Stockton Astronomical Society

SAS Services

The SAS members are always willing to answer questions to help other members and non-members alike.

On this page we hope to list some of the most frequently asked questions … but if you don't find your answer feel free to ask. Contact Us

Getting Started

by Trevor Atkinson

The biggest problems for people new to astronomy are:

Preconceived ideas about what a telescope looks like - we typically think of a small refractor (lens-type) as a good beginner's telescope. Generally a poor choice.
Except for observing the brightest objects, such as the Moon and the brighter planets - Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Venus - "light grasp" is the important factor. The more light the telescope takes in, the fainter the objects that can be seen. For that reason, most amateur astronomers build or buy reflecting telescopes. Large mirrors are considerably cheaper to build or buy than large lenses.
Having no more than a vague idea that "we want to look at the stars."
First, a star in any telescope is still just a point of light. Stars are so far away that even the highest magnification the atmosphere will allow will not show anything more than a point of light.
So, what are you going to look at?
- Constellations require the unaided eye. Any kind of magnification reduces the field of view to a small fraction of the area of most constellations.
- The Moon and Planets can be observed well in either refracting or reflecting telescopes.
- Many open star clusters are best seen in binoculars, again because they cover a wider field than can be seen in most telescopes.
- Globular star clusters are fainter and are best seen in reflecting scopes, the larger the better.
- Nebulae are faint and require the light grasp of a reflecting telescope, preferably 8 or bigger.
- Most galaxies are faint and require a "light bucket" - again the bigger the better.
Then, where do you find these objects?

Most deep sky objects (ie anything beyond the solar system) cannot be seen with the unaided eye. Most beginners get thoroughly frustrated in short order because they don't know what to look for, or where to look. That's why it is important to first get familiar with the constellations, and with the nightly and seasonal changes in the night sky. The constellations help you navigate the night sky and provide reference points from which to find the deep sky objects.

Buying a small telescope as a gift to get someone started seems logical, but for all the reasons described above, it is probably not the best intro for even the most casual observing. If you take the time and effort to learn what to look for and where to look, you will quickly outgrow the typical "beginner's telescope."

If you are bent on buying a telescope, I recommend at least an 8 reflecting scope by Orion, Meade or Celestron, in the $300 - $450 range.

An alternative you might consider is to buy a book such as "Night Watch" by Terence Dickinson or "The Star Guide" by Robin Kerrod (both available at Barnes & Noble), and a membership in the Stockton Astronomical Society ($15/yr family membership). Then include a certificate "Good for one telescope, when you decide on the best type."

At even the most casual level, amateur astronomy can provide a lifetime of pleasure and wonder, if you take the time to get started with a little basic knowledge. Helping people do just that is what most of the SAS activities are all about. Our quarterly skies workshops in the Clever Planetarium are helpful. Attending an evening star party provides an opportunity to see things you have never seen before, through a variety of telescopes and learn first hand how to find them. We even have telescopes that new members can borrow.

Hope this helps.