Which is better?

[LJF]

As an upcoming and promising new astrologist:lmao: , I was wondering which was better for a beginner. A refractive or a reflective telescope.

[Adrianf]

As a beginner I bought a 10" reflector looking back I think I would have prefered to buy a refractor only because it would be more portable to take out bush with me. As it is with the reflector I have to carry it down a flight of stairs to setup outside (I dont have a secure lockup) and then carry back up stairs which means I probably dont do astronomy as much as I could. And then you have the problem of colimating the scope.

Adrian

[Radar]

As an upcoming and promising new astrologist

Do you mean astronomer? I get called an astrologer all the time by my friends, drives me crazy. :crazy:

Refractor's are easier to use because you don't need to collimate them, but relfectors usually can capture much more light which means enjoying better views. As Adrian mentioned, portability could be an issue for you. If you own a scope that takes a while to setup, chances are you'll use it less. But if you own a scope that is either easy to setup or is always setup you'll use it more. So have a think about where the scope would be stored and what would be involved in setting it up everytime. A decent sized dob is a good entry level scope as well mate. Collimation is something you will end up learning at some point anyway, so I wouldn't steer clear of reflector type scopes just because of collimation.

There are others here Logan that can shed more light on all this.

Ray

[timthelder]

Hi Logan,

Maybe I can be of some help in getting you started off. I reccommend getting your feet wet with an inexpensive refractor(less than a $100.) These are readily available and easy to find(Walmart), just make sure you stay with a name brand such as Meade, Celestron, Orion, Antares, etc. This will insure you get at least, 'good' optics.

I suggest refractor for a few reasons, expense,(usually cheaper) portability,(usually lighter and not bulky) and curiosity. I found that I wanted to look at everything, everywhere, so an altazmuth style mount was perfect for my first scope.

Then you need a star chart or 'planisphere' for learning the constellations, the alpha stars in each(you will use this knowledge later),and also to aide you in knowing what you are looking at and to learn how to 'star hop', around the night sky.

Another good idea is to find a few good books. An excellent starter is "The Next Step, Finding and Viewing Messier's Objects." by Ken Graun. Also "Stargazing with a Telescope", by Robin Scagell.Both of these books are excellent and chock full of very helpful information on anything a beginner needs to know.

Keep a description log of objects you look at and/or any oddities you might notice in the night sky. And then most of all, research, research, Research!:eartoear:

I hope this helps so you can be well on your way to being a prosperous Astrologist?:biggrin: