Astronomy is fascinating. If you’re a new amateur, then most ‘people in the know’ would advise against a cheap refractor (ie one without a mirror, where you look down one end and out the other – a traditional telescope in other words. These are sold in camera shops and catalogue stores and are a load of shite. They promise ‘1,000X magnification’ and all you get is a blurry mess. Keep well clear!
You would be better served by buying a decent pair of 10X50 binoculars.
It all depends on how much you’re willing to spend, Wotan. You can get many hours of pleasure observing with a pair of £100 binoculars, a decent sky map and a clear night
Otherwise, if you’re going for big bucks observing, (£500-£800) there are different scopes for different needs. You have to ask yourself. .
1) How much do I want to spend?
2) Where will I be using it? (Portability is often an issue)
3) What do I want to look at? (Stars, planets, deep sky; ie galaxy and nebulae)
4) Do I want to take photos, (astrophotography)
I use a 10” Dobsonian, with a 54” f/L, which suits me fine ‘cause I have a van, but it is little use to anyone with a small car.
There is a useful newsgroup uk.sci.astronomy (do a google search on this).
Hope this hasn’t put you off, but with the right scope you will see some wondrous sights, it’s such a shame to be disappointed with a cheap, unsuitable catalogue store telescope ( I know I was as a boy).
