Questions about purchasing an astronomical telescope

There are already so many answers upstairs that I won’t answer them. I have sorted out some small questions and pasted them here. I hope it will be helpful to friends who want to buy an astronomical telescope in the future.

I think a friend said it well, you can buy a pair of binoculars first to get familiar with them, and then buy an astronomy one. It is generally considered that 7x50 is the best binoculars for astronomical observation. For domestic products, I mainly recommend Boguan, and for foreign brands, I recommend Tasco and Bushnell from the United States. Astronomical telescopes seem to be sold better by Star Wolf. I have never used Star Wolf mirrors. I use American Tasco mirrors, so I can’t say anything about them.

The following are the finishing questions.

Question 1: Should I buy a telescope?

Answer: If you cannot identify more than five constellations in the night sky, you should not buy a telescope. Because even if you buy it, you can't find the star.

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Question 2: When should I buy a telescope?

Answer: 1. You already know more than fifteen constellations, and you start to feel monotonous and repetitive when you look at those constellations every day.

2. Understand some relevant knowledge about telescopes (such as the advantages and disadvantages of binoculars and astronomical telescopes; the advantages and disadvantages of three types of astronomical telescopes - refractive, reflective and catadioptric telescopes; the impact Six factors of telescope performance)

3. You have used other people’s telescopes and know its advantages and disadvantages.

4. If you don’t buy a telescope, you will not be able to eat well or sleep well.

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Question 3: What kind of telescope should I buy?

Answer: It is best for an astronomy enthusiast to have a pair of binoculars and an astronomical telescope. Some people think that you should buy binoculars first, while others say that you should buy an astronomical telescope first. In fact, it is a matter of opinion and wisdom. Both telescopes have their own strengths and bring completely different pleasures.

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Question 4: How to choose binoculars for astronomical observation?

Domestic 50-80 caliber (binoculars with a caliber below 50 do not collect enough light and are more suitable for viewing), with a magnification of 7-15 times (excessive magnification will not only darken the field of view, Moreover, hand-held observation will shake badly), it is best to choose blue film for single-layer film. The price is 200 to 1,000 yuan. It is relatively better to choose products from major domestic manufacturers. It is best to choose more, because even among major domestic manufacturers, the observation results vary greatly due to uneven assembly levels. It is recommended not to choose variable power binoculars. To obtain the same optical quality as fixed power binoculars, their price will be 5 times more expensive.

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Question 5: What kind of astronomical telescope should I choose?

For beginners who choose a refractor with a caliber of 60 to 80, they should be equipped with two or more sets of eyepieces (such as 30X, 60X) and a manual equatorial mount, which costs 500 to 1,000 yuan. Mainly used for visual observation. It should be noted that for every telescope, there is a suitable magnification. Exceeding this magnification will not enhance the resolution, but will make the object appear darker and difficult to see clearly. For example, for a telescope with a diameter of 60 to 80, the appropriate magnification should be less than 100 times. With a magnification of 200 times, almost nothing can be seen. Don't be fooled by its stated magnification rating.

Intermediate enthusiasts should choose refractors with a caliber of more than 100, or reflectors or catadioptric mirrors with a caliber of more than 120. Robust automatic tracking equatorial mount. Astrophotography is available.

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Question 6: Should I buy a refractor, a reflector, or a catadioptric mirror?

Under the same price, the reflector you can buy has the largest diameter, and the refractor has the smallest diameter. Refractors are sharp and easy to use and maintain, but are subject to chromatic aberration. The reflector has strong light collection power and no chromatic aberration, but it is not sharp enough and is not easy to use and maintain. Catadioptric and reflective mirrors are basically similar, but under the same objective lens focal length, the lens barrel is much shorter than the above two, making it easier to carry. All three types of telescopes have their own advantages and disadvantages.

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Question 7: What factors should be considered when buying a telescope?

Good optical quality.

Choice of telescope type.

Selection of objective lens diameter.

The focal length of the objective lens. This parameter affects the optical power of the telescope and the image size of celestial objects when shooting with the main focus.

Stable tripod.

Whether to use standard interface accessories.

Is it easy to carry? As the saying goes, a good telescope is a telescope that is used frequently. If you buy a "big one" that is difficult to move, it will just become a decoration.

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Question 10: What other issues should we pay attention to?

Find a local enthusiast club or group and hear about other people’s experiences.

Buy a suitable star chart

Learn relevant astronomical knowledge

After solving these problems, you can buy an astronomical scope with confidence. For beginners, it is recommended that the budget should be too high. A thousand yuan or so is enough.