Buy A Telescope

There are several types of astronomy telescopes available today.  Buying a telescope for home use as you start the hobby of astronomy can be a great investment.  Astronomy, especially with your kids, is a way to teach them something while simultaneously spending quality time together.

Before you buy, though, you should understand the main features of telescopes so that you can be a more informed consumer. Astronomy telescopes can be broken down into three main types.

The first kind of astronomy telescope is a refractor telescope.  These are astronomy telescopes with an optical system that utilizes a series of glass lenses to refract or bend the light from a distant object such that it can be focused to a point and magnified by an eyepiece.  For a historical perspective, this is the type of telescope that was popularized by Galileo in the 17th century and it is sometimes called the Galilean refractor.  These telescopes, though ancient in some elements of their design, are still used to great results today.

Next, there is an astronomy telescope called a reflector.  Reflector telescopes use an optical system that incorporates a primary mirror to reflect the light from a distant object such that it can be focused to a point and magnified by an eyepiece.  This style of telescope was popularized by Sir Isaac Newton in the 17th century, it is sometimes referred to as a Newtonian reflector.

Next, there is the Maksutov-Cassegrain astronomy telescope, which is designed to utilize a spherically curved front lens element in conjunction with a similarly curved primary mirror.  This configuration provides incredibly sharp images in a compact folded-light path package.  The total optical system provides a focal length much longer than the actual optical tube body length.

Understanding how these telescopes are generally designed will give you a framework from which to evaluate astronomy telescopes on the market and make the best choice for your budget and your stargazing needs.

Segnala presso: