Looking for a Telescope

cortana431
Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:26:01 +0000

MaineLonghorn, how much are you and your DH willing to spend?

You can get a decent telescope for a few hundred dollars and good ones and better cost typically $1000+.

If you’re not willing to spend too much, look instead in buying Astronomy Binoculars, which you can get a quality one for between ~$60 and ~$120

In fact I recommend starting with good astronomy binoculars. They last longer than telescopes and can help you learn the sky better before moving on to telescopes. They are also, as you could tell, easier to use, set up, and allow for quick peeks whenever. Buying a telescope can be a considerable financial investment, so starting with binoculars can see if this is something you and your DH will really pursue and use enough.

In general though, you should NOT buy a telescope under $200 and do NOT buy telescopes from department stores, tv commercials, nature/science stores in the mall, etc. I would recommend buying from serious telescope retailers, there are plenty of sites online and perhaps retailers you can go to and check out. Good brands I know of are Celestron, Orion and Meade. You can check out their site for dealership locations.