A telescope is a piece of equipment that enables humans to view objects present in space from a distance, which would be impossible for the human eye.
Telescopes enlarge the perception of these objects by utilizing a variety of lenses or curved mirrors and lenses as well as the mechanisms used to spot distant items by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation.
Telescopes have widened our stargazing experiences, as you can fully enjoy the wonders the Universe has to offer beyond what our human eyes allow us to see. Hence, many Astronomers have made hundreds of amazing discoveries about the Universe we all live in.
To make this process less overwhelming for you, listed below are the things to consider when choosing a good telescope.
What Are You Going to Use It for?
Nowadays, astronomy is beyond just science, and more than just astrophysicists have the ability to indulge in the wonders the Universe has to offer. Getting to know the Universe within where we live, is many people’s preferred hobby.
Understandably, the Universe is immense and it contains infinite marvels, which are not properly visible to the naked human eye. For this reason, we require additional equipment, such as telescopes, if we want to make the most of our stargazing moments.
Telescopes allow us not only to view the stars, but to also take photographs of any other astronomical objects, celestial events, and particular areas of the night sky.
Whether you are looking to buy a telescope for your ventures or if you are a professional looking to explore for research, you need to ensure you invest in a product with high quality.
As attested by some product reviews, the Celestron brand is well known for their quality telescopes, and each has unique features in terms of what your needs are as different types of equipment will provide different benefits. Whatever your purpose, you must ensure you are investing in the right equipment.
Consider the Types of telescopes:
- Refractor Telescopes
If you are new to using telescopes and not familiar with this equipment, this type may be ideal for you as it is considered the simplest one to use.
This telescope consists of two lenses and when the light makes its way to the end of the equipment the lens deflects and the image is expanded for observation through the eyepiece.
The refracting telescope can be quite large and heavy. They usually have a large aperture for allowing more light to enter through the primary lens.
The lenses are large and the body or tube is quite long. This will have an impact on the price of the telescope since high-quality lenses are vital for the images’ clarity.
- Reflecting Telescope
This type of telescope entails a system that differs from that of the one mentioned above. In this particular tool, the light enters the tube through one end of the tube where a primary mirror is placed, reflecting light to a secondary mirror.
The eyepiece is usually attached to the side of the tube, which is how you can see the difference instantly in a telescope. Many people choose reflecting telescopes over other types due to their smaller size.
This enables users to easily break them down and transport them to other locations so that they can enjoy looking at the sky from different parts of the world.
What to Look For?
- Telescope’s Power
There are three main basic features of a telescope that allow for an extension of the power of our vision: a telescope’s greater ability to gather light enables us to see faded objects, a telescope’s greater resolution power allows us to see even the smallest of details, and the amplification power enables us to expand very small images.
Amplification is unarguably the least significant power of a telescope. Both amateur and professional astronomers are aware that light-gathering and resolution powers are the most essential. These two facilities ensure the visuals of the objective are exceptional.
- Aperture
The most significant feature of a telescope is its aperture — the diameter of its light-gathering lens or mirror, usually designated as the objective. You should look for the telescope’s stipulations near its focuser, at the front of the tube, or on the box.
The aperture’s diameter will be detailed usually in millimeters. On average, your telescope should have at least a 70 mm aperture.
A larger aperture enables you to observe fainter objects and finer detail than a smaller one does. However, the size of the aperture you decide on will depend on your needs.
You can still see plenty through a good quality small telescope, particularly if you live far from city lights as a dark location offers you more opportunity to observe dozens of stars and other galaxies.
Irrelevant of how bright or dark the sky is when you are observing astronomy, the view through a telescope with a greater aperture is more extraordinary than the observation of the same view through a minor scope.
- Magnification
Another good piece of advice when looking for a telescope you should avoid instruments that are promoted by their magnification, particularly unrealistic high powers like 600×. For the majority of resolutions, a telescope’s maximum valuable magnification is twice its aperture in millimeters.
There are numerous different telescopes out there. If you embrace the journey of looking for a good telescope to invest in, you will realize that finding the one best suited for yourself is an overwhelming process, with so many varieties of sizes, shapes, and prices.
Whatever your purpose for its use, choosing one should not be rushed. When you find the correct telescope for yourself, you will be able to enjoy the marvels of the Universe.
