(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best binoculars, telescopes & optics

Hello :-)

Great advice so far!

 



> don't want a possible expensive clothes hanger

Sadly a lot of telescopes in this price range are rubbish, despite overly enthusiastic reviews on sites like Amazon and descriptions that sound amazing.

Aperture and optic quality are key, there's no way around it. Most entry level telescopes on tripod suck. It may not sound like a big deal, but it really, really makes focusing, tracking and observing tedious.

What to expect in different telescope aperture sizes

 



> sun

Normal visual solar filters do not show the sun as you have seen them on some images. Prominences for example won't be visible like on images.
Here's a comparison of visual light and dedicated solar scopes, the left is the visual filter: image (source).

You can make a filter with (quality!) solar filter sheets, it's quite simple.

 

> $150

New, there's basically only the Dazzle 4.5, but it will be a compromise.

IF you want something decent, consider the Meade Lightbridge Mini 130, Zhumell z130 or AWB Onesky (very compact, not suited for solar observing though!). Those sell for $199, occasionally you can get a slightly cheaper deal. These are excellent starter telescopes that do not suck. Their only down-side is that they are low to the ground, but you can put them on something, and they still will be much more stable than anything in this price-range.

Used, you may find a XT4.5 or XT6 dobsonian within your budget.

 


> niece

The AWB Onesky is very nice for kids, as a larger telescope or set with tripod can be quite bulky. Also see

• Size comparisons; https://www.reddit.com/r/telescopes/comments/4ldauj/need_help_identifying_a_good_telescope_to_buy_for/d3mr0xp/
  
  
  7 is very young for a telescope, but you are the one who's better able to judge how deep the interest is, and if it's the right choice. Be aware: Especially the small refractors and flawed short reflectors on garbage mount will cause so much frustration that you'll eliminate all fascination and enthusiasm right away. Don't get a telescope at all before you get something not worth it. :-)
  
  
  Pointing the telescope at the moon and planets is pretty easy with some guidance. A good book and phone+app can help with that.
  
  
  
   
  
  > DSLR
  
  It's not possible to take great images in this price range. Snapshots of Moon and planets are possible, but you have to understand that astrophotography has completely different requirements then day-time photography and visual astronomy. Many telescopes even have issues reaching focus with DSLR. But you can get a T2 adapter and Barlow and take nice snapshots of the moon with almost every telescope ;-)
  
  
   
  
  > Terrestrial
  
  Get a spotting scope or binoculars for $30-$50. There's just no device that does everything equally well. A while back you could get a Celestron c90 spotting scope that could do a bit of everything, but if the main focus lies on astronomy, a large aperture reflector will be the best budget solution, but turns the image up-side-down.
  
   
  
  > extensive adjustment
  
  Reflectors need collimation, but it's not like they don't work anymore and need it every time. Something like the AWB Onesky will still outperform a short 80mm spotting scope, even if the alignment is a bit off. And mirrors of mirror telescopes are not your average houshold mirror that's a couple of millimeters thin, but big chunks of glass that are sturdy... As long as you don't rub a cloth over the delicate coating.
  
  
   
  
  Sorry for the long rant :-) I know a lot was already mentioned, but it really, really is important.
  
  Looking at the other things in the area from your craigslist-link: There is a $50 70eq telescope. It's small, but it will be nice for the moon and shows Saturn as small disc with rings. EQ mounts of this size are somewhat OK for smaller telescopes (not for the 130/5" ones though). EQ mounts are relatively difficult to set up though (->
  How to align, How to use an equatorial mount).
  
  Ideally, consider the Orion Dazzle 4.5 (new $120) or even better, the AWB Onesky ($199)/z130/Mini 130. The 5" table tops are very, very good. They are something that won't get boring soon, have decent optics, and are easy to handle by children (size).
  
  
  
• https://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=4&zenid=dpc0abiafvp2h9fjv0udgsu9i4
  
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Meade-Instruments-LightBridge-Telescope-203003/dp/B01C5TG53Y
  
  
• https://www.telescopesplus.com/products/zhumell-z130-portable-altazimuth-reflector-telescope
  
  For solar, be very, very cautious. It's dangerous. Instant and permanent eye-damage, even if there's just a split second of unwariness. Solar binoculars with firmly attached filter might be a better choice for a child. The open structure for the Onesky is not suited for solar.
  
  Telescope.com regularly has refurbished telescopes, e.g. the Orion xt4.5 for $160-$170 or so. It is somewhat comparable to the 5" table-tops (a bit taller, a bit smaller aperture, contrast benefits though due to smaller obstruction).
  
  
• Telescope.com clearance section - Nothing suitable atm though
  
  Th mentioned c90 is a small Maksutov. It's really not going to show as much as the 5" table tops regarding planets, but it's nice for terrestrial.
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0038QYRDO/ref=sr_1_1_olp?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1502311419&sr=1-1&keywords=celestron+c90
  
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-39-100x90mm-Maksutov-Spotting-52268-OP/dp/B002OUBI5A/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1502311419&sr=1-2&keywords=celestron+c90
  
  
• Requires a halfway sturdy camera tripod with enough leeway though.
  
  
  Clear skies!

Head over to /r/telescopes and read the stickied thread over there. Great community. You may find a particular need will lead you to a certain telescope, but for purely visual observing, it's hard to beat a dobsonian reflector. Dobs are often called "light buckets" because the primary mirror is large and can collect a lot of light, making for better views.

The cheapest dob worth buying is the $200 AWB OneSky. It's a collapsible tabletop scope with a 5" primary mirror. Another scope of the same size and price is the Zhumell Z130. Zhumell is a respected dob maker, and I haven't heard many reviews of the Z130, but it won the "best telescope value" award for 2016. It's slightly less portable, but that portability requires a little bit of setup, so the choice is kind of just about your personal situation.

With a telescope like one of those, you will be able to see all the planets (Uranus and Neptune will appear just as blueish dots), Saturn's rings and moons, and Jupiter's moons and great red spot (in good seeing conditions).

You will be able to watch the moon in great detail, and see galaxies - Andromeda will look like this, nebula - Orion will look like this, and star clusters - M13 will look like this, all depending on seeing conditions.

If you can afford an 8" dob telescope, you will be able to collect 250% as much light as with a 5" telescope, and will get better results. Again, Zhumell is a good manufacturer. The Z8 is $400 and often considered the best value for an 8" dob because of the good accessories.

If you are ok buying used, you may be able to get a lightly used 8" for the price of a new 5". I got this collapsible 8" telescope for $250 lightly used. I once saw an 8" go for $100, but the person selling didn't know what they had.

Here is a picture that I took last week. My son and I set up in the town center and invited people to look at Saturn and its rings and moons.

Good times.

Light pollution will nail you no matter what equipment you've got unfortunately. You're better off travelling out of the urban areas to darker skies.

Astronomy binocs can be pretty big and heavy. Imo you're just as well off with a pair of decent "non astronomy" 7x50s or 10x50s. 7x50s will give you wider views, nice for big stunning vistas. 10x50s will get you more power but they're right on the edge of being okay to hand hold - at that magnification you are better off with a tripod.

The binocs I use (and love) are the Pentax PCF WP II 10x50. I've got them mounted on a regular cheap video camera tripod by way of a Barska adapter.

I would also recommend a camping mat that you can roll out on the ground. Sometimes it's nicer to just lie on your back without the tripod.

As for what you'll see, binocs up to 10x50 are really only any good for bright clusters like Pleiades and the beehive and for some decent lunar views. The brighter DSOs like the Orion nebula and Andromeda will be visible as faint, fuzzy, monochrome smudges. On a good clear dark night you might make out Jupiters 4 main moons as tiny specs extending in a line from the brighter "star" that is Jupiter, but you won't see detail in Jupiter such as banding or the red spot without something much more powerful.

I'll just point out that you can get these Celestron 10x50 binoculars for under $20 right now on Amazon (US).

I wouldn't normally recommend them, but they were my first pair of binoculars (I just started stargazing last year) and they opened my eyes to astronomy. They have many shortcomings in comparison to more expensive pairs, but for a beginner like me who just wanted get a hands-on experience with 10x binoculars without spending hardly any money, these performed much better than their price tag may suggest.

If you like what you see through them, you'll want to upgrade pretty soon as even spending only around $80 can get you a vastly superior visual experience (as well as better features like longer eye relief, which is especially good if you wear glasses like me).

This could be a good option if you're not sure what you want and just want to try something out, learn what you like and don't like, and go from there. Good luck!

The absolute best telescopes for beginners is a good 8 inch dobsonion. If you are willing to take the time to learn the night sky and don't need goto a good one is 400 or so new. For 650 you can get a push to 8 inch scope that allows you to tell it what you want to see and it will tell you how to push the scope to see it. True motorized ones are much more expensive

The reason 8 inches is the best starters is it's big enough to provide great views of everything from the moon, the major planets and all the brightest deep space objects. The dobsonion type scope is easy to setup,very stable, and light enough that it's not a big production to get it out and ready.

If you get a scope order the book "turn left at Orion" on Amazon. It is a great book that gives you easy to understand directions on where to point a scope any time of the year to see the best objects currently in the sky. Also see if there are any astronomy clubs in your area because they are normally very willing to help you get started

Astrophotography is a whole other can of worms and requires specialized telescopes mounts cameras etc

Below are some examples of Scopes and good reading:
https://www.amazon.com/SkyWatcher-S11610-Traditional-Dobsonian-8-Inch/dp/B00Z4G3PRK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=skywatcher+dobsonian+8&qid=1569033244&s=gateway&sprefix=skywatcher+dobs&sr=8-3


https://www.telescope.com/mobileProduct/Telescopes/Dobsonian-Telescopes/Classic-Dobsonians/Orion-Limited-Edition-SkyQuest-XT8-Classic-Dobsonian-Bundle/pc/1/c/12/sc/13/101452.uts

https://www.telescope.com/mobileProduct/Telescopes/Dobsonian-Telescopes/IntelliScope-Dobsonians/Orion-SkyQuest-XT8i-IntelliScope-Dobsonian-Telescope/pc/1/c/12/sc/27/102012.uts

https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundreds-Telescope/dp/1108457568/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=turn+left+at+orion&qid=1569034887&s=gateway&sprefix=turn+left&sr=8-1

So the #1 thing I need you to keep in mind is that no earthbound telescope is going to get you a “Hubble” image.

I don’t personally have experience with the 130p but from a much smaller telescope I could still see jupiter/its bands and it’s moons, the gap between Saturn and its rings. With the dobsonian, those details will be enhanced and the magnification capabilities are much greater.

The planets are cool, but the treat with the dobsonian is the nebulae. Orion is big and bright so you can realistically see it with your naked eye if it was dark enough... but look at it with an 8 inch dobsonian and it will change your life. Other nebulae that aren’t as bright become very visible with wide aperture (the width of the tube) telescopes.

All of this being said, the 130p has 5 inches of aperture vs my first telescopes 3 ish inches - so you’d get a better view at first than I did, and brighter nebulae will still be a treat. I would also consider a 6 inch dobsonian mount. Less of an increase in price, wider aperture than the 130p, and has the full length the 8 inch you were shown has (longer tube, more magnification).

Sorry for the Amazon link but I’m at work and it’s the easiest way for me to show you what I mean;

SkyWatcher S11600 Traditional Dobsonian 6-Inch (White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z4G3D22/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Vo-1Db3FP8Y00

Honestly if your set on a $200 telescope the onesky or z130 best options. You may want to start with a pair of binoculars and tripod (for extended viewing) to help you get familiar with night sky. Binoculars are best value when starting in this hobby and unlike most beginner scopes you'll never outgrow them.

Zhumell 12x70 good for the price a bit large to be held by hand work best with tripod. I use bushnell 10x20 for quick viewing sessions light so easy to move from object to object.

I recommend starting with binoculars rather than any of those scopes also inside viewing no good with either. IMO to get the experience you want from having a telescope you'll have to invest in something likeZhumell Z8. That's why starting with binos will help you better decide if investing in a telescope is for you.

I just recently got into birding and wanted a cheap pair of binoculars for a trip I took to Panama. I ended up with these from amazon for just about 30 dollars. I am sure there are tons of issues with them that someone with more experience would notice, but they work great for me. Focusing is really easy and the clarity honestly seems nice. One problem I had in a humid climate was fogging, but once I was out in the field for about 15 minutes, the fogging actually went away.

I plan on upgrading soon, but I am glad I got this cheaper pair to make sure I would even enjoy the hobby.

Don't get the celestron. Their low-end range is very bad for a variety of reasons.

At that price range, I'd recommend the Sky-Watcher Heritage 130p. It has the same aperture (you'll be able to see the same objects), but on a sturdier mount, and better optical quality (the celestron has a flawed spherical mirror). It's on a very stable dobsonian-style mount, but you'll need to put it on a table to use it at eye level. It's pretty much what everyone on this sub recommends, and for good reason.

The moon will look phenomenal (it does through any telescope!) and brighter deep sky objects (Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy) should also be visible. The planets will be doable, but I recommend getting a better quality eyepiece for higher magnifications. The 6mm Gold-Line eyepiece is a good choice that won't break the bank.

Clear skies!

Are you open to refurb options? They could save you some money in the long run. I'll assume no for right now.

AVR - Yamaha RX-V377 or Denon AVR-S500BT for $250. The Denon adds in Bluetooth if that is something important to you. However, you can't go wrong with either one.

Speakers - I would look at a 5.1 set since you're starting from scratch. That would give you a 5.1 right away meaning you would get all five surround speakers and a sub included. Since you're in an apt I think a sat set would be fine. I would look at these sets.

• Yamaha NS-SP1800BL $120 a entry level set but a great place to start. Keeps you well under budget.
  
  
• Dayton Audio HTP-3 $200 This set comes with a Dayton 12" sub so make sure you have room for it. If not they sell the same set with either the 10" or 8" sub too.
  
  
• JBL Cinema 510 $150 nice set with small sats and a small 6.5" sub. Great for small spaces but if you move to a bigger place you might have to upgrade at least the sub.
  
  You could also get a prepack which is an AVR and speakers in one package. The Yamaha YHT399UBL $350 is a good example of this.
  
  Don't forget the following when you order.
  
  
• Optical cable $6 to hook up the TV/cable box to the AVR.
  
  
• HDMI cables $8 to hook up the AVR to the TV and dvd/brp ect to AVR
  
  
• speaker wire $10 needed to hook up the speakers in the Dayon set. Not a bad idea to get in case the wires that come with the sets are not long enough for where you want to put your speakers.
  
  
• Subwoofer cable $12 needed if getting the Dayton set as I don't think this comes with the sub cable.

The one I referenced above will cost more then people would expect to pay. But you will get excellent optics, the two most common eye pieces, and it will be small enough to easily take with you in the trunk of most cars. I bought the 8-inch version, and while I love it, I wished I had gotten the smaller one. There is no reason the one linked above or one like it could not last you the rest of your life.

Now if 270 is a bit too much you can check if there is a telescope store near you, most sell used scopes on consignment.

Or binoculers are a good alternative. The one linked should last the rest of your life. Will proved decent views of the heavens, and can be used by a nosy neighbor as well.

A third alternative is a good spotting scope. Through my brothers you can see Jupiter and its moons. For Binoculers and Spotting Scopes you will need a tripod for the best views.

Differences in these options.
Through the scope with a good night, and the right eye pieces you should see Jupiter's Major cloud bands and maybe the Red Spot. as well as all Galilean Moons and sometimes others. In the right conditions you will see Saturn's Rings and the Cassini division.

Binoculars and a spotting scope should yield views similar to OP's photo.

Morthylist:
Item which would most make you seem like an old posh Englishman: Keep calm and carry on mug ("Random" WL)
Most "oh god, I would never be seen with this in public" looking item: As much as I love the movie, I'd still be a little embarrassed to be carrying The Little Mermaid around ("Moving Pictures!" WL)
Most phallic looking item: Uh...a sword, I guess ("If I had a million $$$s" WL)

Akeleielist:
Most geeky item: Coffee mug with a caffeine molecule on it ("Random" WL)
Item which would most help you achieve a goal: Running shorts to get my butt back in shape ("Fandom" WL)
Best item to bring to a deserted island: A telescope? I can look for ships on the horizon during the day, and look at the pretty astronomical sights at night! ("If I had a million $$$s" WL)

Love you both! :)

Ah gotcha. I wasn't sure the age of your son, but it's awesome you are looking for one for your young son and helping him to venture into the world of science. If I were you I'd just wait and find a decent scope on craigslist. If he is still interested in astronomy in a couple years then I would throw down some money on a scope. I think a smaller scope for seeing the planets and looking at the moon will be interesting for him. The Orion XT6 is pretty large, but they do sell a 4.5" model which would be a bit smaller and cheaper. Link

I wouldn't buy anything from Wal-mart or K-mart though, those scopes are kind of trashy. I used to have a Tasco when I was younger that I won in a fundraiser and I could see the moon and not too much else so it was kind of disappointing.

Best of luck.

I already have all of this set up except for the XB1. Right now the switcher just goes into the TV. I've had it for about a month so I'll tell you my experience so far.

First off, here's the switcher I got. It's $87 but it's on sale for $34.99. That's why I got it all now, I couldn't pass that price up. Installation is really easy. In the picture you can see there are 5 numbered ports that you plug the devices into. There's one port for output. And, of course, a power input. The front has 5 LED's, one for each input. Whichever input you use is the LED that is currently lit. Also there's an LED to indicate that it's on. What isn't shown is the remote (I don't know why). It's very small. I'd say about 3"x2"x1/4". It takes one of those round watch batteries. It only has 8 buttons- 1 for power, 5 for inputs, 1 with a left arrow, 1 with a right arrow (for quick input switching). The IR detector is on the front next to the LED's. The switcher is black, so it blends in. It was very easy to set up and use, this coming from a guy that knows nothing about wiring things or any of that. If you can install a game console into a TV, you can install this thing. Basically, plug all your devices into the inputs via HDMI cable (if your device doesn't have one, look for an HDMI out port on it or a converter for the device). Then, plug an HDMI cable from the output of the switcher to the input of your TV and you're done. Just turn on your cable box, for example. Let's say it goes to input 1 on the switcher. Put the switcher on input 1, and the TV will show the picture. What I've been finding is if I have my cable box on in input 1, and I turn my xbox 360 on (in input 2), the switcher will automatically switch to input 2. However, when I turn the xbox off, it doesn't automatically go back to input 1 which is weird. Also, the LED's on the front are bright. I'm not kidding, it was somewhat blinding. Especially since the remote has to be pointed directly at the box, so you can't exactly hide it. I put a piece of black paper over it. It's dark enough to dim the light, but thin enough to still show what input I'm on. These are just some things to consider.

All in all, I love it, and I can't wait to use in on the XB1. It'll be great.

TL;DR: Mine was on sale for $35, but regularly is $87. No, setup is a breeze, even for a guy like me who knows nothing about wiring. If you can hookup your game console to your TV, you can hook up one of these.

EDIT: I'd also like to point out to anyone wondering, there's no lag caused by this at all. It's just like the XB1 passthrough. It doesn't do any upscaling of definition or anything like that.

Since you mentioned stars, do you live in an area where a telescope would make sense? Even if you have some light pollution, as long as you're not right in a city, you can see a ton with good binoculars or a fairly affordable telescope. (I live within walking distance of a big mall with obnoxious lighting and can still see plenty from my yard.)

Check out r/astronomy first since I'm pretty new at that whole hobby, but I have binoculars from Celestron (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007UQNTU/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awd_teQ4wbX0HFY8W) and it's absolutely breathtaking how many stars you can see. The guide Night Watch is a good side gift to go along with it, although there are tons of free apps (I like Google sky map) that work well, too.

How technical / mechanically savvy is she? Has she shown a strong interest in astronomy, or are you giving her this gift in the hopes that she'll find it interesting?

The reason I ask is that while the second one you linked to is a better instrument, it's harder to operate the mount and get the scope to point where you want it. A non-mechanically savvy or only partially interested kid may lose interest because the mount could prove to be too frustrating to use.

I've had numerous telescopes in my life, currently have a mid-grade refractor on an equatorial mount, and it's a pain in the ass even for me. I don't use it as often as I would like because it's cumbersome. Cheap equatorial mounts also vibrate like crazy, blurring images the instant you touch the focuser.

The only reason to get an equatorial mount is if you want motorized / aligned tracking of objects. A smooth alt-az mount is just as easy to keep objects centered with IMO, and it's SIGNIFICANTLY easier to just aim at them.

If she does have a strong interest, and you're willing to stretch your budget a bit, you can get her a scope she'll grow into rather than grow out of, by getting something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Orion-10014-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B0000XMSNO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417754292&sr=8-2&keywords=orion+skyquest

It's not that your HDMI isn't working; your computer isn't working with the power supply you've installed.

You will need a four pin to eight pin adapter for the power supply to work. Take a careful look at the item and make sure it'll fit your power supply before you buy anything. You don't have to buy this item, but something similar will do.

Don't buy power supplies that haven't been reviewed by professionals. When you look at power supply reviews read the conclusion first to save some time. If the power supply looks promising, and it's recommended then read the review. And make sure the power supply will work for you as is.

This website says your power supply is 200 Watts.

It would probably be best to return the power supply if at all possible and get something a bit more reliable.

There are several different issues here.

ISS moves pretty quickly on the sky. You either need binoculars (as cheap as $29 ) and a steady hand, or a telescope with tracking complex enough that it can track satellites - those are not cheap.

Furthermore, all that tracking and stuff is money not spent on the optics, so while that telescope can pull this neat trick of following the ISS on the sky, it's not that good of a scope otherwise (for the money you spent).

A good general purpose telescope would be something with a very simple mount, no motors, no bells and whistles, but a good and large primary mirror. Basically, a Dobson or some other simple alt-az mount. Yes, there are good beginner scopes at $100, if you know where and how to look - for that money you get around 100mm (4") of aperture, good enough. For 150mm (6") or 200mm (8") aperture you need to spend around 3x more.

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=beginner_scopes/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=09541

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=HP_ProductZone1/~pcategory=HOMEPAGE/~product_id=09814

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=08942/

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=08943/

The bigger the aperture, the more stuff you see.

Here's an older post, the context was different (OP was looking for a general purpose beginner scope) but some info may be useful:

http://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/eeltj/telescope_question/c17jkxm

Here is a finished version consisting of my favorite images of the objects within the solar system I have taken an image of. Sorry Pluto! Maybe one day I will get around to adding you! :)

Thanks for looking!

If you feel like looking at some of my other images or following me on social media, here is a shameless plug to my Instagram

__
Equipment:

• Meade LX80 8" ACF
  
  
• Nexstar 8SE (no longer own this, sold when I got the LX80)
  
  
• ZWO ASI120MC
  
  
  Acquisition varied per target. Essentially the idea for these images is to take video in order to make the final image. I use a program known as PIPP to stabilize the video and discard frames that have no target within the field of view. Following this I use Auto Stakkert 2 to stack the best frames with the best atmospheric disturbance which gives you the most clarity as well as the least amount of noise. Lastly, I use a program known Registax 6 to sharpen and perform some other manipulations to the output of the Auto Stakkert image. All of these programs are available for free online.

>I can't really afford a telescope

Start with some binocs if you can swing around $100. These, coupled with a tripod, can do wonders. I have this pair, and can easily see the Galilean moons, Messier objects, and some great detail on the moon. You won't see banding on Jupiter or anything with these, but certainly more than with your eyes, and they are portable enough that you can take them places with you.

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-71018-SkyMaster-20x80-Binoculars/dp/B0007UQNTU/ref=sr_1_21?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1324346208&sr=1-21

Either way, keep on looking up! There are a lot of us out there. I'm the exact same way as you. I'm very passionate about space and the night sky, and try to share it with people who are curious. I've shown a few people the 4 main moons of Jupiter through my binocs, and they are generally kind of taken back and stunned if they have never seen them for themselves before.

Space is powerful.

I got a set on a cruise on The Love Boat back in 77 (still have them) they are like this and they were decent.

Back in Jan in Hawaii and purchased something simular to these and they are very nice. Almost the same view and smaller, therefore easier to take with you. Think of that consideration when purchasing. Are you going on excursions, can they get wet, what do you want to see.

Our trips have been in late Aug and mid Sept, so we missed out on most of the wild life.

The set I got in 77 was taken with us on our second cruise and they were very good, but the optics in the new smaller one are better.

I guess it comes down to what you are hoping to get a closer look at; Slower items like scenery or whales are not at problem. Birds are another issue.

You definitely don't need to spend multiple hundreds of dollars for your first pair of binoculars. Consider these Celestrons as a similarly-priced alternative - actually, I'd probably choose these since they are tripod-adaptable without having to resort to a clamp. Astronomy can be a money-hungry hobby so the money you save now can be used for a tripod later. Your priority should be learning to use the binoculars really well. You should feel comfortable using the focus wheel, the diopter, setting the interpupillary distance for your eyes easily, and of course scanning the sky with increasing accuracy as you learn where things are. Seeing things is also a skill that requires practice, which sounds kinda funny, but as you start to learn which objects are where and return to them over and over you'll develop observing skills that will increase the efficacy of your binoculars. Spending a couple hundred more bucks won't get you any closer to that; the only thing that will is time invested in the hobby.

You should know that binoculars can get very expensive very fast, like everything else in this hobby. Later, if you want to upgrade your binoculars, you can go for stuff like these 25x100s and eventually binocular telescopes. But that's a long way off, and $50 and a field guide will have you well on your way. I suggest taking a look at the Astronomical League's observing challenges and setting some goals for things to look at with your binoculars. That way you'll have a sort of structured curriculum to try out while you get used to using them.

Your system is very unlikely to ever pull more than 300w, actually. EVGA recommends 500w to be on the safe side and I'd personally go for at least 450w, but 700w is definitely unnecessary. Also, as others have said, that's actually a legitimately scary-looking PSU in terms of build quality, and I'm the kind to go easy on budget units.

If you want something with a similar price, the CX450M is the only thing one I trust, at least that I've seen from UK retailers. Anything else will be a fair bit more expensive, but the tier list linked in the other comment will generally not steer you wrong, though it is a bit dated and occasionally inaccurate (for example, it doesn't know about the CXM refresh that greatly improved the series' quality).

I don't know your budget but this is a great telescope for a 9 year old and you wont be disappointed. It's durable and a really good scope that will last a long time. Maybe get a barlow lens because it doesn't come with one but it's the best bang for the buck. You will be taking this puppy out and orion has a great customer service. Here is the link

http://www.amazon.com/Orion-SkyQuest-Classic-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/tags-on-product/B0000XMSNO

It's a very capable scope for the price, better than any refractor you could get for that money.

Edit because I'm being modded down: *at the price* it is the best telescope to buy (unless buying used). Yes, it would be better to save up and buy the Orion SkyScanner for 100 GBP (more than twice the price) or even better to get the SkyWatcher Heritage 130p u/phpdevster named for 162 GBP ... but that is almost 4 times the price. Good for OP if they have (and want to spend) that kind of money, but in the 45-50GBP price range the Firstscope *is* a good scope.

From cheapest with the least amount of features to the most expensive with the most features.

SE400 Inspection Scope
-

Cheapest Option, no zoom, but large working distance at .5x Very limited and similar to getting a 250cc bike when you need atleast 1000cc. Great to learn how to scope with, but a waste of money after a month when you could have put the money to a better unit.

---

SW-3T24Z Trinocular Stereo Microscope
-

Trinoc without simufocal so you lose depth of field when the cameras on, ( you can only see out of 2 of the 3 ports at once ) and you cannot pull the scope out, so its got limited rage.

---

SM4B Stereo Boom Scope
-

Basic Binoc scope with decent features, zoom and reach. Decent working area around 5.5 to 6 in

---

SM4TP Simufocal Stereo Boom Scope
-

Best of the best for the price, has capabilty to have cmount camera attached for 3rd viewer on a tv for training or for youtube livestreaming, ect

---

Good luck! and dont forget to buy a ring light!

Thanks for the advice! I'm leaning strongly toward binoculars right now - the person doesn't have any experience stargazing, just a very, very strong interest, so I was thinking I could afford binoculars and that could be a good introductory gift (plus some of the books already recommended here on stargazing).

I asked another reddit user this, but I'm looking at these two binoculars. Is there one you would suggest over the other? (I'm relying on reviews and doing my best to look up what these specs mean in terms of performance, but any thoughts would be greatly appreciated).

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-71018-SkyMaster-20x80-Binoculars/dp/B0007UQNTU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334868191&sr=8-2

And

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-SkyMaster-Binoculars-Tripod-Adapter/dp/B00008Y0VN/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334868191&sr=8-1

I started with this one. A celestron 130slt. I know people don’t like the computerized ones but in my opinion, for an amateur, it’s really great. Amazon has a warehouse deal for $320 right now. It’s a great telescope for beginners. I even took some pictures of the moon and stars. You can see the rings separated from Saturn but you cannot tell that there are two rings if that makes sense.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007UQNNQ/

This was my first pair and honestly they are pretty great for the low price point. Magnification typically runs in 7x, 8x, 10x, and sometimes 12x, so these binoculars are on the lower end. However, I think this is a great thing for beginner birding because you can more easily get a bead on fast-moving birds. The paddle makes it easy to quickly focus, and for $30 you won't be devastated if something happened to them. I've actually taken these on bird walks and found that, with a little patience, you can keep up with the birders carrying $500+ binoculars just fine.

Is she interested in using the telescope visually too? or mostly just for photography?

A "complete package" scope at that price that would be pretty decent for visual and also decent for lunar/planetary/very bright DSOs is the Celestron NexStar 4se plus a T-adaptor and T-ring for her Nikon. Total: under $500

One that would require a bit more work and luck to find used stuff, but might be worth it if she wants to continue with the hobby: Used Celestron AVX or Orion Sirius mount, some kind of power option, cheap 80mm refractor like the Orion Short Tube, T-ring for Nikon. Total: Maybe $600 if you get lucky

The problem is that there are no scopes available on the market that would fit all of your points!

• You can get a 8" dobsonian for half the budget, but that means no goto and no photography and is a bit bulky to transport.
  
• Celestron NexStar 8 fits two points: size and transportability, but is over budget and is not suitable for any serious astrophotography (moon and brighter objects ok).
  
• Celestron EdgeHD 8 AVX fits the size, transportability and is suitable for AP, but is typically waaaay over budget.
  
• Celestron CPC 800 XLT -- a compromise between AZ and EQ mounting, can be mounted on a wedge for astrophotography. Also over budget.
  
• A simpler design from Meade should also be capable of being mounted on a wedge for AP.
  
  However, now that you've seen the examples, you can look for them on craigslist. Keep in mind, that the listed telescopes is just a tip of the iceberg, but it's a start and we can help you refine your choice from there.
  
  Or, you can get a mount and a smaller scope for AP separately -- it is not that aperture-dependent, all you need is a sturdy enough mount and you can do AP with just a camera, or a smaller, but higher quality telescope. Many of the astrophotographers I know go with a combination choice: a nice big 10-12" dobsonian for visual observations and 80-100mm (semi)APO refractor or 127-200mm newtonian on computerized EQ mount for astrophotography. Typically it will end up better and cheaper than having a one huge scope for everything.
  
  In the end, imagine a triangle with Aperture (visual), AP and Budget on each of the vertices. You can only have at most two at the same time.

Could you give a few examples of "higher end astronomy binoculars"?

I got a set of Celestron Upclose G2's from a friend and I'm pretty happy with them, but I'd like to know where I might go next. Should I get an even better set of binoculars, or should I just go straight for the telescope?

Yes I'm located in the U.K and cool thanks for this advice :) I've done some looking around and I was thinking about the http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0000XMSNO/ref=pd_aw_sbs_2?pi=SY115&simLd=1 Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 because I'm just not sure.. But I will definitely take what you have said into consideration and look at everything you have linked.. :) thank you reddit stranger

Hi,

I am Irish, so would be buying from either Amazon UK or one of the Euro sites.

The old telescopes I had were the kids style refactors, I dont have expectations of the telescope tracking to object being spot on, but anywhere in the ball park is fine, I can use charts for the rest.

I live in a pretty dark area and holiday in the International Dark Reserve so lucky with the lack of light pollution.

As for what I expect to see, Planets with some detail ? making out Saturn's rings or Jupiter's moons would be great of course. Some deep field objects.

I thought the pics one of the reviewers took here were class

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0007UQNNQ/ref=pe_2443651_89585181_em_ti

Haven't used that one, but it's 5.1 inch, so that's plenty big enough to see Saturn. Good eyepieces are key, though, to getting a good image. I had a cheap Meade 4 inch and it did okay. The model you link to included 1.25" eyepieces, so that's a good start. I haven't been into that stuff in years, though, so I don't know what else is available on the market.

EDIT: This one might be a better choice: http://www.amazon.com/Orion-Classic-Dobsonian-Telescope-Beginner/dp/B003ZDEUS2

this was my first scope, http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-NexStar-130-Computerized-Telescope/dp/B0007UQNNQ/ref=pd_ts_zbs_p_10693141_3/188-2997468-6997211?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=right-5&pf_rd_r=1RKJ9NYZ56K083VFJHY2&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=236989901&pf_rd_i=524138

You can see all the planets, and even the Galilean moons clearly, and the shots of the moon are awesome. Good for the Great Orion Nebulae as wel.

Hi /r/DIY!

I enjoy building stuff, and this won’t be my last telescope--I have three more planned over the next few years, plus a shipping container observatory! The last two times, I got a ton of questions (which I love to answer), but I’ll hit the most common questions that were asked on the previous telescopes:

-----------------------------------------------

How much did it cost to make?

It’s difficult to put a number on it. More than $1000, less than $2000, but there were so many small components and wasted materials it’s hard to say exactly. The optics (primary mirror, secondary mirror, spider combo) I picked up for $600 from eBay two years ago, which was a steal at twice the price. I used around $100 worth of plywood, about $80 of steel for the mirror cell, about $60 worth of plastics for the baffles and bearings, about $60 of aluminum for trusses...and I forgot how much I paid for the focuser, maybe $70? I’m also not counting wasted materials (wood, plastics, aluminum that I screwed up), which is probably in the $200-$500 range.

Also, I had to learn to weld (with help from /r/welding) in order to make the mirror cell, and bought all the welding equipment, which put me back a few hundred. However, I’ll be using that in the future, so I’m not counting that as a material cost.

If this were a professionally made dobsonian from a company like Obsession Telescopes, it would be worth around $6000.

How much does it weigh?

The entire assembly is 85 lb. The heaviest part by far is the mirror box (the thing with handles), which is a 26 lb. mirror (a 1.68” thick slab of glass), 11 lb. of steel, and 24 lb. of wood. Next time, I’m going to make the mirror cell detachable from the box so I can walk more than 30 feet before having to set it down. :P

How do you transport it?

It breaks into components (secondary cage, trusses, mirror box, rocker box, base) and can store in the back of a hatchback. It’s just a little bit too big for my Civic, but I was planning on trading up to a hatchback next month anyway because transporting lumber and raw materials is starting to put some serious nicks in the upholstery in the back seat of my Civic.

How long did it take you to build?

I began drafting the project back in January, with most of my serious design work in the spring. I welded the mirror cell in May, worked and reworked the design off and on through the summer, and did the final stretch of construction and finishing in September.

Can you take pictures with it?

Not really, at least not without another platform that I’m going to build. I have some DSLR cameras I picked up off of eBay (at an INSANE PRICE, I got a Canon D60 and Canon 20D, no lenses or batteries, for $80!!). The camera mounts right onto the scope, and I will be trying astrophotography. However, the full moon is a few tens of thousands of times brighter than the Orion Nebula, which requires around 30 second exposures to pick up anything at all. The problem is, the sky moves about a quarter of the way out of frame over 30 seconds, so all you get is a blur. It needs a tracking mount (called an “equatorial platform”) to stay fixed to a certain spot in the sky, and I’m in the process of designing and building one now.

What’s the focal length and focal ratio of the mirror?

Honestly, I don’t really know, the eBay auction is expired and I bought the optics two years ago. I think it was 2000mm, but once I used the jig to measure the optimal distance between the secondary mirror and the primary mirror, I went with that and didn’t bother going back to calculate the FL.

What should I do if I’m interested in astronomy but don’t have a huge budget?

First, subscribe to /r/astronomy!!

My advice is to get a mini-dob like this one. Some people will advise binoculars, but I disagree; a mini-dob is much easier to handle and you don’t have to deal with hand jitter. After you’ve found a bunch of Messier objects and want more, get an 8-inch classic dobsonian like this one.

---------------------------------

Past projects, in chronological order:

• 12.5” dobsonian, and while I’m proud of it as a first attempt, I later recognized a number of structural and design flaws and it’s much heavier than it needed to be.
  
  
• 12” dobsonian, as it turns out, way too flimsy and vibration-prone, I used it a few times and disassembled it. I am planning a sturdier rebuild.
  
  
• A CNC machine
  
  
• Another CNC machine after the first one died a slow, sputtering death
  
  
• This telescope.
  
  Software and math:
  
  
• An unpublished plugin for Sketchup that turns sketchup geometry into “gcode” instructions for a CNC machine (available upon request, no guarantees for functionality, I still have to tweak it every now and then)
  
  
• A math model for a spring cam that I ended up not needing.
  
  
• An unpublished balance plugin that allows me to define weight, density, and calculate center of mass of any Sketchup group or component, used to balance this 16” telescope so the center of mass was ¼” separated from the center of axis rotation. (Available upon request.)
  
  Future projects (in planned order):
  
  
• Disassembling the 12.5” scope and building a steel-frame, fork-mount astrograph (astrophotography telescope).
  
  
• Remaking the 12” scope as a single-piece, quick-unfolding scope that can assemble in two minutes. Will have a heavy steel backbone, the cage and mirror box will fold up into the backbone so the whole thing can load up into the car without disassembling.
  
  
• Building a large scale, 4’ x 8’ leaning bed CNC machine with rack and pinion bearings, a manufacturing-grade spindle, and a high-powered vacuum tube assembly. This monster will have about a 12’ x 4’ footprint, and the bed will be mostly vertical and lean at a 30 degree angle. I will probably have a used conex shipping container hauled in to house it. The shipping container will run me about $3000, the machine itself will cost $2000-$3000. In comparison, an equivalent bed professionally made CNC machine will cost upwards of $20,000.
  
  
• A conex shipping container observatory with a geodesic dome top, housing the 12.5” astrograph.
  
  --------------------------
  
  If you have more questions, fire away! I’ll be happy to answer them!
  

Tell her you're getting bored with her and this is the only way to save your marriage...

In all seriousness though you could start with a pair of 10x50 binoculars. They're actually a lot of fun and will give you an idea of whether or not you'll have continued interest. Or as others have said you could check out an astronomy club first.

I use these - https://www.amazon.com/Bushnell-Falcon-10x50-Angle-Binoculars/dp/B000051ZOA/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=10x50+binoculars&psc=1&qid=1572970529&sr=8-4

Edit: Also a nice pair of binoculars are a lot of fun on their own on a dark night, so you'll end up with binoculars and a scope in the end. There are much nicer binoculars out there as well. I used to have a pair of Nikon, but the image was honestly so close to these that I returned the Nikons.

Leaving aside all the "read the sticky" responses, one thing I'd recommend is, if you see one that interests you on Amazon, check prices at a few other places like the manufacturer's website, other vendors, and any photography/etc stores in your neck of the woods. Prices can vary, often in breathtakingly silly ways.

Depending on your location it can be worth looking at used stuff on Kijiji as well; every now and then I'll see people local offloading one telescope or another for whatever reason at "you're kidding, right?" prices.

Past that, if you're mainly interested in lunar/planetary observation from an urban environment, you've got some pretty forgiving targets - if you had a 16" Dobsonian with high-grade eyepieces it wouldn't hurt your viewing of the moon by any stretch, but you definitely wouldn't need that kind of gear.

A microscope will help tremendously. Get one with an LED light and an adjustable viewpiece. This is the microscope I use at work. It does pretty well.

Grab some kapton tape and a good vise or very solid pair of helping hands.

A multimeter, quick alloy, desoldering braid, solder sucker, a collection of tips would be my next purchases in your shoes.

EDIT: Spend the money on the soldering iron. A good soldering iron will give consistent heat for quicker, cleaner work.

That is some awesome advice. Other people are recommending a dob as well. Do you know any thing about this one?

http://www.amazon.com/Orion-SkyQuest-XT8-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9V6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1369432158&sr=1-1&keywords=orion+skyquest+xt8

Also, for $30 more they have this option which to me sounds like it might be worth it?

http://www.amazon.com/Orion-Classic-Dobsonian-Telescope-Beginner/dp/B003ZDEUS2/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1369432158&sr=1-2&keywords=orion+skyquest+xt8

Or do you recommend any dobs?

Thank you, you're very helpful!

So as far as I understand this is a good deal for visual work only and not for astrophotography, because it has an Alt-Az mount and not a GEM.

So what is a solution you would recommend, for up to $1000?

I would be a little worried about the storage size.

You can always buy an HDD later, but you could also buy an HDD now and buy an SSD later.

Depends on your friend's needs and when you might have an extra ~£40. But there are a lot of big PC games to consider.

Also, have you asked your friend about the case and fans?

That's probably the only part I wouldn't want to pick out for someone else without their help, just because personal taste can be so different. They might even like the look of something that's cheaper.

Overall though, looks very good!

If you decide you want to go for a slightly higher quality PSU, consider a Corsair CX450M or a be quiet! Pure Power 10 CM, both of which are also semi-modular.

Ok I read through some articles. Kind of complicated! Thanks a lot for your help.

Do you have thoughts on this one? It's $20 more for the barlow, is there a difference in barlows or should I get the one that comes in a bundle?

The other one that looks interesting is [this computerized one.] (http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-NexStar-4-SE-Telescope/dp/B000GUFOBO/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top#Ask) This might be slightly out of our price range when you throw in accessories.

This does look like a nice telescope, I'm considering saving up for it do I need to buy a lens in addition to the telescope?
I was looking at this one on amazon and it looks like it is frequently bought with a short focus. Thanks for the advice! https://www.amazon.com/Meade-Instruments-LightBridge-Telescope-203003/dp/B01C5TG53Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1485902688&sr=8-2&keywords=lightbridge+min

http://www.amazon.com/Orion-10014-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B0000XMSNO

I got this one for my kids this Christmas, Pretty reasonable price and I can clearly make out the Cloud bands on Jupiter and the 4 Galilean moons. I guess I will find out about being able to see the spot and the shadows later this month. If I knew then what I know now I would have kicked in the extra $$ for the XT6... http://www.amazon.com/Orion-8944-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9UW/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1420267036&sr=1-1&keywords=XT6

This was a great resource for me in trying to sort out how to best spend my money.

http://www.rocketroberts.com/astro/firstscopes.htm

No it's definitely alright! I appreciate that you are being completely honest. I can spend up to $100. So, that SkyScanner 100 is good? I see it for $100:

https://www.amazon.com/Orion-10012-SkyScanner-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B00D05BIIU

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01C3FFOHS/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1511513001&sr=8-14&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=psu+corsair

That's better, grey label is literally a grey label

This one should fit your case perfectly fine if the case fits atx psus which it should

There aren't a lot of good scopes in that range. Perhaps the Meade lightbridge mini 114, but I'm not sure if that's the best option. If you can stretch your budget a little, the lightbridge mini 130 wouldn't be a bad deal. For planetary views, every bit of aperture helps.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01C5TG53Y

Also an owner of the the XT8 dob. It is my first telescope and has been great fun so far. Setup and calibration was easy too. You can also get it with a beginners barlow kit.

Possible con: It weighs around 40 lbs, so if you want a really portable scope it may not be your best option.

Thanks again!

Zhumell z8: You mean below ones? I am ready to splurge more, if its worth it.
https://www.telescopesplus.com/products/zhumell-z8-deluxe-dobsonian-reflector-telescope

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002UPSPX2/

Skywatcher 6" dobsonian :
https://www.amazon.com/SkyWatcher-S11600-Traditional-Dobsonian-6-Inch/dp/B00Z4G3D22

As of now I am looking either at the
Orion 27193 XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope
or Zhumell z8 if that good

Binoculars : any recommendations.

Get a nice set of binoculars, these are good and inexpensive:
https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B006ZN4TZS/ref=acr_search_see_all?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Trust me on this. Many want to start with a telescope, and I did myself, but the scope I got I outgrew quickly and now these are my go to. Get to some dark lands and whip these bad boys out and you will be astonished all you can see with them. It's like having a telescope in your hands that you can hang around your neck.

Once you get the hang of space and what's out there to view, then get a telescope. But start with some good nocs. You wont be sorry.

Clear skies!

I have these as well and paid about $30 for them used. Excellent binoculars. OP I recommend getting them with the tripod you linked. The binocular adapter that comes with it isn't very good you may want to buy another one. I got this one for like $10:https://www.amazon.com/BARSKA-AF10546-Binocular-Tripod-Adaptor/dp/B000BYH8EQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1479749705&sr=1-1&keywords=binocular+tripod+adapter

They don't sell the budget CPU you recommended, at least not at any merchant I recognise, in the UK. But when I went onto it on Amazon, it suggested the Corsair CP-9020101-UK. Would that work? And is there anything I should be looking for besides the watts?

My friend recommended the Zalman Z11, but I'm really just looking for a case that functions. Not bothered about lights or windows, so just a casual case would suit me.

And thanks for this!

Some much better options:
https://www.telescopes.com/collections/telescopes/products/celestron-nexstar-114gt-computerized-telescope?view=cro-test

https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-NexStar-90SLT-Mak-Computerized/dp/B0038LX8WU/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1467689401&sr=8-11&keywords=celestron+computerized+telescope

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007UQNN6/ref=twister_B016RNBU3E?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1


.

The best for your budget and needs:

https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-NexStar-130-Computerized-Telescope/dp/B0007UQNNQ/ref=pd_sim_sbs_421_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=419lLzhgoOL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=A04PFWRRR8GFJVYBJ2PS

https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-NexStar-127SLT-Mak-Computerized/dp/B0038LX8XE/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1467689401&sr=8-7&keywords=celestron+computerized+telescope

/r/Astronomy plug. I personally got this telescope, and it works phenomenally out of the box. I didn't want to go all-in on something I might not be interested in :p

As far as other ideas that fit for a more quiet person go:

• Learn an instrument
  
• Learn another language
  
• Woodworking
  
• Hobby farming (Dependent on where you live. I know a ton of people who have some chickens and a goat or two on their smaller properties. Def check bylaws though, some places don't allow this. Could tie in nicely with his love of cooking though!)
  
• Archery (Often considered to be very cathartic, again, dependent on bylaws if shooting in backyward)

I would recommend an 8-inch dobsonian. You will see the planets very nicely in them, and you'll be able to see deep sky objects at a dark sky location.

You won't be able to do much astrophotography with this though, because dobsonians can't track, you could buy a GoTo dobsonian, which are more expensive but will move to and track an object as long as it is aligned.

A new 8 inch dobsonian from Orion is currently $400 on Amazon.

But keep in mind, when viewing deep sky objects, you won't see beautiful, colorful nebula like you do in pictures. It will appear grey, and you will see less detail. The pictures you see from people's telescopes are stacked and post-processed, bringing out colors and making it look nicer.

Also, go to /r/telescopes, which is a subreddit made for the stuff you're looking for .

I know that alot will advise dobsons like the Zhumell Z-series, but honestly, if he is a geeky guy and also wants easy of use then consider the Celestron NexStar 8 SE http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000GUFOC8/

Pretty small aperture for that kind of price. Also, it's a refractor, which has inherent optical problems. For more than a thousand dollars, I'd look into something a little more powerful. For instance, a Celestron Nexstar 8. http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-NexStar-8-SE-Telescope/dp/B000GUFOC8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_p_3

This is an 8 inch SCT (Schmidt-Cassegrain; combines mirrors and lenses), which is much better than an 80mm refractor, optically speaking. And it also seems to be a fair bit less expensive.

>I asked him if the other planets are flat. He said there aren't any other planets (!!!!). Just the moon and the sun.

You can show him the planets in the sky and also show that they change position from night to night, whereas the stars stay the same relative to each other. A phone app can help you locate ojbects in the sky.

You can also buy a cheap telescope that will allow you to view the major planets. Seeing Saturn's distinctive ringed shape or Jupiter's moons, with his own eyes, might help. (Could also take him to a local star party.)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CP-9020101-UK-CX450M-Bronze-Certified/dp/B01C3FFOHS/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1523893530&sr=1-1&keywords=450%2Bwatt%2Bcxm&dpID=41ZF9nXla%252BL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1 is this the PSU you think i should get? if so i might get the 550 watt version just to be safe since i'll be upgrading my build more soon.

Also i think i'm gunna get the Corsair 270R since it looks cool. Thanks for the suggestions.

Celestron 71018 SkyMaster 20 x 80 Binocular

If you want to save money you can go down to 25 x 70, or even the 15 x 70. I personally own the 20 x 80s but have heard good things about the smaller sizes.

The 20 x 80s have a built in mount. But you would need one for the other sizes. The good thing is you can buy them, try them out and return them if you aren't happy through Amazon. At least in the US.

So it sounds like 8" Dobsonian and a little learning is the best way to go. Thoughts on this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Sky-Watcher-8-Collapsible-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B004Q78OII/ref=sr_1_1?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1449087907&sr=1-1&keywords=8%22+Dobsonian&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011

I started off with a 100 dollar 4.5 inch (70mm is 3 inch i think) orion tabletop. Then I added a barlow lens and a 6mm eyepiece for about 40 dollars each. You can find cheaper pieces though.


The tabletop I had is pretty good for beginners, I could see dark objects like the andromeda galaxy and orions nebula. Planet views are good too but the eyepieces that come with the scope dont get you a lot of zoom which is why i got a 6mm and a barlow.


https://www.amazon.com/Orion-10012-SkyScanner-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B00D05BIIU/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=orion+4.5&qid=1562969551&s=gateway&sr=8-11

https://www.amazon.com/Orion-8920-Expanse-Telescope-Eyepiece/dp/B0000XMXXO/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=6mm+orion+eyepiece&qid=1562969593&s=gateway&sr=8-2
https://www.amazon.com/Orion-08711-Shorty-1-25-Inch-Barlow/dp/B0000XMWQW/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=orion+barlow&qid=1562969613&s=gateway&sr=8-3


You can find cheaper eyepieces and barlow lens though.


The smaller the eyepiece, the more zoom you have, the barlow lens doubles your zoom.

hey! My first telescopes were refractors, don't bother with them for planets. I'd have to say the sky-watcher 8inch is a pretty good start, its the one I'm currently using myself. only 385$ usd on amazon, no shipping with prime, either!
https://www.amazon.com/SkyWatcher-S11610-Traditional-Dobsonian-8-Inch/dp/B00Z4G3PRK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500760446&sr=8-1&keywords=dobsonian

Could I get your opinion on these? My area is as bad as it gets for light pollution so didn't want to blow too much on binoculars but these seem to have good specs at a good price.

Dobsonian scopes are so popular because the mounts are so cheap to make, and a good (non-dob) mount can cost you more than the scope itself. This one has a bit of extras attached, like what appears to be some sort of goto add on, but it's far from the most expensive scope you'll ever see.

The key to telescopes is aperture. This one looks like a 12"? it could be an 8" (that's the diameter of the mirror inside). This 12" dobsonian with goto is $1,780. 1,179 if you want to manually move it while still having a computer tell you where to point. And only $629 if you want to skip the electronics all together. Now switch to a refracting telescope (what most people imagine when they think of telescopes). This 5" televue (less than half the aperture than the dobsonians, so see less deep space stuff) without any eyepieces, mounts, finder scopes, etc is $7,295. It's still not the most expensive amateur telescope out there, but you get the point. For the exact same price, you can get an 18" dobsonian telescope with a mount.

My first "serious" telescope was an Orion XT8. Just a scope that sits on a wooden box (aka, a dobsonian mount). It came with two eye pieces, a red dot finder, and a higher quality focuser. It costs $349. Later on, I upgraded to a Nexstar 8. They're the same size, will more or less see the same things, but the price jumps to $1,200, and this is still a fairly low end scope if you really want to get into astronomy.

> I am looking for a really good telescope that is between 100 to 150 dollars...200 would be pushing it. Does anyone have any good recommendations?

There is no "really good" telescope within your budget. An 8" Dobsonian would be ideal but it costs $330. Stretching your budget a little you could get a 4.5" one for $230.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CP-9020101-UK-CX450M-Bronze-Certified/dp/B01C3FFOHS/ref=sr_1_3?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1487432275&sr=1-3

The new Corsair CX's are quite good, 450w is more the enough for your system :)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CP-9020101-UK-CX450M-Bronze-Certified/dp/B01C3FFOHS/ref=sr_1_23?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1486570356&sr=1-23&keywords=psu

I would highly recommend this one. It is modular so you don't have to have the extra cables if the case taking up room. I cant tell if it prime I am from the US bit i seams to have free shipping.

I don't have one, but this looks like it's in your range. It looks to be well rated.

In before someone else mentions the used Skywatcher 8 inch dobs that are currently on Amazon for under $300. Probably your best bet.