Telescope Recommendations...

[Almerc72]

Hi All

I've been thinking about buying a telescope for a number of years but my work load is insane so I always put it off. However, out of the blue (with no knowledge of my interest) my 13 year has asked for a telescope for Christmas. Now I will make the time! Thankfully, we live where there's minimal light pollution. 

So I'm looking to spend around £500 and would like it to be app enabled and quite easy to use.  Also, where would be a good place to actually buy a telescope?

Any recommendations would be very much appreciated. 

Thank you!

 

Aaron 

[Elp]

In the first instance please refer to this forums sponsor First Light Optics, they have a beginner's telescope page on their website.

[Almerc72]

Great thank you

 

[doublevodka]

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-starsense-explorer-series.html Think these would fit the bill nicely

Specifically, if you can stretch to it https://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-starsense-explorer-series/celestron-starsense-explorer-8-dobsonian.html as the 8 inch dob is probably the most recommended size and type of telescope around the world, it's light gathering capability allows you to see a wide range of targets.

More blurb about the Starsense Explorer system here https://www.celestron.com/pages/starsense-explorer-technology right up the street of a tech-savvy teenager I'd imagine 👍

[Almerc72]

thank you doublevodka, very helpful

 

[Spile]

I’ve written a number of getting started guides which can be found on my blog below. I’d also encourage you to read a number of different guides in order to get an idea of common messages. Finally I recommend joining a local astronomy club in order to discuss with owners the various aspects of the hobby and the types of telescope you can buy.

Edited November 26, 2023 by Spile

[happy-kat]

Telescopes can be quite large, awkward and heavy so if portability is important maybe because of distance from storage to using location perhaps because of stairs then that's something to keep in mind.

Feature wise starting at total manual, to push to with guidance, to tracking to full go to with tracking. I like a feature called freedom find by skywatcher on some of their electronic mounts as it allows for disengaging the electronics and going manual. Whilst you get more telescope with less electronics if having electronics means the telescope gets used and not dusty that works for some.

Edited November 17, 2023 by happy-kat

[Starfazed]

Probably two approaches in the circa £500 plus mobile app bracket for starting out with little or no prior knowledge of the sky:

1. goto - examples Skywatcher Star Discovery P150i or Skywatcher Heritage 150 virtuoso GTI. The former is a bit more expensive but comes on a tripod and doesn't need to be stood on a table or to be collimated so no need to buy a collimating device. The Synscan app allows you to control it wirelessly with an Android or Iphone and point it at selected objects on a list. You can also linke Synscan to a third party app like Stellarium or Sky safari and click on objects shown on those apps' star maps and the scope will point itself there. Once located on an object it will keep tracking it automatically so it stays in the eyepiece as the earth rotates, avoiding the need to keep nudging the scope.

2. pushto - example the Celestron Starsense models, which you clip your phone to. The phone camera takes in whatever part of the night sky the scope is pointing to and the app overlays on the screen what it's looking at. By moving the scope to centre an object of interest on your phone screen that object will be in the centre of the eyepiece. But a few minutes later you'll have to nudge the scope as it will have rotated away with the Earth's rotation, and the more powerful the lens, the faster it will drift out of sight.

An 8 inch will gather more light and feint objects will be easier and clearer to see than the 6 inch but is bulkier to carry around and in the example above is more expensive. Many of those using the Starsense app seem to think it's a game changer.

Worth pointing out that you might want to also add in a Barlow lens, maybe a zoom lens, perhaps a carry bag, warm gloves, spirit level, extra batteries etc, and that can bump the price up.

There are also free apps such as Astrohopper and SkEye cam that attempt to use smartphone sensors to work out where in the sky the phone is pointing, so if you were brave and enjoy tinkering you could potentially get a larger or cheaper telescope and play around with these, but Starsense seems to be a proven, simple and effective tool (and comes at a price premium as a result).

I recently got the Discovery 150 to learn my way around the sky with my children and we are really enjoying it, including getting some fantastic view of Saturn and Jupiter up to 250x, the Andromeda galaxy and lots of star clusters. I was tempted by the Starsense but after trying out a few Dobs at a meet for me tracking was a greater priority than a slightly more light gathering. Your mileage may vary.