Introduction Buying the right telescope need not be a gamble. Take advantage of my years of experience and possibly save yourself hundred of pounds by ensuring you buy the right telescope first time. That way you will get many nights of enjoyment not ones of frustration. A principle aim of the the Galloway Astronomy Centre has always been to give the beginner help to get a good start in the hobby. We carry that same principle into selling telescopes. Since the GAC opened I have given advice on telescopes to many guests which lead us to become a dealer for Skywatcher telescopes. At the end of 2013 we were approached by Celestron to become their only Scottish specialist dealer. They also produced very good telescopes many with unique features. We have a unique offer for you - visit the Centre and under our beautiful dark skies try out examples of popular beginner telescopes such as the Skymax 127 Maksutov or Explorer-130P with Synscan™ AZ GOTO or large 200mm and 250mm reflectors. I have been observing the wonders of the night sky for over 47 years and in that time I have used many different types of telescope. I am impressed with Skywatcher as throughout their comprehensive range they consistently offer very good quality at competitive prices. The Celestron beginner and mid range telescopes often overlap with Skywatcher. Their larger Schmidt - Cassegrain telescope are amongst the best. It is important to remember that even though we are a dealer, this does not mean I can only give advice on Skywatcher or Celestron telescopes. If another manufacturer best fits your needs I’m happy to say so. For first class service and advice please phone or email we are only too pleased to talk through your questions. Telescopes Types Both Skywatcher and Celestron have a wide range of telescope on offer. The three main types of telescope are Refractors Good - viewing the Moon and Planets because of the high contrast image allowing fine planetary detail to be seen. Bad - quite expensive due to the complex lenses and mount. - need long focal length to obtain high magnification making them large and heavy requiring heavy mount - cheaper achromatic telescopes can produce colour finging around bright stars, planets and the Moon Reflectors Good - viewing the Deep Sky Objects (Galaxies & Nebulae) as well the Moon and Planets - large apertures are cheaper than equivalent Refractors Bad - small apertures can give faint views due to relatively large secondary mirror - can take a while for larger mirrors to cool down Collimation - Some buyers worry about collimation of the mirrors i.e. aligning the mirrors so the light path puts all the light into the eyepiece. This is not a problem - it is easy to learn how to check and adjust the mirrors if required. Some Skywatcher telescopes have factory set non adjustable mirrors so you never need to worry about collimation. Catadioptrics Good - viewing the Moon and Planets and double stars, the long focal length in a compact form produces high magnification - less expensive than equivalent aperture Refractor Bad - quite expensive due to the complex optics and mount. - construction makes them heavy requiring heavy mount for stability - small apertures can give faint views due to relatively large secondary mirror One thing that cannot be over stated if you have heavily light polluted skies it does not matter how large a telescope you use you will see far less than a small telescope under properly dark skies. To see what your night sky is like use this link for an interactive map of the UK or down load a “Dark Sky Map” .app. I have included a list of my recommended telescopes within the Skywatcher and Celestron ranges with a maximum price of £500. These are not just telescopes for beginners but for experienced observers too. Before you buy a telescope you should know what you want to see with it as no one telescope will show you everything well. To help narrow down which telescope to choose in essence if you want to see galaxies, nebula and other faint objects or a good all round telescope select a Reflector. For the best planetary views select a Catadioptric. telescope. If you have not read our “Buying a Telescope Guide” you will find it here or download the pdf file. Should you prefer a one to one course you can find details here “Buying a Telescope”

Introduction Buying the right telescope need not be a gamble. Take advantage of my years of experience and possibly save yourself hundred of pounds by ensuring you buy the right telescope first time. That way you will get many nights of enjoyment not ones of frustration. A principle aim of the the Galloway Astronomy Centre has always been to give the beginner help to get a good start in the hobby. We carry that same principle into selling telescopes. Since the GAC opened I have given advice on telescopes to many guests which lead us to become a dealer for Skywatcher telescopes. At the end of 2013 we were approached by Celestron to become their only Scottish specialist dealer. They also produced very good telescopes many with unique features. We have a unique offer for you - visit the Centre and under our beautiful dark skies try out examples of popular beginner telescopes such as the Skymax 127 Maksutov or Explorer-130P with Synscan™ AZ GOTO or large 200mm and 250mm reflectors. I have been observing the wonders of the night sky for over 47 years and in that time I have used many different types of telescope. I am impressed with Skywatcher as throughout their comprehensive range they consistently offer very good quality at competitive prices. The Celestron beginner and mid range telescopes often overlap with Skywatcher. Their larger Schmidt - Cassegrain telescope are amongst the best. It is important to remember that even though we are a dealer, this does not mean I can only give advice on Skywatcher or Celestron telescopes. If another manufacturer best fits your needs I’m happy to say so. For first class service and advice please phone or email we are only too pleased to talk through your questions. Telescopes Types Both Skywatcher and Celestron have a wide range of telescope on offer. The three main types of telescope are: Refractors Good - viewing the Moon and Planets because of the high contrast image allowing fine planetary detail to be seen. Bad - quite expensive due to the complex lenses and mount. - need long focal length to obtain high magnification making them large and heavy requiring heavy mount - cheaper achromatic telescopes can produce colour fringing around bright stars, planets and the Moon Reflectors Good - viewing the Deep Sky Objects (Galaxies & Nebulae) as well the Moon and Planets - large apertures are cheaper than equivalent Refractors Bad - small apertures can give faint views due to relatively large secondary mirror - can take a while for larger mirrors to cool down Collimation - Some buyers worry about collimation of the mirrors i.e. aligning the mirrors so the light path puts all the light into the eyepiece. This is not a problem - it is easy to learn how to check and adjust the mirors if required. Some Skywatcher telescopes have factory set non adjustable mirrors so you never need to worry about collimation. Catadioptrics Good - viewing the Moon and Planets and double stars, the long focal length in a compact form produces high magnification - less expensive than equivalent aperture refractor Bad - quite expensive due to the complex optics and mount. - construction makes them heavy requiring heavy mount for stability - small apertures can give faint views due to relatively large secondary mirror One thing that cannot be over stated if you have heavily light polluted skies it does not matter how large a telescope you use you will see far less than a small telescope under properly dark skies. To see what your night sky is like use this link for an interactive map of the UK or down load a “Dark Sky Map” .app. I have included a list of my recommended telescopes within the Skywatcher and Celestron ranges with a maximum price of £500. These are not just telescopes for beginners but for experienced observers too. Before you buy a telescope you should know what you want to see with it as no one telescope will show you everything well. To help narrow down which telescope to choose in essence if you want to see galaxies, nebula and other faint objects or a good all round telescope select a Reflector. For the best planetary views select a Catadioptric. telescope. If you have not read our “Buying a Telescope Guide” you will find it here or download the pdf file. Should you prefer a one to one course you can find details here “Buying a Telescope”