If you are looking for the ultimate viewing experience, a Dobsonian telescope with an aperture of 12″ or more will show fainter objects than most other telescopes. However, viewing galaxies through the eyepiece of a telescope like this is not ideal. For example, my first successful photograph of the Andromeda Galaxy was captured using a compact refractor telescope with an 80mm aperture. The largest galaxies can be seen in almost any telescope, under the right conditions. Newtonian reflectors are a great choice for those on a budget and can pull in some tremendous details on the brightest galaxies in the night sky. Which is the best telescope to view galaxies?īecause most galaxies appear small and dim from our vantage point on Earth, telescopes with larger apertures are recommended because they collect more light. See my review of the Celestron StarSense Explorer Dob as a fantastic example of this type of telescope. Reflector telescopes offer larger apertures for the price, resulting in deeper, more detailed views of the planets, the moon, and even deep-sky objects such as galaxies and nebulae. However, when people ask me this, I often suggest an 8″ Dobsonian telescope because it offers one of the best user experiences for the price. What is considered the best telescope?ĭetermining the “best” telescope depends on your personal observing preferences, goals, and budget. These telescopes can be mounted to a tracking equatorial mount, to precisely track the movement of the planets across the sky.
If you want to photograph planets in detail, a high magnification, large aperture telescope like a Schmidt-Cassegrain is tough to beat. A Dobsonian telescope with a mirror of at least 8″ is a great choice, but 10″ or 12″ is even better. If you are interested in viewing the solar system planets up close, you’ll want a telescope with plenty of aperture. Which telescope is best for seeing planets? If you are primarily interested in capturing images through your telescope, check out my list of best astrophotography telescopes. The following suggestions are for those looking to view objects in space through a telescope. Keep in mind that this is from the perspective of a backyard stargazer that primarily focuses on deep-sky astrophotography, but also likes to visit a star partyor two for the visual experience. Unlike the other articles littered across the web explaining that the ‘best telescope’ is the one they recommend on Amazon, I have some honest advice for you. I am a full-time astrophotographer, and I have used many different types of telescopes to both view and photograph the wonders of the night sky. The aperture will determine how bright the object will appear, as a larger diameter telescope can gather more light at once.Ī 150mm diameter refractor telescope. You can think of the telescope’s focal length as its ‘magnification’ of the sky, and how big an object will appear. When choosing a telescope there are many different characteristics that come into play, but arguably the two most important factors will be your desired focal length and aperture. People often focus on the magnification of the telescope, which is actually less important than the instrument’s ability to collect more light than the observer’s unaided eye can. The main goal of any astronomical telescope is to gather light.
#Collimating a reflector telescope how to#
Related Post: How to Use Your First Telescope visual, photography, planetary, deep-sky, etc.), your available budget, and the level of complexity you want to take on for your equipment set-up. If you are a beginner and looking to purchase your first telescope, it is recommended you have a clear vision of what you want to use it for (i.e. Setting up my Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope for a night of astrophotography. For astrophotography purposes, a compact apochromatic refractor is best.Ī Dobsonian telescope with a healthy aperture (8″ is perfect) is great for exploring the sky and enjoying real-time views of the brighter objects in the sky, while a refractor telescope is best used with a camera attached, to photograph faint deep-sky objects. I consider a Dobsonian Reflector to be the best telescope type for a beginner due to its combination of ease of use, function, and affordability.
There are many variations and hybrid designs for each type.
The three main types of telescopes are refracting telescopes, reflecting telescopes, and catadioptric telescopes. Soon after, Galileo improved on this refracting telescope design and applied its uses to astronomy. The first type of telescope ever designed was a refractor, designed by an eyeglass maker in the Netherlands in 1608. Telescopes come in a variety of designs, some of which have been around since the 1600s. There are many different types of telescopes available for those interested in exploring the night sky.
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