The BEST TELESCOPE for Beginners!
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- The Best Telescope for Beginners:
Order the Apertura AD8: bit.ly/APERTURA8
Full Specs: bit.ly/2JlbQCv
Buying your first astronomy telescope is a step towards a new level of appreciation for the night sky.
Almost 8 years ago, I bought my first telescope - a Dobsonian reflector - just like this one (just smaller). The experiences I had with this telescope early on propelled my love for astronomy.
I believe that an 8-inch Dob, like the one featured in this video (Apertura AD8), is the best telescope a beginner could start with.
SPECS:
Optical Design: Newtonian Reflector
Focal Length: 1200mm
Aperture: 8 Inches
Focal Ratio: F/5.9
Affiliate Links:
Some of the links in my video descriptions are affiliate links, which means at no extra cost to you, I will make a small commission if you click them and make a qualifying purchase.
#astronomy #telescope
I'm 42 and I've had a love affair with astronomy my whole life but never been able to do it. I don't have a garden or garage and i work a day job on the city meaning i can't stay up through the night. As a teenager i used to go and sit in the local park at night with a pair of binoculars and a star map. Most nights i go to bed listening to videos about neutron stars or quantum mechanics. Maybe one day I'll be in a better position to enjoy this incredible hobby.
I wish you luck! Maybe, I'll enjoy this someday too.
You just need a small telescope that is portable to watch the moon and the planets. And in case you travel the week - ends you get it with you.
You will!
I have a pair of Celestron Skymaster binoculars mounted on a tripod and it works great! Its a wonderful, inexpensive and portable way to get into astronomy.
@@bigsby6bender Mate i literally just bought a pair of skymaster 17 x 50 and went on a trip to Cornwall with them, returned today. Laying on my back in the garden was immense. I saw a planet with 3 visible moons (geusing mercury) 2 satelites (dam those things can move) and more stars than I've ever seen in my life. There was only one clear night sadly but it's given me the desire to do more and reacquaint myself with the clusters i leaned as a youth. I just need to find a convenient safe place to indulge the hobby. I have a balcony but a lot of the views are obstructed and the light pollution is horrible. In Cornwall even without the binocs the views were great, just goes to show what a negative impact light pollution has.
It "didn't feel fifty pounds" because of the adrenaline rush from excitement......
How could you not get excited?
welp not everyone is the same, guess you didnt connect
I remember looking at my very first planet, Jupiter, with it's 4 brightest moons, 127/1000 mm Newtonian reflector telescope, I kept smiling for the next 2 hours non stop, one of the best feelings ever.. Then I observed the Pleiades cluster, Andromeda, and then I fell in love, for me there is no better hobby than stargazing with a scope..
Aurum Exact same experience here!
@@theaurumtheory Science always makes you feel above the earthly problems. Whether it is a difficult looking maths problem you solve, the first calculator circuit you built and see it working, a code for the small game you write or Seeing sunspots for the first time with a very basic scope. I also felt really excited after seeing Saturn rings with just a 70mm scope and invited my whole family on the roof to see it (In India roofs of homes are flat unlike earth). Even the moon was unbelievably great.
I remember how I went from looking through a kit EP on my 80mm refractor (total $120) and suddenly I was in deep with 925 evo and televue and baader eps! It escalated quickly
Aurum um your very first planet is earth bro.
I remember with my Orion starseeker 100mm seeing Jupiter and it's 4 brightest moons for the first time, that really got me hooked, it was amazing.
Hi Trevor. I have been a traditional hobbiest photographer for years (mostly portraiture and landscapes/nature ) with a deep interest in astronomy and space exploration since I was a kid and bolstered after the first time I read Sagan's Cosmos. I had never really considered combining these two interests beyond the occasional Milky Way or Moon shot. I always assumed the 'real thing' was beyond my grasp. Now as an adult with a couple kids of my own, the spark was re-ignited when my wife's parents brought her childhood toy telescope to my home around the holidays for my children to play with. I guess I never realized how accessible getting into a _real_ telescope could be. I came across this video after a few days of research and decided to take the plunge on your recommendation. I lucked out in that the day after the scope arrived I got a nice clear and cold night and took her for a spin. I decided the Orion Nebula would be my first target. As I'm sure many others understand, that first time of looking into the eyepiece and seeing a real nebula, right there, in real time, its photons hitting my eyeball... well, it was breathtaking. I absolutely felt like a kid again, with that awe-inspiring sense of wonder that usually only a child can experience. Thank you for the inspiration, your channel is a blessing! Seeing the remarkable images you're able to capture has me really thinking hard about considering the equipment to get into Deep Sky imaging in the not-to-distant future; the perfect confluence of art and science.
Be sure to join some astrophotography facebook groups to share your shots and get advice!
Visit /r/Astrophotography on Reddit. Lots of useful info and people willing to help, critique, and share experiences with you.
Great video. My first scope was a 50mm Tasco refractor. Great for moon and planets. Nearly 50 yea s later I got a 10" DOB. Andromeda, Orion Nebula....absolutely breath taking! I totally agree; the 8" DOB is a fantastic first telescope.
MrGp3po do you think the extra surface area of the 10” mirror is worth the extra size/weight/inconvenience over the 8”?
@@daviewavie112 "25% increase in resolution and 56% more light" The area of a circle being Pi x radius squared you get 201 square inches for the 8" and 314 square inches for the 10 inch. You can check out the specifications of your desired scope to see the weights. The 8" is light enough for most adults to carry assembled. But it is awkward and there is the possibility of falling and damage. My 10 is is about 70 lbs total but the tube and base are each about 35 lbs and it takes like 15 seconds to assemble. If you plan to travel to dark sites, be sure to check the specifications for size and measure your vehicle. Dobs do take up some room.
@@daviewavie112 I re-watched this great video and I see Trevor moving his 8" Dob assembled. Each piece probably weighs about 20 lbs, so carrying the 40 lbs total a short distance is no big deal. I've gotten "lazy" and moved my 70 lbs 10" Dob short distances before but try to avoid doing that to save my back and prevent disaster (tripping in the dark). The 8" is great and more convenient; the 10" will give better views of dimmer objects. (PS. If you buy the 8", don't look through anything smaller than a 12" or 16". ;)
I recently bought a stellalyra 8 inch dob as my first scope.I used a 20mm eyepiece and decided to look at what I thought was a bright star.I couldn’t believe my eyes as it was Jupiter and four moons.I could even see the bands.I will never forget my first time using my dobsonian!
I want a telescope so bad I’ve been watching so many videos but they’re so expensive especially if you’re a college student
I bought budget dobsonian 130/650. For the value it is really good, but with this small size i cant really see much in my class 6-7 sky. Havent tried go to darker area yet, but in urban sky its pretty shit views, only moon and pleiades stars was quite easy to find with decent view.
Lazy 73 get some decent 10x50 binos a good mount and start the amazing trip....
Hahaha same to me. I always struggle by the high price
They have some for 120 bucks that are pretty darn good
Join your university astronomy club! or start one and get a grant from the college for a telescope!!!
I have a 6" Saxon (GSO clone) and LOVE it.
I can't go bigger cos of back problems and lifting limits. Anything larger won't fit in my car either if I wanna travel to a dark sky site.
Ok, you're enthusiasm and sincerity sold me, just ordered it!
Same lol
How much is it ?
Could you give me the website from where you found it ?
@Rob Fiss You're so lucky, living in the city sucks
@@steveshorter look at high point science
I watched this video a few times and was convinced by Trevor that an 8" dob was a perfect fit. However, AD8 was back ordered and so was the Zhumell Z8. Searched surrounding states and found the Z8 for $275. The guy that I bought it from from was very kind. He brought a 4" Bushnell go-to telescope and asked me if I wanted that too! Both in mint condition. Bought a couple of new wide FOV eyepieces from Gary at Russell Optics and headed to my local Observation park. I viewed Saturn, Jupiter, the Lagoon Nebula and finally the Andromeda galaxy...what a night. Love the 8" dobsonian and now planning my targets weekly. I agree the 8" size is as big as I can transport on a regular basis. Thanks for the inspiration Trevor!
I purchased my first telescope a few weeks ago and went with the Zhumell Z8 for the same features that scope has. I'm 60 y/o and viewed Jupiter and Saturn with my own eyes for the first time in my life and was blown away.. Was also able to view Comet Neowise and what a view it was.... Thanks for all your video's they are a great help Trevor...
Ha, yes, I'm right there with you! Bought the Apertura AD8, received it about 4 days later, built it the next night, looked outside and it was Clear! Got some nice views of Neowise...then saw Jupiter and it's moons, as well as Saturn last weekend. Still waiting for the Barlow to arrive. The moon! Beautiful!!
It looks like a mortar tbh. 😂
the light bucket mortar of doom
Maybe that’s how it was invented. Guy looks through the scope like oh shit I can see the moon
Hahahaha
"shot out"
I truly apologize, please excuse my brain compelling me to respond with the following:
I believe you meant mortar tube, the mortar is the round itself.
I’ll see myself out.
Finally someone who do not only talk about the equipment ---- but the experience and feeling of gazing at the stars. I just ordered my telescope - nothing particularly expensive, just enough to enjoy it - and I am just not so into the equipment thing. Just want enough to give nice experiences. I'm so looking forward to it arriving here!! I will subscribe to you. Thank you for this!
Just need to get yourself down to Aus or NZ to see the better half of the universe :)
Yeah the eta carina nebula through a UHC-S filter is something to behold, not to mention the large and small magellanic clouds!
I'm from Aus and planning to get an 8" Dobsonian telescope!! :)
Bro there are so many planets and stars in NZ and au. It truly is amazing.
Northern lights are better ;)
Got a fren there, now im gonna go internet surfing for a scop :D
Just got my AD8, took your advise and bought as my fist Telescope, I cant belive how in Detail
I can see the moon, and craters. cant wait to keep exploring. Thanks for the info very helffull.
where did u find the AD8?
Bro, beautiful video. The way you expressed how it feels to see what you see through the lens yourself is exactly how I feel. I'm using a $50 cheap Walmart Celestron, and I'm ordering this AD8 right now. Last night I saw Jupiter, and finding it was exactly that feeling especially with the shaky telescope I have. My first experience ever was Saturn- absolutely stunned me. Thank you for taking the time to post such an informative and passionate video!
What can you see with the celestron? I wanna buy one of this bad boys but because of work getting to a dark place is hard (I live in a very crowded city) so I wanna buy a smaller cheaper one to know what I can see from my home
crystalgolem you can see a lot actually. I have great pics of the moon, and saw Jupiter and its stripes pretty clearly. That’s what is pushing me to get the telescope he recommends.
I just assembled my Orion XT-8” Dobsonian telescope this week and had some amazing experiences. I live in Southern California about 50 miles east of Los Angeles. While looking at the moon in the western sky just after sunrise I had a passenger jetliner out of LAX or John Wayne airport fly right thru my eyepiece and perfectly across the moon diagonally south to north as it ascended into the morning sky. I pulled back from the eyepiece in complete surprise and watched it continue to climb for a bit. What a wonderful treat. Thank you for sharing your presentation with us. It was well done. Newly subscribed from Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
Take care.
My dad got me a little cheap 20$ telescope when I was 13 and I remember looking at the moon through it, even though it was blurry and I couldn’t see no defined features of it (just the different colored blobs) I can’t explain the rush I felt when I was looking at it through it, needless to say I’m super excited to get this telescope!!!
How i connect canon m50 to this to take photos?
DJFITME you can probably buy an adapter to the size of your camera
@Bhagwandas Ramchandani For Nebulae and Galaxies there might star trail ONLY if he reduces his camera shutter speed for better, clear/sharp,colourful pics...but if he wants only a normal, acceptable he might not get star trails..
Strong tape.
@@jamielonsdale3018 absolute mad lad
T ring
I sincerely bought this dobsonian because of this video. My wife’s and daughters reaction to seeing Saturn was well worth all the money and research. Thanks again for making this and convincing me to take the plunge.
I'd also add, don't use any form of cheat like the Orion Intellescope system so you're using star charts, and maybe adding a Telrad finder. A 2" Explore Scientific ultra wide field eyepiece is a good thing too.
Great video Trevor. I just recently got a 10” Apertura dob as my first telescope. This video really helped me make my decision and I can say I am just blown away. It is truly life changing to be able to see the rings of Saturn and the bands of Jupiter with your own eyes.
Brother this is as real as it gets. I got a telescope for Christmas I'm a beginner. I watched the moon and its awesome. It's a great experience.
If I can see a galaxy far far away with this, but I can't see a nude beach way over in France, then the world must be round right?
Yes
Atmospheric density.
@@bobbytwotoes3726 Sophism.
Thanks to your blog, my AD10 arrived today....
Forgot to add.. it's my 1st telescope, and Im completely new to this hobby.
I was lucky enough to have a 14 inch reflector as my fist scope at university . It was initially all visual and then tracked photos onto slides. No photoshop post processing or stacking. I loved it. We worked on twos and my scope partner is my close friend years later. Great video Trevor .
Paul (UK)
I remember looking at the moon through a telescope with my dad once, that was already mindblowing for my little brain back then. I am saving for a telescope right now!
Please don’t worry about what the ignorant idiots on the internet comment. Please!
They do not have the capacity to understand astrophotography. Please keep up the good work and thank you for sharing your knowledge.
This is a garbage beginner scope.. and this is definitely not for astrophotography 🤣🤣🤣🤡
I am currently using a telescope (in a heavily light polluted area) that won’t let me see beyond Saturn but the excitement I get observing Jupiter and it’s 4 visible moons is light Christmas morning! I have a 8” Orion Skyview on the way and I can’t wait to observe deep space!! This was the first video I ever saw on the subject and it pushed me to get my first telescope. Thank you!
Only about an hour to go now! :D I want to see some member badges and custom emoji's in the chat!!
I bought an 8 in dob for my first scope and it has never let me down. I’m saving now to purchase my first astrophotography scope in the near future
AstroBackyard i don't know if you will read this.... but i will always support you as you make me laugh sometimes and those beautiful pictures of the astro... best luck and could it be possible to shot those sky things near 4K resolution if you can... good bye and best wishes ... if i got the chance i will visit you just after knowing your adress🤗
Can you also use this telescope for astrophotography or is it just an ordinary telescope?
my nightime obsessions started with drinking beer and chasing women. yes I saw the stars out then, but when I got my first telescope I was amazed and saw I was missing something amazing. The last 2 nights I spent building a mounting frame for a 3inch telescope I was given, minus tripod and everything else. I managed to scrounge up a tripod minus the scope mount, built a mount, tonight I finish the friction locking arm, all made out of pine wood scraps. About an hour from now it will be completed and I will be viewing the sky with it. I found fun with no beer needed :)
Appreciate your love for this. Today is Black Friday, looking for an 8”
the Orion Nebula is the very first object I found when I was gifted a 3" table top telescope nearly 40 years ago... I didn't even know what it was as I was simply hopping around and found it by accident... took me a week to discover what it was that I had found...I just today ordered my AD8 and simply cannot wait for it to arrive so that my very first viewing with it will be the Orion Nebula... seems a fitting tribute...🌌🌠
GREAT VIDEO! Very dedicated and inspirational man. Thank you.
We went camping at North Fork Park near Ogden Utah. It has an astronomy designation. The night was mostly plagued by people, their fires, noisey generators, drunkenness and then by endless flashlight wanderers. Once my wife and kid were satisfied we took refuge in the tent. Then we shivered all night. The coldest part of the morning I had to leave the tent for a moment. When I emerged from the tent they sky had become a thick soup of unbelievably numerous stars. People were asleep and the stars unhindered by headlights, lamps and other glare came down to the mountain and blew my mind without telescope or binoculars to aid them.
I had a 6" Meade telescope in 2004 I can remember opening it at Christmas and crying lol I set it up and saw Jupiter and Saturn, I was completely blown away, and suddenly felt so small. I recognized my place in the universe. Times got tough and I had to sell it. But I've saved a bit of cash for a new one. I had my heart set on a an 8" or 10" Dobsonian but not sure now as I love photography & would love doing astrophotography but after watching all these awesome videos from AstroBackyard, I am not sure if that will be the right one for me.
Just ordered one of these with the soft storage case. Can't wait to get it!
Got to love the RetroWave, best vibe for this. ;)
Your link to order is to a different telescope package. Your link is to a Apertura DT8 8", one lens, no mirror cooler, no laser collimator. I think this is the telescope that you are describing, Apertura AD8 8" Dobsonian Telescope with Accessories
I just ordered my Apertura last night, I can't wait for it to arrive.
Update us when you get it and how everything goes
@@randomu22 It was delivered on time, had all the parts and was easy to assemble. I am a novice astronomer, but found the Apertura easy to maneuver. Spend most of the night looking at Jupiter and 4 moons and Saturn. The planet and rings were very clear.
@@GeofVasquez Thanks for letting me know I wanna buy a telescope but Im new to astronomy and trying to figure out which scope i should buy. I wanna start with a beginner scope however i still want good visual quality, would you say this telescope is worth it and can you view any galaxies with it?
@@randomu22 I assume you can, but have not tried. Only had it for a week and I am a novice like you.
@@randomu22 I can view pretty much whatever I point the the scope at through my 10 inch dob. Dark sky's help like a low light pollution area or if your in the city I suggest getting a light pollution filter, It will make viewing galaxy's and nebulae just a bit easier👍 This reply is probably too late but good luck🙂
Beginners Telescope? That looks like my Dream Telescope!. They say its like night and day compared to my 4 inch newt. If youve got an extra, Ive got a good home for it with a big yard to run around in. Dang, that thing is cool!
I am saving $ to get a Sky-Watcher DOB 8" collapsible 👍👍👍👍 🔭
I have one and love it!
How much does one of these cost at regular retail
I'm saving for a Sky Watcher 8" collapsible Dob too!! 4 months have passed, I hope you're already out there peering skywards mate :D
@Michael The cheapest i've found one listed for in Brisbane is $615, which seems to be way lower than everywhere else, wonder what the go is
@@iAWP- i want the same one! its 400€ here, still didnt get it
That’s a very good beginner telescope
At last an astronomy video that talks about the feeling of watching the sky. Congrats and Thanks.
I have watched my first ever few videos at this point from Nico over the last 2 or 3 days, which were great, and I think I saw you in one of his video - shooting some nebula together and comparing results.... anyway, yours is the first video i am viewing and i am getting really excited! I am now considering to get equipped soon for myself + my 3 kids (eldest 8 year daughter, 7 and half old son and a 5 year old son Alhumdolillah). Thank you for sharing this stuff, from Lahore, Pakistan
Very good and informative video for anyone considering getting into astronomy. Took my first moon photo recently with a camera and zoom lens and although the image is small, there is good detail. It made me want to know how I could see more detail, larger and sharper images. Thanks for this introduction.
Been using scopes since 97, if any one says you are faking it then just post more. The sites are amazing, especially saturn
the apertura dob is for sure going to be my first visual astromony telescope and after I learn the sky more better Im probably going to get a dslr and star adventure pro to do astrophotography.
I’ve always wanted to be able to enjoy a nice telescope.
I was given a pretty cool telescope many years ago but I was never able to set it up properly so that was a bummer.
$500 is very affordable for a decent quality scope but I’m afraid I’m going to get it and not know wtf I’m doing (or looking at).
That sucker is a monster too, looks really heavy.
Just got mine! And I've seen Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, and the Moon in great detail!
What? an 8' dob?
Can you tell me how's it and your experience with it. I'm also looking to buy one. Will I be able to see Saturn's rings and Jupiter's moons? And Is Neptune or Uranus visible if we see thru it?
@@jiteshraghav3791 i can say it how it is:D So its really beautyful when you have good atmospheric condicions and when u cooled ur telescope off then you can see really nice details on jupiter( you see many bends even the small ones and the moons ) with saturn( you see one darker bend really good and you can even see the gap in the ring clearly even a little color difference between those two ring parts if you have a good looking) Mars( you can see the poles and the darker spots really good) Venus( so its yellow:D) i dont have seen uranus, naptun and mercury yet because its really hard to see them especially neptune and uranus. but you would just see a blue dot.
it depends in which light polluted level area you live you can see deep sky objects really nice too. so its a perfect telescope
@@FisTheDucc Thanks! I will be buying a 10" or maybe a 12" dob in some weeks.
@@jiteshraghav3791 nice:p
Love your passion for the hobby and your channel!
My wife and boys ordered me an 8” Dobsonian for Fathers Day, can’t wait until it arrives! I did order myself a zoom eyepiece another UA-camr recommended as well. Been wanting a decent astronomical telescope my whole life. Always been fascinated with the night sky (usually stumbling over something when I’m walking my dogs) and have only binoculars and my naked eyes to take it in.
The first planet I saw was Saturn I remember looking in my friends telescope and seeing the rings and moons around it and I started crying all of my life lead up to that my time longing to see a planet and there I saw it i couldn’t hold it together I just started bawling tears of joy I know my time here is limited and I just wanted to see a planet once before I die which I don’t know when that is
Oh, what a lovely reaction! Thank you for sharing your excitement for cosmos peek.🙏😷
I agree the dob is great if you have a backyard and a garage. If you live in an apartment, then a small refractor on an alt-alz mount is ideal (with slow motion knobs and not so fast (greater than F8).
It's not been a long time since I saw saturns rings for the first time and me and my father were very happy ❤
My father and i talked about it the whole night about how it was like a ring 😂
Just ordered a 8" dt8 with a 2x Barlow lens. Thank you for your information man. Live long and prosper ✌
I planned on getting an XTc 6 inch but after really looking into it ill save another $100 to get an 8 inch
Solid choice. What's crazy is how back ordered and out of stock telescopes are right now.
Vanio Tavares I know right i wish i would have gotten one before all the stimulus checks went out lol.
@@DreDay1993 😂😂😂
Looking to get a 6in dobsonian sky watcher for my second telescope thank you for this video
I'm sold. Thanks for this!
Thank you for taking time to make and post these videos. I learned a lot by watching many of your videos, and used your link to buy our first telescope, the AD8.
Thank you for this great video tutorial. I want to purchase a telescope for my kids but don't know anything about starllgazing or telescopes. Your video gave me a good point where to start. Great video. Thank you for sharing it with us.
P.s.: do you know if I could connect my DSLR camera to this telescope?
Huge fan of your channel and the astrobackyard website. I received my AD8 last week and finalized my decision because of this video. Cannot wait until clear skies and less snow to try it out!
Best video ever. Like the emotion and how you are encouraging others to get it going. Thanks this was awesome!!!
For anyone outside the us the skywatcher skyliner clasic 200p or orion skyquest xt8 all have completely the same optics meaning they have the same mirrors however the apertura hes the best accesories lioe finder/eyepieces so if you want something similiar to the apertura buy one of those
Loved the video, caused me to get an 8-inch Newtonian for my AVX Mount, up from 5.1-inch newt. Amazing views, better than I had even hoped for. You are a wealth of information and an inspiration for fledgling astronomers. Thank you.
for all the haters, pause the video at 2 minutes, have a good look around at the equipment this man has. there is at least 10 or 15 thousand dollars there. you dont spend that kinda money to fake a video. and thanx to astro for making these kinds of videos. i enjoy watching.
I know it's an older video, and admittedly, I haven't watched all of your videos, but do you have any astro photos from using this scope that you can point me to? My son (he was 5 at the time), picked out a Celestron Astromaster 90az as a birthday present for me. He said I needed it. I still remember seeing Saturn and Jupiter for the first time. I could even make out 3 of the larger moons around Jupiter, and the hint of the rings of Saturn. Blew me away. Easily one of the best gifts I've ever been given.
So, 2 years later I'd like to ask you if you still recommend this one. I'm totally hooked to this channel and I'm planning on saving for my own Telescope for Visual Astronomy (I find it best for pros the photography part). If anyone else can also suggest something, feel free to do so!
Was that a "shooting star" around 12:30, right after you mention Mars? If so, thats also my typical luck when I'm out in the night sky! Lol. Nice video. After monkeying around with a 3" refractor it just might be the time to make a leap.
I bought a 8” Orion Dobsonian on Craig’s list for $200. The guy I bought from had bought a new bigger one. He had taken great care of the one he sold me. It is like new. Look around if you think you can’t afford one.
Great video. I enjoyed watching. Orion has been particularly bright in the Eastern Australian sky in the past week. I'm about ready to purchase a 10" Dobsonian. I cant wait to use it.
you got me. this will be my first professional telescope. what camera do your recommend?
Don't worry about the doubters. I saw someone commenting "fake!" on a video of a cat yawning.
so astrobackyard is an AP channel, clearly, but its good to see him sing the praises of visual. I have always been a visual guy, the experience of seeing these wonders live is wholly different from seeing a stacked and exposed picture.
My first liked video and subscription of the year 2020. You gave me a good idea what hobby I should chose for the new decade.
I can't wait to get one for me and my kids. I always wanted a telescope when I was a kid. My middle-child is a doctor, engineer, or scientist in the making. At seven years old, she's already amazing....and soooooo inquisitive. "Mommy, how does this work?" "Mommy, how is this made?"
An 8” Dob is the usual recommendation for a first scope, and I must admit, they offer great views. The Apertura 8 seems like it does come with some great accessories. That said, I’m posting to recommend, as a first scope, a fast 4.5” Dob like the Orion StarBlast or the Edmund AstroScan (The new version - not the bowling ball). True, they don’t give the eyepopping views of an 8”, but…
1) Way more than half the scopes bought today will be abandoned within a year. An 8” Dob costs a lot more than a 4.5” dob. That’s a lot of wasted money and a lot of closet space for the abandoned scope. (The StarBlast is $200.00 at this writing - Half the price of the Apertura 8”.)
2) Fast 4.5” Dobs truly _are_ portable. An 8” looks like a hot water tank. They don’t fit easily into everyone’s car - particularly if several people want to go along. An ounce of sky is worth a pound of scope, and ofttimes you have to drive to get to a good viewing site. (When people ask me what kind of scope to get, the first thing I ask is what kind of car they drive.)
3) A small scope is useful even after you upgrade. Sometimes (i.e.; MOST of the time) you don’t want to lug a 50-pound scope outside just to get a quick peek.
4) Kids can use a fast 4.5” scope all by themselves. They can’t use an 8” scope.
If viewing is the only concern, I agree with you. Maybe if someone drives a big car, and is already in love with telescopes, an 8” is great. If they’re not sure they want to get into the hobby… not so much, IMHO.
I appreciate these points! The 8" dob IS a hot water tank! 😆 My first telescope was a 4.5" dob ❤
Its enjoyment versus price. To use part time, I just bought most of the base equipment parts used. Then new optical lenses. You just be patient and wait until someone wants to get rid of the main tube with primary and secondary lenses. You don't overpay as the parts to build it out can be expensive. The cost for 2in optics over 1.25 in optics is vastly higher, for example. When comets come by for example, I want an equatorial mount to actually find it and a scope powerful enough to see it. Not all hobbies have to be constant. They can also be opportunistic, there to use when something neat is going on.
Thanks Trevor, that was wonderful. It is so inspiring to see someone so excited over a telescope. I had a homemade Newtonian when I was a boy, during the Apollo missions era. Takes me back. Thanks mate. Cheers
Just ordered the apertura dt12 after owning the ad8 for a year😀
So you spent 17mins advertising a telescope to us and then didn't show any results? Kind of a failed paid advertising video.
I should have waited a little bit longer and gone for an 8 inch dob. I got the 6 inch Orion SkyQuest which I love, but I would love to have more light and wider views with the bigger eyepieces. But I have heard that many are out of stock, so I'm happy at least to have one. Also, am I the only person who uses a two foot high end table to put the telescope on? Bending a lot isn't easy for me, so that table really comes in handy.
This video is poetic. The excitement when the light travels billions of years and finally hits your eyes is undescribable
You can actually see the side of the milky way galaxy , in the desert between California and Arizona.. no telescope required, just need to go during the winter solstice
This man is awsome! I must say he's a true astrophotographer..who loves his hobby truly.
A dobsonian is ok if you like being lost. There is a reason that people don't use typewriters or flip-phones anymore. It's because using up to date technology has many advantages. With my old scopes it would take me an hour to find M-57. Now I can find it in less than a minute. If you want to learn the sky, get a book and binoculars. But if you want to spend your time being amazed at the wonders of the night sky, get a Go-to scope. If you're going to spend $500 or more on a scope, get one that has a computer in it, and get the biggest aperture you can afford if you're serious about astronomy. My 12" Meade, Schmidt Cassegrain telescope amazes me every time I take it out.
I love my Orion SkyQuest XT8 and now I'm starting to save for a new rig for astrophotography
Great video and very helpful. Almost 2 years later, would your recommendation change for a first telescope?
I remember seeing the Andromeda Galaxy for the first time in 2018 with an old Meade ETX 125 I dug up I accidentally came across the Galaxy when manually aligning it because the Autostar system was busted best mistake of my life it wasn’t like what you’d see with photos from Hubble or Amateur Astronomers like you Astrobiscuit or ChucksAstrophotography it was a grey fuzzy blob it wasn’t amazing but it was there I’ll never forget it
Ordered the AD8 last week and I’m waiting for it to get here! Any recommendations on first additional eyepieces I should get?
while im waiting for my 8" dob , i ordered a , albeit cheap , 32mm plossl to get an even broader view .
To let people know. The Apertura AD8 is back in stock at High Point Scientific. Yes it is pricey but well worth it.
Well done review and explanation. Bravo. The Skywatcher 8" was my first scope on an equatorial mount. I do regret selling it and long for the views I saw with it. For 14 yrs I've been using a Meade 10" LX200R as I got into Astrophotography. That phase has passed. After seeing this vid..... I am going to purchase another Dob with same mount as reviewed. Cheers and keep lookin up.
The video and recommendation is for the AD8, but the link in the description is for the DT8. Did the recommendation change?
Which beginner telescope do you recommend for deep sky astrophotography? I want to go beyond our solar system and capture images of different nebulas and galaxies
Awesome. Do you have any pictures you took with with that scope? You should come to Hawaii with your stuff. We got an extra room !
This is the scope I want, but in Alaska it's $700 delivered!!! I like it over the Orion for the money...
My new phone can take insane good pics of the moon. Seeing the moon so clearly made me want to get a telescope again.
I had my first telescope on my birthday 👍 it was simple I had a tripod and other stuff I used a rod and a metal plate so I can see sun spots too really appreciate the universe we live in
When you are on high magnification it's harder to follow the objects than with an equatorial mount?
Im a begginner and the scope i have is a 5" dobsonian (first ever telescope ive ever had)(well first one that i can actually see things other then the moon)
Unfortunately it doesn't come with the filter or laser now, you have to buy them separately. Regardless I think this is the one I’ll buy!
Awesome ... I ordered one :) can’t wait
I use an 8" Newt for astrophotography at a 1000mm fl. Works great
Iv just bought a 6 inch dobsonian