Best Telescope For Amateurs 2024; Reviews

Dobsonian mounts are a special version of the altazimuth mount made for beginners. These mounts are grounded by heavy platforms and designed for large Newtonian reflector telescopes.

They are light, affordable, and great for any beginner or junior astronomer.

3. German Equatorial Mounts

Equatorial mounts (EQ) are made to watch the entire night sky and are very popular in astrophotography. They are easy to adjust on the fly and can be powered either manually or electronically.

The German version uses counterweights to properly balance the telescope on what is known as the polar axis. Aiming this axis towards Polaris aligns the entire mount with Earth’s rotation.

4. Fork Equatorial Mounts

Telescopes with shorter tubes tend to use fork mounts. These equatorial mounts balance telescopes at their center of mass and therefore do not need counterweights. The telescopes are mounted on two arms connected to a motor.

More hybrid than true equatorials, you can switch these mounts between AZ and EQ modes as needed.  This makes them the most versatile but also heavier and less portable than any other mount.

5. Go-To Mounts

It’s basically a computer that will move the telescope to a location based on the axis of the body you want to see. There are normally hand controls that will move the mount smoothly and easily without much effort on the part of the user.

Telescope Tube

The telescope tube has the main mirror. Normally, the telescope tube has 8 inches diameter and it has a tube cover.

The telescope tube enhances the setting of the focal length through controlling the knob which is usually below the visual back. Therefore, the telescope tube makes an important part of the telescope functionality.

Other features

Besides all the above features, there are many other ones you can check to make sure you buy an ideal telescope for beginners which is going to meet your needs. 

Refer to the section about Mounts, Eyepieces and Finderscope of this article before making a final purchasing decision.

Another factor to consider is the weight and the dimensions of the telescope.

Also, the included accessories which accompany the telescope should be checked – whether it has a tripod,  a Barlow lens, a carrying bag, etc. Most of these accessories are generally included in telescopes under $500 and above.

Tripod

The tripod is made of at least three stands. It holds and retains the telescope on its surface. The tripod is made in a way that it can support the telescope in slanted, straight, or inverted positions. At the same time, an observer can easily move the telescope to different directions with ease.

Types Of Telescopes

Telescopes come in all shapes, sizes, and functions. There is a telescope type for each and every band of electromagnetic radiation from gamma rays to light to radio. However, the optical types are all you need. Optical telescopes may only work for visible light, but will let you see just about everything nature has to offer. There are three types of optical telescopes on the market and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

1. Refractor Telescope

Refractor telescopes are the original, earliest type of telescopes. Basically, a long tube with a large lens in front and an eyepiece at the back. 

The front lens (the objective) focuses light to form an image in the back. The eyepiece is a little magnifying glass with which you look at the image.

High-quality refractors are often sought out by lunar and planetary observers who value their crisp, high-contrast images that can take high magnification. 

In fact, when well made a refractor can provide the finest images attainable with a given aperture.

Another advantage of the refractor is that it’s generally more rugged than other types of scopes, because it’s lenses are less likely to come out of alignment. 

For this reason refractors are well suited to those who wish to have a portable telescope or who have no desire to tinker with the optics.

2. Reflector Telescope

The reflector telescope uses a mirror to gather and focus light. Its most common form is the Newtonian reflector (invented by Isaac Newton), with a specially curved concave (dish-shaped) primary mirror in the bottom end of the telescope. 

Near the top a small, diagonal secondary mirror directs the light from the primary to the side of the tube, where it’s met by a conveniently placed eyepiece.

If you want the most aperture for your money, the reflector is the scope for you. 

When well made and maintained, a reflector can provide sharp, contrasty images of all manner of celestial objects at a small fraction of the cost of an equal-aperture refractor.

There is another benefit – A reflector is, by and large, the only type of telescope that shows you a “correct-reading” image rather than a mirror image. 

This is especially important when you’re trying to compare what you see in the eyepiece to what’s on a star map.

3. Compound Telescope

The third kind are the catadioptric or compound telescope.They employ both lenses and mirrors to form an image. 

The greatest appeal of these instruments is that, in their commonly encountered forms (the Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov-Cassegrain), they are very compact. 

Their tubes are just two to three times as long as wide, an arrangement allowed by “optical folding” of the light. The smaller tube can use a lighter and thus more manageable mounting. 

The upshot is that you can obtain a large-aperture, long-focus telescope that’s very transportable.

Like the Newtonian, the Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope needs occasional optical collimation that lessens its appeal to those who are not too keen to tinker with the mechanics of a telescope. 

Their fields of view can be rather narrow, too. In terms of cost the catadioptric lies midway between the reflector and the refractor.

Words Of Advice For Amateur Astronomers

Amateur Astronomy can be fun, educational, and very interesting. However, being a backyard stargazer is not all fun and games. 

There are a few things you should keep in mind if you want to be a successful amateur astronomer. Here we have gathered a few practical tips that you can put to good use if you want to start getting more familiar with the night sky.

Invest in Books, Not a Telescope, First

Telescopes are expensive. Buy a stargazing book or two, first. After a few months, gauge your own interest. For some people it will still be there. For others, not so much.

Learn your way around a telescope

When you finally start setting up your telescope, take whatever time is needed to learn its use and operation. Be sure that you have assembled everything with great care. 

In the beginning, practice how to aim and focus your new instrument on daytime terrestrial objects. Not only are they bright and easy to see, but unlike night sky objects, they will not drift out of your field of view due to Earth’s rotation.

Find a right spot for stargazing

You should look for a place where you can get a good view of the night sky. Avoid light pollution, if possible. For some living in the big city this might mean finding a spot outside of town. Those living in the countryside might want to look for a place free of trees that will obscure your view.

Move your telescope in the shadows

Try to find a spot in your backyard that is in shadow to improve the contrast of objects.

Some astronomers have even had success building their own shielding to block out local streetlights.

Buy red tinted glasses to speed up dark adaptation

You will always see more through your scope once your eyes have adapted to the darkness.

Your eyes can take 20 – 40 minutes to adapt fully. 

You can also buy orange tinted glasses for the same effect. They also work as blue light blockers which are said to prevent the delay of melatonin build up before sleep.

Wearing them for a short time indoors before you step outside will start the activation of the ‘night vision’ receptors in your eyes.

Set your telescope up away from concrete if possible

Concrete radiates heat stored up over the day, causing air disturbance around you, which means poorer seeing conditions. This is particularly apparent on a hot day.

If you can, avoid pointing your telescope over the roofs of houses. Houses radiate heat if not well insulated.

Ideally, you want to point your telescope over grass, which uses up the Sun’s energy in the day through photosynthesis and does not radiate the heat back out at night.

Join an amateur astronomy club

Join a local astronomy club. You can probably locate the one nearest to you by consulting the website of the Astronomical League (AL), by far the largest national organization of amateur astronomers (http://www.astroleague.com). 

The AL is composed of scores of local amateur astronomical clubs and groups, totaling thousands of individuals.

By attending local club meetings, you’ll get to meet any number of fellow sky gazers who can offer you valuable advice. 

If you own a telescope, but are experiencing problems with it, there is no better place to go than an astronomy club whose members can offer assistance and helpful suggestions. 

Which are the best nights for stargazing?

Those cold winter nights that leave us shivering might be less pleasant than a warm summer’s night, but winter nights tend to have less humidity in the air, which reduces haze and makes for great ‘seeing’.

So depending on where you are in the world, if you intend to spend the requisite nighttime hours to get a grasp on what is above you, be prepared with warm clothes, snacks, and a firm resolve. We suggest investing in a red flashlight or a headlamp with that function so as not to affect your hard-earned night vision or that of your viewing partners.