 SLT Mak,

Celeston Nexstar 130 slt​

SkyWatcher Star Discovery 150P,​

skywatch skymax 127 syncscan​

I would be grateful for your thought, advise and suggestions one these as am just a beginner but ever since a kid I have been fascinated by space and cant wait to start looking to that start lol  

Thanks

Welcome to the forum.

As the others have said, it depends on what you want to observe.  All the models you have mentioned hav an alt/Azi mount which is fine for visual observing, and for imaging with a web cam, but some with longer focal lengths like the skymax and Nexstar 127 with their long focal lengths and high focal ratios will give you higher magnifications which is excellent for planetary work.  The Star Discovery 150P with a shorter focal length will give you brighter images, but with less magnification, making it good for fainter objects like galaxies etc.  There is no real one scope fits all, and whilst you can get focal reducers for the 127's, or barlows to increase focal lengths both have their issues.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dave In Vermont

Dave In Vermont

Posted
Posted

Greetings and welcome aboard! We love questions here - almost as much as we love finding answers to them. Astronomy is a science as vast as time & space itself. Enough new things to discover to keep the human-species busy until the end of the Universe (this one at least).

Clear skies -

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dark Lawton

Dark Lawton

Posted
  • Author
Posted

To come down to these 5 choices it means that you had criterias (price, portability, weight, etc) If you could tell us what those were we could help you chose or guide you to something you might have even not considered ;)

Let us know :) lots of experienced users here will be able to help you find the best scope for your needs

Thanks for the welcome for my first scope its mainly for visual observations, to take a look whats out there lol, and I gave myself a budget of upto 500 pound for my first one, so lets see whay you suggest, thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dark Lawton

Dark Lawton

Posted
  • Author
Posted

i was thinking of the 150p with the barlow lens, but like I said in my post above am open to suggestions and advice please

Welcome to the forum.

As the others have said, it depends on what you want to observe.  All the models you have mentioned hav an alt/Azi mount which is fine for visual observing, and for imaging with a web cam, but some with longer focal lengths like the skymax and Nexstar 127 with their long focal lengths and high focal ratios will give you higher magnifications which is excellent for planetary work.  The Star Discovery 150P with a shorter focal length will give you brighter images, but with less magnification, making it good for fainter objects like galaxies etc.  There is no real one scope fits all, and whilst you can get focal reducers for the 127's, or barlows to increase focal lengths both have their issues.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Vox45

Vox45

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the welcome for my first scope its mainly for visual observations, to take a look whats out there lol, and I gave myself a budget of upto 500 pound for my first one, so lets see whay you suggest, thanks

The saying goes 'the best scope for you is the one that you will use' ;)

You are looking at 2 kinds of scopes here:

Newtonian:

SkyWatcher Star Discovery 150P

Celeston Nexstar 130 slt​

Maksutov-Cassegrain:

Celestron NexStar 4 SE,

Celestron NexStar 127 SLT Mak,

skywatch skymax 127 syncscan​

They are great scopes for visual, but both designs have their pros and cons. Now I know this is a touchy subject and this can start a war between aficionados of each design but lets look at some pros and cons that may put you off.

- Maksutov are known for having a long cool down time due to the thickness of the meniscus. Newtonians have faster cooldowns so you can have better views faster on cold nights when getting your scope out for a quick look. Although this might not be a big issue on small aperture like the 4SE (102mm).

- Newtonians require collimation. This is not a big issue, but you have to learn how to do it properly. Maks rarely need collimation (if ever?)

-  Maks are superb on planets and the moon due to their long focal in such a small package (1500mm for the Nexstar 127 / 750mm for the SkyWatcher Star Discovery 150P)

- You also have to consider weight and lenght of the OTA (will it fit in your car or a storage area?) ...

- You also need to consider 2 other designs: Dobsonian and Refractors

The main issue I would say with these choices is the mount. If you ever want to start in astrophotography, these mounts will quickly become an issue. You may want to buy a proper EQ mount from the get go and buy a second hand OTA.

The best advice that was given to me was to buy on the second hand market. This way, if you realise that you did not buy the scope that fits your need or if you lose interest you can resell it for probably the same cost you paid for it. If it makes you feel more at ease, buy from people who are experienced astronomer and who are unloading their scopes because they want to go to a better one (we all do.. all the time). You can look at the classified adds in astronomy magazines or here on the forum.

Now I am sure that some will dispute the claims above ... or constructively add to it ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
swag72

swag72

Posted
Posted

Hi and welcome to SGL - Looks like you've had some good advice so far. Sadly what I know about this sort of stuff could be written on a very small pinhead, but the good folks of SGL show their metal time and time again :D

Look forward to seeing you around :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.