
Most entry-level and mid-range telescopes come with a bundled mount, but the quality varies enormously. Move up to a 130mm or 150mm mirror and the differences only grow. If you’ve got a choice between a refractor with an 80mm objective lens and a reflector with a 114mm mirror, the reflector will – in most cases – give you better views of a wider range of celestial stuff. This is the big advantage of reflector telescopes: it’s much easier and cheaper to make a bigger mirror than a bigger lens. The larger the aperture of the primary lens or mirror, the more light the telescope can harvest, and the more objects and detail you’ll be able to see. One crucial factor when choosing a telescope is aperture size. Why is aperture size so important when choosing a telescope? You might be better off starting with a good mid-range scope with a GoTo mount and upgrading later once you’ve exhausted its potential. You can find beginner-level telescopes for over £1,000, but you need to think long and hard about whether it’s worth the investment. That should be enough to stoke interest in astronomy and make the effort feel incredibly worthwhile. You won’t get amazing close-up views of Jupiter or Saturn, but you’ll still get a good look at the planets and brighter celestial objects. If you shop carefully, do your research and are realistic in your aspirations, you can pick up a starter telescope for around £100. The design is easy and cheap to manufacture, even with a larger aperture mirror, so Dobsonian reflectors tend to give you a lot of telescope for your money.ĭo I need to spend a lot on a good telescope?


A refractor uses one or more lenses to do the same job. A reflector telescope uses a large parabolic mirror to harvest and reflect the incoming light to another mirror, which in turn reflects that light into the eyepiece.

Telescopes come in two basic types: reflectors and refractors.
BEST TELESCOPE FOR VIEWING PLANETS AND GALAXIES AMAZON HOW TO
How to choose the best telescope for you What types of telescope are there?
