Help needed.. A good telescope for $500.

Astro-lover123 · Guest

Hi,
I hav a great interest towards astronomy, and so needs a good telescope which would help me to explore moon,planets,nebulae and stars in fine details.

But, the most unfortunate thing for me is, i can spend only upto $500, for my telescope.

Can i still get a telescope in this price, wich will help me to explore the space ..?

Thanks..

Astro-lover123 · Guest

I have read a lot of hell experiences of many guys, who bought a some cheap telescopes and faced a really tough situation while watching the space and planets.

I have even heard that, one has to spend thousands of dollards to get a good telescope... Is it true..?

If its not possible to get a good telescope in $500, i would prefer to watch the space in naked eyes itself, rather than getting bad experiences with cheap telescopes

Please guide me, in this issue...

Thanks..

Jne_K · Site Admin Joined: 24 Sep 2003 Posts: 5383

Hi

Not at all. Whoever told you that did you an injustice

Any telescope, even a small telescope, can see planets (rings of Satrun, cloud belts of Jupiter). craters and mountains on the moon and also brighter galaxies, nebulae and star clusters. In other words, a small telescope can see exactly the same types of objects as a large telescope, but a small telescope won't see as many of these objects and it
won't allow you to see much detail in them.

Buy the largest telescope you can afford with the features you want and that suits your observing style and observing site. I promise you that a 10" Dobsonian, such as the Celestron Starhopper will take you years, if not a lifetime, to see all that is possible to see with this size scope. It will not have all the fancy bells and whistles or high tech electronics of more expensive models, but it will show you as much in the way of deep-sky objects as any 10" telescope, regardless of price.

However, you need to keep your expectations in line with what an amateur telescope can do. What you see in magazines and pics is not repersentative of what you will see in any amateur telescope, reagrdless of price. Go to a local astronomy club and look through some different telescopes before buying a teelscope. You will have a much better idea of what to expect.
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Guest · Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2007 9:35 am Post subject:

Thanks a lot for ur concerned reply.

I am very happy to hear, that i can buy a good telescope in my price range.
I have heard of some other telescopes like celstron astromaster 130eq,celestron starhopper 8, celestron nexstar 130 SLT.
Wats your opinion about these telescopes..?

I can understand that, in my price range, i cant afford a best telescopes.

Space watch is my deep passion, I ateast i need a telescope, which will help for my space study.

Please recommend some telescopes for me in this price range.

Thanks.

Jne_K · Site Admin Joined: 24 Sep 2003 Posts: 5383

Hi

You need to decide what features you want in a telescope, first, then buy the biggest scope you can afford that fits your observing style. At this point, you are still comparing apples and oranges as far as features go. There is no best until you decide (and it is your decision) what features you want in a telescope.

The first decision to make on a telescope is whether to buy a computerized model or a manual model.

A computer does make navigation easier for a beginner and most are relatively simple to get set up and aligned. This is the most practical option for a light polluted area, since learning to navigate manually is tough to do when you can't see a lot of guide stars. Meade and Celestron both make good computers. If you like computers and are technically inlcined, this is the way to go.

On the other hand, you can buy a bigger scope for your dollar with a manual scope, since you are not buying a computer. Learning to navigate the old fashioned way takes more initiative and effort and it is slower, but in many ways more enjoyable. It is also quite practical if you observe from a dark or mildly light polluted site.

Your next decision on a telescope is telescope size, since the size, in terms of the diameter of the main lens or mirror, is the primary factor in telescope performance. Be wary, however. Portability is also directly related to size and large telescopes are time consuming to set up and not easy to transport.

Related to telescope size, is telescope design - reflector, refractor, Maksutov, Schmidt-Cassegrain and so on. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages.

For a through discussion of the basics, be sure to review my article, first, at How to choose the right telescope
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Guest · Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2007 11:08 am Post subject:

Hi,

i went through your articles about telescope.
I need a manual telescope, aperture size >= 100mm,
reflector type, weight not greater than 15 kilo grams.

Can you suggest, good telescopes with this features under $500, which will make my stargazing a pleasure for me?

Thanks.

Jne_K · Site Admin Joined: 24 Sep 2003 Posts: 5383

Hi

The first telescope I listed, the 10" Celestron Starhopper.
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