Which telescope to buy?

[@FunkyHonkyCDXX]

I'll still never forget the first time I ever saw the rings of Saturn through a telescope. Definitely one of the highlights of my life.

[@pduffy421]

I agree. I first saw Saturn in a Celestron 4 inch achromatic refractor. Amazing to actually see it for first time.

[@annodomini7887]

Kinda like the first time I saw Uranus!

[@detectiveamevirus8]

@Mason Bee i almost everday see the saturn by heritage 100p 10mm eyepice but it small need 6 mm eyepice to close it

[@UNSCPILOT]

Same here, need to get some filters to get my Camera able to capture the magnificence of the the Gas Giants and ideally Mars

[@gfaj4076]

There are so many legit , nice comments and some 5 years old laughing at Uranus. It is Uranos or Ur(a)nus correctly pronunciated.

[@ferenc-x7p]

Seeing the Andromeda galaxy first ever (10yrs ago) was something that made me think about our life and what we do here. It's a whole other galaxy with its own stars and planets. It can be life changing to a point to rethink our existence.

[@JoshFlynn101]

Please do an updated version!

[@Globss]

+Josh Flynn scopes really haven't changed

[@78tranzamman43]

+SeeWaffle9 Cost per Aperture has gone up. Goto on Dobs now is much more common. A new Star Wars movie is almost here!!

[@Stripeybaz]

+Josh Flynn Hi there, If you need more information please have a look at this telescope guide for more information: www.ebay.co.uk/gds/Choosing-Your-First-Telescope-for-Astronomy-Complete-Essentials-/10000000013136783/g.html

[@tiedupsmurf]

+78 Tranz Am Man The movie was garbage

[@78tranzamman43]

Question ? I loved it.

[@ripper9679]

the video on a whole was pretty informational and well put. I especially loved the graph of cost v. aperture and would like to see an updated and more detailed one. thank you

[@Pieceoreece]

Ahh if only England wasnt so cloudy 24/7

[@Justwantahover]

I love cloudy days, I might go to pommy land.

[@traderfx4871]

Telescope Celestron NexStar 130SLT Computerized Telescope Select from a database of more than 4,000 stars, galaxies, than 4,000 stars, galaxies, nebulae, and more. The telescope locates your object with pinpoint accuracy and tracks it automatically. buy now : amzn.to/2QkMry6

[@JohnSmith-yq7gu]

@Greg Moonen Yea in the 50's, until Peru out did the UK like 6 years later.

[@ziggeman]

A cheap equatorial telescope with a motordrive that follow the stars is a good choice for the amateur that wish to develop later on. Perhaps a 80 or 100mm reffractor or a 4-6 inch newtonian. Go for a motordriven scope. You can photograph the stars! :)

[@skepticalvision]

@@traderfx4871 - An overgrown toy! Hardly a serious amateur telecscope

[@coryanntopanga]

If I pay $3000 for a telescope, I better be able to see the Lord.

[@WhatTheySeeTV]

Lol

[@charliec8679]

Shit's Probably Fake LOL

[@demonddenteth5355]

Shit's Probably Fake omg lol you made my night

[@nolanbooker5461]

You'll find a paid actor.

[@Starr349]

Shit's Probably Fake AMEN

[@nathsourish]

great voice , that was a soothing 7 minutes of telescope knowledge for me

[@Rottensteam]

Yeah, he should really narrate a book or a documentary or something.

[@emmagorey79]

Convinced I’m listening to David Bowie 😅⚡️

[@peterball3079]

Well put my thoughts exactly

[@UNSCPILOT]

Same, makes me wanna haul out my Nexstar 130slt tonight to try an spot some stuff

[@jamie2469]

Ermm okay

[@robertgreen3170]

I bought my Celestron C8 back in 1980. It was the last toy I bought for myself before my son was born. It still works as well now as it did then. It's not too hard to carry around and gives great images. I never got into Astrophotography, but it would do well if I did. It was a little expensive, but its almost 40 years old now and that amount over 4 decades means my annual investment has been less than $30/year in my hobby. That's pretty cheap!!! ...and considering eventually one of my kids or grandkids or great grandkids will probably get several decades of use out of it as well means that over a hundred years, my investment will drop to as little as $10/year!!! I see no reason why this scope couldn't last at least that long...if not longer!!! It may very well be my best life investment!!! ...and it never argues with me like my wife does. I can do minimal maintenance and it just keeps working and working. Just try to expect that type of return on any other purchase you make and you'll see that there are likely very few that will serve you as well.

[@tunascuba1]

Excellent presentation...Very valuable for us who are very very amateur...

[@BlueSpades7]

5:19 Did anyone else think that the telescope was going to move to the left?

[@jungleaxe8102]

wow

[@canonA1film]

Don’t you dare put up comments like this. Just think about what you’ve done.

[@electricpaisy6045]

you mean 5:21? because at 5:19 It IS moving to the left if you mean the front end and the left side of the Video.

[@zgrendelz]

This might be my favorite video you have ever made. Thank you.

[@TomTheSilverFox]

One of the best, informative and entertaining telescope advice videos I have ever seen. Really excellent, thank you.

[@aaronsmith3484]

I'm looking to buy a Hubble space telescope, how much would that cost me? And how do I get it into space?

[@mansamusa1743]

It would cost you 2-3 Billion bucks,maybe have a guy smuggle it onboard a space shuttle and have it released once your above the Exopshere

[@kerolox7929]

+Sotiris Krol And for extra authenticity, don't forget to include a few errors in the primary mirror so that you'll have to spend more money to get this problem sorted out.

[@bighands69]

+Sotiris Krol If he waits about 25 years they will come down massively in price to about 100 million. At that point we will have massive telescopes in space and on the moon. Every country will have access to one and he can rent it out for a few thousand dollars.

[@haibtanlashari]

Jesus2ndCousin that way you can also get to space walk ;)

[@ayporos]

Superior Planet it is quite common, if not the norm, to use up most of your fuel on launch. Getting off of the earth takes a massive amount of delta-V. Once you're in orbit around the earth it takes rather little to actually land. You only need to kill your orbit and have enough delta-V to slow down and control your descent which will be entirely powered by gravity. Landing and takeoff on something like the moon takes a lot less delta-V because the moon has less gravity than earth and also you don't have to deal with pesky atmospheric resistance. tl;dr: play some Kerbal Space Program.

[@ajtrashbox]

The best video ever on youtube. Wish every body had to sense to put things that simple. Kudos that one fan u got here ;)

[@SantoshGairola]

Fantastically explained in crisp clear way!!

[@kellymiller1793]

This is an excellent description of what matters, and what doesn't, when selecting the optimum telescope for your needs

[@TrueThanny]

Magnification is actually a big factor for faint extended objects (planets, nebulae, galaxies - anything that's not a point source like a star), but it's tied directly to aperture. Telescopes cannot make extended objects brighter than they are to your naked eye. The best they can do is match it, before subtracting light loss in the system (lens absorption, mirror scattering, etc.). This highest possible brightness (which is still dimmer than your naked eye) is when the exit pupil of the eyepiece is exactly the same size as your eye's entrance pupil. We're talking about ratios here, so that happens when the aperture divided by the magnification matches your dark-adapted pupil size (typically 7mm). So a 12" scope, with an aperture of 305mm, can magnify extended objects by up to 305mm/7mm = ~43x before it becomes dimmer. Above that, you're spreading the same amount of light over a larger area, so it's dimmer. Below that, you're failing to collect all the light (the beam of light leaving the eyepiece is too large for your eye to completely capture), so it's still no brighter than your naked eye (less, accounting for light loss in the system). The reason extended objects are better in bigger telescopes is precisely because you can magnify them more without making them dimmer, so your eye is able to spread the image over more photoreceptors. In a 4" telescope, the maximum magnification you can use before making a nebula dimmer is 101mm/7mm = ~14x, which makes for a much smaller image that your eye has more difficulty resolving into detail. So magnification does matter, but you need aperture to make it count. Oh, point sources like stars do actually get brighter as aperture goes up, because you're collecting more light and putting it in the same spot (they're so far away they have no resolvable size), so you see more stars in a bigger telescope. And that's true up to the point where you have such a larger aperture that you're able to resolve the star into an extended image, at which point more aperture would just mean a larger image before dimming again. No amateur telescope is anywhere near big enough to do that, though.

[@MartinBrada]

You just may want to keep the exit pupil smaller than the entrance pupil of the eye so that all the light still goes into the eye. But this effect occurs with the low magnifications, not high. For example, if you have a large 200 mm telescope and a very low magnification of 20, you will get an exit pupil of 10 mm (>7 mm), which means that you won't use the whole aperture of the telescope. The smaller exit pupil itself doesn't make the objects dimmer, the light still goes in the eye and is focused onto the retina. Larger telescopes simply gain more light and make objects brighter. The problem is that the surface brightness falls with the magnification. And from a specific magnification, the object is just not bright enough against the dark sky and appears ugly (and there are some other effects with high magnifications).

[@richardtaylor9117]

Th

[@MrHritz]

Because of this video I recently purchased my first telescope, and roused my interest in astronomy. For the first time I was able to see things like Jupiter, and Saturn with my own eyes, something not so amazing to more experienced amateur astronomers, but amazing to myself, seeing as how I've only seen these planets through video and pictures. Thanks Thunderf00t.

[@squidlings]

9yrs of KZbin turned you from this amazing man to a narked out troll beater. Bring back this man. Sooooo pleasent to listen to 👌🏻

[@MnemonicHeadTrip]

Shush

[@zerocooljpn]

if you mention "youtube" they'll probably ban his video with no explanation as with his other ones lol, they have a thing for him

[@AVDPhoenix]

Thanks for the explenation. Im looking to buy a scope just to pass time and your explanation will help me. You have a great voice tone BTW very agreeable. You sound like Jeremy Irons.

[@Ginissi]

I fuckin love this guy. I can listen to him read the white pages of the phone book.

[@jamesrubino5710]

Now thats funny!

[@beerkenstein]

Lots of practical information, smart presentation, lack of needless chitchat. Very good video indeed!

[@TheOmanJam]

Very helpful video, thanks! Also, I love the time lapse sequence following Jupiter.

[@ThePattycake1313]

Reflectors are cheaper to buy per size than refractors, but are much harder to use, unless it is mounted on a go-to. Still they require more maintenance than a refractor. If you have to ask this question, I take it you are a beginner. So go with a refractor or mak-cassigrain. I have been doing this for years, and my favorite scope is the one I just bought, it is a Celestron SE4. It is great, and if you bought it, you would probably like it. Any questions if u get it ask.

[@jmac6248]

I watch this video 8 years later and find that the orion skyquest xt10 is now 120$ more expensive. Sucks.

[@MrRodgerSr]

My first scope is the Orion 6I and its is great. Setsup quick and the "Push-to" feature is accurate and quick. Once calibrated at assembly, it is beautiful!

[@gronki1]

"the best telescope is the one used more often" -- this is what I learned during my 15 years of stargazing journey.

[@nirui.o]

@@mccalljeff His glass, probably.

[@kakarot5760]

@@nirui.o lol

[@Earthling2046]

t k s

[@redbuzzardbass]

My favorite starter scope is the Meade ETX80. Absolutely fabulous instrument, cheap. I recommended this to someone who's kids were interested in astronomy, years later, they still are.

[@NewName0]

should that be my first?

[@ng21644605]

A few words from one who has been using telescopes for 50 years. I've had everting from a 50 mm Trasko up to a $4500 mMead 12 inch SCT. If you just want to dip your toe in the water for a test, I'd recommend the Edmund Astroscan - Mirror slighty over 4 inches and a short focal length you can oberve f15X up to 200X with a good eypiece and on very clere nights I have viewed thousands of moon craters and shadows at 300X Whatever you decide, Figure 5X per inch of arpeture of main mirror or lense in a refractor. The Astroscan cost a bit over $300 but they are well worth it. AND they are simplicity like you won't believe. Sit in a lawn chair with a pillow in your lap and your astroscan on your pillow and take a great tour around the sky.

[@charlotteha7702]

Thanks for your recommendation.

[@Zippocatt]

perfect timing for this!! a new telescope is all i wanted this holiday season, and between you and tdarnell, i have some great options to consider! thanks

[@jdogb1]

"The earth's rotation is kind of a bitch" OMG I about died, I think I've said that to myself on many occasions.

[@Astronomy_Live]

Can't believe KZbin never recommended this video or this channel to me before. Thank you for this really great breakdown of all the pros and cons, I'll be recommending this video to people who always ask me what scope to buy.

[@ridingyourride]

From a star enthusiast and a telescope newbie, thank you. :)

[@deckieb1]

Excellent video. Been interested in buying a telescope for ages and after your video i now know what im looking for. Thanks and keep up the good work.

[@vladimirrodionov5391]

But what do you think of the amazing new EVScope?

[@detectiveamevirus8]

Reee

[@ElenarMT]

What does Reee mean?

[@detectiveamevirus8]

@@ElenarMT reeeeeee meme

[@disc4653]

please dont buy a EVscope many people say its a scam so yea

[@pandoraefretum]

Good speaking voice, and the clearest introduction to choice of telescope I have come across.. wel done.

[@IdeologieUK]

Nice to see my all time favourite warrior hater, rationalist, scientist, debunker and free-thinker doing such a great public service from all the way back in 2010 helping his subbies today choose a Christmas gift for their warrior hater, rationalist, scientist, debunking and free-thinking kids :)

[@traderfx4871]

Telescope Celestron NexStar 130SLT Computerized Telescope Select from a database of more than 4,000 stars, galaxies, than 4,000 stars, galaxies, nebulae, and more. The telescope locates your object with pinpoint accuracy and tracks it automatically. buy now : amzn.to/2QkMry6

[@knarfweasel]

This was very refreshing comapred to your newer stuff, please make more science videos again Mr. Foot!

[@DavidKnight33]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on telescopes.

[@IdeaManTastic]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. I thought it was well done and found it helpful.

[@skepticalmechanic]

Sooo what I got out of this is buy a good pair of binoculars and call it a night!

[@ronschlorff7089]

Yes, unless U R Sirius about this astronomical subject! :D

[@ChackYaska]

Hey there, I have a 10 in Dob, and there is one thing that I'd like to add (also, you somewhat quickly mentioned it): The amount of air above your head is quite important, being near the sea or living in the mountains makes quite a difference on the clarity of the sky. Also, weather by the sea is often cloudy (evaporation while hot, cool down at night = cloudy/misty sky). So unless you can drive for a while to set up, do not spend too much $ in a big telescope.

[@aeroscience9834]

Celestron firstscope is now $50! Why'd they up the price?

[@michaeledmonds3027]

Great tutorial.... I ended up with a Celestron Evolution 6" for a compact, lightweight go-to rig. I've added a mid-range ZWO camera, EAF auto focus and ASIAIR controller for indoor tablet use. It's a long way from a Dob, but hopefully will hold my grandkids attention.

[@Billy-rr7re]

so if i want to look at galaxies which one to buy?

[@detectiveamevirus8]

Dobsonian 8 inch or 12 inch goto mount are better result on no light pollution ) kindda heavy but result image are reeeeee amazing if put right eyepice like 30mm or 25 if get low magnification or binocular 15×70 ) but telescope more better collect light so i think heritage 130p better for beginers

[@detectiveamevirus8]

But how you house? And you budget is that problem

[@bluesteelbass]

If you want galaxies, the most important thing is getting to a dark site without light pollution. You can use cheap 10x magnification binoculars with a 50mm aperture, and view our closest neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy, no problem. If you are looking for a telescope though, aperture rules, and the best bang for your buck is a Newtonian reflector type telescope.

[@detectiveamevirus8]

@@bluesteelbass hahahha bincular 10×50 ? That good for birdwatching (astronomy binocular better like 15x70,12×60 22×100 and just remember telescope reflector better for deep sky object like 130mm or 250m again the 50,70,80,100mm apeture

[@bluesteelbass]

@@detectiveamevirus8 With a remark like you posted, I can easily and safely assume not only have you never tried to utilize 10x50 binoculars for astronomical viewing, but you also have never utilized larger "astronomy" binoculars. Good luck trying to get a stable image with a handheld 20x80... Unless you purchase at minimum $100+ tripod to mount those things on.

[@Leveler0636]

Great to know... I just picked up a NexStar 4SE. Can't wait for Monday night! Hopefully the skies are clear.

[@mrchangcooler]

everytime I see comic sans I giggle.

[@Simon62345]

+Mr.chang cooler lol

[@DetectiveDerpy]

+Comic Sans giggle

[@EspenSwane]

Everytime I see Comic Sans I stop taking people serious 😉

[@AK-gg5nh]

Wouldn’t be a cosmic sans...I’ll see myself out

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

COMIC SAAAANSSSS the meme of all fonts.

[@TheFifthGreatApe]

Please keep these kind of science videos coming! Thanks.

[@JoshDiaz87]

Thunderfoot I didnt know you were an astronomy nerd. cool :)

[@billburket4842]

One of the best videos I have seen for potential or new stargazers. Good job.

[@myztklk3v]

3:00 TFW the dudes view finder is the same size as my hobby scope

[@detectiveamevirus8]

Sct

[@sneakerset]

@SandsSpot Excellent advice. I would add a simple flashlight with a red filter to the starter kit...and a foam pad(an ensolite camping pad is perfect).

[@subhankarroy4695]

Hi..What telescope would you recommend to me .to see stars,planets,solar system....I'm a beginner suggest me a telescope between 180-130 us dollars... as good as possible.....

[@jackbenner1013]

Subhankar Roy I use the Celestron Nexstar 130 SLT. But for a telescope that is between $180-$130 USD I recommend the Celestron Explorascope 114AZ Telescope. I do not own one, but I have a friend who does, and it is a very good telescope in my opinion for looking at planets and double stars. I hope I my reply is helpful for you.

[@patriotastronomer6780]

Jack Benner, I have a Celestron Nexstar 130SLT, and highly recommend it as a starter scope

[@rollipolioli]

Did you watch the video?

[@shaun365]

So true. I have an 8" SC scope and while I lived in a house, it was very easy to get out to the backyard and observe. I've been in an apartment for the last 5 years though and I haven't used my scope once. Too big and inconvenient to move too far..:(

[@punishalltrolls]

flat-earthers still can't handel the truth

[@SARDiverDave]

Bet they can spell "handle", though.

[@fabianportilla7567]

He might be referring to the German musician. I'm not sure exactly what it would mean to Handel someone. Perhaps to inundate with water music.

[@multifayzer8130]

or the german word for trade

[@saffyblu7954]

Ninety-One Doesn't even apply here.

[@hilgahendrix7984]

unfl4tt3r3rd putting people in a box for being tired of cgi planets lol that's why I'm buying a telescope

[@AnimalSupremacy]

Finally a useful video on telescopes! I hope some of the next ones will be on how to use them most efficiently. All the best!

[@redmosquitoo]

Hello, thanks for the informative video. Since 6 years passed from your video and there is more new models, do you still recommend 90mm Maksutov-Cassegrain, dobsonian mount (Orion Apex) for beginners that have 200 dollars budget? Thanks.

[@rktman1965]

Very nice video covering the basics for us beginner stargazers thank you Thunderf00t.

[@thelongslowgoodbye]

How does he do the time-lapse photography?

[@dbossmx]

nice video. Im leaning towards a 10 inch dob. I think its the perfect scope for me to get started in the hobby. Right now I have a cheap department store refractor and it kinda sucks but I've enjoyed the views I've gotten with it nonetheless. My skies are fairly non-polluted and I don't mind finding and tracking on my own. For me thats part of the fun. First time I laid eyes on m31 or m42 in my cheap little scope gave me the chills. And I love observing the planets too.

[@sebimoe]

Anyone from the BUSTED video in 2019?

[@Jeremyramone]

your photos/videos of the cosmos are quite amazing, thanks for sharing these videos, cheers from san diego

[@modelrc9500]

Godamn if I’m paying 3,000 for a telescope I should just be able to click a button and have it point immediately to the planet I want to view! Whilst also telling me all about what I’m seeing voiced by Neil degrasse Tyson who is sitting right next to me!

[@markmitchell155]

i actually laughed out loud. funny guy.

[@Century25]

Very nice presentation. My scopes go from 50mm refractor up to 305mm SCT. The ES 127AR is used with the Twilight II mount and CG-4 w/motor. The 70mm and 90mm Astromaster scopes are excellent. The 90mm has motor drive and is just 10mm shy of the popular 100mm range, and the lens is fully multicoated. The 305mm sct has great capabilities, however due to the intense heat at my location, I have a big problem of cooling wait times. The observatory is impossible to cool !!!

[@jameson3080]

this video kind of sucks for people new to telescope and astronomy..

[@Teeb2023]

Why?

[@jameson3080]

it is from 2010 and all it is saying is bigger is better and smaller is worse. Except for in mobility, cool down times, and ease of setup. Doesn't explain which telescope to buy at all.

[@apopheniacMCMLXXXIX]

thunderfoot: thanks for introducing me to the firstscope a few months back. Excellent purchase and highly recommended.

[@JentleSticks]

Comic sans?? What was this 2010? Oh it was... ok carry on

[@jasonpressler7111]

i plan on doing my own shed observation area. This will solve a lot of the issues of setup for bigger being better. Money wise i plan on building most of it, I want to give it a shot at making my own mirrors but i will also be purchasing a set to ensure good quality..... biggest downside is i currently live in Florida, which makes good viewing fairly rare. after all it is just mirrors surrounded by cardboard and an anti-reflective inner-coating. But to contribute to the topic, spend more money on your eye pieces than you do a scope to start out. The eye piece can always be transferred to a new scope, so if you buy good quality in the beginning you wont be buying them again later on.

[@teentalex]

I'm 16 love physics, and space. Never seen through a telescope; cuz I'm broke and can't afford a good one

[@chaimaayadi8632]

does this telescope is good www.cdiscount.com/photo-numerique/materiel-observation/skywatcher-newton-130-900-sur-equatoriale-eq2/f-1124003-sky6930096600058.html?idOffre=82833995?rr_product=true&recommendationRef=&recommender=SimilarProductsApi&InteractedPlacementId=Internal_SP#faqs

[@kretieg2943]

16" Astrosky custom dobsonian in Sedona Red. Harwood birch plywood. Aurora precision cage truss clamps. Moonlight ball connectors for poles to mirror box. 2" Moonlight 2-speed focuser with 2" swing filter holder with variable polarizer installed for moon viewing. 96% coatings, 16" f/4.45 7740 annealed pyrex primary by Terry Ostahowski WITH the reference flat. 10,000 tic encoders and sky commander. Welded tailgate, 18 point flotation, cable sling and stainless hardware including collimation knobs. Also, a secondary dew heater. About $7,100 which was a bargain after watching the labor that went into that scope. The owner of Astrosky is a friend of mine and he retired after doing my son and mines scopes. What a pleasure these instruments are to use. My son has a 12" f/5 and the 16" is a completely different beast to handle and set up. It REALLY needs two people to carry and set up. His 12" is at the limit for an average fit person to handle alone repeatedly.

[@wayne997gbro]

its a shame you didn't do as much research is to cars lol

[@majorphysics3669]

Who cares what a person drives

[@wayne997gbro]

+Teren Essex every one cares m8 I as well as you came here to see learn about the best scopes . it's just my sense of humour bit dry I have a shit car but it works sort of

[@andrewford80]

I think the word you're looking for to describe your sense of humour is "non-existant", not "dry".

[@wayne997gbro]

+andrewford80 Andrew Ford the keyboard warrior , you probably got a shit car to

[@andrewford80]

If you consider me making a joke about your non-existant sense of humour "warrior" behaviour then I sure wouldn't want to bump in to you in a dark alley! Who knows what personal attacks you might unleash! BTW, I don't own a car! By choice :)

[@MyName-pc7bk]

I have the skyquest and it is AMAZING! I can easily see the rings on Saturn and see the moon in COMPLETE detail....its a great buy and I plan on enjoying it for years to come.

[@Jesses001]

Nice information. I have had my telescope for many years, but it is still good to get this information again.

[@KeithBlade]

if youre thinking of buying your first telescope, also look into astronomy binoculars first. namely at least 70mm in aperture. much easier to use, setup, and can be breathtakingly fun. I say this from having owned many telescopes big and small. my goto device is now always a good pair of bino astronomy sky eaters.

[@splortz]

Thank you. Very well thought-out presentation and my experience of 20 plus years observing tracks your recommendations quite closely. My favorite "lookin'" scope was an 18" dob--an "Obsesssion clone". Sold that when I moved overseas. Now that I am back, I have acquired a good robotic German EQ mount. I will mount a scope of good quality to it--perhaps an Orion 8" Ritchey-Chretien, and utilize the mount's capability to conduct supernova searches. I really can't recommend amateur astronomy too highly. The experiences I've had and people I've met have changed profoundly the way I see the universe. The simple act of making a telescope mirror will teach one volumes about one's self. Which brings me to my point: One aspect of the hobby missing (understandably) from your video is ATM (Amateur Telescope Making). This aspect of the hobby can yield fantastic results in terms of getting the most aperture for the dollar (or pound, etc.)spent. The best entry into this domain is through your local astronomical society. ATM is probably one of the most interesting aspects of astronomy. Cutting edge, relatively inexpensive and very, very rich in practical experience. I've met ATM enthusiasts whose experience gained enabled them access to work on NASA projects (James Webb Space Telescope, for example) and university level observatories. A 40-inch Newtonian reflector was recently put into operation for public use about an hour's drive from my home in California. It was constructed by volunteers with an interest in Amateur Telecope Making. If you get a chance, hook up with some ATM'ers and hold on to your hat. It's a wild ride.

[@Dragonblaster1]

I have a Celestron Nexstar 8SE SCT with a StarSense aligning scope, SkyPortal Wi-Fi control, an automatic 5-colour colour-whee with burst mode stacking programs, a monochrome CMOS camera, plus a few extra bells and whistles. I use the original Alt-Az mount for planetary and bright DSO imaging (very easy to set up, with internal AA battery power). For faint DSO, I have an Advanced GT GEM mount (a nightmare to set up and I need a Power Bank), as well as an off-axis monochrome autoguider CMOS camera that I use rather than the StarSense. As we say, horses for courses. I can be ready to start imaging planets within minutes of setting up with the Alt-Az (assuming I know I'm well-collimated), whereas it can take an hour or more after dark to get the GEM-mounted scope tracking properly.

[@Pyrolonn]

A good whirlwind tour of what's out there and the basics. You should also recommend that people go to star parties at their local astronomy group so they can sample several different kinds of scopes with different mounts. Another thing I personally would recommend against Dobsonian mounts especially for beginners. When you get into collimation issues and the sheer size of them they should never be a first scope (and I'd say stay away from them unless you really know it is what you want)

[@deanmoncaster]

This is exactly what I wanted and I think you've answered the question...dobsonian it is. Thanks thunder..... Again

[@ff621]

I personally like refractors, I started with a Newtonian and then moved up to a 10" Dob and now I own a Refractor. A refractor have many advantages, is lighter making it easier to take outside, not much maintenance to it, with a good mount it could be used for photos and it can be used for terrestrial viewing and with a $50-60 solar filter you can use it for solar viewiing allowing to observe Sunspots and Solar Eclipses.

[@Jositoooo]

Thanks for providing some actual useful info. I’ve watched so many videos of people trotting out the tired old response of “that’s like asking what kind of car you should buy, har har!” I mean…if a brand new driver who knew nothing about cars asked me what kind of car to buy…I’d tell them to consider a used Toyota Camry or Honda Accord because it will likely hold up well and give them their money’s worth until they’ve learned how to drive well and learned more about what they want out of a car. Is that so difficult? Throwing up my hands and giving a non-answer because they don’t know if they will eventually be a taxi driver or a Formula One racer is pretty unhelpful to someone starting from zero.

[@johnburens3395]

Thanks for posting this Phil. I was looking for a way to describe scopes and their differences for my friend who is getting interested in astronomy and I didn't want to spend all day telling him. Your presentation is spot on for the most part and made my job easy! After showing him my Newtonian reflector and my refractor(both Meade) he could see some of the differences, IE: chromatic aberration, atmospheric turbulence etc... and what details and knowledge are involved in polar aligning an electronic scope. I think I have convinced him on a good truss style Dobsonian and an atlas for learning the sky before he goes out and plunks down big bucks for a scope he will likely become frustrated with and maybe never use.

[@glukolover]

I like your educational videos, it's a nice change of pace.

[@Cosmicdust4]

thanks thunder for the info. I'm getting one for my brother. for his birthday. I was confused about the one to get him, but this vid has helped me make up my mind. Excellent vid, hope to see more.......Peace

[@TheKittengoddess]

I got my husband a Celestron. We are pretty happy with it. Unfortunately, he can't use it right now because he is in another state but when he comes back hopefully we can go out to the desert to do some stargazing. We live in Arizona where it is prime skies for astro-hobbies!

[@Lafo247]

glad to see you've gone back to these kind of vids mate

[@irrigger1]

Thanks for the information! I'm about to buy a start scope for my kids and I to observe the sky. This was super useful information!

[@LAnonHubbard]

Cool video. I remember you saying a long while back you were going to make this. Helpful, thanks.

[@JonBlevins]

You can turn a 12 inch into an apo refractor by cutting a small hole in a piece of cardboard and putting it over the opening where light enters, if you want a more precise image and do not mind losing brightness/magnification. Great for things like planets where you are already pushing 300x

[@Jammsbro1]

Excellent video. I got a national geographic telescope for christmas last year and it was so poor that i nearly gave up until i found out it was generally regarded as a crap scope. I'll be using this guide to search for a new one.

[@FinalLugiaGuardian]

I love looking at the stars. I still have a scope that I got about 8 years ago. Despite its age, it still does a good job.

[@seenvision]

thanks for this, TF. I'm thinking about getting one but had no idea what to look for. this is great

[@gowmars]

I was wondering when you were going to make this video. Very informative thank you very much for posting it.

[@MrWhoevr]

I'm buying my first one too and have been doing a lot of research. I think I'm going to go with what Strettger got except I want the motorized version. The Celestron 130EQ MD for about $200. Look for Celestron or Orion for good unexpensive telescopes.

[@technicalpeace]

One thing I would suggest to people interested in starting out in the hobby (if they haven't already) would be to first buy a good pair of binoculars, ideally 7x50 (50mm aperture, 7x magnification). A decent pair will cost about $100 and are really versatile and you will find that you probably will use them more than any telescope you end up buying and are a great way to get familiar with the night sky.

[@anothersquid]

For casual stargazing, that is portable and easy to set up binoculars are always much more cost-effective than a telescope. I always recommend that people interested in stargazing start with a decent set of 8x50mm binoculars. They can use that to see planets and many objects in the sky that are bigger than the usual field of view of a telescope. Once they're familar with the sky, then move to a telescope. I have 3 binos (100mm largest) and a 8" scope. I still use the binos much more

[@patchesdf]

This was very helpful and those scopes are genuinely beautiful

[@MrTheFlyingSaucer]

After a month of considering different options i actually oredered the skywatcher 130/900 can't wait to get it!

[@metometo7792]

Another option is finding a stargazing club and see if they have any scope building classes. That's the way I got into the hobby, made my own 4" reflector and equatorial tripod.

[@tazer95]

This is the perfect Christmas gift to ask my parents for. Perfect timing, TF00t!

[@ivry4846]

This is exactly what I needed to be happy!