Buying a telescope need advice

[themos]

The aperture is usually the first number given (in millimetres or inches).

[coxie]

i keep coming back to the skywatcher explorer 130p I think that could be my 1st scope, ty to everyone who has helped with the input. This truely is a great forum with such nice people and I hope I can get involved and enjoy some great experiences.

[Astro_Baby]

I hope I can get involved and enjoy some great experiences

And folk here would be happy to help you and happy to see you discover whats up there/out there.

[jimhaleysscomet]

Typical apertures are 114mm (4.5"), 130mm (5.1"), 150mm (6"), and 200mm (8").

In your budget, don't underestimate the difference aperture makes! There is a big jump between a 4.5" and a 6" and similarly between a 6" and an 8".

For visual use, you should get the largest aperture you can afford and are willing to move around. It is best to settle on an aperture first, and only then look at the different telescope types for cost and portability. Comparing an 8" reflector to a 4" refractor or 90mm CAT is not useful (the 8" almost always "wins" in performance, no matter what the scope design).

Even better, hook up with a local astronomy club as was mentioned before. If you can't do that, then start with a real inexpensive scope (like the Skywatcher Heritage 130p, about £150) and plan on upgrading later after you learn the ropes. The 130P is relatively cheap but still relatively powerful and can teach you a lot before you lay out hundreds of ££££'s.

[coxie]

I decided to buy a skywatcher explorer 130p I just hope it serves me well, I see a few people on here have this scope and seem pleased with it, dont underestimate the amount I have been reading up here lol.

Thank you guys I will inform you all how I am getting on once it arrives and I set it up

[Nighteyes]

Coxie, I look forward to reading how you get on with it. I too am looking for my first scope. I see home telescopes have come a long way since I was 9 (22 years ago!) My budget is around £200, maybe £300 at a push...

[coxie]

lol i missed the delivery man today i was at work, ive requested for it to be redelivered again tomorrow. Im gutted, its cloudy today anyway so I dont think an extra day will hurt.

[pvaz]

No worries, new gear = a month of clouds so one day won't make a difference!

Besides you should still need a few hours to assemble the scope and mount, read the manual and get familiar with the mount movements indoors. Also you should point the scope at a distant object in daytime to align the finderscope. Just do NOT point at the sun! It causes permanent damage (as in blindness).