They’re the kind I personally use (I have a 20-cm one). SCTs are generally used with a tripod or other sturdy mount. Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes (SCTs) are similar to Newtonian ones but use a complex system of lenses and mirrors that allows the tube to be much shorter, even for larger mirrors. They don’t magnify a lot, however, so it’s difficult to see Saturn’s rings or Jupiter’s stripes with such telescopes. These are fun for looking at the Pleiades star cluster and other celestial objects that loom comparatively large in Earth’s sky. Some are small enough to use on a tabletop and sport a 10-cm mirror and a wide field of view. Newtonian reflectors are (typically) long tubes with a primary mirror at one end. The most common reflectors for amateur astronomy have mirrors spanning 15 to 30 cm across, though ones that are much larger are available if your budget has an extra zero or two at the end of it.Įven then there are a myriad of subcategories. It’s easier to make a large mirror than a lens, so reflectors can be quite large. If you’re interested in more serious stargazing, such as looking for nebulae and galaxies, then you’ll want a reflector-a telescope that uses a mirror to gather up light from fainter objects. Just beware of cheap department store offerings: these tend to have terrible optics and a wobbly mount, which will lead more to frustration than fascination with the sky. Such scopes won’t necessarily empty your bank account, can be set up relatively quickly and aren’t too hard to use. A small refractor-that is, a telescope with a light-gathering lens at the front of the tube, usually up to 10 centimeters wide-may suit you well. Additionally, their ease of use can help you familiarize yourself with the sky, which is advantageous if you decide to make the jump to a telescope.Īnd if you do make that decision, the most important question to ask yourself is: What will you use the telescope for? If you just want to see the moon, the bright planets and the occasional astronomical event such as a bright comet, then you don’t need anything big and fancy. And they have a million other uses besides astronomy I use mine more often for bird-watching than comet hunting. Assuming you have access to a dark observing site, binoculars are also a good option for viewing big, bright objects such as the Orion nebula and the Andromeda galaxy. A good pair can give you a decent view of things such as the moon and Jupiter and its satellites. These can be much more rugged and affordable than a telescope, and they are easier to use-you can keep them near a door and just grab them on your way out. My first bit of figurative and literal advice for the would-be stargazer is to look into binoculars. There are many different kinds for many different uses, and the price can range from “eminently affordable” to “this will cost more than your house.” What would you say? Any good answer would depend on how far they wanted to drive, what they needed the vehicle for, how many passengers they’d have and-the big question-how much money they had to spend. My answer to this is always the same: Imagine if a stranger walked up to you and asked what kind of car they should get. I get a lot of queries this time of year from readers asking what kind of telescope they should buy. To avoid that situation, let’s talk astronomical equipment. Stores have sales, people get up early to avoid the rush (and ironically create one) and, most sadly of all, people who are unprepared to buy astronomical equipment purchase something that usually winds up unused and collecting dust. For capturing the best Jupiter pictures you can, check out our recommendations for the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography.Įditor's Note: If you snap a photo of Jupiter at opposition and would like to share it with Space.Today is Black Friday, a modern event that evolved from the furious rush to buy holiday gifts for loved ones on the day after Thanksgiving. Whether you're new to skywatching or have been it at for years, be sure not to miss our guides for the best binoculars and the best telescopes to spot Jupiter and other celestial wonders. If you miss Jupiter at opposition this year, the next chance to see this astronomical event will be on Nov. This massive distance from the sun means that Jupiter’s close approach will only make a small difference to its size in the night sky. Jupiter is about 484 million miles (778 kilometers) from the sun, over five times the average distance between the Earth and the star. While the separation of over 350 million miles between Earth and the gas giant which may seem anything but 'close,' the greatest distance between our planet and Jupiter is around 600 million miles (960 million km). Looking for a telescope to see Jupiter? We recommend the Celestron Astro Fi 102as the top pick in our best beginner's telescope guide.
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