Astronomy Fundamentals – Choosing a Telescope – Things to Consider

For many new comers to the hobby, the biggest question asked is what kind of telescope should I buy?  Whether it is parents nurturing their child’s curiosity, or an adult that wants to enjoy the night sky.  Of course, the hobby can be enjoyed without telescopes, and many times the answer is to enjoy the constellations and the moon with out an observing aid, or to begin with binoculars that are usually much less expensive, but still can bring the wonder to our eyes.

But, maybe you have sat outside in a lawn chair a learned what you can with your naked eye, or you have used 10×50 binoculars and are ready to take the plunge into some telescopic views.  Of course you may also see those wonderful astro photos and have been bitten by the photography bug – but lets not get too far ahead of ourselves.  Let’s see what visual wonders we can see before tackling that steep learning curve involving astrophotography.

Join us for November’s fundamentals meeting, where the topic will cover what to consider when choosing a telescope. The discussion will start with the question, what do you expect to view? Is it the moon and planets or will it be deep sky objects, such as galaxies or nebula? From there our presenter will briefly describe different types of telescopes and share their respective strengths and weaknesses. This will also cover the visual and imaging abilities of the telescopes. The conclusion will also remind you that the best telescope is the one that used most often.

To find out how to get to the telescope that will be used most often by you join us!