Forgive me...I have a question....

I'm hoping someone can give me an idea what would be a good beginners telescope for celestial viewing.

Not too worried right now about using it to use for photography...just for viewing right now....who knows where it will lead.

Budget is limited

Thanks.

Probably the best bang for visual buck is a 4" (114mm) Newtonian on an equatorial mount (preferably with a motor but not essential). Have a look into how an equatorial mount works because if you 'get it', it will make your viewing much more enjoyable. If you don't 'get it', it will frustrate you.
Just be aware that this setup is very limited for photography and would be a total replacement deal if you wanted to go down that path.
No doubt, others will have different approach.

i have to agree with this- youll probably hear alot alot about small dobs, but i think overall youll find a 114mm newt on an EQ1 at a bargain price

I have a minority opinion:

http://www.binoculars.​com …25x100individua​lfocus.cfm

. . . plus a sturdy tripod! When someone asks me that very question - about a first scope - I usually suggest this sort of thing but they're not interested, they want a telescope. But if you've ever looked through a pair of giant binos from a dark sky sight, you know why I love them.

Even a good 7 x 50 binoculars will be a good start. You will need it in the future after you buy your telescope anyway to help you find where to point your telescope.

Many thanks everyone. I appreciate your taking the time to answer

First thing I would recommend is a good pair of binoculars. You would be surprised at what you can find and see in the night sky with a moderate pair of Binos, Something about 12x50.
Secondly, Get yourself familiar with the night sky and navigating your way around.
Meanwhile learn more about telescopes and what you can see with what aperture. In amateur astronomy and deep sky observing aperture means a lot, as does a sturdy mount.

Most 114mm Newtonian that you find at bargain prices are on less that stable and less than desirable mounts. It's tough and very frustrating to observe anything when any touch of the mount or telescope focuser vibrates the image. You want something stable.

And Yes, a Dob is one of the best options if it's bang for the buck and stability that you want. But that's something you'll have to decided for yourself, Once you learn a little more about the night sky and what exactly it is that you want to achieve.
One question I ask people, because a lot of people want to at least try it, is, do you want to try to take images of the Planets or Deep Sky Images? If so then a stable mount is even more of a critical factor, and a bargain basement 114mm EQ telescope or a Dob will most likely not suffice for the purpose.

Here are a few pdf files I wrote and created a few years back, hopefully they might help.
while online, or if you choose you can download them to view and read at your leisure.

Introduction to Amateur Astronomy
http://www.scribd.com …y=key-8h790ypf2y5x2r3o5l1

If you do try to get your feet wet with astroimaging this next one describe various methods used and what equipment you will probably want to accomplish them.

Introduction to Astrophotography
http://www.scribd.com …y=key-ro5p2f3hwwh4f204syn

Digital SLR Astrophotography
http://www.scribd.com …y=key-gnoflczzrljkxl1qzzd

Bernoulli wrote in post #13471290
I have a minority opinion:

http://www.binoculars.​com …25x100individua​lfocus.cfm

. . . plus a sturdy tripod! When someone asks me that very question - about a first scope - I usually suggest this sort of thing but they're not interested, they want a telescope. But if you've every looked through a pair of giant binos from a dark sky sight, you know why I love them.

I agree with the binocs 100% and i might add this is an excellent choice for the price . You will need a good tripod but well worth it . I know several that have this size binocs and bigger and they prefer these over a small refractor . I have the Celestron 15x70mm and i definitly enjoy those however would love a larger pair .

Wow...again, thanks for the advice. I will certainly look at the binoculars

tkerr wrote in post #13475149
First thing I would recommend is a good pair of binoculars. You would be surprised at what you can find and see in the night sky with a moderate pair of Binos, Something about 12x50.
Secondly, Get yourself familiar with the night sky and navigating your way around.

Tim, I've read many of your posts and seen your work, I have a lot of respect for your skills and knowledge, my comment on a 12 x 50mm binos is at that magnification, isn't the 50mm objective a little small?

the jimmy wrote in post #13481657
Tim, I've read many of your posts and seen your work, I have a lot of respect for your skills and knowledge, my comment on a 12 x 50mm binos is at that magnification, isn't the 50mm objective a little small?

Looking forward to Tim's answer too, but in the meantime, I have several binoculars in the house for wildlife observing, and use a pair of 12 x 50's near the scopes for quick visuals...not too high powered, but ok.

Greg

NovaTJ wrote in post #13482571
Looking forward to Tim's answer too, but in the meantime, I have several binoculars in the house for wildlife observing, and use a pair of 12 x 50's near the scopes for quick visuals...not too high powered, but ok.

Greg

Greg actually if using binocs while scoping it's best to use 10x50 or slightly larger cause that helps give perspective when trying to find it in the scope manually . This is the way i learned years ago is search with a pair of 10x50s' and then when i looked in the finder scope to help pinpoint something it made it easier to identify .

Got a pair of those too Ron, but they are upstairs and the 12 x 50's are downstairs next to the scope. Next time I go upstairs I must remember to grab them...

Greg

the jimmy wrote in post #13481657
Tim, I've read many of your posts and seen your work, I have a lot of respect for your skills and knowledge, my comment on a 12 x 50mm binos is at that magnification, isn't the 50mm objective a little small?

For exploring around the night sky and or to aid in locating objects 50mm objective lenses is plenty. Like I said, you would be surprised what you can see with a pair of binoculars, even a small pair, provided your skies are dark. Additionally, the moderate aperture and magnification make it easier to stabilize the image when using them hand held.

Larger more powerful binoculars will show you more and are great for binocular astronomy, but then you will also require a mount to stabilize them.

Starting out with a pair of of binoculars with only 50mm aperture or maybe a little larger has many benefits. First it will aid you in learning to navigate the night sky with out the need for extra equipment. Second, it will give you time to determine whether or not amateur astronomy is really something you want to commit to and buy larger binoculars or a telescope. They are more portable and easy to carry around with you. They can be used for anything besides astronomy, such as wildlife observation Lastly, even if you do get a telescope, or huge astronomical binoculars, smaller binoculars are a tool you should have. As previously mentioned they will aid you in locating many objects in the night sky so that you can aim your telescope to them.

Personally I prefer 7x40 or 10x50 for binos, but that's very much a personal preference. At more than 10x, it gets too tough to hold them steady when looking up. If you're going to get a mount for them, you might as well get a small telescope.