Telescopes for Beginners - Choosing a Good Beginners Telescope

All things being equal (which they're not) the larger the aperture the more you can get out of the telescope. There are other factors to be aware of for example, a good quality refractor will generally outperform a similar quality reflector of similar aperture. This is because of the inherent design character of lenses over mirror telescopes.

A good reflector however is considerably cheaper than its equivalent refractor as they are easier to manufacture. A large aperture refractor can be unwieldy due to the long length of the tube and can be uncomfortable to use because the eyepiece is placed at the end of the tube which might be rather low to the ground depending on the target and your mounts abilities, while larger aperture reflectors can have comparatively short tubes, easily accessible eyepieces and can be very easy to handle.

Catadioptric telescopes combine both refractor and reflector principles and can be very portable even at large apertures. Their combination of factors means many amateur astronomers end up with these eventually though they are not usually purchased by beginners due to the cost factor. Larger versions are not best suited to light polluted locations.

Dobsonian telescopes are really large reflectors mounted on simple turntables and are definitely a lot of instrument, they are perfect for visual astronomy in a good dark sky location but are not so good in a light polluted area such as the cities and suburbs. If you're after really big aperture and can handle the size of these units then the big dobsonian telescopes are a great beginners telescope and they come with very simple inexpensive mounts.

The mount is sometimes overlooked by beginners but it is just as important to get a decent mount that will hold the telescope securely and thus avoid the frustration of vibration or shaking. For astronomy use you will probably prefer an equatorial mount unless you're going to buy a Dobsonian.

You'll also need a few eyepieces of various sizes, if you've arrived at the point of buying a telescope you'll appreciate that the magnification actually comes from these and not the telescope itself. Telescopes are usually supplied with one or two basic eyepieces which should be enough to get you started but suppliers will be able to recommend other good choices to help with your viewing.

Those points now covered, the best telescope for you is the one you are going to use the most! So lets consider that part of the equation. Which type of telescope are you most likely to use? The usual answer here is the telescope that is easier to set up and move about. If you are going to be put off by the prospect of setting up a large aperture scope then stick with the smaller more portable designs.

If on the other hand portability and ease of set-up is not such an issue then get yourself the largest aperture that you can afford. Aperture is the most important of the optical factors. Consider the telescope as a light bucket, the more light you capture from those far away objects the more you can see.

A quick mention of another element, how well do you know your way around the skies and how much are you willing to learn on this point? These days computerised mounts are available which will navigate your telescope around the heavens for you provided you have set them up properly to begin with. This function, called "Go-To", makes navigation really simple but many view it as taking away from the enjoyment of learning to find your own way around.

Ok so its decision time and here's how I see it for most beginners I'm deliberately leaving aside land use and astrophotography as out of the picture here. I'm also recommending a couple of Amazon bargains for US and Canadian based readers. If you're from another country you might need to check on local warranty arrangements. In Australia for instance you would be far better off buying from a local supplier as they have a separate warranty arrangement.

If I was a beginner based in the city or inner suburbs and unlikely to get out to a dark sky location much then I'd stick to the refractors and catadioptrics of 90mm aperture and upwards. The ability to carry it up to the roof easily would be a plus! Buying a light pollution filter would be a great idea.

Celestron Firstscope 90EQ

Galileo 102mm Catadioptric


If on the other hand I was intending to take it with me to a dark sky site on a reasonably frequent basis I'd probably opt for the biggest reflector I could transport practically.

Celestron's Astromaster 114EQ

Orion's Spaceprobe130EQ

If on the other hand I lived in the country maybe even had a shed to keep it in, then I'd opt for the biggest Dobsonian reflector I could afford.

A Celestron Starhopper 8

A Zhumell 10-inch Dobsonian

Beginners with the larger scopes should also grab a glare reduction filter or two to help comfortable viewing of some excellent lunar and planetary sights.

If you don't already know it then be aware those fantastic images that lured you into astronomy are likely taken from the Hubble Space Telescope or other very large professional instruments. Those photographs you see in the magazines? That's how a camera sees those objects given enough exposure time and a skilled photographer. You see modern CCD imaging is a lot more sensitive to those images than our limited human eyes. We see the finished photo that way but cannot observe the object like that ourselves.

Some realistic expectations might be along these lines:

With say a 114mm reflector in good conditions you should be able to see Saturn and its rings easily enough and certainly Jupiter will be visible as a planet with bands of colour, you'll even see its moons. Comets look great, and Mars if close enough will have a reddish hue though you would be lucky to make out a hint of polar icecap with less than a 200mm scope.

You should be able to see most of the Messier objects (a catalogue of nebulae, clusters and galaxies) with anything from an 80mm refractor upwards.

Our own moon will look sensational, you'll easily pick out hundreds of craters and if you have a good solar filter, you'll be able to see the activity on the sun. Remember - never attempt to observe the sun unless you know what you are doing and have the right filter to do so.

Wishing you clear skies...