A Beginner's Guide to Telescopes

For a backyard astronomer you have many options on what type of telescope to use in your endeavor. With all types of pricing, you may decide to go cheap on your first telescope, which is not advised. A cheap telescope may hinder you enjoyment of star gazing. Telescopes come in a wide variety of prices, starting with the cheap knockoffs, to the professional models that may cost thousands of dollars. If you are a beginner, you may first want to do some research to find the right starter telescope that fits your needs and budget, you should be able to find a decent starter telescope for just a few hundred dollars.
The telescopes we are going to concentrate on are Reflector, Refractor, and the Schmidt-Cassegrain class. Descriptions of each follow below.
Refractor Telescopes
The first telescope a beginner may think of are reflectors. That is the style that we are most accustomed to seeing, and cheap ones can be found plentiful in department and discount stores. But with a quality refractor telescope, This is where the comparison ends. A refractor telescope is usually a long, thin tube, mounted on a tripod. Because of this design, Refractor telescopes are portable and easy to move, and are simple to use. Refractor telescope are generally used for viewing the moon, sun, and planets.
The aperture of a refractor telescope is an important consideration for optimum viewing. This is the light gathering lens diameter. Generally, you would want have an aperture of 70mm, but you may prefer a larger diameter for a larger view.
Reflector Telescopes
If you are interested in viewing far away galaxies, distant star clusters or nebula, theReflector Telescopeis the one for you. Reflectorsuse mirrors in the base of large tubes for gathering light. An addition of a mount, or Dobsonian moves up and down to adjust for altitude, and it also pivots, a very easy design to use.
6" and 8" are popular sizes, but larger sizes are available. Price per inch, reflector telescopes are an inexpensive option for viewing deep sky objects.
Schmidt-Cassegrain
A telescope that brings together the technologies of both reflector and refractor telescopes is called a Schmidt-Cassegraintelescope.
These are the telescopes that you would use in astrophotography. A camera can be easily mounted to the eyepiece allowing breathtaking shots of the cosmos. Use of a computer and software allows you to program objects and coordinates for easy viewing. The Schmidt-Cassegrain pricing is about midway between refractor and reflector.
Angelo Valenti
This guide is designed to help the beginner astronomer make the right decision on what type of telescope may serve there needs. We make no claims to the superiority of any brand of telescope. For more information, telescopes and accessories, please visit http://telescopefanatic.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angelo_Valenti