The Agony of Buying Your First Telescope

1. The Agony of Buying Your First Telescope Sorin SoggyAstronomer.com

2. Too Many Choices

3. Red Tasco Cheap options with bad optics can be tempting…

4. until you see the view.

5. Spending a bit more delivers a world of difference!

6. Three Fours • 4 Key Terms • 4 Questions • 4 Types of Telescopes

7. 4 Key Terms

8. Magnification 100x 200x 400x = Disappointment

9. Aperture 200mm < 9mm 100mm 50mm 20 cm2 78 cm2 314 cm2

10. Aperture = Clarity 200mm < 9mm 1x 100mm 50mm 20 cm2 33x 78 cm2 130x 314 cm2 514x

11. Focal Length The distance over which an optical system converges light

12. Field of View Shorter Focal Length = Wider FOV Longer Focal Length = Narrower FOV

13. Field of View 110’ 3˚ 7’ Jupiter M51 11’ <1’ 30’

14. 4 Questions

15. 1. How much do you want to spend?

17. 2. How far will you need to move your telescope to use it?

18. 3. What do you really want to see?

19. 4. Visual observing, or astrophotography? 4. Visual Observing or Astrophotography?

20. Image Credit: NASA

22. 4 Types of Telescopes

23. Refractors Newtonians Dobsonians Schmidt-Cassegrains

24. Refractors

25. Best For: • Wide Field of View • Terrestrial Observing • Fast Cool Down • Double Stars Be Aware Of: • Cheap Mounts • Chromatic Aberration • High cost per inch at larger apertures

26. Newtonians

27. Good For: • Planetary and Deep Sky Observing • Astrophotography Be Aware Of: • Complicated or Shaky Mounts • Occasional Collimation • Not as good for splitting double-stars • Long Cool Down

28. Dobsonians

29. Best For: • Cost per Aperture • Ease of Use • Planetary and Deep Sky Observing Be Aware Of: • Size • Not suited to Photography • Occasional Collimation • Not as good for splitting double-stars • Long Cool Down

30. Schmidt-Cassegrains

31. Be Aware Of: • More Expensive Than Newtonians & Dobs • Narrowest FOV • Long Cool Down Best For: • Astrophotography • Planetary and Deep Sky Objects • Small Size for Large Aperture

32. GoTovs. Manual • Forces you to learn the sky • No Alignment Process • Cheaper • Can point you to hard to find DSOs • Tracks objects while observing

33. Astrophotography

34. You Don’t Need Crazy Kit Image Credit: flurryofsmoke on Flickr

35. A DSLR Camera is a great way to get started

36. Astrophotography is where GEMs Shine

37. AP does take patience… Jupiter M42 Orion Nebula and a lot of practice.

38. Astrophotography Astrophotography is only as hard as you make it.

39. Yeah, ok, that’s great… Now which telescope do I buy?

40. Four Key Terms • Avoid Telescopes Advertising Magnification • Larger Aperture = Better Clarity • short Focal Length= WideField of View • LONG Focal Length= NarrowField of View

41. Four Questions • How much do you want to spend? • How far will you need to move your telescope to use it? • What do you really want to see? • Visual observing or Astrophotography?

42. Refractors Newtonians Dobsonians Schmidt-Cassegrains

43. Star Parties Attend a public Star Party

44. Join a Club

45. Thank You! Email: Twitter: Website: sorin@soggyastronomer.com @SoggyAstro SoggyAstronomer.com

46. Appendix

47. Chromatic Aberration

48. Newtonian

49. Schmidt Cassegrain