Looking for Telescope recomendations

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Zal

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#295685 14-Apr-2022 15:36

So, keen to see the planets, would love to see saturn's rings and even Neptune if that is even possible.

I'm a total noob in this field. Any recommendations sub 2k? Sweet spot of $1200 be nice

Chur

plas

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#2902429 14-Apr-2022 15:45

I bought a Celestron StarSense Explorer a year ago, I liked the idea of the phone integration to help with starting out.

But I decided it needed to be collimated which turned into a massive frustration and its not been used since. Seems so simple to do when reading guides but practically I couldn't get it to work.

neb

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#2902481 14-Apr-2022 19:08

and even Neptune if that is even possible.

Not sure if you'll be able to see them from the southern hemisphere.

Zal

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#2902507 14-Apr-2022 22:17

neb:
and even Neptune if that is even possible.
Not sure if you'll be able to see them from the southern hemisphere.

Your link takes me to ukrinform.net

Some quick google says yes its possible: https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/when-planets-align-%E2%80%98fascinating-run-events%E2%80%99-observe

jonathan18

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#2902552 15-Apr-2022 07:19

Have you done some background reading into what type of telescope you're wanting?

There are benefits of certain types and also compromises that come with your choice that need to be thought through - like, how large can it be? Does it need to be fully portable? Are you ok with working with an upsidedown image? I suggest you check out some guides to types/choosing a telescope, eg https://astrobackyard.com/types-of-telescopes/

I'm no expert at all, but did look into this a few years back when I was looking for a telescope for my son; we ended up with an 8" Dobsonian. Even with something that size I've been somewhat disappointed in its performance, but I'll readily accept that could be primarily down to user error! You've got a much larger budget so I hope you'll have better luck finding something that works for you, but it's still worth moderating your expectations as to what you can see etc. (Eg, yes, we've seen Saturn's rings but not in amazing detail!)

Anyway, this is the thread I started back in 2018, which may be helpful:

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=48&topicid=237803

Interslice

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#2902652 15-Apr-2022 13:50

With that budget and if it's your first Telescope I would say go for an 8 inch or 10 inch Dobsonian. Don't get something with a Equatorial mount, I did and they are pretty frustrating to use or even set up correctly. Dobsonian is the way to go in my opinion. I'm going to be making a DIY dob mount for my Telescope sometime.

neb

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#2902664 15-Apr-2022 14:34

Another option, if you're a bit unsure how seriously you want to get into this, is to put some of the money towards a visit to Mt. John, and then decide after that.

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michelangelonz

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#2902765 15-Apr-2022 19:53

Dobsoian it a good choice to get started. Also consider good pair of binoculars for general star gazing.

Varkk

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#2903185 17-Apr-2022 11:40

It used to be to get easy tracking for long exposures you had to go with an equatorial mount. But with advances in microcontrollers etc now the new computerised dobsonians apparently do a great job.

Zal

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#2903198 17-Apr-2022 12:42

jonathan18:

Have you done some background reading into what type of telescope you're wanting?

There are benefits of certain types and also compromises that come with your choice that need to be thought through - like, how large can it be? Does it need to be fully portable? Are you ok with working with an upsidedown image? I suggest you check out some guides to types/choosing a telescope, eg https://astrobackyard.com/types-of-telescopes/

I'm no expert at all, but did look into this a few years back when I was looking for a telescope for my son; we ended up with an 8" Dobsonian. Even with something that size I've been somewhat disappointed in its performance, but I'll readily accept that could be primarily down to user error! You've got a much larger budget so I hope you'll have better luck finding something that works for you, but it's still worth moderating your expectations as to what you can see etc. (Eg, yes, we've seen Saturn's rings but not in amazing detail!)

Anyway, this is the thread I started back in 2018, which may be helpful:

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=48&topicid=237803

This is really helpful thanks, I really have no clue and upside down doesn't sound fun.

jonathan18

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#2903230 17-Apr-2022 15:52

Zal:

This is really helpful thanks, I really have no clue and upside down doesn't sound fun.

I don’t want to scare you off a Dobsonian solely for this reason; I raised it more as an example of the kinds of details that are better to know before you buy.

As you’ll have noted from feedback from others on this thread, Dobsonians are often recommended for astronomical viewing (one of the main reasons being you’ll get more aperture in terms of bang for buck than any other type - and this helps massively with light gathering, which is more important than raw magnification); while the upside down image would make them farcical for terrestrial use, it’s something that one gets used to for looking at space - and, in the end, in this context it really doesn’t matter if what you’re looking at is upside down!

Anyway, have a read through a few guides or watch some videos on YT - at least then any decision you make is based on understanding the basics; eg:

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-equipment/choosing-astronomy-equipment/telescopes/types-of-telescopes/

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bBtGgy_2wfs

nitro

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#2903246 17-Apr-2022 18:15

That's a good budget to start with. It's good to start with something decent or you'll get frustrated. An 8-inch Dobsonian gives you decent aperture, then you can add some usable eyepieces. The wider the viewing angle the better, of course, but they go up steeply in price.

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1101

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#2904410 20-Apr-2022 14:24

My experience

planets : you see just a fuzzy very small image . You will be able to see Saturns rings , you wont see color
Ask yourself : After the initial phase of looking at a small fuzzy blob of a planet , what then .

Planet gazing : You'll never see anything approaching the photos & images youve seen on the internet , in books etc
Showing your friends the planets , they will be disappointed .

Also consider : where are you planning to use it ?
how portable does it need to be ?