Telescope Purchasing Guide

What kind of telescope is good for a beginner?

Five Things to Know about Purchasing a Telescope

  1. Look for a reflecting telescope that is at least 4 inches or 10 cm or 100 mm in diameter.
  2. Make sure that the eyepiece is 1.25 inches in diameter and has a focal length of about 25mm.
  3. Do not be misled by advertisements of high magnifications as that will result in blurry images.
  4. Seek telescopes that have a magnification of 50X for every inch of diameter.
  5. Consider purchasing a pair binoculars to give you a wide-angle view of the sky.