Beginner Guide

[Samridh S Shetty]

I am going to buy my first telescope. Any recommendations?

I am a complete beginner to astronomy. I am trying to learn new things everyday. So, can anyone guide me in this ?

[Nandan narasimha]

Hi,

Thanks for positing a question here before actually buying a scope.

If you are a beginner, we generally do not recommend buying a telescope. You are better off investing in a pair of binoculars. There are several binocs in the market. Nikon, Olmpus, Celestron, Pentax, a few German manufacturers too. Something in the range of 10x40 (10 times magnification, objective 40mm) will be easy to handle, extremely portable, widefield view, quality optics. Several seasoned amateur astronomers still feel a pair of binoculars is the go to optical instrument.

 10x50 are also good but a tad bit heavier. Bigger than that, you'll need a tripod.

We realize there are several telescopes out there in the same price range as these binoculars, but those are what we call, "hobby killer scopes". Stay away from them. Low grade optics, cheap and flimsy mounts, little to no coatings on the lenses, are just some of the problems.

Strongly recommend you join us for one of our star parties, held in the winter months, December to early March.

Please do join our telegram group if you haven't done so already. This is the best way to stay updated on what's happening at BAS. We announce dates of our star parties here. https://bas.org.in/ 

Clear skies