You wouldn't buy a car without knowing how to drive right? And you would most definitely test drive a car before buying it. Well, telescopes are in a similar category to this. But rather than a mode of transportation they are a scientific instrument. And you have to test them out before buying one. Otherwise you are just trying to make decisions based on almost random data like the price, the size of it, the accessories that come with it and the way it looks.
And if you don't know much about telescopes all of these factors are almost meaningless -including the price of the telescope.
Astronomy is a wonderful pursuit and hobby. Being under a dark moonless sky with a telescope is an awe-inspiring experience. The cosmos are simply magnificent. But.... it does take some know how and some experience to actually use a telescope to find things. Think of it like blacksmithing. You could buy a forge, an anvil, and some tools. But are you going to actually be able to use them? Nope! You need to know some things. You need to learn a little bit and understand what the various things are and how to use them.
And this is where my brilliant advice comes in.
If you wanted to learn how to do blacksmithing the best thing you could do is actually visit with a blacksmith. It's really that simple. You could get your hands on actual equipment and see how it looks and feels. And actually get hands on experience to see what is what. And you could talk to an actual blacksmith - ask questions and get some guidance.
And this is what you should do when it comes to buying a first telescope. Visit an astronomy club during a star party.
A star party is an event that an astronomy club puts on. It happens in the evening and the members of the club bring their telescopes. These events happen all over the country and all of the time. Most astronomy clubs do at least one every month.
When you go to a star party you get to actually see and use various types and sizes of telescopes. And you can talk to the amateur astronomers (club members) and ask them all kinds of questions. This experience is multi-layered too. Not only will you get some great advice and experience which will help you buy a first telescope but it will also give you a good sense for whether or not you actually want to buy one!!
You don't want to invest hundreds of dollars in a telescope only to find out it really isn't for you. Visiting a star party hosted by an astronomy club will answer this for you!
So, I mentioned that there are hundreds of astronomy clubs all over America. How do you find them? Well, I have two resources for you:
A list of Astronomy Clubs by State
An Interactive Map of astronomy clubs in America
Have fun, take the time to visiti a star party. You will be glad you did. I have visited many of them and they are always very friendly, very welcoming and very informative. This picture shows a meeting of the Phoenix Astronomical Society Star party. Things are just starting to get kicked off. The telescopes are getting set up and nightfall is near. I have a webpage with more information about my visit to this start party right here: A visit to the Phoenix Astronomical Society Star Party
