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What equipment would you recommend to someone who is interested in getting started in amateur astronomy?
This question was posed at the last Idaho Falls Astronomical Society meeting (April 15th, 2014) and here were the responses by some of the club members:
J.R.C. - A small reflector is probably the cheapest way to go.
J.F.R. - A good pair of binoculars (10 x 50 mm) and tripod to learn you way around the sky + sky atlas or computer program or app.
Eric L. - A 6" or 8" reflector telescope with a dobsonsian (Alt/Az) mount. Red dot finder. 25mm and 10mm eyepieces.
W.H.R. - 6" Dob.
Dave S. - Probably a small (105mm), easily mobile, Schmidt-Cassegrain or MAK.
Ron. P - It helps to have a friend with a scope and some knowledge, as a mentor, to answer questions and give advice. A member of the Idaho Falls Astronomical Society would be a great start. Start easy and learn the constellations, names, and placement in the sky. Then start learning the names of the brightest stars. This is a goal that you can attain. It helps you to know your way around the sky. Subscribe to Sky and Telescope or Astronomy Magazine and start learning some of the things going on in the sky and beyond. A lot of info may be over your head but you will be amazed at what you can absorb over time. Wait for awhile before buying a telescope until you know what you want it to do for you. Small, cheap scopes will not satisfy you curiosity for very long and could be a wast of your money. A nice pair of binoculars will work very nicely for you as you astronomical knowledge grows. The neat thing about astronomy is, no matter how much you know, there is always more out there to learn. There's enough going on to keep you occupied for a lifetime.
Bruno - Recommend attendance at a series of star parties to first see the variety of interests which are satisfied with different scopes. Then start with a fairly simple and readily portable scope to encourage its frequent use - a 90 to 105mm MAK or 8" Newtonian with low to medium power eye pieces.
Wescott F. - If you are getting started and not sure if you'll like astronomy, attend our meetings and star parties (for more info go to www.ifastro.org). If you really want to get into astronomy get as big of telescope as you can that meets your budget (a reflector is preferred for deep sky objects and will keep you hunting for years to come) and physical abilities. If you don't mind a bulky scope with around a $500 price tag get a 10" Dobsonian (this kind of telescope is also called a Newtonian) Join a nearby Astronomical Society and they will help you learn how to use your equipment. The Astronomical Society and a good star chart book will help you learn the skies. Reading lots of astronomy books, attending our meetings, attending astronomy college classes and youtube videos about astronomy will help further you education, too. Don't buy telescopes from the mall or grocery stores. Those won't get you very far (and maybe nowhere at all). Searching online for a telescope seems better. Start with telescope.com or use google to find what you want. If you don't know what you want, attend star parties first and then make a purchase or build your own - DIY style!
J.R.C. - A small reflector is probably the cheapest way to go.
J.F.R. - A good pair of binoculars (10 x 50 mm) and tripod to learn you way around the sky + sky atlas or computer program or app.
Eric L. - A 6" or 8" reflector telescope with a dobsonsian (Alt/Az) mount. Red dot finder. 25mm and 10mm eyepieces.
W.H.R. - 6" Dob.
Dave S. - Probably a small (105mm), easily mobile, Schmidt-Cassegrain or MAK.
Ron. P - It helps to have a friend with a scope and some knowledge, as a mentor, to answer questions and give advice. A member of the Idaho Falls Astronomical Society would be a great start. Start easy and learn the constellations, names, and placement in the sky. Then start learning the names of the brightest stars. This is a goal that you can attain. It helps you to know your way around the sky. Subscribe to Sky and Telescope or Astronomy Magazine and start learning some of the things going on in the sky and beyond. A lot of info may be over your head but you will be amazed at what you can absorb over time. Wait for awhile before buying a telescope until you know what you want it to do for you. Small, cheap scopes will not satisfy you curiosity for very long and could be a wast of your money. A nice pair of binoculars will work very nicely for you as you astronomical knowledge grows. The neat thing about astronomy is, no matter how much you know, there is always more out there to learn. There's enough going on to keep you occupied for a lifetime.
Bruno - Recommend attendance at a series of star parties to first see the variety of interests which are satisfied with different scopes. Then start with a fairly simple and readily portable scope to encourage its frequent use - a 90 to 105mm MAK or 8" Newtonian with low to medium power eye pieces.
Wescott F. - If you are getting started and not sure if you'll like astronomy, attend our meetings and star parties (for more info go to www.ifastro.org). If you really want to get into astronomy get as big of telescope as you can that meets your budget (a reflector is preferred for deep sky objects and will keep you hunting for years to come) and physical abilities. If you don't mind a bulky scope with around a $500 price tag get a 10" Dobsonian (this kind of telescope is also called a Newtonian) Join a nearby Astronomical Society and they will help you learn how to use your equipment. The Astronomical Society and a good star chart book will help you learn the skies. Reading lots of astronomy books, attending our meetings, attending astronomy college classes and youtube videos about astronomy will help further you education, too. Don't buy telescopes from the mall or grocery stores. Those won't get you very far (and maybe nowhere at all). Searching online for a telescope seems better. Start with telescope.com or use google to find what you want. If you don't know what you want, attend star parties first and then make a purchase or build your own - DIY style!
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