Best Telescope to View Planets and Galaxies

Best Telescope to View Planets and Galaxies

Have you had a casual interest in astronomy for years, looking up at the night sky every chance you get? Or you’ve recently become interested in the wonders of the universe above. Either way, you’ve decided to take the next step and get your first telescope. There are so many to choose from, you see many that are intriguing. But at the same time, you’re baffled. So, what is the best telescope to view planets and galaxies for you that fits your needs, budget and level of interest.

Which is best for you?

What kind should you get? How much do you have to spend?

These are all important questions that you need to answer before purchasing a telescope, whether it’s your first scope or 10th. This overview will help shed some light.

Some Questions to Consider

Before you decide which type of telescope to get, you must take a hard look at your situation. Ask yourself the following questions and be honest with your answers.

What is your budget?

While you may feel some sticker shock when you look at telescope prices, the good news is that you do not need to spend a small fortune purchasing your first telescope, and you can get a charming instrument for under $300.

If your budget is higher, you can purchase a well-appointed instrument for $1,000 to $1,500. But avoid the urge to go straight to a high-tech telescope immediately. While tempting, many newbies find them daunting to set up and use.

Where will you use it?

You might think of something else, but it’s critical in deciding what kind of telescope to get. Will you be using your telescope from home, where you set it up in your yard for a night under the stars? Or do you need to drive a reasonable distance to view the sky properly? If your location of choice is hours away, then look for telescopes that are quick and easy to set up. And, for those driving to a site, double-check that it will safely fit into your car before purchasing.

Where will you store it?

It is an issue that many amateurs don’t consider. Ideally, your telescope should be easily accessible and stored in an unheated but clean location. Keeping it at the ambient outdoor temperature will speed up the optics’ acclimation to the night air. By contrast, bringing a scope into the cool night air from a heated home will cause images to blur due to heat currents in the tube before the components stabilize.

Storage will also play a significant role in the size of your chosen telescope. For instance, if you must carry it down a flight of stairs, it should be compact and light enough not to create a fall hazard.

Types of telescopes

Today’s astronomers use one of three basic telescope designs: the refractor, the reflector, and a hybrid design called the catadioptric.

Refractors are recognizable by their long, slender tubes. A significant objective lens sits in the front while the observer looks through an eyepiece at the back. Changing the eyepiece will change the telescope’s magnification.

On the other hand, Reflectors don’t have a lens up front. Instead, they use a large, concave primary mirror near the tube’s bottom to gather light from a target and bring it into focus.

Newtonian Reflector Telescopes

The most popular type of reflector among amateurs is Newtonian. Light reflects from the primary to a small, flat secondary mirror tilted at 45°. The light then bounces off the secondary and out through a hole in the side of the front of the tube and into an eyepiece.

Catadioptric Telescopes

Finally, catadioptric telescopes combine both lenses and mirrors. Light first passes through a large front lens, called the corrector plate, and on toward the primary mirror at the back of the tube. The corrector plate reduces or eliminates aberration caused by the mirrors. After bouncing off the primary, the light reflects toward a secondary mirror at the front, then back through a small hole in the middle of the primary and into an eyepiece.

 

 

Which telescope is right for you?

That depends on your answer to the earlier questions and where your interests lie.

A refractor is ideal if you crave sharp, highly detailed views of bright sky objects, such as the Moon, planets, double stars, and sparkling star clusters. They come in apertures ranging from 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 centimeters). Smaller models are perfect for anyone who prefers extreme portability — think scopes you might bring on a family camping adventure — or is looking for a quick grab-and-go instrument to run outside with on a given clear night.

If you prefer hunting for faint fuzzies such as nebulae and galaxies, then a reflector is a better choice. Dollar for dollar, reflectors offer the largest aperture for investment. These instruments range from 3 to 25 inches (7.6 to 64 cm) in size, and if you want to spend the money, you can get a larger custom-made scope.

Finally, if you want a reasonably large aperture but at the same time need portability to travel to dark skies, then a catadioptric is an excellent choice. Their apertures run between 3 and 16 inches (7.6 and 41 cm).

Mounting Concerns

The mount used to support it is just as important as the kind of telescope. A good mount must be strong enough to carry the telescope’s weight while minimizing vibrations.

Altitude-azimuth mounts move both in azimuth or left to right and in altitude, up and down. Many aim by hand, while more elaborate models feature computerized aiming and tracking systems.

A popular variation of the altitude-azimuth mount turns a Newtonian telescope into a Dobsonian telescope. Dobsonians are Newtonian reflectors situated on a mount that moves up and down in elevation and pivots in azimuth, like a lazy Susan. Most are aimed by hand, although some are tricked with computerized drive systems.

Alternatively, many telescopes come on equatorial mounts. These mounts compensate for Earth’s rotation by keeping on the rotational axis parallel to Earth’s axis of rotation. Because of this, the mount can stay fixed on a celestial object by moving one axis at a constant speed.

The two of the best telescope to view planets and galaxies among amateur astronomers are the German equatorial mount and the fork mount, and both are widely available with computerized aiming and tracking systems. Many amateurs prefer equatorial mounts, but remember that some mounts — especially the German equatorial style — can be much heavier than alt-azimuth mounts.

Here are a few suggested models that would make the best telescope to view planets and galaxies

 

 

Celestron AstroMaster 102AZ

This 4-inch (10.2 cm) refractor pairs a well-designed telescope on a simple altitude-azimuth mount. It comes with two eyepieces, a finder scope, and an erect image diagonal for both astronomical and terrestrial viewing.

• Optical Design: Refractor
• Telescope Aperture: 102mm (4.02″)
• Focal Ratio: f/6.5
• Telescope Mount Type: Alt-Azimuth
• Type of Electronics: Manual Mount – No Electronics

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Explore Scientific FirstLight 100 Maksutov-Cassegrain

Mounted on the Twilight Nano Mount, this compact 3.9-inch (10 cm) Maksutov telescope is ideal for anyone who needs to carry their telescope down a flight of stairs or is short on storage space. The scope also comes with an eyepiece and a red-dot finder.

• Optical Design: Maksutov-Cassegrain
• Telescope Aperture: 100mm (3.94″)
• Focal Ratio: f/14
• Telescope Mount Type: Alt-Azimuth
• Type of Electronics: Manual Mount – No Electronics

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Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ

This 5.1-inch (13 cm) Newtonian comes on an innovative altitude-azimuth mount. After installing the free StarSense app on your smartphone and mounting the phone in the included cradle, you use the app to help while manually aiming the telescope. It also has two eyepieces and a red-dot finder.

• Optical Design: Newtonian Reflector
• Telescope Aperture: 130mm (5.12″)
• Focal Ratio: f/5
• Telescope Mount Type: Alt-Azimuth
• Type of Electronics: Manual – Smartphone with StarSense Explorer App Assisted

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Celestron NexStar 8SE

The NexStar 8SE features the legendary Celestron 8 telescope on a one-armed, computer-controlled mount that automatically locates and tracks objects selected from the onboard database. It has a red-dot finder, a 25mm eyepiece, and a star diagonal.

• Optical Design: Schmidt-Cassegrain
• Telescope Aperture: 203mm (7.99″)
• Focal Ratio: f/10
• Telescope Mount Type: Alt-Azimuth
• Type of Electronics: Computerized GoTo

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