Tool Reviews

The starry sky will never cease to amaze fans with its mystery, incomparable beauty and, of course, numerous theories and assumptions.

Astronomy is a hobby for the intellectual and inquisitive, and thanks to modern powerful telescopes, everyone can satisfy their curiosity and carefully examine all the celestial bodies.

We decided to collect all the useful tips that may be useful for beginners and more experienced astronomers, and also picked up 5 high-quality telescopes.

What is the right way to look at the stars?

Before taking on a telescope, we need to understand what we are dealing with. When, where and how best to observe celestial bodies.

You can and should watch the starry sky at any time of the year. In different seasons, different constellations are best seen over different regions.

If you travel and visit different parts of the world, be sure to take the opportunity and look at the sky in the Southern Hemisphere – it is in it that the Milky Way is better visible. In addition, completely different constellations are located there. Professionals hunt for stars both at the equator and closer to the poles of the Earth.

In Russia, the best places to watch are Baikal, the Altai Mountains, and the Southern Cities.

The most convenient time for observation is considered to be the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, since at this time it is dark enough and warm enough to enjoy starry nights with pleasure. In winter, there is another advantage – the nights are longer, and therefore you will have more time to watch.

In order not to get confused and see exactly what you are interested in, you can use special applications that show the location of the stars in the sky.

Of course, it is necessary to observe in the dark. In no case should you look at the sun without the necessary equipment, it is very dangerous and can lead to loss of vision.

To get the best view of the stars, you need to take into account several aspects. The first is, of course, the weather – to observe the stars you need a cloudless or slightly cloudy night sky. If the sky is overcast, the chance to see anything tends to zero. Advanced astronomers will even recommend choosing weather that is neither too humid nor too dusty, as dust and moisture particles tend to absorb light.

The second aspect is the place of observation. Of course, experienced astronomers will advise you to get out of the city, and the farther from the settlements, the better. As a rule, it will be enough to drive off for 70-100 km to calmly view the starry sky.

Outside the city there is no such light pollution as in the city, and therefore, extra light sources will not glare, and visibility will become much better. It is best to observe the sky from higher points. It is for this reason that observatories are always located on high ground. The ideal place for observation is, of course, the mountains. But both uplands and hills will do.

The brightest stars and planets can also be seen from the city, in which case the most important thing is the weather.

And of course, a quality telescope is very important.

We have selected five of the best telescopes: for children, novice astronomers, amateurs, experienced users and professionals, with the help of which it is very easy and pleasant to observe the starry sky.

The best telescopes

For kids: Levenhuk Strike 60 NG

Price: 9 108 rubles

A Levenhuk Telescope can be an ideal educational tool for a child who is interested in astronomy. In addition to the telescope itself and eyepieces, a detailed manual is included in the kit. From it, the child will be able to learn about 280 of the most fascinating and interesting celestial objects. Plus, the telescope comes with colorful posters of stars and planets that are incredibly easy to learn from, and a virtual planetarium disc.

Levenhuk Strike 60 NG is very light and easy to use as it is designed specifically for beginner astronomers. The tripod is adjustable, which allows you to position the telescope at a comfortable height for the child. Levenhuk Strike 60 NG does not require pre-configuration and can be used immediately after unpacking. High-quality lenses with a special anti-reflective coating provide a bright and contrasting image. Thanks to the finder, which is also included in the kit, the child will cope with the search for objects in the sky. The telescope can be used both at home and on the street or outside the city.

Beginners: Celestron AstroMaster 90 EQ

Price – 17 680 rubles

This refractor telescope is suitable for both adults and children. With it, you can observe both terrestrial objects and stars. The Astro Master series of telescopes successfully combines quality and a set of necessary accessories.

All optical elements of this telescope are made of glass and equipped with special coatings. It allows not only to consider the brightest space objects, but also distant ones. Celestron AstroMaster 90 EQ gives you the ability to see objects 13 times smaller than those that can be seen with the naked eye. The telescope objective has a diameter of 90mm and a focal length of 1000mm.

Celestron AstroMaster 90 EQ Telescope Kit Includes 2 eyepieces giving 50x and 100x magnification. The built-in StarPointer will help you locate objects. For convenient installation, the telescope is also provided with a tripod with a shelf for accessories.

Well, especially for beginner stargazers, the package includes the TheSky X planetarium program, the database of which allows you to access more than 10,000 objects. In addition, it makes it possible to print star charts.

This telescope is perfect for learning and first steps in astronomy, and will not become obsolete with further exploration of space.

For fans: Bresser Messier NT-130/1000 (EXOS-1)

Price – 68 400 rubles

The Bresser Messier NT-130/1000 is an excellent telescope for those who like to observe celestial bodies. 130mm is the aperture of the telescope, and 1000 is the minimum focal length.

This device is equipped with a Plössl 26mm wide-angle eyepiece, which provides a 36x magnification and allows you to view the surface of the moon, and deep sky objects. Quality glass lenses with multi-layer coating ensure that the image is clear and contrasting.

The Bresser Messier NT-130/1000 is also suitable for astrophotography – you can attach a SLR camera to it and enjoy shooting.

Make no mistake, this telescope may be suitable for beginners, however, it cannot be called a budget telescope, and the specifications are designed for those who plan long-term observation of the stars.

The tripod of the telescope is made of stainless steel, so it is ideal for outdoor observation. In addition, it is very stable and suppresses vibrations, which makes it incredibly comfortable, and the observation process is quite simple.

The Bresser Messier NT-130/1000 is the perfect choice for the astronomy enthusiast.

For advanced users: Levenhuk Strike 1000 PRO

Price – 50 310 rubles

For those who have been passionate about space for a long time and prefer more advanced technology, Levenhuk Strike 1000 PRO is an excellent choice. With this telescope, you can observe both planets and deep sky objects outside the solar system. The focal length of this telescope is 1300mm, so you can see the surface of the Moon in detail, see star clusters and nebulae.

The brightness and contrast of the image is provided by a lens with an aperture of 102mm. In addition, you can install a reflex camera on the telescope and take pictures of space objects.

In addition to the standard set of materials, the kit includes a 2x Barlow lens, a Plössl 6.3mm eyepiece, a set of filters – color, solar and lunar, and a cover for the telescope.

Thanks to its mirror-lens design, the telescope delivers excellent image quality. And with a sturdy and stable tripod, you can use Levenhuk Strike 1000 PRO outdoors even on uneven surfaces.

For professionals: Meade 8″ LX90-ACF

Price: 219 900

The telescope of the highest class is designed for true fans of astronomy. If you love space for a long time, and have seen enough of the stars through other telescopes – this is a godsend just for you! With the Meade 8″ LX90-ACF you can set up a true home (or field) observatory.

The optical scheme of this telescope stands out among analogues – it is a modified Schmidt-Cassegrain scheme with corrected comatic aberration. In other words, the telescope is based on the most advanced optical design to date.

The light diameter of this telescope will allow you to easily observe deep space objects.

A separate advantage that will please the user is the ability to start observations immediately after unpacking – the telescope does not require assembly and additional installation or configuration.

The Meade 8″ LX90-ACF is built with quality parts, not to mention what a high-quality image you can get from this telescope!

Well, now you can approach the matter with skill, arm yourself with a telescope suitable for your purposes and go ahead to unknown constellations!