(Part 2) Best products from r/Astronomy

Get that book that davedubya indicated - "Turn left at Orion". It's very very useful for beginners and it teaches you the basic elements of finding and star hopping (more info below).

Another useful item might be a planisphere. It gives you the image of the whole sky at once, the high level view. Once you have that, it's easier to zoom in to more detailed views.

http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Stars-Ken-Graun/dp/1928771017/

A detailed paper-based map is the Pocket Sky Atlas:

http://www.amazon.com/Sky-Telescopes-Pocket-Atlas/dp/1931559317/

Electronic maps for smartphones - Stellarium (free) and SkySafari.

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Finding stuff with a Dobsonian is not hard. From a star map, or from the Turn Left book, locate the general area of the sky where the object might be located and turn the scope that way.

Once it's pointing in the general area of interest, look through the viewfinder. If you live in the city, a magnifying viewfinder like a 6x30 would be very useful, as it can pierce through light pollution and show you guide stars where the naked eye looking through a 1x finder (like a Telrad, or a red dot) will see nothing. Compare the stars you see in the finder with the ones on the map, and gently push the scope this way and that way, the goal being to center it on the desired object.

Then move your eye over to the eyepiece and enjoy the view.

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A 6" will show you lots of things. More aperture is better, sure, but with 6" you can do all the important stuff. Amazing detail on the Moon. Saturn's ring with the Cassini division (if the scope is well collimated and seeing is good). Jupiter's belts. The M13 globular cluster. The Dumbbell Nebula. The M31 galaxy. Lots of stuff.

The high detail targets, like the Moon and the big planets, do not care about light pollution. But they do care about scope collimation and atmospheric turbulence (seeing).

The low brightness targets, like nebulae and galaxies, do not care about seeing and collimation, but they do care a lot about light pollution. Observing from a place with a dark sky is beneficial in this case.

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In general, I advise against purchasing accessories, since most people just buy too much useless stuff. Accumulating knowledge is more important than purchasing random chunks of glass. But the XT6 is a bit under-equipped in terms of eyepieces - it only comes with a 25 mm Plossl IIRC.

In that case, if you get a 10 mm Plossl, and a 2x barlow, you're set. You could combine the 10 mm with the 2x barlow to obtain a 5 mm "equivalent" eyepiece. So then you'd have: 25 mm, 10 mm, and 5 mm. It's a good combo. (You could also combine the 25 mm with the 2x barlow to get a 12.5 mm equivalent, but that's very close to the plain 10 mm.)

Use the 5 mm for planets, or when seeing permits (when the air is calm). If seeing is turbulent, fall back to the 10 mm. Use the 25 mm for broad views, like the M31 galaxy and so on. In general, just try different eyepieces and see which one works best in each case.

After a while, maybe get a 15 mm Plossl, to fill the gaps between 25 and 10 (without barlow), and between 10 and 5 (with barlow). But don't worry about that in the beginning, the 25/10/5 combo will keep you entertained for a while.

Most people get all sorts of filters at first. Don't bother. Purchase glass only when you truly need it.

Learn as much as you can about collimation (it's a huge topic), and keep your scope collimated like it's a religious duty.

Here's some extra reading material:

http://www.reddit.com/r/Astronomy/comments/vpij0/thinking_about_buying_my_first_telescope/c56slut

Hello :-)

Seems like you did your research! ;-)

A telescope can be a great gift - if you know what the other person wants :-) A visit to a local astronomy club, observatory or star party can be a great way to see what's available, what to expect, and if a telescope is too big to handle.

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Shorty on cheap mount: The 4.5 starblast

This one isn't terrible, but it has a few issues (stability of the mount, optical issues with an f/4 aperture ratio). The AWB Onesky performs a bit better overall (see below).

A tripod always seems nice, but almost all sets in this price range have a mount that's a bit weak.

This is because a good mount can cost as much as the telescope! Dobsonians have a simple yet sturdy rockerbox, thus their popularity... Most money goes into the optics while still very rigid.

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See these links about the size: https://www.reddit.com/r/telescopes/comments/4ldauj/need_help_identifying_a_good_telescope_to_buy_for/d3mr0xp

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Possible alternative: AWB Onesky

While the 6" might look light, it's not really. The AWB Onesky is about the largest suited for back-packing; Despite it's quirks it's a good entry level telescope and does not take up much space (alternatives; Meade Lightbridge Mini 130, Omni xlt 130). I use the AWB a lot (usually on a small box or $15 ikea Bekväm) and it's a great travel telescope despite having a larger one.

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The good but a bit overpriced entry level dobsonian: Orion xt4.5

The xt4.5 performs a bit better regarding planets than the short 5", but the AWB Onesky 5" is a great wide-field telescope which is a lot of fun. Also, the xt4.5 almost costs as much as the 6" dobsonian that will show more (links on what to expect).

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The big ones: The 6" dobsonian

The 6" dobsonians have less compromises regarding stability, performance and what you can see. But better than the xt6 is the SkyWatcher 6" (better focuser, finder...).

• http://www.amazon.com/SkyWatcher-S11600-Traditional-Dobsonian-6-Inch/dp/B00Z4G3D22/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1464902785&sr=8-4&keywords=skywatcher+dobsonian
  
  .
  
  Give a telescope a new home: "2nd" and used
  
  Telescope.com also has "2nd" sales (refurbished, used); The Starblast 6" is a short "table top" dobsonian, with more aperture than the AWB Onesky, but a bit less contrast than the long 6".
  
  
• http://www.telescope.com/Sale/Clearance-Center/Clearance-Telescopes/2nd-Orion-StarBlast-6-Astro-Reflector-Telescope/pc/6/c/777/sc/81/p/102305.uts
  
  There's also a 8" dobsonian, though over your budget;
  
  
• http://www.telescope.com/Sale/Clearance-Center/Clearance-Telescopes/2nd-Orion-XT8-Classic-Dobsonian-Telescope-amp-Beginner/pc/6/c/777/sc/81/p/102226.uts
  
  But it already includes some accessories. On the other hand, the SkyWatcher 8" isn't much more expensive new.
  
  
  What area are you from? There might be something on Craigslist.
  
  .
  
  Accessories
  
  Speaking of accessories, most sets have very basic accessories, usually you will need at least one more eyepiece or barlow for higher magnifications (planets), some guide (e.g. "Turn left at Orion") and a collimation tool (DIY or a few bucks).
  
  What to get depends a bit on what telescope you end up buying; Do not get eyepiece kits or zooms (overpriced/mediocre, small apparent field of view on one side of the setting)
  
  .
  
  Check out the links about what to expect in different apertures I mentioned; A lot is possible with 4-5", but of course 6" or even 8" will show quite a bit more regarding deep-sky ;-) But even binoculars can show you galaxies and nebulea, especially under dark skies.
  
  .
  
  
  Clear skies!
  
  
  //edit: Format, Links

Just have Takahashi custom build you one of these for ~$300,000

http://www.takahashi-europe.com/en/FET-300.php (yes, that's a 12" apochromat)

And you'll be all set :D

On a more serious note, I would take the time to save up to $350-400 dollars. That might be easier said than done, but it opens up a solid class of telescopes for you that will be more rewarding and enjoyable to use.

As others have said, an 8" dobsonian is perfect for a beginner. It's easy to use, easy to set up, and gives excellent aperture for your dollar. Great general-purpose telescope.

If you want to stay at $300, then an Orion 6" SkyQuest Classic is a solid purchase:

http://www.amazon.com/Orion-8944-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9UW

For the planets viewing from your backyard will be fine because they are very bright, but for most DSO's you will need to go to a dark spot, use this http://www.jshine.net/astronomy/dark_sky/

Id go with a 6 inch dobsonian because you have the aperature to see DSOs but is small enough that you can actually take it to a dark site where you can view them.
http://www.amazon.com/Orion-XT-6-Classic/dp/B001DDW9UW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1331787043&sr=8-2

Now for eyepieces:
You take the focal length of the scope, and divide it by the focal length of the eyepiece and you get the magnification it will provide.
For example the 6" scope I linked has a focal length of 1200mm, so with a 10 mm eyepiece you will get 120x.

Tthe best views of the planets are going to to be about 180-200x when you factor in seeing conditions and having to adjust the scope for the planets moving(move faster at higher mags).
For DSOs you want to use lower magnifications because they are very faint, so you will want from 40-100 depending on what you are looking at.
The orion sirius plossl eyepieces I have give great crisp clear images so im sure you will be happy with them, and they are not very expensive at about 40-50 each.
Barlows basically double your scopes focal length, so when used with an eyepiece it doubles the magnification. They effectively double your eyepiece collection so consider them when you are picking eyepieces.
Also download http://www.stellarium.org/ it is free and will teach you the constellations and will show you how to find anything you want.

Edit: also learn to collimate whatever scope you get or else you wont see anything good.

In a low cost telescope, look at those with a dobsonian mount (looks more like a cannon than a 'telescope'). Cheap tripods are notoriously 'wiggly'.

A Bushnell 8x42 binocular for $40ish is a great way to get looking at the skys for pretty cheap. I bought a pair for my Dad on his birthday 2 months ago because he wanted a nice set for birdwatching. It turns out its a pretty nice set for astronomy use too. Its only 8x magnification, so its not going to blow you away with detailed views of the planets. But for cruising the stars and getting a basic sense of whats up there, they are great. I know the stock-standard recommendation for astro-bino's is a 7x50, but I spent a TON of time doing research on bino's at this price point and got a lot of good reviews of that set.

It shows you that the center star of Orion's sword is not a simple star, but a tuft of nebulosity (M42, Orion Nebula) with a tight grouping of stars in its center (Trapesium. though not resolved into individual stars).
It's replaced my little Firstscope as my most used 'scope', since my 130mm newt requires more work than "oh, nice night out. Wonder whats up?... grab a beer + binos + start looking".

Don't trash that scope though. You might find someone, somewhere who can help you get it to finally work. Apr28 is International Astronomy Day, and just about every Astronomy Club in the world is having open-house star parties this weekend. Look for one close to you and check it out. Bring your 60mm. There are lots of DIY scope builders who might have creative suggestions. :)

Clear Skies!

This refractor on a CG-4 EQ mount looks to me like a good starting point for astrophoto for less than what you want to spend. You have to add motor drives, a polar finder scope, a camera adapter, and T-ring to connect your camera but then you are good to go.

There is a version of this setup using a 150mm reflector as the imaging scope that has given very impressive results. "Jarrodnb" has posted his images here over the last several months. Whether to go with the refractor or the reflector is probably a matter of preference. The reflector gathers more light and has a shorter f/ratio, both of which enable shorter exposure times.

I don't think you can get an imaging setup with autoguiding like the CG-5 for the money you are looking to spend, but a lot of people may say that it is needed for decent results.

I am using a wedge-mounted Celestron 8 I got on Craigslist along with a second hand Canon 400D, and so far I have this image of M13. It's FAR from perfect but I enjoyed the process of making it.

I'm in a similar situation. In fact, everything you wrote sounds very much like me.

I've never actually owned my own set of binoculars and I'm also on a very tight budget. So, I did my fair share of research over the last few days to educate myself in the hopes that I would make a somewhat well-advised decision.

I was really torn between 10x50 and 15x70 (I know I would love the higher magnification), but what ultimately guided my personal choice was the price. I actually just ordered the Bushnell Falcon 10x50 tonight.

Another reason I went with them is that I wear glasses and the Bushnell eye cups fold down to make viewing with glasses much more practical/possible, although the Celestrons do have pretty decent eye relief. I was also a little worried that if I got the 15x70's I would feel obligated to buy a tripod. I figured the Bushnell's (or any similar 10x50) would make a suitable, first-time pair for me. And they're not too bulky to take on a trip.

I'm not sure if any of this is helpful to you, but I just felt like sharing. If my own binoculars were here right now I'd offer my personal review. But I hope someone else can post some information about whether there is a greatly noticeable, or financially justifiable, difference between 10x50 and 15x70. Good luck, and sorry for this wall of text.

Edit: spelling

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.

What is your price range? Does size of the scope matter? Do you want tracking abilities?

Some good brands would be Orion, Meade, and Celestron.

Astronomy is not necessarily about getting the best and most expensive scope. The telescope is only a tool. You need to have realistic expectations on what you're going to see. Also, you want a telescope that you will be able to use. If its too big and clunky to bring outside easily, a smaller telescope will be much more useful.

I would recommend buying a simple reflector to start off.

Here's a cheap, tabletop reflector.
Very affordable, very portable. I wouldn't go any cheaper than this.

Although, depending on how much you want to spend, you can get This tracking dobsonian. 600 bucks, 8 inch. Could be what you're looking for.

I would just hop on the bandwagon and get a classic XT8.

You also need to do some research on what kinds of eyepieces you want. Thats a whole new world you need to know, on top of getting to know telescopes.

Personally I have a classic XT8 accompanied with a Celestron 8-24mm zoom eyepiece.

After all thats done, go grab some free astronomy software, and once thats done, start exploring the skies!!!

Thank you and congrats on the Telescope! You're going to love it.

My wife picked up a T-Ring that connects the camera to the telescope. It's not using any telescope eyepiece, just the telescope itself, but I'm curious to know if that's possible... I'd really like to get shots closer to the moon. Looks like you can grab an adapter to fit your 1.25" eyepieces. If you have a larger eyepiece (which I grabbed a couple that have pretty big bodies) you can buy an adapter that fits a much larger body.

Depending on the telescope you may need a T-Adapter.

From there I experimented with camera settings and took a bunch of shots.

> I've made my my second astronomy book, The Astronomical Almanac (2015-2019) available for free again, for this weekend only.

> It includes almost daily data and information on the Moon and planets, as well as Pluto, Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta:
>

• The phases of the Moon
  
• Conjunctions between the Moon, planets and asteroids (including angular separation for conjunctions involving the planets and asteroids.)
  
• Lunar and Solar eclipses
  
• Annual summaries of when to observe the planets and asteroids
  
• Annual summaries of notable close planetary conjunctions
  
• Peak dates for the major meteor showers with moon phase
  
• Dates of perihelion, aphelion, perigee and apogee for the planets and asteroids
  
• Inferior and Superior conjunction for Mercury and Venus
  
• Greatest Eastern and Western elongation for Mercury and Venus
  
• Opposition and solar conjunction dates for the outer planets and asteroids
  
• Apparent diameter changes for the planets
  
• Magnitude changes for the planets and asteroids
  
• Constellation changes for the Sun, planets and asteroids
  
• Dates of the equinoxes and solstices
  
  > It's available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico and Spain.
  
  > The URL for the US store is: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NN6WTWU
  
  > Please feel free to share this link however you like :)
  
  Fixed that formating.
  Edit: just double enter before you put the first *

>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 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

Astronomers without Borders have some amazing telescopes and least expensive
Don't go for a high end one , just pick a beginners


https://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=4&zenid=bbpmck0h912ddr7e1qifog4hc4


Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker Telescope https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007UQNKY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1NVqzbW67QQ09

Gskyer Telescope, AZ70400 German Technology Astronomy Telescope, Travel Refractor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DBK1GIK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_oPVqzbHVZ19R7

Don't worry about the books for now, once you trigger interest he will do his own research on the web.

Feel free to reach me if you need any help.

All the best

Hey, sorry i'm a little late to the party. I just got the same telescope last week, and it is awesome! I just picked up a couple things.

• A 2x Barlow Lens
  
  This One.
  
  and
  
  
• A Moon Filter
  
  This One
  
  The moon is still fairly bright with the filter, so you may want to get the 25% instead of the 13%, although im happy with it.
  
  I also got this sky chart, but it's obviously not that necessary. Keep in mind, i'm still a newbie, so take my recommendations with a grain of salt. Have fun! :)

Congrats, and welcome to the club!

This time of year, definitely Orion nebula, Andromeda and Jupiter.
In Spring, Mars and Saturn should look nice through that 10" dob!

Also, if I may impart a tip. Invest in a Telrad finder. Seriously. They ROCK.

http://www.amazon.com/Telrad-Finder-Sight/dp/B0000ALKAN

If you plan to do a lot of Lunar observing, I'd suggest a Lunar filter. The moon is VERY bright through an eyepiece.

If I still had the webcam, I'd show you a picture. It's so laughably simple!

Take any old cheapo webcam, and remove the lens. Really, that's the only important thing that you have to do - you want the CMOS (or CCD on newer ones) chip exposed, and not going through two lenses.

The end of a water bottle (or a film canister, which was mentioned above) fits perfectly into the aperture of a telescope, just like any old lens would. The beauty (?) of a water bottle is that you can just cut it in a way that will allow you to glue it to the webcam, it's easy. Got some testors model glue? Or, heck, even some of that crappy white school glue - it'll work just fine.

Nowadays, I use the NexImage, but it's pretty costly. And, y'know, I always thought the old CMOS webcam had better colour quality anyways!

Most Orion telescopes have T-threading directly on the ends of their drawtubes. I'm not too familiar with Barska telescopes, but from the look of things you've got an 1.25" eyepiece holder (typically connected to your prism/diagonal), and that's about it.

So what you'll want to get is a 1.25" t-threaded nosepiece. I found one for about $20 here.

But I'd recommend getting this instead. It's a little bit more money, but it includes the nosepiece you'll need and allows an eyepiece into your imaging train for projection photography. Even without the eyepiece, I'm almost certain you'll need the extension-tube included here to come into focus.

Good luck!

Lots of people use the 8" for pics. I have one, but I don't have a good enough camera yet. From what I've read and seen, it really is just as easy as buying a t-ring and the adapter.


This:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000665V6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

And this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000XMUKK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&m=A1MX591ICBLWRE
(assuming it fits your camera)

Should be all you need. However, if you don't have one of them motorized mounts, you won't be getting the best pictures of up close stuff. For me, Jupiter leaves the scope in about 20 seconds max. Then again, I view it through my bedroom so the scope sits on carpet. And I have the springs on, so maybe that's messing with it too.


Anyway, I hope I helped. Can't wait to see some pics!


Edit: what kind of camera do you have? I'm in the market for one.

Get a moon filter for next time - pretty cheap and makes for some fantastic moon-viewing as it reduces a lot of that extra light.

Fun fact that I didn't realize (I was looking at it a couple nights ago) is that the side visible in your photograph actually comprises the locations of the moon landings. Pretty neat!

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.

The problem with binos is that you'll never be able to hold them steady enough to study things. You'll need a tripod and mount.

Nevertheless, enjoyable viewing can be had with a good set.

Here's what I'm working.

Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 $75
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-SkyMaster-Binoculars-Tripod-Adapter/dp/B00008Y0VN/

70-Inch Pistol Grip Tripod with Bag $55
https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-70-Inch-Pistol-Grip-Tripod/dp/B01LQX0P8Q

Total Cost ~$140 shipped

This is slightly more costly than most decent starter scopes.

Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker Telescope ~$133
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21049-127EQ-PowerSeeker-Telescope/dp/B0007UQNKY

If money is of little object, get a basic scope and the binoculars I stated earlier. You'll enjoy having both capabilities and it will help you hunt down objects. Also fun for people who come with you to have something to do while you work the scope.

I will say that binoculars get uncomfortable if you're not laying down, or sitting naturally and even then it can get tiresome on the eyes and neck. Nothing beats a telescope imho. You can learn the sky and develop good habits just the same.

Wow, can't thank you enough for the awesome response. I think my course of action at this point will be to get a CCD webcam, read a lot more, and just experiment a lot. Everything you said makes perfect sense, but I think it'll be a lot more obvious to me when I actually take some pictures and make some mistakes.

One final question. It seems most of the popular cheap webcams which are popular for astrophotography are discontinued. This unit from Celestron seems to use the same (or very similar) sensor as the Phillips Toucam.

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-NexImage-Solar-System-Imager/dp/B0002X5Q72

I'll probably just pick one of those up so I don't have to track down a discontinued item. Would I be shooting myself in the foot for any reason for buying that?

> how can I find dark locations near me to look at stars?

Go to the physics department in your school, and talk to the professor who does astrophysics. He or she probably knows what to do. If this doesn't work, see if there's an amateur astronomy club in your city, and go to one of their meetings (they're likely to have monthly stargazing parties or something).

> Are there any photography-specific telescopes out there

Assuming you have an SLR camera, get a T adapter and T ring. The T adapter replaces the eyepiece of whatever telescope you get and makes it easy to hook T rings on, and the T ring has the same mounting mechanism as the lens to your SLR camera. Make sure to get both pieces made by the same company that makes your telescope, and get the T ring that's the proper size for the maker of your camera.

If you intend to do deep space photography (i.e., very long exposures of very faint objects), you'll need a computerized mount so that the telescope can keep the object in view as it moves across the sky. In particular, it should be a computerized equatorial mount, so that the object in your field of view doesn't rotate as the telescope tracks it. Nearly all computerized mounts are equatorial, just double-check that you don't get one of the unusual ones. Unfortunately, these tend to be expensive. It's much cheaper to start with a non-computerized mount and to photograph bright things like planets.

An ok scope on a flimsy/shaky tripod will annoy you real fast. And a shaky equatorial mount is doubly annoying. The scope you list may be ok but their mounts are suspect.

You should leave some room in your budget for additional decent eyepieces (think plossl), a moon filter, and maybe a 2x barlow (don't go crazy with 5x.. you won't be happy). An ok zoom eyepiece may be pleasing to start.

Dobsonians have a sturdy base and are great suggestions. You may need to columnate them now and then and they can be bulky so travel is tough even sometimes getting it in and out of house/apt especially if stairs are involved.

Consider a small Maksutov such as Celestron c90 on a sturdy photo tripod. That should leave you plenty of room in your budget for accessories.

The c90 comes with erect image finder and diagonals so you can use this system during the day, too, for bird watching or whatever.. increasing its usefulness.

https://www.amazon.ca/Celestron-52268-Spotting-scope-Black/dp/B0038QYRDO/

https://www.amazon.ca/Celestron-93230-24mm-1-25-Eyepiece/dp/B0007UQNV8/

https://www.amazon.ca/Gosky-Variable-Polarizing-Telescopes-Eyepiece/dp/B010UH5SL8

https://www.amazon.ca/Celestron-Omni-2X-Barlow-Lens/dp/B00008Y0TM

edit:
Don't forget to save some budget for a solar filter such as....

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OXKGUS4

Thanks for all your help! We mostly looked at planets the other night, and it was great being able to see Jupiter's moons and the rings around Saturn.

If I could push your patience a little further, what would your opinion be on this item: http://www.amazon.com/Astromania-58-Degree-Planetary-Eyepiece-Telescope/dp/B013SBTGKC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1464183492&sr=8-4&keywords=planetary+eyepiece+1.25

I don't think this review went far enough so here is my additions:

Pro's: A Dobsonian Telescope is a big-ass light bucket. It will get more light than any other starter scope you will be looking at.

Con's: Like boogiemantm said, There is limited functionality. You will not be able to do astrophotography and you will have to learn the night sky yourself. This is a tough task and COULD limit your enjoyment. It's really preference on a part of the buyer. Also, you might not be able to fit it into a small car. Make sure to check the size of your car vs the size of the telescope.

Note: There are push-to dobsonians, or "Intelliscope's" as Orion calls them. These will cost extra money.

If you do plan on going with a dobsonian (that is not push-to) you will need a couple more items. Such as: Star Map Book, a better finder scope such as The Telrad, Eyepieces (You will need for any telescope you buy), and most likely a laser pointer.

Here is my suggestion: Shop around and learn about the telescopes before actually buying one. You should be able to speak with your salesman fluently in their vocabulary (otherwise your paying for something your not fully understanding).

If you need some links, just let me know and I'll promptly spam you with a bunch of informational links.

I've had a lot of success with this, I have an 8 inch dob and it does everything I need it to do. The only other thing I recommend, and this might be something you look for later on, is a larger (38-42mm) wide angle eyepiece for larger objects like the Pleiades and the double cluster.

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93230-24mm-1-25-Eyepiece/dp/B0007UQNV8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417238580&sr=8-1&keywords=8-24mm+lens+telescope

You can buy a paperback edition from the links below, or if you email me at astronomywriter@gmail.com, I can send you a PDF copy for free :)

US Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NN6WTWU
UK Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk//dp/1502448785/
US B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-astronomical-almanac-richard-j-bartlett/1120428010?ean=9781502448781

I'm sure a bunch of people will recommend this, but living in a low-light-pollution area makes for some amazing stargazing on a budget. Pick up some astronomy binoculars (or a smaller pair if that's too bulky/expensive), and a copy of Left Turn at Orion. You'd be floored what all you can find in the sky with only a $50-$90 investment.

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

> 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.

I bought these for Xmas '11 Celestron SkyMaster 20x80

And tbh I'm a little disappointed, I wonder if I'm doing something wrong, because Mars for example doesn't look much different than a red bigger dot. It's pretty cool for the moon to be that big though!

Now if I can recommend one thing, like others have, is to buy a REALLY good mount, I got a cheap 30$ mount and it's really annoying, I cannot touch the lense one tiny bit or the entire thing vibrates due to the heavy weight of the binoculars.

You dont really have to spend so much. I can see Saturn pretty well with my Telescope. The Scope is around $340 and I got a 8-24mm Zoom Lens which is around $40. That'll do. I'll add the links when I get home.

Edit: Links:-

• Celestron Nexstar 90SLT
  
  
• 8-24mm Zoom Lens

It looks like your telescope is a newtonian (reflector) telescope, so the T2 adapter shifts the focus point out of range. The easiest (and least expensive) fix is to buy a barlow lens, which shifts the focus point back to range.

I have this one and I love it: https://www.amazon.com/Orion-10014-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B0000XMSNO/ref=pd_sbs_421_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0000XMSNO&pd_rd_r=4PBPDVSK8CK92CENCT31&pd_rd_w=E0pXs&pd_rd_wg=Ltec5&psc=1&refRID=4PBPDVSK8CK92CENCT31

If she loses interest, I won't. So I think I am going to go ahead and start with a scope. Is something like this any good http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007UQNKY/ref=psdc_499154_t2_B00D05BIIU

With a budget of 300 (I'm assuming dollars?) my three main recommendations would be:

Telescope: AWB OneSky

Book: Turn left at orion

Any standard 1.25" Moon Filter

That's more than enough kit to get you going and give you years of enjoyable backyard astronomy.

Or you can buy one of the many astronomical imaging cameras out there already designed to fit in a standard 1.25 eyepiece such as the Celestron or Orion...and it's cheaper!

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-NexImage-Solar-System-Imager/dp/B0002X5Q72/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1324316536&sr=8-3

For imaging? I have serious doubts. Firstly, I doubt that that mount will prove reliable or extensible enough. A one-armed alt/az mount just isn't going to be stable. And the 640x480 color CCD is again more suited for planetary imaging.

A solid German equatorial mount - the CGEM is a comparatively inexpensive 'serious' example - and a proper camera are the way to go. I'd consider the Celestron C-6 as an inexpensive starting point.

And then, naturally, you'll need a camera. Even the Orion starshoot is $1300 before you invest in filters. I'd start with a commercial DSLR just to begin. In fact, I did.

And then some sort of tracking/guide scope setup. I use an Orion short-tube refractor with a Celestron NexImage - essentially just a webcam - and Metaguide.

*You know what, I take it back. The price difference isn't that great, and the results are well worth it - if you can at all, skip the DSLR and go straight to a 'real' camera.

ok, so I guess I'll be getting this https://www.amazon.com/Orion-8944-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/product-reviews/B001DDW9UW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_paging_btm_2?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=avp_only_reviews&sortBy=recent&pageNumber=2

I did the same but the t adapter doesn't let you use any lense. I got mine on amazon for £23. I didn't use it much in the end.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0000665V6/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you find a NX to a T2 mount you can attach it to pretty much any telescope using a T-adapter.

The problem with using a camera with a dob is it is very hard to use. With no tracking only planets/the moon will be valid target and even then keeping it on target can be hard.If you need more help come vist us at /r/astrophotography.

Would this be a good purchase?

https://www.amazon.com/Orion-8944-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9UW/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1497733605&sr=1-2&keywords=dobsonian+telescope+6+inch

This! Aperture is king. Has a 25mm eyepiece.

Agreed completely. I have an Astromaster EQ 130, and couldn't even find the moon with the stock finder. I got one of the Telrad finder scopes for it, and it blew my freaking mind!

Depends on the camera, assuming it's a DSLR all you need to attach the camera to the scope is a T-ring for your specific camera type.

Other scopes may require a T-adapter, this one however does not, it comes with what it needs for standard 35mm DSLR's.

No lens is necessary for the camera as the entire telescope is used as the camera lens.

So basically just the scope, the T-ring which attaches to the scope & camera, and of course the camera body.