Web Wisdom: Telescope Buying Guides and Reviews

A brief synopsis of the conventional wisdom:

1. Make sure you really want a telescope.  Many beginning astronomers would be better served by a good quality binocular (7×50 or 10×50 are the types most often recommended).
2. Visit or join your local astronomy club to try out different telescope types and get advice from owners.
3. Avoid department store telescopes, or any telescope advertised as providing unreasonably high magnifications (e.g., a 675x, 60 mm refractor).  50x per inch of aperture is a good, rule-of-thumb, maximum useable magnification.
4. Aperture rules–light gathering capability is far more important than magnification.
5. A steady mount is as important as any other part of the telescope.
6. Don’t buy a telescope that is so difficult to move or set up that you will seldom use it.
7. Make sure you have enough money left over to get a few good quality eyepieces or a good barlow lens.
8. You get what you pay for.

For all the information you could ever need, visit the following websites:( = highly recommended)

•  Astronomical League, Astro Note D3: Considerations when Buying a Telescope: Covers all the bases.
•  Astronomy.com Telescope Buying Guide: Detailed overview from the publishers of Astronomy magazine. Organized by perceived skill level.
•  Astronomy Ratings:  Reviews and ratings of hundreds of telescopes, binoculars, and eyepieces.  Brief reviews are submitted by the amateur astronomy community. Most items have multiple reviews from different users.
• Astrophotography: Buying A Telescope: General advice as well as things to think about when buying a telescope for a child
•  Cloudy Nights Telescope Reviews: Detailed reviews of many different types of equipment, submitted by dedicated amateur astronomers./li>
•  Guide to Telescopes for the Beginner: Good, brief introduction
• Lymax’s Telescope Buying Tips: Brief list of caveats.
• Midlands(SC) Astronomy Club: Buying a Telescope: Brief. Some links included.
• Mortfield’s Telescope Buying Tips:  Basic information, quick read. More detail is available on other pages.
• Ott Planetarium: Buying a Telescope: Basic information and advice. Several pages.
•  Perkins Observatory Telescope FAQ: Very detailed: designed for folks who are just getting started.
• Phil Harrington’s Star Ware Home Page:  Web site by the author of a popular guide to astronomical equipment.
• Planetarium.Net Telescope Buying Guide: Basic information; includes brief description of mounts and eyepieces.
• Purchasing Amateur Telescopes FAQ: Compiled from Usenet posts by many people. Some reviews of retailers. Last updated in 1994, but still useful.
•  Recreational Astronomer: Buying a Telescope: Detailed article with good information for beginners. Several links embedded in text.
•  Sky and Telescope — Buying the best telescope: In-depth discussion of what to consider when buying a telescope, from a well-respected amateur astronomy magazine.
• Stargazers Astronomy Shop: Buying a Telescope:  Fairly detailed overview.
• Stellafane – Buying a Telescope for the Holidays: Important information to consider BEFORE you decide to buy.
•  A Telescope for Under $500.00:  Very thorough treatment, with lots of links
•  Ting’s www.scopereviews.com: Telescope buying advice as well as in-depth reviews of many specific scopes.
•  Todd Gross’ Weather and Astronomy Site:  Lots of reviews of telescopes and other equipment. Click on the “Astro-Product Reviews” tab in the quick links frame.
• Used Telescope Buying Points:  How to go about finding a good used telescope.
• WHYY: Buying a telescope: Brief description of what to look for. Quick to read.
• Wil Milan: Buying your first telescope:  General advice organized by price range.

Author: Michael Mills