Astronomy question: Is it worth buying a telescope if you live in a city (Chicago)?

J

John

New member
In the past few years I have become very interested in space and would love to get a closer look at planets. Is it worth buying a $100 - $150 telescope or will it be tough to see in a city?
 
If you're interested, it's worth buying a telescope no matter where you live. I carried out an active and varied observing program for many years while living in downtown Toronto. However, don't expect to buy a decent telescope for $100 to $150: you'll need to spend at least twice that to get something that's more than a toy.

Here are a few web pages with good information on beginner's telescopes:
http://www.gaherty.ca/tme/TME0702_Buying_a_Telescope.pdf
http://www.scopereviews.com/begin.html
http://observers.org/beginner/j.r.f.beginner.html

For more advanced information, read Phil Harrington's Star Ware, 4th edition (Wiley).

You'll get the greatest value for your money with a Newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount, such as these:
http://www.telescope.com/control/category/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~VIEW_INDEX=0/~VIEW_SIZE=1000000
http://www.skywatchertelescope.net/swtinc/product.php?class1=1&class2=106

Buy from a store which specializes in telescopes and astronomy, either locally or online; don't buy from department stores, discount stores or eBay as mostly what they sell is junk. Find your local astronomy club and try out different telescopes at one of their star parties:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/organizations

I strongly recommend that beginners steer clear of astrophotography until they have learned their way around the sky. Astrophotography is by far the most expensive and difficult area of amateur astronomy.

Many people who buy telescopes have no idea how to find interesting things to observe. A good introduction to finding things is NightWatch by Terence Dickinson (Firefly). A more advanced book is Star Watch by Phil Harrington (Wiley).
 
You viewing will certainly be a lot better if you can go a long way from the ambient light of a city. Therefore, you will be paying for both a telescope as well as for transportation costs.
 
Depends on your age, can you drive?

If so, get a telescope and take it too a quiet part outside of chicago.

I live in the country in the UK, and away from light pollution the views are amazing,

If you can find a spot like that, then it will definitely be worth it.


P.s Make sure you get the right telescope for your money, some are cheap and tacky and a pair of binoculars can be better value for you.
 
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