Learning Resources EI-5129P GeoSafari Jr My First Telescope Pink, Toy Telescope for Kids, STEM Toy, Ages 4+

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Lunar views too should be sharp with good definition in craters and rille features, as the larger optics enable the telescope to reveal more detail. When sky conditions allow, details can be seen within the coloured bands of Jupiter and various colour bands on Saturn, along with the Cassini and other divisions of Saturn’s glorious ring system, not to mention polar caps and features on Mars. There are compromises, as reflectors need their mirrors adjusting from time to time, although this shouldn’t put you off. Within that range we find inexpensive models with a single front lens, up to telescopes with multiple lenses that provide a sharper more natural view, at a premium price point. Altair Starwave ASCENT 115 F7 refractor

Although some detail and moons may be seen when observing Jupiter and Saturn, in either case the planet itself will appear quite small and very bright in the view. This is an instrument not just for visual observing, but can also be used for deep-sky astrophotography. All that said, the most useful advice I can give you doesn’t require buying a telescope at all: just go to a star party! Many universities—even small ones—have observatories, and astronomy clubs and societies are almost everywhere, even in rural areas. Seek out one near you, learn when it holds public events and attend one. There may be dozens of amateur astronomers there with a wide variety of telescopes, and in my long experience, such folks are wonderfully eager to help. You can see how big the equipment is, how much experience you may need to use it and, of course, what the view is through the eyepiece. You wouldn’t buy a car without test-driving a few, right? It’s the same principle here. Perhaps some were too cumbersome to take in and out at night, others too complicated to set up, or maybe underwhelming views led to disappointment. Tim Jardine pictured with his 18-inch Dobsonian. Beginners can afford to start with a much smaller model! Credit: Tim Jardine All three designs are available as basic models or with fully computerised controls and even built-in wi-fi for operation via smartphone.Dobsonians may be elegantly simple affairs - no wires, no batteries, you just point it at what you want to see - or they may include a full ‘Go-To’ control, which can automatically point the telescope at hundreds of sky objects. We enjoyed views of the Pleiades, the Perseus Double Cluster, the Dumbbell Nebula, the Ring Nebula and the galaxy pair of M81 and M82 in Ursa Major, among others. The Hercules Globular Cluster showed swarms of stars and the dark ‘propeller’ feature. Generally speaking, smaller refractors less than 90mm diameter are best suited for wider views of the night sky, which might include star clusters like the famous Pleiades, M45.

Comparatively heavy, they tend to be shorter lengthwise, and this compactness makes them ideal where storage space is limited. Of course, other deep-sky objects may be viewed, with larger aperture Schmidt-Cassegrains providing the most satisfying experience. I get a lot of queries this time of year from readers asking what kind of telescope they should buy. My answer to this is always the same: Imagine if a stranger walked up to you and asked what kind of car they should get. What would you say? Any good answer would depend on how far they wanted to drive, what they needed the vehicle for, how many passengers they’d have and—the big question—how much money they had to spend. The telescope’s large aperture makes finding fainter objects simpler, and even though we were observing under moonlit skies and a touch of light pollution we were still able to see both sections of the Veil Nebula complex with an OIII filter and 21mm eyepiece. Cassegrain designs give a comparatively more magnified view for a given size of eyepiece, and for those wishing to experience the best views of the planets and our Moon, a Maksutov-Cassegrain or a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope may well be the best option. Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 6-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain

We used an EQ5 SynScan mount and found it could could handle it, but the larger NEQ6 mount offered the best performance. The LT 70AZ boasts a 70mm diameter front objective lens, fully coated optics and a focal length of 700mm.It comes as a sturdy yet lightweight aluminium tube mounted on an altaz fork mount and features slow-motion control. And, along with a tube width of 216mm, it really is quite compact. At just 7.8kg too, it is also relatively lightweight for its size. However, there is a saying in the world of telescopes that ‘aperture is king’. Or in basic terms, bigger is better.

There is no doubt that a decent refractor, on a sturdy mount or tripod, can provide a thrilling stargazing experience, and whet the appetite for further sessions for many years. Reflectors Newtonians are among the most common reflectors used by amateur astronomers. This is the Orion 6-inch f/4 Newtonian astrograph. Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine Indeed, one of the great things about this scope is that you can set it up and get observing within minutes. This also helps take advantage of breaks in the clouds. This can be turned freely around, while the telescope can pivot up and down and thus be pointed anywhere in the sky. We observed Jupiter and found the planet snapped into focus and we could see belt and spot features. We view the Hercules Globular Cluster and the famous double binary Epsilon Lyrae. We also observed the Ring Nebula and found all of these targets looked amazing. There is a wide variety of telescope available on the market, and it pays to do research before buying. Our guide below provides a look at three different types at either end of the price spectrum. 2 refractors for beginners Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ refractor Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ refractor reviewAdmittedly, there is a bewildering array of equipment available; however, we can divide all those variations into just three basic types. If you’re interested in more serious stargazing, such as looking for nebulae and galaxies, then you’ll want a reflector—a telescope that uses a mirror to gather up light from fainter objects. It’s easier to make a large mirror than a lens, so reflectors can be quite large. The most common reflectors for amateur astronomy have mirrors spanning 15 to 30 cm across, though ones that are much larger are available if your budget has an extra zero or two at the end of it.

The Newtonian design uses a parabolic primary mirror to collect and focus light from your celestial target, while a flat secondary mirror reflects it to the eyepiece.There are two ways of using reflectors. Smaller models up to 12 inches or so can be used on tripod-style mounts similar to those used for refractors.