By Mike Richins
Early sunsets and crisp, clear Texas nights make winter a wonderful time for star gazing. Throw in the moon, planets, and a galaxy or two, and people get the urge to purchase their first telescope. Don’t do it-at least not yet!
Even a modest scope can cost hundreds of dollars—quite an investment for many who inevitably lose interest or become discouraged. Let’s consider three things.
First: its use. Will it be used for casual backyard viewing of the moon and planets or for deep space objects like galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters?
Second: time. A simple telescope is easy to set up and navigate, while a more complex instrument requires time, patience, and effort to master.
Third: budget. Like anything else, with a telescope, you get what you pay for.
So how does one start? Do the homework. Spend time under the sky locating major stars, constellations, and planets. A useful accessory is a star gazing app on a tablet or phone. These can be inexpensive, often free, and introduce one to the night sky.
Instead of a telescope, begin star gazing with an old pair of binoculars. Scan the skies for nebulae or star clusters that are faint to the naked eye but dazzling with minor magnification. The best way to learn about stars and constellations is to attend a star party hosted by Abilene State Park and Big Country Texas Master Naturalists.
These are monthly events where someone can learn about the heavens and use first hand a variety of telescopes to get a feel for which might best suit their needs. Master Naturalist members enjoy sharing information about the heavens and the tools they use to explore it.
Finally, if after investing blood, sweat, and tears (but little money), one discovers they have the astronomy bug it’s time to consider purchasing a telescope! While a first-time buyer should think about the scope’s magnification, the aperture (capacity for collecting light) is the critical consideration.
The aperture is measured by the diameter of the light-gathering lens or mirror. The larger the aperture or diameter, the more light a telescope can gather. This means that viewers can see things closer to Earth in greater detail and also faint, distant objects that are not visible with smaller scopes.
There are three basic types of telescopes: reflectors, refractors, and catadioptric (hybrid of the two). A refractor telescope gathers light through its aperture (a glass lens at the front end of the tube). This shines collected light directly to the scope’s focal point or eyepiece. The advantages of this telescope are a simple set up and ease of use. A disadvantage is that it uses expensive glass lenses. As one considers larger apertures, the price of the telescope increases drastically.
A reflector telescope also gathers light through its aperture, but instead of glass lenses, it uses less expensive mirrors to reflect light to the focal point or eyepiece. A reflector allows one to get a more powerful (larger aperture) telescope for the same price as a similarly priced refractor. The disadvantage is that the mirrors on a reflector telescope require occasional adjustment or collimation.
Several catadioptric (hybrid) scopes that combine glass lenses and mirrors can be beginner friendly, but require more time and effort to set up and learn. These offer a larger aperture and magnification without spending significantly more money.
One final consideration is choosing between a manual scope or a “go to” scope that automatically goes to a given star, planet, or celestial object with the touch of a few buttons. This may sound amazing, but it adds considerably to the cost and the level of complexity to set up and operate. Many backyard astronomers recommend the manual scope for beginners not just for simplicity sake, but because it requires the user to learn the night sky.
Where to go from here? Get a mobile app, dust off your binoculars, and get outside. Join a star party at Abilene State Park and see if a telescope may be an entertaining and treasured investment in your future. It can lead to many fulfilling years of learning with family and friends.