So my husband has been after a telescope for years, and this year inn caving in and looking to get him one for Christmas. The trouble is, I've no idea what to look for - refractor? Reflector? What's good/bad? So as we're a diverse group, I wonder if there are any stargazers among us who might have some recommendations on the best kit to get (I'm working on a max budget of £250) - any help is greatly appreciated!!
I do love a bit of astronomy and I'd love a decent telescope.
Although I can't point you in the direction of specific models, I mainly refer to the advice of the late Patrick Moore, who used to say that unless you could run to a reflector with a mirror diameter of at least six inches, you're pretty much wasting your money with any other kind of telescope. It would be far better investing in a quality set of binoculars, but of course, be wary of the weight, as mounting on a tripod isn't an option; no more than about 1kg is advisable.
Not terribly helpful; hopefully there'll be a few more members to could be less generic with their advice.
My OH sd if u get one with built-in GPS or GOTO.. u can link it to tablet etc and record what u see and pretty handy for someone wanting to learn more bout the sky as it maps out the sky for u x
http://www.meteorwatch.org/beginners-telescopes-easy-guide-review/
Best site for info on choosing a scope xx
I guess that when it comes to telescopes, 250 GBP won't buy much. Seeing I am no expert (just the most amateurish amateur ever) I may be wrong but when choosing a first semi-decent telescope that falls into £250-£300 range, I would try to look for best prices for Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian one.
Hi David,
Message from Mr Scorpius:
“You need to prioritise on the following, as each will affect greatly the cost of a telescope:-
1. How much light the scope can gather, i.e. the size (aperture) of the lens or mirror. Bigger apertures cost more, but generally speaking, also allow for higher magnifications - as there is more light to magnify.
2. Reflector or Refractor - you could write a book on this but... Reflectors use lenses combined with a 'primary mirror' (in usually) an open tube. Size for Size Reflectors are cheaper than Refractors - so you get more light for your money. But these open tubes allow for damp and dust to get in over time - so consider this. Refractors are 'encased' and so wear better. Generally refractors are slightly better at detailed viewing such as planets, and reflectors better at deep sky viewing such as nebulas, galaxies etc
3. ‘Manual’ or ‘GOTO’ scope. GOTO's add £100 to the cost of your scope. So getting a GOTO (which makes things far easier if you don't have any experience, and also let you do cool stuff when linked to a laptop) will mean that you will need to downsize the aperture to stay in budget.
But I would recommend something like this:-
or 3” ‘Refractor with GOTO’
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-LCM-Computerised-Refractor-Telescope/dp/B004P1IMEG/ref=sr_1_68?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1418289830&sr=1-68&keywords=celestron+telescope
as it would be low maintenance, easy to use - and good for seeing the planets and larger galaxies”
Hope this helps :) xx
Thanks guys! I think we might be sorted! Thanks to all for your advice! :D x
Always up for a little stargazing. Theres something just amazing about the thought that there in the sky is something millions of light years away and what we are seeing now has already happened and we are only now seeing it!