Step 1 – What Do I Want to Look At?
The Sky
Excellent! Continue to the next step.
The View / Terrestrial Viewing
Telescopes usually provide a small field of view with high magnification, and most invert the image, making them less suitable for terrestrial viewing. For this, we recommend a good pair of binoculars. They are more flexible and easier to use. As a bonus, binoculars can also be used to explore the night sky.
Step 2 – Things to Consider
Aperture is one of the most important features of a telescope, as it determines how much light enters and how much detail you’ll see. Aperture is measured by the diameter of the telescope’s primary mirror or lens.
- Aperture increases with area, so an 8" telescope will collect four times more light than a 4" telescope, and a 12" telescope will double that of an 8".
- Larger apertures show more detail but are less portable. Most telescopes use mirrors since it’s easier to produce large, high-quality mirrors than lenses.
- Recommendation: We suggest at least a 6" aperture for visual observation. This size provides good detail and won’t become obsolete as quickly.
Magnification isn't as important as it may seem—it simply determines how large the object appears. You can adjust magnification by changing the eyepiece.
- Over-magnification makes it harder to focus and narrows the field of view, making it difficult to track objects. Be cautious of low-quality telescopes advertising high magnification; the quality of optics and aperture are far more critical.
- Best use: The Moon and planets benefit most from reasonable magnification.
Portability is a key consideration. If you plan to observe mainly from home, size may not matter as much. However, if you need to transport the telescope to remote sites, you’ll need to balance aperture, portability, and budget.
- Our recommendation: The 8" Dobsonian is popular because it's manageable by one person and fits into most cars.
A longer focal length provides a narrower field of view with higher magnification for a given eyepiece, and it also reduces distortion. On the other hand, shorter focal lengths give wider views but may introduce some distortion at the edges.
- The focal ratio (focal length ÷ aperture) describes the “speed” of the optics:
- A lower focal ratio (faster) provides wider views.
- A higher focal ratio (slower) minimizes distortion.
Step 3 – What Kind of Observing Do I Want to Do?
Beginner Stargazing
For most beginners, we recommend keeping it simple. Dobsonian telescopes are ideal because they are easy to set up, offer large apertures, and prioritize optical quality over fancy mounts. The trade-off is that they are manual and don't track objects automatically.
Automated Tracking
If you prefer a telescope that tracks objects and can be controlled by a computer, Cassegrain models with GOTO mounts are a great option. These are enjoyable to use but take more time to set up and are more expensive due to the advanced mount technology.
Astrophotography
Astrophotography is more complex and requires a larger investment in equipment.
All-Purpose Telescopes
Trying to find one telescope that does everything well usually involves compromises. You might end up with a complicated, expensive setup or a simpler telescope that doesn’t fully meet your needs.
Step 4 – What Is It Like to Use?
We recommend starting with a telescope that’s easy to set up and use. This way, you can focus on exploring the night sky rather than struggling with instructions.
For a hands-on demonstration, visit the Astronz showroom—either in person or online—and we’ll happily show you how the telescopes work.
Alternatively, visit a local astronomy club to try out different models and get a feel for what suits you.
Step 5 – What Will I See?
When you first start, you'll likely observe bright objects like the Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn.
- The Moon: See craters and surface features in detail.
- Jupiter: Observe cloud bands, the four largest moons, and sometimes the Great Red Spot.
- Saturn: Clearly see the rings, with larger telescopes revealing ring details and some moons.
After these, you can explore deep-sky objects such as star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. This is where aperture really matters—larger apertures will reveal stars as distinct points rather than fuzzy blobs and provide more detail in faint objects.
Note: Objects viewed through a telescope won’t appear like the colorful images you see in photographs. Most astrophotographs are long exposures taken with highly sensitive cameras and enhanced through processing. Deep-sky objects will appear in monochrome, but the southern sky offers many fascinating targets with visible detail.