First Time Telescope Buyer ~ Orion Telescopes
Space telescopes are an instrument of amazement. A good planetary telescope is the key to being able to see those illustrious distant blinking objects in the night sky. With so many planetary telescope brands at local stores it is hard to choose a planetary telescope, however, out of all planetary telescopes, there is one manufacturer which makes some of the best planetary telescopes and that is the Orion telescope.
If you are buying your novice telescope, then buying a planetary telescope is not always easy, though almost all of Orion telescopes are great for viewing the heavens, some may not be practical to your needs. I have included just below some questions for you to consider before buying your novice telescope, they will help you well in picking a planetary telescope which meets your needs.
Here are some questions to consider, when looking to buy an Orion planetary telescope to look at space objects: * Do you simply want the planetary telescope for show? * How much space do your really have to hold the planetary telescope? * Do you only want to look at the moon and planets within our solar system? * Do you want to explore deep space objects such as galaxies and nebula?
::: How To Buy A Space telescope ::: Orion telescopes come in many different models, and types. So it is best to look at would you prefer your Orion telescopes to simply be able to look at local objects, such as planets and the moon or would you want to look at deep space objects. This is important as most cheaper planetary telescope models may not be up to the job of being able to view distant nebula.
I have found that Orion refracting planetary telescopes are great to hold as show planetary telescopes, where you have a great design, and want it to complement your home. A refracting planetary telescope also is great for looking at the planets in our solar system, and the moon.
For deep space objects, my planetary telescope of choice is reflecting Orion telescopes. These planetary telescopes house a mirror, and are great for deep space astronomy. How a Orion reflecting planetary telescope works, is by having light bounce off a mirror at the back of the planetary telescope, then flash back up the tube to meet a mirror, which reflects the light to the side of the tube, where the eyepiece is.
The mirror size on a reflecting planetary telescope is what determines the power of the planetary telescope, and how far you can see. Many people new to astronomy think that magnification is key to a planetary telescope, however that is not the case. You can magnify any object in the sky to a large amount, however, whether you can see any detail is a different matter. So, if you find a camera shop or normal consumer electrical shops trying to sell you a planetary telescope based on its magnification, look elsewhere!
When I purchased my novice telescope, at first it was great. I looked at the moon, and after about 5 minutes, I realized the planetary telescope had to be returned. I won't name brands, but it was not an Orion telescope. In fact I had no idea of Orion telescopes at that time. I wish I did! The problem with my novice telescope was that it had a very weak tripod, which wobbled everywhere.
Few years past, and then I was looking at buying a planetary telescope. I came across Orion telescopes. I have to say, seeing the Orion telescope was truly a change in point of view. For the first time I could look at other deep space objects, I could look at the Orion nebula, and see nebulas, the M objects and many more. Make sure you buy a good planetary telescope for your novice telescope, it will make you more happy then a cheap telescope bought from a local toy store.
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