When it comes to telescopes, we enter a world of compromise. There is no perfect telescope design; each has its limitations. I own an old Celestron C5. Despite its setbacks, how else can I get a large motor-driven aperture in a portable configuration?
I’ve lived in a dark rural area for 44 years, and in 1982 I built a 16-by-20-foot observatory with a motorized roll-off roof. Its pier-mounted 12.5-inch f/6 Newtonian telescope has flawless optics, with a 5-inch Takahashi refractor riding piggyback. The massive mount handles the 250 pounds (110 kilograms) of instruments and counterweights, though the motor’s clutch has a little backlash. Spectroscopes are part of every session.
I haven’t done astrophotography since the old film days, but when I needed long-exposure tracking with no periodic error, my drive was excellent at delivering frustration. I’d labor 35 hours before decently capturing the Orion Nebula (M42). Hats off to all of you who take the gorgeous shots featured in this magazine.
Anyway, astro toys depend on what you like to observe, whether it involves photography, where you live, your budget, and your degree of patience. When price was no object, a wealthy friend bought a huge Keck-type dome and had a crane install a professionally mounted 24-inch PlaneWave, with a couple Takahashi refractors riding piggyback. The big scope’s optical assembly cost $50,000 by itself. If only price were no obstacle for us all! And yet he overlooks a small city and has to endure a 4th-magnitude star limit.
If you have property in, say, Tibet, you could build a great observatory, but it would be hard to duck out for a decent sandwich. If you live in a city but can travel to a dark site, you could buy a big Dob or Schmidt, but you must be willing to drag the heavy thing around and periodically collimate the optics.
For those who want “easy,” nothing’s more hassle-free than a refractor, and these days even 4-inch models are affordable. But what will you do with it? We fanatics always find stuff. I once spent four hours staring at only Saturn when the night air was –13° F (–25° C), catching moments of astonishing detail unmatched by any photo. On the other hand, astrophotographers have their own sets of fussy requirements.
And if you get the 4-inch, the modest aperture precludes stunning looks at galaxies and globular clusters. The bottom line is that all telescopes involve trade-offs. So here is Santa’s counsel: Make your decision, and then live with it serenely. Accept that no single instrument can do everything. Then that great holiday gift — or the goodie you’ve wanted for years — will give only pleasure.
Contact me about my strange universe by visiting
http://skymanbob.com.
