low cost best telescope for astrophotography

#LOW COST BEST TELESCOPE FOR ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY SERIES#

The user looks through an eyepiece at the end of the telescope, along a series of glass lenses, to see a magnified night sky object. Refractors are common starter telescopes and easily recognisable. Medium f-ratios f/6 to f/10 work well for either.īeyond aperture and f-ratio options, telescopes come in three basic types: refractors, reflectors, and compound. Large f-ratios of f/11 to f/15 are better for narrow-field, high power views of the Moon, planets, or binary stars. Small f-ratios of f/4 to f/5 are best for wide-field observing and deep space objects such as galaxies. As a general rule, the smaller the f/number, the lower the magnification, the wider the field, and the brighter the image. For a telescope with a 900-mm focal length and a 70-mm aperture, this gives an f-ratio of 12.9 or f/12.9. The f-ratio is the telescope’s focal length divided by its aperture. To determine what type of stargazing a telescope is best for, look at its f-ratio. Consider whether you want to be able to load your telescope into the back of your car for stargazing field trips before splashing out on that 10-inch aperture telescope. But this comes at a price, and bigger telescopes are also much less portable.

The bigger the better because a bigger aperture can collect more light and distant objects appear brighter. The key spec for any telescope is its aperture, or the diameter of its lens or mirror. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the specs and options when buying a first telescope.

Low cost best telescope for astrophotography