[meteorite-list] Astronomy & Telescope

From: ks1u <ks1u_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2008 22:54:00 -0500
Message-ID: <3A6E9FA4-8470-4292-9558-5581E979E6D3_at_prodigy.net>

Ron:
      It depends on what you want to look at. If your primary
interest is in deepsky objects (galaxies, nebulae, star clusters) then
a 6 to 8 inch Newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian Base might be best.
If you're more interested in planets and lunar views, then perhaps a
refractor. Obviously, both can be used for anything up there. F/4, F/
5 are great for portability and wide field views. F/6 on up gives you
more magnification, longer tube length and may present some
portability issues if you have a small car. Eyepieces are critical as
are the "figure" (quality) of the objective lens or mirror. Orion
makes decent Chinese based scopes, as do Meade and Celestron. Try www.astromart.com
  for some used equipment. One other difference is refractors may be
used for terrestrial use but Newtonians will give an inverted image.
You will probably need to spend at least $300 for a decent reflector
new or somewhat less for a used one.
      If you have any other questions you can email me directly so I
don't take up too much time on this OT subject.

George
Received on Tue 01 Jan 2008 10:54:00 PM PST