A Complete Beginners Guide to Buying a Telescope.
Getting Started.
To most people starting out astronomy the choice of equipment available can be a bit daunting. What do they buy a Reflector or a Refractor? Do they want an Equatorial mount with clock drive or should they go for full GOTO or a Dobsonian?
What accessories will they need, what will they see?
In this short article I shall try and explain the options by taking each basic component as a separate item.
1. The Optical Tube Assembly (O.T.A.)
This is the heart of the optical side of your new telescope, and there are three basic designs, the ,Refractor, Reflector and Cassegrain telescopes.
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The Refractor
The Reflector The Newtonian Reflector was designed by Sir Isaac Newton in the 17th century not long after Galileo designed the first refractor. It is a relatively simple design consisting of a Primary mirror and a Secondary set at an angle, the relation of the two mirrors to each other is called collimation and is critical. This is the only maintenance that needs to be done from time to time. |
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