A Guide of Beginner telescope

One of the first things you will learn if you're interested in buying a beginner telescope is that aperture, not magnifying power, is the key to a good telescope. The aperture of a telescope refers to the size of its primary optical element-in a refractor it's the lens, in a reflector it's the mirror, and in a compound it's both. Aperture effects how bright objects in a telescope will appear and how much detail will be revealed. So the larger the aperture, the better the viewing through a beginner telescope.

Each type of beginner telescope-be it refractor, reflector, or compound-has its own advantages and disadvantages. Refractors, for instance, are known for providing the brightest and sharpest images relative to any other type of scope with the same sized aperture. Because of this, however, they are more expensive. And for someone buying a beginner telescope, sometimes it's a good idea to start off with a less expensive model with which to get your feet wet. You can always upgrade later.

What to Look for in Your Beginner Telescope

If you decide to look at less expensive types of telescopes, you will find that a reflector scope gives you the largest aperture for your money. Reflectors use a large concave mirror at one end of the telescope to gather and focus light. The light is then reflected off of a second, smaller mirror at the opposite end of the tube and directed out the side of the tube into an eyepiece. Although in general they are less powerful than refractors, a high quality Newtonian reflector telescope will provide you with images that are as sharp and bright as all but the highest end refractors.

Compound or "catadioptric" models are the most modern of the three types of telescopes. Compounds use a combination of mirrors and lenses to collect and focus light. Because they are able to "fold up" the path of light within a telescope tube, you can get a larger aperture in a smaller size with compound scopes. They are easy to transport and light enough to fit on less expensive versions of the best types of telescope mounts. If you like the idea of taking your beginner telescope to a remote spot and viewing objects as they move across the night sky, then a compound telescope is probably your best bet.

One of the first things you will learn if you're interested in buying a beginner telescope is that aperture, not magnifying power, is the key to a good telescope. The aperture of a telescope refers to the size of its primary optical element-in a refractor it's the lens, in a reflector it's the mirror, and in a compound it's both. Aperture effects how bright objects in a telescope will appear and how much detail will be revealed. So the larger the aperture, the better the viewing through a beginner telescope.