Get the latest news and information from us. Join our newsletter!
What kind of telescope do I need for amateur astronomy?
Recently I have become interested in the idea of amateur astronomy. How much do I need to spend on a telescope to be able to see anything interesting? What kind of telescope do I need? What strength magnification do I need? How much do I need to spend?
Answer: First of all, you don't actually need a telescope to enjoy amateur astronomy. There is much to see with the naked eye and with a good binocular, 10x50 is a perfect size. I'd strongly recommend Terence Dickinson's book "NightWatch" (Firefly) as a great introduction to astronomy and observing the sky.
Telescopes come in many sizes, types, and prices. You generally need to spend at least $200 to get something that will satisy you for long. If your budget is small, I'd recommend a Dobsonian reflector such as these:
http://www.telescope.com/control/category/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~VIEW_INDEX=0/~VIEW_SIZE=1000000
http://www.skywatchertelescope.net/swtinc/product.php?class1=1&class2=106
If you have more money available, you might consider these:
http://www.celestron.com/c2/category.php?CatID=13
These are all telescopes that I have owned and tested personally, and you can't go far wrong with any of them.
If you want to read more about telescopes, look at Phil Harrington's "Star Ware 4th edition" (Wiley or the web sites below.
