Dobson Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Hi,I'm new to astronomy. Do you have any advice that a beginner can use on purchasing a telescope. Any particular preference, and type of observation that I might expect?CheersJohn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightfisher Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 hi and welcome, you need to be a bit more specific, like budget and will you be observing lunar/planets or deep space objects Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astromart Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Hello and welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorningMajor Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Hi Johnwarm welcome to SGL - have you got a set of binoculars? Great way of getting started whilst you research your scope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Spock Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Hi John, welcome to SGL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion_the_Hunter Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Hi John, I second MorningMajors recommendation of binoculars to get started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperMassive Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Hi there, I would also recommmend a pair of binos (almost any pair you can get your hands on) and a planisphere (so that you can find out what you are looking at) to start with. If you like what you see then look at the info in these forums, ask questions, and take it from there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stolenfeather Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Welcome to this forum and for opening the doors to an exciting passion! What kind of telescope? This depends on many factors such as price, what interests you more planets of deep sky objects. What I would do is invest in some books and to give yourself a try with binoculars before goping in for the plunge and purchasing expensive equipment. I must warn you though,.. one the leap is made,.... there is no turning back!Isabelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Strings Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Hi and welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesM Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Hi John and welcome to the forum.Good advice from those above. All I would add is that you take your time, the stars aren't going anywhere. To that end, what will really help your research and decision making is to actually have a look through a scope in order that you can establish your own benchmark as to how best to meet your own expectations. All the facts and figures won't mean a thing unless you have some experience upon which to hang them on and to then compare. Try and contact your local astro society/club or local observing group to find out when they are next performing an observation evening. This is also a great opportunity to ask questions and to try out different types of scopes and to see some of these toys in the flesh - some of which are very large indeed. By all means ask questions here and hopefully the whole lot together will help you build a picture of what will best suit your needs.Clear skies in the meantime!James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeknowle Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Welcome John. With a forum name of 'Dobson', you simply have to get a Dobsonian telescope!(after appropriate research at your local Astro club or on this forum of course!)Is that you on your savatar picture? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnh Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Welcome from Brisbane.JohnH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horus Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Welcome to SGL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus21 Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Hi john and welcomeI would say just avoid toy/department stores where their scopes blag 500x 600x. choose a dedicated binocular/telescope store and you will more than be happy with what you purchase.Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brantuk Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Hi John and welcome to SGL My advice is don't rush into getting a scope. I spent 3 months reading up and learning about them before I got my first one - time well invested. In the meantime a pair of 10x50 binocs and a copy of "Stellarium" is a great way to start learning the sky. Sky at Night and Astronomy Now magazines are also great sources of info.Enjoy the forum ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si W Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Hi John, and welcome to sgl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glowjet Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Hi John and welcome to SGL John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fija Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Hi John and welcome to SGL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizibilder Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Hello John and welcome to SGL!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro Imp Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Hi John,Welcome to SGLAs was mentioned above Stellarium is a great free planatarium program, get it here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Presland Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 hi welcome to sgl from bedfordshire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stumids Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Hi Dobson, welcome to SGL.Firstly, good choice choosing this forum. I'm a complete newbie and after spending 6 months with a pair of binoculars beofre recently purchasing my first scope, I whole heartedly agree with those far more knowledge people that have advised above.When I recently chose my scope I set myself a budget and then began researching which scope would be best for me. Due to the position of my house and terraced garden I have restricted views so I had to be able to change the location of the scope to suit. Having the ability to easily transport the scope would be essential to if I was going to get the best out of it! Also, having very limited knowledge of stars, planets etc I decided to have 'goto' capabilities. Then I began researching scope reviews and visited forums like this to find out which scope would be best for me. Eventually I chose which scope I wanted (revised my budget ) and just went for it.Happy viewing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendan of Borg Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Hello and welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
li'l john Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Hi and welcome. Choosing a scope can be bewildering because there's so much choiice, and some scopes are better for one thing and not so good for another. You need to know what you want to observe, a budget and don't forget storage/portability. Astro Baby has a good post called "Have you seen the size of that?" which will really open your eyes re size and weight. Best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobbytate Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Hi and welcome to sgl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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