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- What telescope should I buy for myself or my child?
See our section entitled “Which Telescope Should You Buy?” -
I saw a 600-power telescope at a local department store. Is that a good deal?
No. The typical “department store” telescope is a small (60mm) refractor with plastic optics, terrible, dim eyepieces, and a wobbly mount. These things frustrate budding amateur astronomers and can turn them off of astronomy really quick. The three most important things in any great, easy-to-use telescope are: high quality optics, a rock-stable mount, and sufficient aperture (mirror or lens diameter) to see interesting objects. The typical department-store telescope has none of these things. -
How much do I have to spend on a beginner’s telescope to have a really usable instrument?
About $300 to $500 (for a 6-inch f/8 Newtonian on a Dobsonian mount). If you are only willing to spend $100, do not buy a cheap telescope. Get yourself a nice pair of 10X50 binoculars instead. -
Can I build my own telescope?
Yes. See our section entitled “Read This Before You Buy a Telescope” for more information. If you have any mechanical ability, you can do it. It will take a good deal of planning and time, and you won’t save any money…but you’ll have a better instrument. -
Do I need a telescope to see things in the sky?
No. From a dark sky, you can see many things such as planets, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Milky Way, some star clusters such as the Pleiades, the Lagoon Nebula, and meteors. With binoculars, you can see many more objects. And once a month, you can go to our star parties at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and look through other people’s telescopes! -
After the moon and bright planets, I can’t find anything else in my telescope. Why?
You need to know where to look for things and be able to point your telescope there. A star chart or map will help you pinpoint the specific area in the sky you need. A zero power finder such as a Telrad or Rigel will help you point your scope to that exact spot. A low power eyepiece will give you a bigger field of view for easier locating. -
What is the “best” telescope?
The “best” telescope is the one you will use the most. There is no “best” design…only trade-offs. One of our members will be glad to discuss these trade-offs with you. The best way to decide is to come to a star party and look through different types of telescopes and talk to their owners about them. -
I am putting up a security light. Will that hurt my views of the sky?
Yes. The single worst thing to happen to amateur astronomy is the increasing use of the unshielded 175-watt dusk-to-dawn mercury vapor “security light” in rural areas. These blazing lights send a great deal of their output either sideways or up. This is a big waste, and it ruins the nighttime sky. If you must install a security light, please choose a shielded “shoebox” design where the light shines in a downward cone, but not sideways or up. In addition, install a motion sensor so it only turns on when needed. We have been on rural farms where the owner could not even turn the light off! Make sure you have a switch for this. For more information, go to the International Dark Sky Association’s website at www.darksky.org. -
What is the best eyepiece for my telescope?
No one eyepiece can do everything. Several are needed. You should have an eyepiece that gives the largest field of view your focuser diameter can provide. With a 1.25-inch focuser, a 32mm Plossl eyepiece from Meade, Celestron, Orion, or Televue is a great choice. A medium power eyepiece in the 12 mm to 18 mm range is also good. Finally, a high power eyepiece of 6 mm to 10 mm is needed for planetary views. For a 0.965-inch diameter focuser, a 25 mm eyepiece will provide the biggest field. With a 2-inch focuser, the choices are more complex. Generally, these big focusers are on the more expensive telescopes. The best way to find out what’s best for you is to come to a star party and talk to telescope owners about what eyepieces work best for various types of telescopes. -
Can I take photographs of things in the sky?
Yes. The simplest way is to use fast film such as 800 or 1000 speed, and put your camera on a tripod. Using a 50 mm lens, set the aperture to wide-open (f/1.4 to f/2), and expose for 30 seconds. Stop down one stop and do it again. You will need a camera with interchangeable lenses, and a cable release with a bulb setting. More advanced photos can be captured using a larger lens and longer exposures on a camera piggy-backed on a motor driven telescope. For images of galaxies, etc., you must photograph through the telescope using either film or a CCD camera. This gets more complex. Several of our club members can give you more details on this if desired.
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