Telescope Kit & Accessories for Beginners

Posted by E. Gazelle on February 10, 2009

To truly enjoy the night sky, we encourage all beginner stargazers and sky watchers to invest in at least a basic set of telescope kit and a good pair of binoculars.

Your starter telescope, preferably one which is light enough to carry and easy to assemble, allows you to adopt an active and hands-on approach in the learning and understanding of the Universe.  It brings right before your eyes the beauty of the outer space, thousands of light years away.  Which beginner does not remember the first time he or she looked through a telescope and were amazed by the moon’s craters and mountains, Jupiter’s Big Red Spot and its moons, Saturn’s rings, Venus’ phases and all the distant shimmering star clusters?

To fully enjoy your new hobby, a good knowledge of the seasonal night sky and your ability in handling your telescope are equally important. Therefore, it is vital that you are fully acquainted with the workings of your telescope.

Whether you are a serious beginner sky watcher or an occasional observer (like when a comet flies by), with a reasonable beginner astronomy telescope, you can have hours of fun identifying, searching and peering at planets, galaxies, star clusters, nebulae and of course, our very own moon.

1. Types of Telescopes

Technically speaking, astronomy telescopes can be broadly categorized into 3 types according to their designs:- Galilean Refractor telescopes, Newtonian Reflector telescopes and Catadioptric telescopes. However, as users, we prefer to categorize them into 5 main categories in terms of usage:- Refractors, Reflectors, Cassegrain, Dobsonian and the Computerized “Go-To”.

All astronomy telescopes have the same objective which is to collect light from distant celestial bodies and then bring it to a point of focus so that it can be magnified and examined with an eyepiece. Manufacturing quality issues aside, refractor telescopes give better resolution of the objects being viewed compared to Newtonian reflector telescopes that uses mirrors. However, the high construction costs of larger refractor telescopes make them beyond the reach of most of beginner amateur astronomers. Smaller refractors which are still within the budget of most beginners are commonly used for observing near-Earth celestial objects. Larger Newtonian reflector telescopes which are much cheaper than refractor telescopes of the same size, are preferred for deep-sky observation. Any wonder then why experienced and serious astronomers own at least one of each type of telescopes? Each have their own virtues and merits.

2. Magnification of Starter Telescopes

Magnification is not the most important aspect in astronomy telescopes. When an object is magnified, all atmospheric disturbances and planetary movements will likewise be magnified! Since our Earth is rotating and revolving all the time, with high magnification, any objects will only be in focus for a split second and you’ll have to continually re-focus it. There won’t be much time to take a good look, let alone study it in detail. In a nutshell, clarity is the most important quality in any astronomy telescope. So it makes sense to go for good optics and lenses. Most importantly, your first telescope should be one that uses eyepieces that can be used on other telescopes that you’ll be adding to your astronomy arsenal as time goes by.

3. Stargazing Objectives

For observational astronomy beginners, instead of asking “Which telescope is best for me?”, you should be asking “Which starter telescope is best for observing the planets/moon/deep-sky objects from my home in the city/suburb?” In other words, be clear of what you want to observe and from where. Most beginners start out as backyard astronomers peeking at the moon craters and major planets. To fast-track your learning curve, you may wish to join your local amateur astronomy clubs to learn a thing or two from the more experienced members. As for the price of your first telescope, try to keep it within your “affordable” range so that you will be more “adventurous” with your new starter telescope. Save the rest of your budget on books, star charts, red flashlight and software. In order to know which telescope to buy for a beginner, decide what you would like to do with the telescope:-

• To learn to locate objects manually?
• Study the planets or the moon?
• Scan for deep sky objects?
• Study solar surface activities?

Bear in mind that what works for someone else does not necessarily apply for you. Here are more helpful tips on your first telescope:-

• A Galilean Refractor telescope – to observe the Solar System and some brighter deep-sky objects.
• A Newtonian Reflector telescope – to peek deeper into space.
• A large aperture Dobsonian telescope – for deep sky observation.

4. Stargazing for Beginners

a. Start by viewing your very first celestial object with your OWN eyes. Learn to identify a few constellations and a few major planets with your naked eyes. If you can’t pick out M42 or Jupiter with your naked eyes, how will you find them through a telescope with its narrower field of view? A good pair of binoculars is perfect for scanning the sky. With your naked eyes, you are able to see objects with a brightness of up to 6 magnitude. However, with a pair of 9×50 mm binoculars, you increase your range to include dimmer objects with a magnitude of as low as 12.

b. Join your local astronomy club and attend their observing sessions. Get a feel and look of what’s being done. You may map out your “learning curve” and “acquisition plan”. Learn about the ease of use of entry-level starter telescopes, the spectacular views through a good refractor or Newtonian, or that hunk of a Dobsonian is in fact quite a handful. And one day, you might even be ready to consider a Schmidt-Cassegrain ….

Here’s one more piece of good advice…

“Astronomy teaches patience and humility — and you’d better be prepared to learn them. There’s nothing you can do about the clouds blocking your view, the extreme distance and faintness of the objects you desire most, or the timing of the long-anticipated event for which you got all set up one minute late. The universe will not bend to your wishes; you must take it on its own terms.” ~ Alan MacRobert