How to Buy a Telescope
The best telescope is not the most expensive or the biggest - it's the one you'll use most.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Sky Charts
- Measuring Tapes
- Notebooks
- Pens And Pencils
- Telescope Carrying Cases
- Telescope Dew Caps
- Telescope Eyepieces
- Telescope Filters
- Telescope Focal Reducers
- Telescope Tripods
- Telescopes
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1
Read astronomy magazines such as "Sky and Telescope." This is one of the best places to get an expert opinion on the type of telescope you should buy.
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2
Measure the area where you plan to place the telescope.
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3
Purchase a telescope you can transport and assemble with minimum difficulty.
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4
Determine a telescope mounting that meets your needs. The less money you spend on the mounting, the more money you can spend on optics.
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5
Ask yourself if astronomy will be a lifelong pursuit or just a passing hobby. This is particularly important if you're buying a telescope for kids.
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6
Determine what you want the telescope for. Ask yourself if you want to view the planets in this solar system or do deep sky viewing.
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7
Research the size of the aperture you need, which will determine how much light the telescope can gather and the clarity of the image.
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8
Find out whether the telescope dealership will collimate, or align, the telescope's internal optics. Chances are you'll still have to do some collimating once you have the telescope home and set up.
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9
Determine how much money you want to spend, as this will have a large impact on the quality of the telescope you buy. Spend as much money as you can, or consider buying a used telescope.
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10
Find out from the dealership whether your telescope is under warranty and for how long. You may want to purchase insurance if you intend to travel with your telescope.
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1
Tips & Warnings
There are three types of telescopes: refractors, reflectors and a combination of the two. See Related eHows for specifics on the different types of telescopes.
