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Hi from Stafford UK.

Markh68

By Markh68
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Markh68

Markh68

Posted
Posted

Hi,

I am just starting out with very interesting hobby.

I have always been fascinated by the stars / planets and have never until now ventured to look at them more closely.

I havent currently got a scope but in the process of purchasing one but cannot decide what to go for.

I have joined this forum for help and guidance as I want to enjoy this new hobby.

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swag72

swag72

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Hi and welcome to SGL - Good to have you here. The questions that will help people in your decision are ....

Is the scope for visual or astrophotography

Do you want a goto mount or find your own way around the sky?

Do you have a budget in mind?

Do you have to be portable?

Look forward to seeing you around :)

 

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JamesM

JamesM

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Hi Mark and welcome to the forum.

Sara's questions will enable you to make a good start in deciding which scope will best suit your needs but I have a further suggestion to make. The problem with all the technical jargon that you see plastered all over astronomy websites etc is that you probably don't know what difference all those specifications will make to your viewing experience. To that end, may I suggest that in addition to your current research, you take yourself along to your local astronomical society to participate in one of their public viewing sessions, so as to get your eye in on the different telescopes that are likely to be available to enable you to get a better 'handle' on whether what size and type of scope will best meet your expectations.

Goto capability is useful, especially for those starting out who may not know the night sky, but if the budget is such that to have this facility means purchasing a smaller scope, then its advantage might be greatly reduced. No point in having a list of thousands of objects if the scope is too small to see them. In addition, some of the setups out there can be quite a size which is fine if you are setting up at home, but if you should need to travel with your kit in order to escape light pollution, then the task of 'setting up' will soon become onerous which will ultimately dampen any enthusiasm in the longer term. Larger scopes collect more light, and the more light you can collect, the greater your ability to resolve finer details which can make observing the night sky very satisfying indeed but it should be remembered, that a large aperture will take longer for the glass (mirror or objective lens) to cool down to an evening's ambient temperature so if 'plug and play' is important to you then something smaller might be in order. 

My comments so far have focused on observing the night sky rather than astrophotography, which has a whole load of other considerations attached to it. Generally these two different areas of interest will place different requirements on the kit used and so sadly there is no magic scope that can do it all - if there was we would all have it! :grin: Overall, your budget is the one factor that makes the biggest difference to the choice you will have to make, so please don't discount the used market when you finally decide on what you are looking for as there some bargains to be had. What ever you end up purchasing, ensure that you stick to the main manufacturers (Celestron, Meade and Skywatcher) as they have fairly good quality control in their production and many members here will have the very same scopes so there will not be a shortage of people to help you should you discover any difficulties down the line. If I was to recommend a specific scope that will help you get up and running in astronomy then I would point you in the direction of the U.K's best selling scope, the Skywatcher Skyliner 200P. Modestly priced given the size of the 8" aperture, which will certainly provide you with plenty of detail and structure when observing planets, the moon and deep sky objects alike. 

Please don't hesitate to ask us more questions in the relevant beginners sections as they is plenty of experience here to help you make the best decision. In the meantime clear skies and hope you enjoy your stay here. 

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Markh68

Markh68

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13 minutes ago, Andyb90 said:

Hey there,

Welcome to the forum.

I'm also in Staffordshire. If you get the chance a trip to Shropshire is well worth it. The skies are very dark there and the Milky Way is a spectacular sight.

Andy.

Thanks Andy you will have to let me know where the good places are in Shropshire.

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tony210

tony210

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Hi and welcome- scope choice is a bit personal - I have come round to liking mirror scopes as they come with large aperture and no false colour - apo refractors are nice but very expensive for large aperture and I was inpatient with my SCT as the corrector plate kept dewing up! Anyway on a positive they all are great and have strengths - best of luck Tony

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Andyb90

Andyb90

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On 25/01/2017 at 23:05, Markh68 said:

Thanks Andy you will have to let me know where the good places are in Shropshire.

Here's a thread I started a while back. There are some good dark sky locations. I like the Bog car park. It's a bit further west but is shielded from the light pollution to the East.

Andy.

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