Q: What kind of telescope should I buy?
A: Ignore anything that is sold by power rating(aperture is more important)
or by department / camera stores. Go to a reputable telescope store (sells
only astronomical equipment) and talk with the manager. A good fit between
budget and aspirations is a must have. Purchase with the idea that you will
have this scope for a while, and if you take care of your equipment, the resale
value is very good on used telescopes should you wish to trade up. If you can,
attend a star party and check out the different equipment being used. Ask the
owner's permission first, but most people would be glad to let you look
through their scope and discuss their choices in accessories.(Starfest'97 here)
Q: What can I see?
A: My first view through my new scope was disappointing. I didn't know to
let the telescope cool down for 30 minutes (varies with the scope and the
temperature), and that astronomy is a learned coordination between the mind,
eye, and telescope. Instead of seeing Mars all I saw was an orange blob.
Don't expect to see the dramatic images that are shown in magazines.
Photography can capture more light than the human eye. Large planets are
the easiest to see and are bright enough to see colour and subtle detail. Star
clusters and planetary nebulas are the next easiest, with galaxies being the
hardest to observe colour and detail. Consider that NASA spends millions of
dollars to send a telescope beyond the confines of Earth's distorting
atmosphere to capture their awesome images; the human eye and a $500.00
scope require patience and discipline. In the end, even a small telescope can
reveal remarkable images of planets, nebulas, and galaxies to a trained eye.
Q: What accessories should I buy first?
A: Not an easy question to answer. Two or three quality eyepieces and a 2x
Barlow lens should be your first purchase. BUY THE BEST THAT YOU
CAN AFFORD! Your eyepiece collection should cost at least 1/3 the value of
your telescope. If you must compromise, buy only one eyepiece and a Barlow
and add on later. A top quality telescope is significantly diminished by using
cheap, poorly designed eyepieces; a marginal scope is rendered useless. Plossl
type eyepieces seem to be the gold standard. A 25mm, 16mm, and a 10mm set
of eyepieces are expanded to 12.5mm, 8mm, and 5mm when used with a 2x
Barlow lens; that's six eyepieces for the price of four, enough for most
observing situations. Ask before you buy, each telescope has limits on how
powerful an eyepiece you can use (more powerful is not always better or
clearer). 50x per inch of aperture is the max(20x per inch is more realistic
though).
Q: How do I locate objects in the sky?
A: First off you need to learn the sky with your naked eye. Learn to find the
major constellations by employing a planisphere under a dark sky. Most
major astronomy magazines include a pull out version for each issue that is
very useful. Once you can identify a few constellations, you can start to locate
smaller objects with your telescope's viewfinder. I recently purchased a
Telrad viewfinder that makes locating objects a breeze. Most finder scopes
invert the image and you have to learn to embrace dyslexia if you hope to
locate anything. Some people use the Telrad to find the general area and then
use the finder scope to hone in on the specific area. Think of this process as
finding a city on a world map(the sky). You locate the country(constellation),
then locate the province(telrad or viewfinder), and then you can find the
city(viewfinder or through the telescope itself). To find specific street
address(right ascension and declination), you will need to use setting circles.
A good star chart or astronomy software is your next best purchase. Sky
Atlas 2000.0 is a good guide or try Earth Centred Universe, a computer
program that is available as shareware (I thought it was so good that I
purchased the full version).
Q: Where can I find out more info?
A: Try sci.astro.amateur on usenet as a good way to find answers. "Night
Watch" by Terence Dickinson (1996, Firefly books Inc.) is a good beginner's /
intermediate level book. In addition, the following links were helpful to me:
This page is in no way comprehensive. I am a novice and these are some of
the basics that have come to hold meaning for me. I hope that you will find
them useful in your journey. As Hillel said centuries ago, "The rest is just
commentary, now go and learn for yourself".
Send comments and suggestions to rsnow@idirect.com
My first attempt at astrophotography
Earth Centred Universe
Astronomy Magazine
Sky online publishing
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada