12-08-2018, 12:33 PM
A telescope is mounted on a tripod, so will keep the image stable.
You can’t hold binoculars steady enough to pick out much detail when skygazing, even on the moon with its easily discernible craters and streaked plains, and other features.
There are two main types of telescopes, refractor and reflector. With a refractor you look straight down the barrel of the telescope directly at the object, which some people (me) find more straightforward and intuitive when looking for smaller objects. A reflector telescope bounces the image off a mirror, so the eyepiece generally faces into the tube at a right angle to the object you’re looking at. None of that matters with a computerized scope as it does the aiming for you.
A $200 telescope is a decent entry level instrument, probably a good place to start, and depending on lense quality and magnification, you should be able to see Jupiter and 4 of its moons, or the rings around Saturn, as well as brighter nebula.
You can’t hold binoculars steady enough to pick out much detail when skygazing, even on the moon with its easily discernible craters and streaked plains, and other features.
There are two main types of telescopes, refractor and reflector. With a refractor you look straight down the barrel of the telescope directly at the object, which some people (me) find more straightforward and intuitive when looking for smaller objects. A reflector telescope bounces the image off a mirror, so the eyepiece generally faces into the tube at a right angle to the object you’re looking at. None of that matters with a computerized scope as it does the aiming for you.
A $200 telescope is a decent entry level instrument, probably a good place to start, and depending on lense quality and magnification, you should be able to see Jupiter and 4 of its moons, or the rings around Saturn, as well as brighter nebula.
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves