As with so many other things in life, education can help you avoid making frustrating mistakes. If you’re a beginner, a few minutes reading this article before you buy a telescope can save you a lot of disappointment later. Making an informed choice can get you a scope that will provide you with many years of enjoyment. Don't be discouraged and get an AZ mounted quality 70mm refractor, cheap and will allow you to know the sky and see quite somethings while you save for something better. Stability: The tripod ensures a steady base, minimizing vibrations that can blur or distort the observed objects. This stability is crucial for observing at high magnifications or capturing astrophotography. Every January my astronomy club hosts a telescope workshop in which we help people learn how to use the telescopes they got for the holidays or tune up scopes that have been gathering dust in closets. And every year we face the same problem: how to gently tell some of them that what they’ve got is better suited for a boat anchor than for astronomy. On the other hand, a good computerized mount can be an amazing experience. Several manufacturers now build systems that recognize the star field when you power them on and reliably know where to go when you tell them what you want to look at. It’s just that these good systems cost a fair amount of money, and you’re unlikely to get a good one at a beginner’s-scope price. The Orion StarBlast 4.5 tabletop reflector is an excellent starter scope. Recommendations

My thinking was that for a kid to get interested in astronomy, he or she needs first to be able to find their way around the sky. The star atlas will show the beginner where to look to find clusters, nebulae, the Andromeda galaxy, etc., and the binocs will whet their interest enough to learn more and want to see them in more detail. THEN is when they'll be ready for a telescope. At any rate, he or she will still need the binoculars when they have a telescope, so the binocs are the perfect "starter". Of course, if they have the advantage of living where there is a good astronomy club or society with telescopes for the members to use, they won't have to buy a scope at all! Aperture is represented by the diameter of the objective lens or primary mirror but is actually measured by the total surface area. Keep this in mind when comparing aperture sizes because it means that a 100mm lens can see 50% more detail than a 70mm lens. For the most part, telescopes with an aperture of less than 70mm are viewed as more of a toy than a scientific instrument. However, they aren’t always a bad choice when searching for budget telescopes or a way to view terrestrial objects. This clever scope is able to see clearly as far as Saturn, and can even show you the Crab Nebula M82 and M81

Few tips before you make your final decision

Going out and about and capturing images of the night sky from different places is one of the best things you can do with your telescope. For the best travel portable telescope, look no further than the Celestron 52304 Regal M2 65ED Spotting Scope. This scope is not just for nighttime viewing; you can use it in the daytime for amazing imagery too. Perfect for bird watching or spotting wildlife from afar, the 52304 provides crystal clear images and great focus. The Extra Low Dispersion (ED) glass is ideal for capturing accurate colour reproduction and minimising chromatic aberration. It’s great for those that wish to dabble in astronomy as well as using the scope to view things closer to home. What I like about it: Nice to see articles like this regularly. So many get a trashy 60mm refractor with an equally trashy equatorial mount, and get turned off the whole hobby before they begin. Astrophotography combines looking at beautiful imagery millions of miles away, with creating lasting records of those striking images. If you are looking into astrophotography, you will be looking into the best piece of kit that you can possibly find – and you have found it! The Explore Scientific Apochromatic Refractor AP 80/480 Ed Aluminium OTA is what you have been searching for. The air spaced, triple optical design and diffraction limited optics gives you the sharpest shots you could wish for, and the high quality images produced reflect the quality of the scope. What I like about it: Slokey Discover The World is a brand offering astronomical telescopes, binoculars, and rangefinders to customers. Our Slokey Discover The World review dives deep into the brand and its collection. We’ll provide the details on the quantity, price, and more to help you decide if these products are your new must-haves. Point your telescope at the object you want to observe. Look through the finderscope attached to you telescope and adjust the telescope until the object is centered in the scope. Now, look through the telescope’s eyepiece. If you centered the object in the scope, it should also be centered in the eyepiece. 5. How to set up a telescope with an equatorial mount?

Figuring out your surroundings is key – it’s no good getting a telescope that might not be suitable for your particular area, because you will only end up frustrated when you can’t see anything!Dobs are the way to go yes, but they are also much less common in the low end, that makes both avaliability and pricing, problems. Some people simply don't have the money to afford what most would call a decent telescope, "Save more money" is not really helping either. The motorised function, once you get used to it, is a fantastic addition and once which makes the whole journey even more rewarding

GoTo or computerised telescopes are the new generation of stargazing, and if you are into your gadgetry then you will definitely want to get one! The best one we have found is the Orion 27191 Starblast IntelliScope Reflector. Although it uses manual controls rather than computerised spotting, this does not detract from the overall performance. It is compact and light, making it a great choice to take out and about on stargazing trips, or even just a camping stay where you want to get some great shots of the night sky. What I like about it: All lenses and mirrors display images that are inverted upside down, left to right or rotated. This includes lenses in cameras, our eyes and telescopes. So don’t worry if you are getting an upside down image; your telescope is working fine. If you want to flip the image the right way, use a star diagonal or an erecting prism. 2. What is telescope aperture? There’s more to it than size and simplicity, though. It also comes with quality optics and all the capability a budding astronomer could ask for. The SkyWays 40070 can magnify objects by up to 120 times to provide observers with clear views of the Moon, the planets of the Solar System and its surrounding stars. Included with the telescope, tripod and travel case are a 3x Barlow lens, 25mm and 10mm eyepieces and a smartphone adaptor (for taking photos or filming videos). Swing your telescope to the right spot in the sky and look for a yellowish-golden bright object that’s shining steadily. Once you find it, use your finderscope to focus on it then increase the magnification of your eyepiece until you can see the planet’s rings. When it comes to understanding a telescope’s ability, the aperture is the primary trait to look for because it indicates how much light can be gathered to produce the magnified image. Greater aperture captures more light resulting in better image quality and the ability to see fainter heavenly bodies that are further away.

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The SloKey Skyways 40070 Telescope offers decent optical quality, especially considering its affordability. While not on par with high-end telescopes, it still provides clear and enjoyable views of celestial objects.