90mm refractor vs 130mm reflector

[XPecto]

Gooood Morning Everyone!!

Very Happy to be here.

well, I am beginner at astronomy, haven't purchase any scope yet but i was considering to buy a reflector most probably Skywatcher BK1309 with EQ2 mount or SK 909 EQ2.

After going through many books and online resources i found quite differences in opinions regarding refractors and reflector performance in planetary viewing.

As much i understood that with same aperture size refractor is better for planetary viewing than reflector but for a aperture of size 130mm will 90mm refractor still beat the reflector?

[GazOC]

Hi, welcome to SGL.

You are right, although the same sized refractor would be preferred for planetary viewing the size difference between 90mm and 130mm means the reflector will show more.

[Bone_Idle]

Tonight I was trying to look at an object near the zenith using my 90mm refractor and he position was very uncomfortable, I was wishing I had a reflector for these type of objects.

In fact, I gave up in the end and got out my binoculars!

Saying that, the reason I went for a refractor was because I wanted to use it terrestrially as well. I also went for an EQ3-2 mount so I could add a 150P reflector tube at a later date.

[ronin]

Since the reflector does not state "P" I would check if it is a spherical mirror or a parabolic. Manufacturers are normally advertising if it ia a parabolic in some way so the absence of this is a little suspicious.

What f number are both of the instruments? That helps.

In simple terms the 130 will collect more light, about 1.8 times as much when you allow for the secondary. May seem a lot but the eye will not act as ifthings are about twice as bright. The reflector will need collimating.

The refractor should deliver higher contrast to whatever you view. The eye does react better to higher contrast. The refractor will give some colour on bright objects.

It is going to be a compromise.

[XPecto]

It's Skywatcher 130p with 900mm EQ2 and

Skywatcher 90/900mm EQ2 for the refractor.

Sorry for the late reply.