114/500 Newtonian

[amitbhawnani]

Hi guys,
I really dont know anything about astronomy..

I am considering the below telescope
114/500 Newtonian Bresser Optics

Is it any good?? Would I be able to see the Saturn rings and stuff with it??

Thanks in advance

[dmill1220]

Hi,

Welcome to the Forum!

Since you are very new to all of this I suggest that you do some more research before you buy any telescope.

I would first try to find and astronomy club near you, there you can get a better idea of what types of scopes are available and what type of observing you are going to like the most.
I would start by first reading the following links,
Getting Started With A telescope.. - Astronomy.com Forums
Thinking of getting a First telescope with astrophtography in mind? - Astronomy.com Forums

I always reccomend that with a newtonian you purchase at least 8 inches of aperture. In this hobby aperture rules!

Dennis

[amitbhawnani]

Thanks for the links..
I have started doing all the reading..
:-)

An 8 inch diameter would go WAY beyond my budget..
I have a budget of USD 500 max.. Unfortunately I dont live in the US.
The prices here in India are exactly double as in the US

I just posted about the above 114mm reflector because i found it to be the cheapest i've seen. Does the focal length of 500mm mean that i wont get much of mangification?

I have also started to consider the 90mm Maksutov-Cassegrain.
I found out about the mak through your links :-)
I love the idea of having a telescope that i'll be able to carry around easily. :-)
The 90mm 1250mm focal length cost 4 times as much as the earlier reflector.

I was just wondering which would be better looking at the planets (Saturn) ,orien nebula and studying the moon.

[Darryl]

If you could get the 8" reflector Dennis mentioned you would still be happier with that in the long run if it was the only thing that was important to you. You mention the idea of liking portability. If the portability is more important to you than the views, then the Mak would not be a bad choice given the type of scope and Maks generally being good for viewing planets.

If the Mak is almost 4 times more expensive than the reflector you first mentioned you should be able to swing that 8" reflector which now gives you two main choices to make on purchasing a scope, portability or aperture.

[dmill1220]

amitbhawnani,

You might want to read these links, Tele Vue Optics Article Page
And, spacegazer - Telescope Basics

I hope this helps with your question on focal lengths and magnifications.

Dennis