Advice needed on beginers telescope

[Camkorn]

HIya! I know this question has probably been asked a million times but I am really confused by all the different options and types of telescope available.

I am totally new to astronomy having got my first pair of bins about a month ago now. I have really loved using them and I am now dying to get a telescope.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a telescope priced between £350 - £400? Also what sort of objects I will be able to view with that type of scope. In the long run I would like to be able to do imaging, of the moon and planets with my first scope, and in the distant future I will buy something more powerful to view and get images of deep sky objects.

Any advice is really appreciated! Thanks.

[Capricorn]

How much of the sky do you actually know?

If the answer is really none then against almost everyone consider a goto. You can read a book of what there is to see, make a list what you want to see then tell the scope to go to it. PLEASE learn how to align one however. One way of looking at it is that you determine what you want to see, and then learn where it is from the scope. It takes some of the hunting for the things out of it.

If you want to view planets then a refractor is good and they tend to have better contrast, they do suffer for chromatic aberation especially if the f number is "small" say below f7. Down side is they tend to come as just the scope and not a lot else.

Reflector, more aperture then a refractor but tend to be less contrast. SCT's do tend to come on a mount whereas refractors don't. Mount may be manual, motor or goto.

An SCT on a goto is probably the most complete and will get you viewing immediatly (buy a mains adapter). You should be able to get some images but do not expect them to be great. Again it would all depend on the setting up accuracy.

For imaging an EQ mount is preferable and you will need motors. An EQ mount also takes time to set up so is not a case of take outside attach scope and start viewing. In the case of imaging it will be the mount that is the important thing.

It is difficult to tell someone what to buy. I would go for a 70-80mm refractor on an EQ3 mount (I like refractors). Others will have their own preferences, and none of us are you.

[John]

It's quite difficult to recommend something without asking you loads of supplementary questions however, for the budget you mention you could get one of these:

Homepage - Skywatcher Explorer 200P EQ5

a scope of this type gives you serious observing capability up front with the potential of adding motor drives to the mount for imaging later on. They are quite bulky and heavy but you get a lot of scope, performance and future potential for your money. As you can see the Sky at Night magazine liked it !. Quite a lot of SGL members either own or have owned one of these which is also a good recommendation.

John

[Camkorn]

Thanks both for your advice! There is certainly a lot to take on board , they seem to be more complicated than computers! I will let you know how I get on.

[John]

Thanks both for your advice! There is certainly a lot to take on board , they seem to be more complicated than computers! I will let you know how I get on.

There are simpler designs about - these you just plonk down and point:

Dobsonians - Skywatcher Skyliner 200P Dobsonian

John