Hobbies And Interests
Naked-Eye Astronomy
Prepare for telescope ownership by becoming an expert in the field of naked-eye astronomy. Learn to recognize the constellations, the Milky Way, the planets, Polaris and the other bright objects in the night sky. This basic knowledge will help you to navigate the universe with your telescope later.
Watch at least one meteor shower. Add personal embellishments to mythic stories about the constellations so you will be fully prepared to inspire and captivate the friends and family members who go out stargazing with you. Read about famous astronomers and pay attention to the phases of the moon for at least one full cycle. If your interest in astronomy wanes during this phase of preparation, you have saved at least $200 by not purchasing a telescope impulsively.
Experiment With Telescopes
After you are an expert in the field of naked eye astronomy, use other peoples' telescopes. Most areas have astronomy clubs full of people eager to show you the night sky and brag about the merits of their telescopes. Universities and planetariums usually have a collection of telescopes that they make available to the public on "astronomy nights."
If You Have Seen Hubble Telescope Pictures
What you see through the lens of your telescope will not look like a published picture from the Hubble Space Telescope. Those images are false-color, time-lapse images. Scientists put the Hubble Telescope in space because the atmosphere dims and distorts our view of the stars. However, your telescope does have the power to show you beautiful extragalactic objects you could never observe without magnification.
Choose Aperture Over Magnification
Do not buy a telescope from a department store. Many brands sold in department stores make exaggerated claims about their optics. The manufacturer of a two-inch telescope can say it gives you 600x magnification, even though only 100x is actually usable. Use the rule of 50x: multiply the diameter of the mirror or lens by 50x to find the effective magnification of the telescope.
Aperture, the amount of light captured by the mirror or lens, is a more important measure of telescope performance than magnification. A bigger lens or mirror gives you more aperture, and this will allow you to see more detail in bright objects. A bigger lens or mirror will also capture light from faint objects, allowing you to see further into space.