is a Barska 20-60×60 Spotter SV Angled & Rotatable Spotting Scope w/Tripod a good telescope?
May 27, 2010 by
Filed under spotting scopes
i was wondering if thats a good telescope and what planets can you see from it…….
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This type of scope is not a good choice for astronomy, as the prism used to erect the image will cause a large diffraction spike through the image. And this model, as a low-end representative of the class, is probably worse than average. You are better off buying something intended for astronomy, if that’s your main purpose in buying the scope. Celestron has a new beginner’s scope for $50 that will outperform that spotter on planets: http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=reflectors/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=09137
No. This is a spotting scope, designed for terrestrial observation. For astronomical observation you need a different design. There are many problems with the Barska scope, starting with its cheap construction. It has a 45° prism, which won’t let you observe high in the sky. It has a zoom eyepiece, which has a narrow field of view and poor optics. While you can _see_ planets with it, you can also see them with your naked eye. A good astronomical telescope will let you examine the planets in detail, and get really satisfying views.
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