Infinity Infocus Web-Site Astronomy, Telescope, Birding

Is there one "best telescope" for a family to enjoy?

A: Just as it is difficult to recommend one "best automobile," it is also not easy to recommend one telescope model as the best choice for all situations.
But a few guidelines can be given:

(a) Although you probably don't want to buy the "biggest telescope in the store" as your first instrument, don't purchase a toy, either. Low-quality telescopes, of which unfortunately there are many available, serve more to stifle the interests of a beginning amateur astronomer than stimulate them;

(b) Establish a reasonable budget, and then buy the largest aperture (diameter) telescope that is within that budget; remember, it is aperture, not power, that determines what you will actually see through the telescope;

(c) If the telescope is a first-time purchase for a youngster on a modest budget, keep in mind that 60mm refractors (e.g., Meade Models NG-60 and NGC-60) have been the initial instrument for tens of thousands of amateurs through the years;

(d) If your budget permits, Meade 4.5" reflecting telescopes (e.g., Model DS-2114ATS) or the exquisite Meade ETX Series, are excellent intermediate telescopes that will satisfy the majority of inquiring minds, young and old;

(e) If you feel that the astronomical interests of the user, whether gifted young person or adult, will be sustained, consider purchasing a telescope that he or she will likely never outgrow, such as a LDX55 Series, 8LX90, or LX200 GPS Series Telescope.

Do I need to take my telescope out in the country,
away from city lights, to realize its full potential?

A: Some types of objects (e.g., nebulae and galaxies) are best observed in a dark-sky environment, although even many of these are clearly observable through small telescopes in the city. The Moon and planets, by contrast, can be studied about equally well from the city or country.

The basic rule is that while observations made outside the city generally reveal more detail, particularly in deep space, there are still a great many objects within the grasp of a small telescope in urban areas.

Do I have to be an expert in astronomy to enjoy using a telescope and locate interesting objects to observe?

A: Most first-time telescope users know little or nothing about the night sky, and you certainly do not need a course in astronomy to enjoy your telescope to the fullest.

Begin with the objects easiest to find: the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Mars. All of these are bright objects even in the midst of a big-city environment and can be located by using star maps in popular monthly magazines such as Astronomy or Sky & Telescope.

For more advanced celestial listings, use Meade Star Charts or Meade Epoch 2000sk sky software. With only a little study, you will quickly be star-hopping from one object to another.