Good Starter Telescope

[USS KG5]

Apologies if this isn't right for this forum, but it seemed an appropriate topic.

I'm looking into getting a telescope to start some very amateur astronomy, and looking for recommendations. So far I've looked briefly at the: -

Celestron Astromaster 130EQ - which is about £130 GBP
Celestron Nexstar 130SLT - about £325 GBP

As someone starting out, would it be better to hit entry level with the very basic model, or the more expensive one complete with computerised mount?

Are these good models (online reviews seem good) or should I look at other manufacturers?

Any ideas or recommendations? I live in the UK in a small town where light pollution is at a minimum, and I'm just looking to observe as a bit of a hobby.

Thanks all.

 

[Metryq]

Take a look at any telescopes classed as Dobsonian. Dobsonians are reflectors with a very inexpensive and simply designed mount. Thanks to electronically driven mounts, the difference between altazimuth and polar mounts is becoming irrelevant—and Dobsonians use what is essentially an altazimuth mount.

The reason I mention motor drives is because a target, such as a planet, can quickly drift out of view at higher magnifications. Electronically controlled drives can counter the Earth's rotation, which is what causes the target to drift out of view.

Dobsonian telescopes are usually crafted with very simple, un-driven mounts, but I've seen some with electronic motors. Look around.

Why Dobsonians? These telescopes typically offer a larger primary/objective (in this case, the mirror) at lower cost than other designs. A bigger primary means greater light gathering power. Magnification is controlled by the eyepieces, but higher magnification also reduces the brightness of the image. Ergo, a bigger primary is a good thing.

At the Wikipedia link above you will find a couple photos of collapsible Dobsonians towards the bottom of the page. A telescope doesn't need a closed tube to function, especially if light pollution is not a problem. And the collapsible designs are more portable—toss them in the trunk/boot of the car and go to new viewing sites.

I can't recommend a particular model with all these features—a collapsible, motor driven, Dobsonian—but perhaps these terms might aid your search.

 

[USS KG5]

Thanks, I will take a look

 

[ebusinesstutor]

I second the look at dobsonian telescopes. More bang for the buck. I have an 8" Orion dobsonian telescope and people are amazed when I tell them they could get one like it for about $400 US or so.

Dobsonian mounts are very stable and easy to use. If you get a basic one without motors they are quite affordable.

Here are some UK pricing for Skywatcher - another reputable brand:
http://www.opticalvision.co.uk/astronomical_telescopes-sky-watcher-dobsonians.html

The main difference between versions is the diamater. A 8" scope gathers more light than a 4" scope. 8" is kind of entry level for galaxies and nebulae.

4" will work great on the moon and planets and brighter star clusters.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Celestron Nexstar 130SLT - about £325 GBP

I have watched stars through this one. It is a good telescope, unfortunately I am not a good astronomer, so take my opinions with a grain of salt.

It is a decent enough for bad astronomers, the computer-driven mount is helpful. They let me point it at specific objects from my laptop using KStars, and it also has an integrated star chart in its own computer, but of course, I liked my laptop better. Because of the lack of equatorial mount, it is not bulky like the AstroMaster, yet the computer can follow the stars for you as if it had one. It can also follow the moon and the planets. Do have in mind that the stars move, and some Solar system objects move faster, so if you're planning on taking pictures the ability to follow them is somewhat important.

Also setting it up for observation requires no knowledge of astronomy – point it at three bright points in the sky, and it triangulates them and sets up itself. You don't need to know what you pointed it at. The major disadvantage is that you feel dumber than your telescope after that – then tell me the reverse singularity isn't coming.

The advice I've gotten: Bigger aperture first, smaller overall size second, price third. Catadioptric telescopes tend to be damn expensive, but I would choose to buy one now because they are tiny even for larger apertures. Computerized mount is a luxury you also might like and/or need, and it tends to cost less than the optics (especially if you go crazy in that regard). But do save money for accessories such as eye pieces, you could buy a wider tube later anyway. The car would be more expensive than any of those, and you do need to buy a car if you don't have one. Lack of car is the primary reason I never started with astronomy, looking through other people's telescopes is easier.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Yeah, a Dobsonian gives you a great bang for your buck. With an 8", you'll get great light gathering power, and you should be good to go until you feel you need bigger years down the road.

Although my Dad does make Dobsonian telescope kits as a business, it does make me a little biased, but the advice itself it still sound in regards to overall advice.

I don't know what's available in the UK, but Sky-watcher make some good Dobsonians, and they even make some that are collapsible. Their prices tend to be quite reasonable.

Personally, not a fan of motor driven mounts. My philosophy is, learn the sky to your utmost best. Get comfortable with it, and use that knowledge to help you to guide your scope to the right position, and it will make the hobby perhaps a bit more rewarding. Seen and heard too many first-hand stories of people spending more than half their time struggling with their motor driven mounts when they could be using that time observing. I've heard quite a few people cursing at their scope in the dark. Best thing to use them for is for tracking.

Also, if you can and have a club available, I would encourage you to go to one of their meetings and attend their star-parties or stargazing events. At these events, you'll have people with scopes set up, and it's a matter of trying them out. Don't be afraid of asking questions. Most astronomers would be very glad to answer questions and may even help steer you in the right direction to find a scope that's ideal for you.

 

[ebusinesstutor]

I second the idea of finding a local astronomy group and going out to some of their public observing sessions. They are happy to help and you can look through telescopes to figure out which one is right for yo.