Learning Resources EI-5129P GeoSafari Jr My First Telescope Pink, Toy Telescope for Kids, STEM Toy, Ages 4+

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As we look at the question “What type of telescope should I buy?”, we can say from the outset that the best telescope is one that is practical and comfortable to use regularly, and that provides exciting views of the night sky. Reflecting telescopes have an open tube at the front and a round mirror inside the bottom of the tube, called the primary mirror. Again, prices are wildly variable. Generally speaking, however, the larger the telescope and the more sophisticated its machinery, the more expensive it will be. Caveat emptor. Find exclusive astronomy prints and unique gifts for astronomy lovers. Our range of telescopes, gadgets and homewares are inspired by our Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. Shop for astronomy guides, space reference books and our Royal Observatory Greenwich FirstScope 76 Celestron Telescope.

When sky conditions allow, details can be seen within the coloured bands of Jupiter and various colour bands on Saturn, along with the Cassini and other divisions of Saturn’s glorious ring system, not to mention polar caps and features on Mars. Telescopes mounted in this way are known as Dobsonians and, compared penny for penny, offer the most cost-effective and rewarding views of the deep sky. The Explore Scientific 16-inch Dobsonian GENERATION II. Note the rotating based and half-circle pivots that allow the telescope to be pointed up or down.This fantastic piece of scientific equipment is perfect for young astronauts learning to use a telescope for the first time. It is designed to be easy to use, focus and adjust – ensuring that children aged 8+ can explore the night skies without fuss. We observed Jupiter and found the planet snapped into focus and we could see belt and spot features. We view the Hercules Globular Cluster and the famous double binary Epsilon Lyrae. We also observed the Ring Nebula and found all of these targets looked amazing. Read our guide to the best beginner telescopes, or if portability is your thing, find out which models made our list of the best travel telescopes. And we've also put together a list of the best telescopes for kids. Refractors The Altair Starwave ASCENT 102ED F7 refractor telescope: easy to use and with a lightweight frame. Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine.

There is no doubt that a decent refractor, on a sturdy mount or tripod, can provide a thrilling stargazing experience, and whet the appetite for further sessions for many years. Reflectors Newtonians are among the most common reflectors used by amateur astronomers. This is the Orion 6-inch f/4 Newtonian astrograph. Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine This design allows for much larger apertures than are possible with refractors, and amateur reflectors are available right up to a whopping 500mm diameter. The final type of telescope design involves mirrors with a hole in the middle. We call telescopes of this type Cassegrains. As the outstanding balance, plus the interest now form part of your payable balance they will attract interest Of course, other deep-sky objects may be viewed, with larger aperture Schmidt-Cassegrains providing the most satisfying experience.

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Cassegrain designs give a comparatively more magnified view for a given size of eyepiece, and for those wishing to experience the best views of the planets and our Moon, a Maksutov-Cassegrain or a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope may well be the best option. Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 6-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain Refracting telescopes available to the amateur today therefore tend to be available in apertures between 60 – 150mm.

Indeed, one of the great things about this scope is that you can set it up and get observing within minutes. This also helps take advantage of breaks in the clouds. But once you do, oh, the things you’ll see, the joy you’ll experience! You’ll have given the greatest gift there is: the entire cosmos. These telescopes may need a little tweaking from time to time, to make sure the mirrors are lined up properly. There is a wide variety of telescope available on the market, and it pays to do research before buying. Our guide below provides a look at three different types at either end of the price spectrum. 2 refractors for beginners Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ refractor Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ refractor review The quality of the optics in the telescope, determined predominantly by their cost, will have a significant bearing on the quality of the views, and the cheap refractors that tend to be popular at electrical goods and camera shops are often disappointing.The 2,700mm focal length of the Sky-Watcher SkyMax 180 Pro Maksutov-Cassegrain folds into a tube just 500mm long. This long focal length makes it great for planetary and lunar viewing, but it is also good for observing many deep-sky objects, too. We enjoyed views of the Pleiades, the Perseus Double Cluster, the Dumbbell Nebula, the Ring Nebula and the galaxy pair of M81 and M82 in Ursa Major, among others. The Hercules Globular Cluster showed swarms of stars and the dark ‘propeller’ feature. On other nights we achieved similar results, with the scope’s high-contrast optics producing great views of deep-sky objects and making the Moon in particular quite mesmerising.