The main specification you want to consider when choosing a telescope is its aperture—the diameter of its main mirror or lens. The larger the diameter, the more light the telescope collects, allowing you to see fainter objects and more detail on nearby, bright objects like the Moon.
What telescope should I buy first?
Buying a beginner's telescope Telescopes are either refractors (using lenses) or reflectors (using mirrors). Both are excellent. If you want a refractor, consider a 3- to 4-inch (75- to 100-millimeter) long-tube achromatic refractor.Dec 4, 2020
What should I look for when buying a telescope?
The key spec for any telescope is its aperture, or the diameter of its lens or mirror. The bigger the better because a bigger aperture can collect more light and distant objects appear brighter. But this comes at a price, and bigger telescopes are also much less portable.Dec 7, 2016
Buying Options Our overall pick for the best amateur telescope, the Celestron NexStar 5SE is a Schmidt-Cassegrain scope, a design that uses both lenses and mirrors in a relatively compact package.
How much should a beginner spend on a telescope?
With telescopes, you get what you pay for. Anything too cheap (less than $100) might be too frustrating to use and not give you much viewing satisfaction. The starting price range for a good quality beginner telescope is around $200 to $400 with the upper end being for the computerized mounts.
What size telescope do I need to see planets?
Telescopes that have 4 or 5 inch diameters are great for viewing solar system objects like the planets, our Moon, and Jupiter's moons. Viewing Neptune and Uranus can be difficult with a scope this small but it's not impossible. A telescope of this size is probably a good starting point for a complete beginner.
Which telescope is best to see planets under 5000?
For a first telescope I would suggest a Dobsonian with either a 10" (254 mm) or a 12" (305 mm) mirror. There are a variety of on-line businesses who carry a selection of these, some are solid tube and some truss models. Sky Watcher, Meade, Orion, and Celestron are among the most well known and are reasonably priced.Feb 4, 2015