Post by @Folklore@decayable.ink

Wetwipe @Folklore@decayable.ink

· 7mo ago

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Anna May

@Elliptica@poa.st · Mar 29

I HIGHLY recommend going with the Apertura AD8. Really, any 8in Dobsonian made in the last 25 years is good (Orion, Celestron, Meade, Zhumell, Explore Scientific). They are all probably made by the same Chinese company, Guan Sheng Optical, shortened to GSO. For most people, it will be the only telescope they'll ever need, unless they get sucked into the hobby. A lot of these companies are defunct now (Orion, Meade), but there are TONS of used ones on the market, and so long as they aren't beaten up on purpose, they are basically unkillable. The 8in dob is the sweet spot for beginner gazers. Going bigger (10in or 12in) can be a hassle. I own a 12in, and it's a monster. It's so big and heavy that I can't even use it at the moment, and it's hard to fit in a car. Going smaller (6in and 4.5in), and a voice in the back of your head will wish you went a little bigger.

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Adequately Imperfect

@adequate@poa.st · Mar 29

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Thank you!!

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Sapphire Star

@sapphire@shortstacksran.ch · Mar 29

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@Elliptica@poa.st @adequate@poa.st that was my read on it too, which is why I recommended the best reviewed 8" I could find

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Anna May

@Elliptica@poa.st · Mar 29

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Alternatively, if space is an issue, the best alternatives are a maksutov or quality refractor. Maksutov's use a folded optical design, basically there is a big lens in front, following by two mirrors, that bounce the light around a lot. It gives SUPER sharp views because they are easily to construct, however the field of view is very narrow. It magnifies everything more than a telescope of a similar size but different design, and so everything will look bigger but dimmer through the same eyepiece. It's mostly good for planets and bird watching, but if you have limited space, and dark skies, it's worth a look. Lastly, look for a quality refactor (these are "normal" telescopes that everyone things of when they hear the word telescope). Anything by Takahashi or Tele Vue are really good options. The problem with them is the price, they can be crazy expensive. However, they retain their value, so you can sell them used in a few years and probably make your money back. Do not get a cheap refractor off amazon or ebay, you will be dissapointed by it. The "problem" with these options is the cost, it's higher than an 8in dobsonian by itself. Plus, you need to bring your own tripod, and it needs to be a good one or you'll hate using your telescope, so that makes it significantly more expensive.

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Anna May

@Elliptica@poa.st · Mar 29

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Last message, I promise. The other reason main reason to consider these telescopes is the relative lack of maintenance compared to a dobsonian. Dobsonians (also called Newtonian telescopes, or reflectors) have an issue where the primary mirror and secondary mirrors will move out of alignment (usually caused by bumping them, or rapid temperature changes). When this happens, everything starts to look very blurry. This can happen to any telescope, but in reality it almost never happen to refractors and maksutovs. Now, this isn't a huge issue to fix, but it's somewhat irritating, and for novices, it can be a bit confusing on how to do it properly. Further, because both a maksutov and refractor are sealed systems, dust is not a problem, but with a dobsonian dust becomes a major issue.

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