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A complete beginner, who want to start observing the galaxies and stars.
This because there is an insane arm race to the most sophisticated telescope.
Also what is important is the diameter, something between 9cm and 13 cm (5 inches) is enough. Use a GOTO system. Try to have something easy to move by you (especially in the dark). Electronic eyepieces that help to share images are interesting.
Going to a place where there is a dark sky is helpful.
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-equipment/types-of-...
I would caution complete beginners from buying a telescope, because learning to set up and use a telescope might be too frustrating. I would recommend instead starting with a good pair of binoculars (mine are Nikon Action Extreme 10x50), which are powerful enough for you to find Messier objects. Searching for Messier objects will teach you how to identify constellations, read star maps, and how to scan the sky for fa…
Great advice to start with binoculars because you may find that actually seeing things through a lens isn't magical compared to TV images or internet images of the same thing; or discover that seeing Saturn once fer real is enough. Plus you may find it gets cold at night. I did.
I would caution complete beginners from buying a telescope, because learning to set up and use a telescope might be too frustrating. I would recommend instead starting with a good pair of binoculars (mine are Nikon Action Extreme 10x50), which are powerful enough for you to find Messier objects. Searching for Messier objects will teach you how to identify constellations, read star maps, and how to scan the sky for fa…
Seconded (and look for Jupiter's moons first, because you can see those even in daylight). https://www.space.com/36733-jupiter-and-moons-mobile-astrono... Great advice to start with binoculars because you may find that actually seeing things through a lens isn't magical compared to TV images or internet images of the same thing; or discover that seeing Saturn once fer real is enough. Plus you may find it gets cold at…
The websites like Sky & telescope will tell you something quite true: Invest in something that you will really use: This because there is an insane arm race to the most sophisticated telescope. Also what is important is the diameter, something between 9cm and 13 cm (5 inches) is enough. Use a GOTO system. Try to have something easy to move by you (especially in the dark). Electronic eyepieces that help to share image…
I’ve looked at an 8 inch Schmidt–Cassegrain scope and the thing is a beast. Would like to know if anybody has a 6 inch they’re happy with and could recommend.
Avoid refractive ones and go for the newtonian reflector ones or catadioptric ones to see objects in better color. You'll also get more bang for your buck in terms of power.
A telescope with an equatorial stand is better than an alt-azimuth stand because you won't struggle to track objects. But an equatorial stand is heavier and difficult to set up.
A telescope with an automated GOTO is pricier, but you might end up using it a lot more because it'll save you hours that it takes to sometimes find and track an object. Good luck!
I would caution complete beginners from buying a telescope, because learning to set up and use a telescope might be too frustrating. I would recommend instead starting with a good pair of binoculars (mine are Nikon Action Extreme 10x50), which are powerful enough for you to find Messier objects. Searching for Messier objects will teach you how to identify constellations, read star maps, and how to scan the sky for fa…
The sad truth is that we're so used to stunning Hubble images that looking through a real eyepiece can be disappointing, even with an expensive and powerful instrument. Affordable instruments are even less satisfying. (I'm basing on that on occasional access to a 20 inch Dobsonian, which is far more powerful than most scopes, but still rather meh visually.)
There's some pleasure to be had in finding your way around the sky, but for impressive images with some wow factor, astrophotography is much more rewarding - but will roughly double the outlay.
Location also matters. If you're in a big city, even the best optics will be wasted, and if you want to buy a portable scope you can take out to good locations, there's the inevitable trade-off between performance and portability.
The ideal is a rural location with minimal smog and light pollution and good weather, where you can set up permanently. Then a good scope can be worth it.
I don't want to seem downbeat, but I went through this a few years ago. If you're in the UK like I am, where we're very lucky to get 50 cloud-free nights a year, it became obvious that the practical limits of weather and location mean that the expense of a good scope is very hard to justify.