How do I know what kind of telescope to buy?

The key spec for any telescope is its aperture, or the diameter of its lens or mirror. The bigger the better because a bigger aperture can collect more light and distant objects appear brighter. But this comes at a price, and bigger telescopes are also much less portable.

Which telescope is best to see planets?

Five of the Best Telescopes to See Planets
  • Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ Refractor.
  • Sky-Watcher Classic 6-inch Dobsonian.
  • Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ Newtonian Reflector.
  • Celestron Omni XLT 102mm Refractor.
  • Celestron NexStar 6SE Compound.

How do I choose a telescope for my home?

The main specification you want to consider when choosing a telescope is its aperture—the diameter of its main mirror or lens. The larger the diameter, the more light the telescope collects, allowing you to see fainter objects and more detail on nearby, bright objects like the Moon.

What kind of telescope should I buy to see galaxies?

With enough magnification, you’ll easily see both the bar and the extent of the spiral arms. Visually observing detailed spiral structure, like you see in images, requires a large telescope. My preference is to use 20-inch telescopes and larger for such work.

Can I see Pluto with a telescope?

Can I See Pluto With a Telescope? Yes, you can see Pluto but you’ll need a large aperture telescope! Pluto resides at the very edges of our solar system and shines only at a faint magnitude of 14.4. … The dwarf planet is 3,670 million miles away from the Sun and looks just like another faint star in your telescope.

Is 70mm telescope good?

With a 70mm telescope, you will easily be able to see every planet in the Solar System. You will also be able to take a great look at the Moon and clearly distinguish most of its recognizable features and craters. Mars will look great. … The magnitude limit of a 70mm telescope is about 11.9.

What is better a reflector or refractor telescope?

If you are interested in astrophotography, purchasing a refractor is a better option because of it’s specialized optic design that captures deep space objects like galaxies and nebulae. If you are interested in brighter celestial objects like the Moon or planets or a beginner, a reflector telescope is ideal.

What can you see with an 8 inch Dobsonian telescope?

You will be able to see quite a bit! Open clusters and globular clusters will be great, although the fainter globs won’t look like much. Some galaxies won’t be visible due to your moderate light pollution but many will.

Is 70mm or 80mm telescope better?

But it’s enough, that things that are difficult in a 70mm are considerably easier in an 80mm. And size wise, the 70mm is smaller but not a lot smaller and I use them on the same mounts so the difference in portability is essentially zero. If one has a good 80mm ed/apo, a good 70mm doesn’t make much sense.

What can you see with a 500mm telescope?

A 500mm telescope will yield a lunar image that’s about 5mm across in a DSLR camera with a full-frame, 35mm-format sensor; a 1,500mm telescope will produce a 14mm image, and a 2,000mm telescope results in an 18mm image.

What can you see through a 90mm telescope?

A 90mm telescope will provide you with a clear view of the Saturn along with its rings, Uranus, Neptune, and Jupiter with its Great Red Spot. You can also expect to see stars with 12 stellar magnitude with a 90mm telescope.

Is a 130mm telescope good?

A 130mm telescope is more than good enough to observe every planet in the Solar system. Mars is an excellent target for these telescopes.

What can I see with a 200mm telescope?

200 mm refractors, 250 mm reflectors and catadioptric telescopes (and beyond): binary stars with angular separation of 0.5″ (under ideal conditions), faint stars (up to 15 stellar magnitude); lunar features (less than 1.5 km in diameter);

How many mm is a good telescope?

The aperture’s diameter (D) will be expressed either in millimeters or, less commonly, in inches (1 inch equals 25.4 mm). As a rule of thumb, your telescope should have at least 2.8 inches (70 mm) aperture — and preferably more.

What can I see with a 130 mm telescope?

130mm (5in) to 200mm (8in) or equivalent

b) Stars: double stars separated by about 1 arc second in good seeing, and some faint stars down to magnitude 13 or better. c) Deep Sky Objects: hundreds of star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies (with hints of spiral structure visible in some galaxies).

Is it worth buying a telescope?

Most telescopes that cost less than $150 will have low optical quality and aren’t really worth it. We suggest getting good binoculars instead. Stay away from any telescope advertised for its magnifying power. … The bigger the telescope, the more light it collects, which allows you to see fainter objects.

What can I see with a 14 inch telescope?

14 Inch Telescopes offer exceptional resolution for their size. They can resolve double stars at . 33 arcseconds and can be magnified up to 712 times the human eye. 14″ Optical tubes also make exceptional light gatherers by allowing an observer to see 16.5 magnitude stars!

What can you see with a 50mm telescope?

With a 50mm telescope, the Moon will look great and you will be able to see al the major craters and geological features. Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be visible as long as the orbits allow it. You might be able to see a bit of detail out of Mars, but the rest will mostly be shown in one single color.

What can I see with a 40x telescope?

At 40x you can use the scope for several astro viewing aspects: Clusters, Open and Globular, double stars, some nebula – M42 being the obvious. Depending on how dark your skies are some planetary nebula. And as ever in this hobby there is the moon.

What planets look like through a telescope?

In a moderate telescope Venus and Mercury will reveal their phases (a crescent shape) and Venus can even show hints of cloud details with a right filter. Neptune and Uranus will look like small, featureless, bluish or greenish disks through any telescope.

What can you see with a 20 inch Dobsonian telescope?

The massive mirror in this Dob allows much more light to be reflected into the eyepiece than a typical telescope. If you can handle all of the extra weight and transportation requirements, a giant 20″ Inch Dobsonian will offer you views of Nebulae, Galaxies and Star Clusters like you have never seen before.

How much magnification do you need to see Jupiter?

Generally a magnification of 30-50x the aperture of your telescope (in inches) works well on nights of average seeing. So if you have a 4-inch telescope, try 120x to 200x. If you have razor sharp optics and steady sky, you can get away with even more magnification.