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Unsure of what telescope will best fit your observing interests?
Lets narrow down your choices...​ Think about the objects do you intend to observe most often.
Refractor and Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes offer the best planetary views due to their high focal ratios. Quality optics are of utmost importance in a refractor for sharp images that are devoid of chromatic aberration.
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Refractor Telescopes have long, thin tubes where light passes in a straight line from the front objective lens directly to the eyepiece at the opposite end of the tube. Unlike Newtonians and Schmidt-Cassegrains, refractors do not have primary mirrors. Their distinctive feature is that they have crown glass built into their achromatic objective lenses. Refractors tend to be more expensive per inch of aperture than Newtonians and are primarily planetary telescopes. They are also excellent for lunar and binary star observing. For planetary observing, opt for refractors with high focal ratios (as opposed to Richfield Refractors which are better for deep sky -- see section on Dee Sky Observing for additional information). Explore these products for your planetary observing.
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Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescopes are similar to Schmidt-Cassegrains, except they generally have a higher range of focal ratios (f/12-f/13) and therefore are better for observing planets. Celestron Nexstar 4SE provides sharp views of planets like Jupiter and Saturn. It is easy to set up and navigate, making it ideal for beginners.
Deep sky objects tend emit less light than planets and therefore require telescopes with greater aperture and lower focal ratios to observe them.
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Richfield Refractor is an excellent choice for deep sky observing because of their wide field of view. Because of their low focal ratios, they excel at observing large sky areas, making them ideal for star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. They are generally lightweight, portable, and low-maintenance with minimal set up time. They provide crisp, diffraction-free views without central obstructions or diffraction spikes. They are quite versatile for beginners, suitable for wide-field visual astronomy and astrophotography.
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​Dobsonian Telescopes offer great value and large apertures for deep sky viewing. Celestron Starsense series provide excellent value for every inch of aperture. For more advanced features like tracking and astrophotography, consider computerized models like Nexstar 8SE or Sky-Watcher SynScan.
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When observing dim objects, such as deep sky, light gathering capacity (the size of the mirror, a.k.a. aperture) carries much importance. At the same time, planets have details which are more apparent when using a telescopes with certain focal ratios. Quality optics can be a major cost driver for a telescope system. An optimal telescope will combine best of both worlds to produce sharp views with sufficient detail at reasonable magnification power.
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Newtonian telescopes can generally provide more aperture at a lower price point. A reflector focuses light with mirrors, as opposed to refractors which use lenses. Incoming light is reflected off a concave "primary" mirror at the base of the optical tube up to a smaller, flat "secondary" mirror near the front end. The light is deflected out of the optical tube into the eyepiece. It is a less expensive choice for viewing faint deep sky objects, such as remote galaxies, nebulae and star clusters due to their focal ratios (f/4 to f/8) but also produce acceptable views of planetary objects. Celestron has a number of models with Newtonian design, including Starsense and Nextar 130 SLT.
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Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes are another class of telescopes versatile enough for viewing both planets and deep sky. Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes feature a short optical tube because the light path is "folded" inside. Light enters through a "corrector" lens at the front of the telescope and is reflected off the primary mirror to an adjustable, magnifying secondary mirror on the inside of the corrector plate. The light beam is then directed out the back of the tube to the eyepiece.
This telescope class combines the optical advantages of both lenses and mirrors. The compact design and versatility of the Schmidt-Cassegrain has made it a popular telescope type among amateur astronomers. Celestron Nexstar Evolution, CPC, CGEM, SE and Advanced VX series include a variety of Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes. Alternately, Maksutov-Cassegrain is a variation of Schmidt-Cassegrain with a higher focal ratio (f/13-f/15). See Planets section for additional information on Maksutov-Cassegrain.
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Binoculars
A good pair of binoculars can take you from ship watching to deep sky observing. It is important to remember that, as magnification power increases, so does the image instability. To get the most out of your binocular purchase, prioritize optical performance and match the binoculars to your intended use (e.g., birdwatching, astronomy, marine).
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Larger lenses gather more light, improving image clarity. Lens size affects detail, color resolution, and low-light performance. Look for lenses around 42mm to 50mm.
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Optical quality affects glare and light transmission. Choose multi-coated or fully multi-coated lenses. Consider lens glass type and coatings.
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Binoculars come in two prism types: Roof or Porro
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Consider the importance of water resistance and durability
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Consider eye relief for eyeglass wearers (15mm or longer recommended)
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Spotting Telescopes
​When choosing a spotting scope, consider the following key features:
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Aperture (Objective Lens Size): Larger apertures (80mm or more) gather more light, providing brighter and sharper images, especially in low light.
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Magnification: Common ranges are 15x-50x or 20x-60x. Higher magnification is ideal for long distances but may reduce brightness.
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Lens Quality: ED/HD lenses minimize chromatic aberration, and fully multi-coated lenses improve light transmission and clarity.
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Eyepiece Design: Angled eyepieces offer comfort for prolonged use; straight eyepieces are better for direct-line viewing.
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Durability: Look for water-resistant, fog-proof designs with scratch-resistant coatings for rugged use.
Any type of telescope can be used for astrophotography as long as it has a solid mount and a clock drive. Astrophotography, though can be rather challenging, but many astronomers become motivated to try themselves at this skillful art. A great picture makes any effort worthwhile. A number of accessories is required for successful astrophotography. However, it does not have to be a very expensive hobby as you can purchase them one at a time while familiarizing yourself with the sky and your telescope. The following are just a few suggested accessories for astrophotography. Contact us for advice on appropriate accessories for your telescope.
Camera and Tripod
You will need a camera with the ability to take time exposures and a sturdy tripod on which to mount it. You can achieve nice wide-field shots of constellations and Milky Way star clouds if you are using high-speed film ( ISO 400 or higher) and exposures up to 30 seconds. If you would like to capture star "trails', longer exposures will be needed.
Piggyback
With an Equatorial mount, equipped with a motor drive, you can "piggyback" the camera on the optical tube of the telescope and the motor drive "tracks" the motion of the sky.
Prime Focus
If you couple up your camera body with the telescope in place of the eyepiece, you can get close-up shots of deep sky objects, like the ones you see in the magazines. This type of an arrangement is known as "prime focus". The telescope is now acting as the giant telephoto lens. During the exposure, as you make slight adjustments in the right ascension and declination, you carefully follow a reference star in an off-axis guider or guide scope.
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Eyepiece Projection
When capturing close-up images of the Moon and planets, you will need even more power than that provided by the prime focus. Using eyepiece projection, you use a telescope and an eyepiece to project and image onto the film.
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Camera Adapters
To attach 35 mm SLR camera securely to the telescope, you need the proper adapters. Piggyback Camera Adapters: The adapter attaches to the telescope's optical tube, allowing you to take advantage of the telescope's equatorial mount and clock drive.
T-Rings
Can be used for both prime-focus and eyepiece projection photography since they convert the lens mount on a camera body to a standard T-thread.
T-Adapters
This type of adapter is generally used for prime-focus photography with Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes. During photography, the adapters replace the visual backs on these telescopes. At the other end of the adapter is a T-thread, which allows attachment of a camera body with a T-ring.
Universal Camera Adapters: Used for reflecting or refracting telescopes. At the telescope end, these adapters slide into the focuser like an eyepiece. At the camera end, they thread into a T-ring on the camera.
Tele-Extenders
These adapters are necessary accessories for eyepiece-projection photography with Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes. The telescope end of the adapter threads over the visual back of the telescope with the eyepiece installed, and the camera end couples to the T-ring on your camera. The tele-extenders allow higher-magnification projections than those possible with a regular T-adapter.
CCD Imaging
CCD imaging is taking a digital picture of an object using a CCD camera and projecting it onto a computer monitor. Meade CCD imagers and accessories are helping astronomers around the world capture spectacular images of celestial objects.
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Filtering for Planets and Deep Sky Objects
The most popular filters can be classified into four categories: color filters, moon filters, solar filters and nebula filters. Color filters allow you to resolve different details on planets, reduce glare, increase contrast through selective filtration, and lesson eye fatigue. Moon filters cut down on the glare of the moon and preserve the night vision of the observer. Solar filters allow viewing the sun safely. Nebula filters allow higher details and better views of various nebula by increasing the contrast between the nebula and background sky.
Mercury
# 25 Red will make the planet's disk stand out against the blue sky in the twilight or daytime. After the sunset, it is best to use #21 Orange with high magnification to see the planet's phases.
Venus
Because of Venus' excessive brightness, the twinkling makes it difficult to observing its changing phases. A #47 Violet filter or stacked # 58 Green and #80 A Medium Blue filters help reduce the twinkling.
Mars
# 25 Red and # 21 Orange help enhance the detail, and #15 Deep Yellow or # 80A Medium Blue expose the polar caps while # 58 Green help examine the melt lines.
Saturn
# 15 Deep Yellow improves globular details. # 25, #12, #58, #80A help produce images of the rings of different brightness. When photographing Saturn, it is good to use #15 filter.
Jupiter
#12 Yellow, # 80A, #58 and #25 Red are great for revealing the cloud bands and Red Spot.
Moon
Besides a lunar filter, try using #80A Medium Blue and # 15 to enhance the contrast of shades in the craters.
Nebulae
LP-3 (Oxygen III)-Great all around nebula filter. Gives excellent images of many nebula ranging for the Orion Nebula to the Veil nebula.
LP-4 (H-Beta) -Primarily used for the Horse Head Nebula