Best Telescope

[PIRISH33]

Hi there, sorry I know that I might sound like a little bit silly, but, what is the best telescope to view Saturn's rings????

[Louis D]

8 minutes ago, PIRISH33 said:

Hi there, sorry I know that I might sound like a little bit silly, but, what is the best telescope to view Saturn's rings????

One located in Australia or in orbit, I would think.  Right now, the planets are a bit low from the northern hemisphere, so you really need to get south.

[Neil H]

Hi never a silly question , how much can you spend do you have a mount or need a complete kit SCT or refractors are good for planets , just remember you won't see it as you have seen in photos 

[jock1958]

29 minutes ago, Neil H said:

Hi never a silly question , how much can you spend do you have a mount or need a complete kit SCT or refractors are good for planets , just remember you won't see it as you have seen in photos 

Yep agree with you Neil, also Saturn 🪐 & Jupiter are in a good position where I live in South Wales, in last couple of weeks I’ve had some cracking views of the gas giants through my 4” refractor mounted on a Skytee 2 & AZ4  Skywatcher tripod. 

[mikeDnight]

1 hour ago, PIRISH33 said:

Hi there, sorry I know that I might sound like a little bit silly, but, what is the best telescope to view Saturn's rings????

For getting some really nice views of the planet's, including Saturn's rings, a 150mm F8 Skywatcher Newtonian, a 100mm refractor, or a 127mm Skywatcher Maksutov Cassegrain could offer a lifetime of enjoyment.

[PIRISH33]

Thanks guys   You have all helped me out loads and I have decided on a 6 inch dob?

 

[John]

The 6 inch dob is an excellent choice as long as you have a reasonably clear horizon towards the south. With Saturn being currently low in the sky, a cluttered southern horizon can make getting it into the view tricky with the low slung dobsonian design.

If you have to peer over trees / houses / fences etc to see Saturn, a scope on a tallish tripod such as a refractor / mak-cassegrain / schmidt cassegrain might make life easier in this respect.

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by John

[paulastro]

Other folks have stolen my thunder, I was going to suggest a 6inch dob, four inch refractor or a 127 Mak.  Be aware though that with the Mak it's  less easy to get wider field views because of the longer focal length, though excellent for high powers on the Moon and planets.

John is correct in pointing out what he did re the 6inch dob being a bit low to use when looking lower toward the horizon - when I've used one I prefer to sit down to observe for this reason.

This can also be overcome by instead of buying the 6inch dob, get the same telescope as a tube only  (or an f6 or f5 newtonian instead of an f8) and buying an AZ4 altazimuth mount for it.  This mount is also excellent for use with any of the other scopes that have been mentioned.

Some people may tell you that you need an equarial mount.  Not true in my view.  The AZ4 is less complicated and easier to use with any of these scopes and will give you a more relaxing and comfortable observing experience.

In a similiar vein some people may tell you that an AZ4 or a dob mount makes it hard to observe using higher powers.  Nonsense, you soon get used to it, and it's far easier and less trouble to use than an equatorial, especially when you're starting out.  

If you end up buying an equatorial in the future, the AZ4 will still be useful as an easier to use grab and go option, so my advice would be to hang onto it.

Good luck, you've a lot to look forward to.

[Alan64]

A 150mm/6" f/8 Newtonian-Dobson will be a very good if not excellent simulation of a 140mm apochromatic-refractor, and improved over my 150mm/6" f/5 Newtonian...

In hindsight, I should've gotten the f/8.

[Zermelo]

If you did decide to go for a 150mm F/8 dob, these have been attracting some interest recently.

 

9 hours ago, paulastro said:

with the Mak it's  less easy to get wider field views because of the longer focal length

Bear this in mind - no scope will excel at everything; there are strengths and weaknesses. Maks are generally better for planets, double stars and smaller deep sky objects. They're not so good for larger objects like big galaxies (e.g. Andromeda) or larger clusters (Pleiades).

 

[paulastro]

2 hours ago, Zermelo said:

If you did decide to go for a 150mm F/8 dob, these have been attracting some interest recently.

 

 

Also, there are these options if you would be happy with an f6 version.  There are also shorter versions if you need them.  Though the f6 would of course be a better scope than the others for planetary. I've used some very good f6s which are excellent on planets and will make it easier to view extended objects such as the Pleiades and M31 than an f8.

Good to have so many choices for anyone's preferences.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/ts-telescopes.html

 

 

 

[Zermelo]

21 minutes ago, paulastro said:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/ts-telescopes.html

 

Yes those look good too, especially after recent price hikes.

You would need to factor in a mount, of course, unlike the dob. And I don't understand how they're saying that the 150mm F/6 at 5.9kg can be used on a SW EQ3 - the page for that mount says 5kg max. I think the EQ5 would be better.

[Louis D]

Also remember that as the f-ratio goes down, the central obstruction goes up, and contrast on planetary details goes down with it.  Below is a simulation of the effect CO has on planetary details:

The effect is subtle but real.

[dweller25]

Hello @PIRISH33 and welcome to SGL.

The 6” Dobsonian you mention is an excellent choice and this one will give great views of the planets……

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/stellalyra-telescopes/stellalyra-6-f8-dobsonian.html

You will need to put it outside  30mins before usr to cool the mirrors down for best results.