Astronomy Articles
Telescopes

I see people ask all the time, "I would like to do both visual AND astrophotography - and my budget is limited. What should I get?" 9 times out of 10, the response is either "Get a bigger budget" (not always possible) or "Spend ALL your money on the mount." Here's an alternative solution that checks nearly every box for doing both - without breaking the bank.

Can I vent a frustration? This is a long semi-rant, and truly, I'm really not trying to start an argument (though it might, truly that's not the intention). Rather, I hope I can get people to think a little about how to better encourage people with minimal astronomy budgets, especially when it comes to discouraging comments I've read about the very low end budget telescopes.

Something I see regularly on astronomy forums and on social media - and a question I get in person a lot - is the question: "What telescope should I get?" I often begin by pointing out that there is NO PERFECT TELESCOPE. Yes, the Hubble Space Telescope is amazing, but 1) you can't use it and 2) it's expensive. So unless you can afford to put your own space telescope up in space, it's not a perfect option, because cost is a factor.

This article takes the potential telescope buyer through the process of understanding some of the more important aspects of purchasing the right telescope by focusing their decisions by asking the right quesions, all while taking into account the budget component as well.