80mm Refractor
The Stargazer range of astronomy beginner telescopes, first introduced at our brick-and-mortar store about two years back, is our best-selling range of entry-level beginner telescopes, suitable for kids and adults alike.
Its unique single-arm alt-azimuth mounting is excellent for beginners. The last thing you want to worry about at this point in your learning curve is polar alignment.
These telescopes are so popular that each shipment is SOLD OUT before it arrived. Some customers even paid the full price in advance to secure a unit in the next shipment! This terrestrial run-away success convinced us of the user-friendliness of this range of telescopes.
They are as easy to handle as Dobsonians minus the bulkiness.
Their popularity further encouraged us to offer them to all budding beginner astronomers the world over. Affordability, usability and quality. Now you can have the cake and eat it too! Stocks are flying off our shelves, so act FAST!
Find out why they are so popular ... and don't wait too long! Check out the useful goodies that we are giving away FREE with this promotional offer!
114mm Newtonian Reflector
60mm Refractor
To : All Beginners and Casual Sky Watchers
From : The President, Telescopes-Pro.com
Dear Friends,
Welcome to this corner of virtual universe. Here, you'll find a Road Map that will guide you to your first telescope - quickly, easily and painlessly.
I'll lay out the no-hype bare facts, so that YOU, a beginner in astronomy, can make an informed decision on the type of telescope that is most suitable for you, without costing you an arm and a leg, or paying outrageous prices for a telescope you will find, in no time, too tedious to handle and ends up spending more time indoors than under the glorious skies.
Even worse, if you bought one that has all the bells and whistles and became overwhelmed by it, your telescope might even end up in the closet never to see daylight or the starry nights.
Basically, it all boils down to 2 questions: your "needs" and your "wants". As a beginner, you only NEED a basic functional telescope but you WANT a fancy one with all the works thrown in. Ask yourself: why are you buying a telescope? As an object to look at and brag about or as a tool for you to peek into the mysteries of the outer space?
Now back to your mission: What telescope should you buy? How to choose your first scope? So you've looked around at various websites and have done all your comparison-shopping. From experience, I bet you're totally lost, undecided and suffering from a severe case of information overload! If it is any comfort to you, you're not the first and neither will you be the last to trudge along this long and winding scenic route :-).
Well, why re-invent the wheel? The smartest thing to do is to learn from others' mistakes. If you want some useful tips from someone who's been there and done that, do read on....
To help you in your telescope-buying decision, allow me to draw an analogy between buying your first telescope and your very first car.
Let's say you're a new driver shopping for your first car. Will you go for the top-of-the-range makes that's worth a king's ransom complete with all the fancy finishing? Or will you opt for a basic functional car to practice your driving and navigation skills? As a novice driver, you should concentrate on the road and your destination. Once you've gained a certain level of experience and confidence, it's never too late to get a fancier car then.
You can apply the same strategy in buying your first telescope. Get a basic telescope and concentrate on looking at the sky instead of the telescope. Learn to identify and locate planets like Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Mars, the Moon and some brighter Messier objects.
In fact, most experienced amateur astronomers have at least 3 telescopes which they use for different purposes and under different observation conditions. They always have a simple one for casual viewing before setting up their more elaborate sets (which are usually bulkier and take more time to adjust and align).
Technically speaking, astronomy telescopes can be broadly categorized into 3 types according to their designs:- Refractors, Newtonian Reflectors and Catadioptrics. However, as a user, I prefer to categorize them into 5 main categories in terms of usage:- Refractors, Reflectors, Cassegrain, Dobsonian and Go-To.
All astronomy telescopes have the same objective which is to collect light from distant celestial bodies and then bring it to a point of focus so that it can be magnified and examined with an eyepiece. While each of the 3 types of telescopes are designed differently, all have their special unique features and merits.
Magnification is not the most important aspect in astronomy telescopes. When an object is magnified, all atmospheric disturbances and planetary movements will likewise be magnified! Remember, our Earth is not stationary, it rotates on its own axis and at the same time revolves around the Sun all the time! With high magnification, any objects will only be in focus for a split second and you'll have to continually re-focus it. Not much time to take a good look, let alone study it in detail.
In serious astronomical observation, depending on the object you're viewing, magnifications of between 20 to 200 is sufficient.
In a nutshell, clarity is the most important quality in any astronomy telescope. So it makes sense to go for good optics and lenses. Most importantly, your first telescope should be one that uses eyepieces that can be used on other telescopes that you'll be adding to your astronomy arsenal as time goes by.
Manufacturing quality issues aside, refractor telescopes give better resolution of the objects being viewed compared to Newtonian reflector telescopes that uses mirrors. However, the high construction costs of larger refractor telescopes make them beyond the reach of most of beginners astronomers. Smaller refractors which are still within the budget of most beginners are commonly used by beginners for observing near-Earth celestial objects. Larger Newtonian reflector telescopes which are much cheaper than refractor telescopes of the same size, are preferred for deep-sky observation. Any wonder then why experienced and serious astronomers own at least one of each type of telescopes? Each have their own virtues and merits.
So in order to know which telescope to buy, decide what you would like to do with your telescope:-
To learn to locate objects manually?
Manual vs. computerized Go-To?
Study the planets?
Scrutinize the Moon?
Scan for deep sky objects?
Study solar surface activities?
Your next question will be: What is your budget for the telescope (besides software and other reference materials)?
Only after having answered the above questions will you be able to make a wise choice of your first telescope. Bear in mind that what works for someone else does not necessarily apply for you.
Below are some points for you to ponder on...
A Refractor telescope to observe the Solar System and some deep-sky objects.
A Newtonian Reflector telescope to peek deeper into space.
A large aperture Dobsonian telescope for deep sky observation.
A computerized telescope with all the bells and whistles - not recommended for beginners.
A simple tool for you to observe the sky as and when there are "interesting" celestial events happening.
My point is - everyone has to start somewhere.
My suggestion to you is:-
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Start by viewing your very first celestial object with your OWN eyes. Learn to identify a few constellations and a few major planets with your naked eyes. If you can't pick out M42 or Jupiter with your naked eyes, how will you find them through a telescope with its narrower field of view?
A good pair of binoculars is perfect for scanning the sky. Get the latest all-purpose free focus binoculars which automatically focuses on your subject. Besides using it for your night time astronomy observation activities, it is ideal for viewing fast-moving objects. From 8 to 80 years old, no manual focusing is needed.
With your naked eyes, you are able to see objects with a brightness of at least 6 magnitude. However, with a pair of 9x50 mm binoculars, you increase your range to include dimmer objects with magnitude of 12.
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| 2. |
Join your local astronomy club and attend their observing sessions. Get a feel and look of what's being done. You may map out your "learning curve" and "acquisition plan". Learn about the ease of use of entry-level telescopes, the spectacular views through a good refractor or Newtonian, or that hunk of a Dobsonian is in fact quite a handful. And one day, you might even be ready to consider a Schmidt-Cassegrain....
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3. |
Then get a simple telescope to have a closer look at the planets, moon and some famous deep-sky Messier objects. In fact, my first telescope was an entry-level beginner refractor telescope on an alt-azimuth mount. Personally, I found the alt-azimuth fork mount way too clumsy to handle. You need constant practice to master it. That's why I would rather recommend this single-arm alt-azimuth mount to any beginners - children and adults alike. It's as easy as handling a Dobsonian mount without the bulkiness. It is a perfect choice and is one telescope that is highly recommended for beginners. |
With the Stargazer range of beginner telescopes, it has never been easier or cheaper to start exploring the sky.
| Q: | So who should buy these value-for-money Stargazer beginner telescopes? |
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A: |
Well, anyone who wants to be able to start looking at the sky instead of staring at or fidgeting with their telescopes ... quickly and easily! |
| Q: | And who should NOT buy these Stargazer Telescopes? |
| A: |
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So, any wonder why the Stargazer range of beginner telescopes are flying off my store shelves like crazy?
To help you get started, I'm in the midst of writing my e-book titled "Your Road Map To Celestial Treasures" which I intend to distribute FREE. Do check this site periodically for download instructions.
For your comparison shopping, this Checklist may be helpful.
Thank you and enjoy browsing!
President,
Telescopes-Pro.com
Click Here to start your countdown >>
Read on for more advice for beginners ...
Quotes from experienced astronomers
"It saddens me when I have to tell a beginner that they just wasted a lot of money on their first telescope; because they got conned about its capabilities. And usually the seller doesn't have a clue either... Buying a telescope is like buying a car; because both can be expensive, there are different types for different tasks, and if you get one of poor quality it will only disappoint you... Like cars, each type of telescope has its devotees and its critics, and some types are better for certain tasks. Also like cars, virtually all telescope designs are a compromise between cost, performance, and purpose." ~ Fraser Farrell
"Too many people buy a telescope as if it
were a TV, expecting it to show pictures all by itself. It's more like a
piano, which gives back only as much value as the work you put into it.
Learning to use a telescope well is a lot easier than learning a musical
instrument, however. If you're reasonably persistent and careful and are
willing to practice the techniques described here, you'll soon master the
skies." ~ Alan MacRobert
"Vision is an acquired skill. You must learn it, you must practice, and you
must keep learning new things, and practicing them, too. Buying a big
telescope to see better is like buying a big pot to cook better, or a big
computer to program better. It might help, but cooking and programming
depend more on knowledge and experience than on hardware. So does visual
astronomy. People with garages full of telescopes (I can't close the door to
mine) are victims of materialism, marketeering, and hyperbole. Practice is
cheaper, and works better. As I said before, an experienced observer may see
things with a small telescope that a beginner will miss with one five times
larger." ~ Jay Reynolds Freeman
"Astronomy teaches patience and humility -- and you'd better be prepared to
learn them. There's nothing you can do about the clouds blocking your view,
the extreme distance and faintness of the objects you desire most, or the
timing of the long-anticipated event for which you got all set up one minute
late. The universe will not bend to your wishes; you must take it on its own
terms." ~ Alan MacRobert
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Bacckground image: Hubble's Deepest View Ever of the Universe
(NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI) and the HUDF Team)
Stargazer Telescopes - Quality and Affordable Astronomy Telescopes for Beginners