Telescopes

>>8604971
What do you expect from a telescope?

Anyway, Orion Dobsons are pretty fine, XT8, 10, 12 or something depending on your budget.

Haven't got one yet but been looking into them (har har) and decided on a Celestron Nexstar 4SE.

>>8604971
I'm familiar enough to be able to make recommendations, but first I'd need to know what your goals and knowledge are.
Are you familiar enough with the sky that you can find constellations? Planets? See sky objects?
Do you intend to do any photography with it?
What's your budget (I assume about $500 from your preliminary choice)?
Do you live under a dark sky (can see the Milky Way), or do you intend to travel to one to use it routinely?

>>8604971

Why would astronomy students need a telescopes? Do EEs buy vacuum tubes?

>>8606037
My general rule of thumb is, if it's 4 inches (102mm) or less, get a refractor. Larger, reflector.

It seems all the new one come with computer database that control slew motors so you don't' have to learn the sky. My view is that's abominable. It adds cost, too.

Used can be a fantastic deal, especially if you find someone who had too much to spend on a scope and found he couldn't make heads or tails on how to use it.

>>8604971
Do you mean for yourself, or do you mean a set of several for a classroom?

File: telescope.png (885KB, 730x487px) Image search: [Google]

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Check craigslist. People from the city buy telescopes all the time and sell them once they realize that it's hard as shit to see anything in the city.

If you're an astronomy student then you're going to want to be able to see some galaxies and galaxy clusters, then you're going to want a dob of around 8-10 inches in diameter.

I got this one on craigslist for like 300 bucks. What city do you live closest to?