Telescope Forums

Hi,
I’m looking to buy my first telescope, can’t decide which one to go for. I’ve been reading forums and looking at online telescope shops / ebay. I have around $1000 to spend. Could anyone give me some advice on which type of scope would be best for a complete beginner? Is it best to go for one with a computerised alignment system?

Thanks for any help
Andy

The first piece of advice would be to join a local astronomy club, go out of a viewing night and use some different equipment and decide what’s best for your needs. The guys there will be able to help you out.

There are three main types of telescopes for beginners; the refractor, the Newtonian Reflector and the Schmidt-Cassegrain. Personally I would go for a Dobsonian-mounted reflector as a beginners scope, very simple to use.

The best brands for these are Celestron, Meade, Orion and Discovery. A good choice would be the Orion Skyquest XT8..

Hope this gives you a start.