Top 3 Beginner's Telescopes! Which one should you buy?

Telescopes listed:
* Orion Starblast
* Orion Short Tube 80
* Celestron C6 on either a NexStar or (preferred) on their AVX mount
* Orion Skyquest XT8 8" Dobsonian Reflector (or equivalent "clone")

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Hundreds of other telescope reviews on my web site at:

[wayneteachey]

If you want to get someone interested in astronomy, show them Saturn. When they see those rings in real-time and not in a photo, most get hooked!

[jfanreva]

The comment about seeing the moon for the first time through a good telescope vs pictures, kind of brings out the fascination of astronomy for me. It's you, a few pieces of glass, and the sky. No screens, no monitors, no electronics. Nothing between you and the universe. Live. In real time. If my arm was long enough, I could reach out and touch the thing I'm looking at. It makes the universe real.

[Agent-vjns]

I got a 4.5" starblaster, took it out to a parking lot and pointed at the first bright thing I could see. Got chills when I realized it was Saturn. Saw it's rings and moons. Make us seem so small and insignificant 🔭

[Muesli]

How cool would it be to have Ed as your local astronomical mentor!

[RaysAstrophotography]

I thought this video is 10 years old. Never knew someone can a create a purist video these days. Good job Ed!

[richardleetbluesharmonicac]

We used to make our own out of cement tubes and we have ground our mirrors and used binocular eyepiece as a lens. They were incredible. I spent years with John Dobson and The SF Sidewalk Astronomers

[willughby]

Ed, how do you not have more viewers man? I found your channel recently and went back to watch every astronomy related video (and a few of the other ones as well)! Keep up the quality work!

[lowellmccormick]

My friend purchased an Edmond Scientific 8" f8 optical tube assembly in 1976. It's pretty amazing that 44 years later the price is almost the same. I think Ed's #1 pick is spot on. It is a scope that's good enough to be a scope for a lifetime and cheap enough that if it's sits in a closet unused didn't cost an arm and a leg. Plus it's so simple to use. I find that people with of scopes with lots of electronics tend to spend most of their time tweaking stuff and getting it working rather than observing. And EQ mounts can turn off a new user just trying to point it where they want. I turn on my Telrad & secondary heater and I'm ready for a night of observing.

[charlesmorgan]

My first was a 4 1/2 inch Newtonian reflector on an equatorial mount. $50 at a garage sale. Ended up using it for afocal photography with a homemade mount with a 35 m film camera. What a learning experience it was. Woke up my 10 year old daughter at 4am to view Saturn. Daddy, Daughter time.

[richardkrawchyk]

My first two telescopes were an Orion 4.5 inch Starblast on an equatorial mount, and the Orion Short Tube 80 (and I still have both). I feel validated that these are two that Ed recommends for first time telescopes.

[recarsion]

I can relate so much to the Moon being much more exciting than I had thought. I thought it's just nice but ultimately not as exciting, BOY was I wrong! I will never forget the first time I saw it through my first telescope. It was in the growing period, almost half moon, and I could actually see the dark half actually emitting some very faint light, I could see that it really was a 3 dimensional sphere as opposed to the flat circle I see it as with bare eyes, and it was even better once I put in some higher power eyepieces, this thing has entire mountain chains, craters etc. It's an unforgettable experience.

[lorcankelleher]

I'm very frustrated that it took me this long to find your channel and that I just bought my first telescope without coming here first. Love the content, keep it up!

[inevahdie]

The man wears reverse double pleated pants and talks science. I’m sold.

[ChallengerNetwork]

Hi Ed, I just wanted to say that because of yours and other astronomy channels' videos, you have reignited my passion for astronomy. I had bought myself a 10" Sky-Watcher flextube dobsonian telescope back in January this year, and I haven't looked back. It has given me the clearest views of Saturn's rings I have ever dreamed of; the turbulent cloud bands and great red spot of Jupiter, as well as the Galilean quartet orbiting it; even the Mariner valley on Mars. Though it may be a manually driven scope, I have taken video footage and stabilized it in Vegas for use in Registax, with impressive results. Every night is a new adventure for me, and I cannot wait to see what's in store for future dates.

[davidlsmith]

After doing research, off YouTube, from many reviewers (like, also, "Ken from Orion Telescopes") I bought an
Orion SkyQuest XT8 Plus Dobsonian Telescope #08974
, which was usually their top recommendation, from eBay last year.

Price asked: "Sells for $629.99 NEW from Orion.
Condition: Used Price: US $399.00 and Shipping: $288.58
Or "Make Offer"."
I made an "Offer" of just $300.00 fully expecting a "Counter Offer" of course. Well, the Counter was only $325.00 ($25.00 over) so I grabbed it up.... but the $288.00 Shipping you say. The telescope was just 20 miles away (30 minutes) and I picked it up locally, saving the $288.00. $325.00 plus $26.00 NY Sales Tax for a Total of $351.00.

Waited many decades wanting a good telescope and finally got one.

[NatarajanGanesan]

My first experience of seeing moon was through a pair of lenses I held by hand at an appropriate distance. The thrill was unmistakable.

[alasdairmacdonald]

I'd like to thank you for this and your other videos. But mostly this one. I took your advice and bought an 8 inch DOB just after Christmas. And what fun it has been. Even from our light polluted street I'm still seeing things I never thought possible. Brilliant. And the Dobsonian mount makes you learn, which to me is a far more rewarding idea than dialling up an address and watching the mount do its thing.
So, thanks again and see you in the next one!

[ouk]

Great video! In this hobby for 2+ years already, my old good Dob8’ is a super thing! Unfortunately, have to make a pause due to some life circumstances, but wish to get back into this hobby as soon as possible!
Good luck to everyone!! Night clear sky, stars, and telescope = happiness 😊

[ZopcsakFeri]

I love binocular astronomy! What seems to work for me is that I have a huge plastic tray, I throw it on the ground and sit on it, while I have an almist fully collapsed tripod between my knees. For zenith stars I just pick the binos off the mount, throw my back on the tray, put my head down, while I put the binos on my browbones! No chair, "no nothin" :D freedom 100%

[joebass]

So in the last month I bought 3 scopes used. A $70 100mm skyscanner tabletop. A $60 3" Spaceprobe on EQ mount. And finally an 8" Starhopper sonotube white base with a dirty mirror for $250 with 3 lenses and additional extras. I cleaned the mirror with water and dish soap and it looks almost new again. I took it out last night and it's amazing. Ok I think I'm done buying scopes now.