Goto Telescope
Telescope for amateur-pro?
Guys can you please comment on these 2 telescopes?
Thx
* Galileo G-102MD2
* Bushnell NorthStar® 1250x90mm Maksutov-Cassegrain Motorized GoTo Telescope
I will be purchasing from costco.com
Thanks
Of the two you mention, the Bushnell is the better of the two.
Having said that, both of them are barely acceptable.
(I am assuming that you are a first time buyer and that you have little experience in Amateur Astronomy.)
Just to clarify things a little: The purpose of a Telescope is to collect light. Magnification is of relatively little importance since it can be changed at will by changing the eyepiece.
Aside from the Moon and Planets, how much you will be able to see depends mostly on the Telescope’s Objective Diameter, assuming decent quality optics.
The light-gathering power increases as the square of the diameter, Thus even a relatively small increase in diameter can make a big difference in what you can see.
Also, forget the pretty pictures on the box and the wonderful pictures from the Hubble space telescope.
Deep space objects such as Galaxies, Nebulae and others will be seen like black and white pictures. The reason for this is that the human eye cannot see colours under dim lighting conditions.
These objects are very dim, again making a larger objective diameter collecting more light very important.
The objective’s diameter also determines Resolution, in other words, what is the smallest detail you can see.
So, what does all that stuff have to do with your question?
When purchasing your first Telescope, you have to decide whether you want to spend your money on Optics or on fancy electronics.
Goto capabilities and Star databases come under the heading of “Nice to have”. They don’t make your telescope work any better and they won’t help you see more. You don’t NEED any of it.
The Telescopes you mention have a diameter of roughly 4″.
For those prices you can buy a simple Newtonian Telescope of 6″ or even 8″ Diameter, giving you a light gathering power of 2 to 4 times as much.
So, take your time, the heavens have been there for close to 15 billion years. They’ll still be there when your scope finally arrives.
Here is what I would suggest you do before you buy anything.:
Take a look at the on-line Catalogs of “The big three” in the Amateur Telescope business. They are Orion Telescopes, Celestron and Meade.
The Orion catalog in particular has lots of information in it that might explain a lot of things to you. Take a look at their learning section. It explains the functioning of the different types of Telescopes along with the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Have fun shopping ! and good luck !
Adolph
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A.Jaegers~6″ f/5 Telescope;OTA with Mount(Go-To) _and Autostar* #497 $495.00 |
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NEW White 4.5″ Computerized GoTo Telescope with 3 Megapixel Digital USB Camera $499.98 |
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Black 6″ GPS Computerized ‘Go-To’ Reflector Telescope $519.99 |
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Go-To Telescopes Under Suburban Skies NEW $41.00 |
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Tasco 60MM or 80MM goto telescope Soft Carrying Case New! $27.95 |
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Meade StarNavigator 102 DS2102-ATRE 102MM, 4″ diameter GOTO refractor telescope $197.95 |
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Tasco StarGuide 4 goto telescope Instruction Manual $1.95 |
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Meade Coronado Goto Telescope Mount, 497, Milapse NEW!! $229.00 |
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LED Tripod Protectors 11-inch Straps Telescope Goto $17.99 |
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Silver 4.5″ GPS ‘GoTo’ Computerized Reflector Telescope $469.99 |
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Celestron Nexstar 80GT 80mm Go-To Refractor Telescope (w/ Free Astronomy Book) $199.99 |
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525 x 3″ Motorized Telescope w/ “Go To” Computerized Tracking Technology $349.95 |
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New Blue 70mm iOptron Computerized ‘GoTo’ Telescope $388.99 |
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New#788846Bushnell North Star Motorized Starfinder Telescopes – Goto 4.5″ w/RVO $315.41 |
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CELESTRON CPC925 9.25″ SCT GOTO Telescope $2,299.00 |
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LED Tripod Protectors 15-inch Straps Telescope Goto $17.99 |
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675 x 4.5″ Motorized Telescope w/ “Go To” Computerized Tracking Technology $379.95 |
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iOptron Minitower Pro Alt Azimuth Go-To Telescope Mount $1,199.00 |
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iOptron Minitower Pro Alt Azimuth Go-To Telescope Mount Demo 8100 $1,099.00 |
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GO-TO TELESCOPES UNDER SUBURBAN SKIES – NEALE MONKS (PAPERBACK) NEW $40.98 |
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New Orion SkyQuest XT8g GoTo Dobsonian Telescope $999.99 |
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New Silver 4.5″ (114 mm) Go-To Telescope w 3M Imager $499.98 |
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White 4.5″ GPS Computerized ‘Go-To’ Reflector Telescope $499.99 |
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Meade Coronado Goto Telescope Mount, 497, Milapse NEW!! $239.00 |
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NEW Celestron NexStar 6 SE GoTo Telescope Free Ship Tax Free $799.00 |
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CELESTRON CPC925 9.25″ SCT GOTO Telescope FREE SHIP TAX FREE $2,499.00 |
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Tasco StarGuide 4 goto telescope Instruction Manual $1.95 |
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Bushnell 1300×100 GoTo Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope $569.99 |
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New Orion SkyQuest XT10g Computerized GoTo Dobsonian Telescope $1,249.99 |
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New iOptron SmartStar GPS GoTo Telescope with 70mm Primary Objective Lens $424.99 |
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New White 6in GPS Computerized ‘GoTo’ Reflector Telescope w 280x Magnification $574.99 |
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Meade StarNavigator 102 DS2102-ATRE 102MM, 4″ diameter GOTO refractor telescope $199.95 |
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Celestron Go To Computerized Telescope Mount – Accepts CG5 / Vixen Dovetail Bar $189.99 |
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NEW Celestron NexStar 4SE GoTo Telescope FREE SHIP $499.00 |
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Tasco 60MM or 80MM goto telescope Soft Carrying Case New! $29.95 |
