| Telescope Type |
Will Telescope Usually Be Transported to Observing Site? |
Is the Main Observing Site an Urban Location or a Dark Rural Location? |
Will Telescope Be Used For Celestial Photography? |
| 2.4″ to 4″ achromatic refractor |
generally easily transportable |
good performance in an urban environment, will not equal other types under dark skies |
not recommended except for shooting the moon |
| 3″ to 7″ apochromatic refractor |
easily transported up to 5″ size; larger models are hefty |
a good choice if you are limited to mostly urban and some rural observing |
a favourite for astrophotographers |
| 4″ to 8″ Newtonian reflector, equatorial mount |
easily transported, although some 8″ units are bulky |
good all-round performer |
astrophoto versions often have beefier mounts and specialized accessories |
| 10″ or larger Newtonian reflector, equatorial mount |
10″ units are about the limit for convenient transport |
performance limited in an urban environment; excellent performer under dark skies |
will yield excellent results but only with massive mount and proper accessories |
| 4″ to 8″ Newtonian reflector, Dobsonian mount |
easily transported |
good all-round performer |
not recommended |
| 10″ or larger Newtonian reflector, Dobsonian mount |
transportable, but van may be needed |
urban environment severely limits usefulness of this type, designed for use under dark skies |
not recommended |
| 4″ to 8″ Schmidt-Cassegrain |
easily transportable in any vehicle |
good all-round performer |
excellent range of accessories for backyard photographer |
| 3.5″ to 7″ Matsukov-Cassegrain |
exceptionally compact in smaller apertures |
often a favorite for urban astronomers, who occasionally observe from really dark sites |
long focal ratio limits photography to moon or ccd imaging |
| Telescope Type |
Will Telescope be Primarily Used For Observing Sun, Moon Planets and Other Bright, Easy-To-Find Objects? |
Will Telescope be Used For Viewing Nebulas, Star Clusters and Galaxies? |
Will Telescope Frequently Be Used For Daytime Land Viewing? |
| 2.4″ to 4″ achromatic refractor |
excellent performance, long focal ratios and equatorial mount preferred |
not recommended |
suitable and recommended |
| 3″ to 7″ apochromatic refractor |
unsurpassed for consistently fine lunar and planetary performance. The preferred choice if you can afford one |
excellent definition and contrast but limited by their aperture |
Tele-Vue “Pronto” and Astro-Physics “Traveler” especially recommended for daytime viewing |
| 4″ to 8″ Newtonian reflector, equatorial mount |
generally good performance, used to be standard planetary telescope until advent of apochromatic refractors in 1980s |
6- and 8-inch models especially recommended |
not recommended |
| 10″ or larger Newtonian reflector, equatorial mount |
good results obtained in medium focal ratios with premium optics |
top-rated for deep-sky viewing |
not recommended |
| 4″ to 8″ Newtonian reflector, Dobsonian mount |
generally good performance, although mounts not intended for continuous high-powered plantary viewing |
6- and 8-inch models especially recommended |
not recommended |
| 10″ or larger Newtonian reflector, Dobsonian mount |
these telescopes are not designed for viewing bright objects, and seldom produce satisfactory views compared with other types |
very popular as the most economical way to see the faint fuzzies. Excellent at low powers, which are used most of the time anyway |
not recommended |
| 5″ to 16″ Schmidt-Cassegrain |
although apochromatic refractors are best in this category, the Schmidt-Cassegrain offers good planetary views |
deep-sky performance rivals that of any other telescope type |
suitable in smallest sizes |
| 3.5″ to 7″ Maksutov-Cassegrain |
when well-made, this design seems to produce performance second only to the refractors |
in most common size(3.5 inch), these instruments are less effective than other types simply because of low light-collecting power |
ideal in 3.5-inch size |
