STARTING ASTRONOMY The last part

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January 28, 2026
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I had intended the previous part of this series to be the last part on starting astronomy, but I seem to have opened a can of worms, with questions coming in to me. This means that I’ll have to do a final part to clear a few things up.
Firstly an impossible question to answer, two people have asked me if they should spend a few hundred Euros on the Seestar s50 I mentioned in the previous part of this series. I can’t possibly answer that, I can say that it’s a decent bit of equipment, and that it gives good results but neither of these people knew anything of astronomy, not even the most basic things, so actually using the Seestar would be next to impossible.
The next question I received was from someone who has been using binoculars for a few years and wants to get a telescope. The problem was that their head was suggesting getting a modern compact design, and their heart told them to get a big refractor. Why? Because a big model looks so much more impressive. This is something I’ve seen so many times at public viewings. People initially want to see through a big refractor but the modern compact (cassegrain) telescope is massively better.
The simplest message here is that the best telescope for someone is one that will be used as often as possible, usually this means a compact easy to set up model.
Next, what do I mean when I say ‘learn the basics’ when starting astronomy. This is not so easy to answer, but someone who knows the basics will have a 3D picture in their head of the way Earth moves through space, the way other planets in the solar system move, and the basic layout of the night sky. If you realise that the Earth turning on its axis means that whatever you look at through your telescope will quickly drift out of view unless the telescope can track it, you’re part way there. Lastly, and this is a personal point of view, learn the basic constellations, not all the 43 or so northern ones, but perhaps 10 or so famous ones. Why? Because a basic map of the heavens in your head will enable you to find your way around the night sky without too much difficulty. This is sometimes a contentious point of view, one good friend insists that the App he uses on his phone enables him to identify anything in the night sky just by pointing it upwards. I think that knowledge is always better than an App, it’s a difference in point of view.