Hey, it's that time of year. Need a telescope gift-giving buying guide? I (and some friends) got you covered!
https://badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/ban-275-telescope-buying-advice-book
https://badastronomy.beehiiv.com/p/ban-275-telescope-buying-advice-book
Comments
Frequently I have folks (usually wives) ask what they should get. For me, the most important telescope is the you’ll use. I had two Celestron NexStar SE8 and another 8” with an EQ mount. BUT they were far too difficult for me to move and extra finicky when aligning. So I gave up
8” Orion Skywatcher Dobsonian - 2020
Where I fell in love with exploring the cosmos.
Celestron NexStar 130SLT - 2021
A great telescope that’s easy to work in <5 min.
Seestar S50 - 2023
Bday gift from non-astro Husband. Was skeptical but I love it.
I see myself fully susceptible to astro (even have a spare good camera). Optics and everything that comes with them is cool.
However I love to sleep 😴
I love to see & know what’s out in the universe. It’s as exciting as looking at the smallest of creatures here on Earth.
I definitely am not going to go with a big astro set up, but it’s actually easy to do with a simple telescope and a good camera.
This video is good:
I'm up way too late trying to ID lichen anyways.
They are great for learning about backyard astronomy and driving interest. If it's easy to see cool things, people will come back for more.
The learning curve for a new person (especially children) requires a tremendous amount of patience. The Starsense Click-Point-Look system really makes it fun.
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