Which of those two telescopes should I buy? Why?

Question

Details about the two
CELESTRON POWER SEEKER 60
D=60 / F=700mm refractor. . . . Rs. 8,805.
Recommend for: FIRST TIME BUYER

General

Tri-ocular holder rotates eyepiece position to change magnification

60mm refractor with unique, high-quality square optical tube

Three 1.25" eyepieces included for varying magnifications

Soft carrying case holds the telescope, mount, tripod, and all accessories

5x20 finder scope held by pivot arm for convenient alignment

Pre-assembled aluminum tripod for easy setup

Built-in compass to assist in terrestrial observations

Coated objective lens

The design of the Celestron Power Seeker Square optical tube helps reflect stray light away from the user’s eye, giving higher contrast planetary and lunar views. Unlike most other 60mm refractors, the PowerSeeker Square has a rotatable erect image diagonal that makes it excellent for land viewing as well as astronomical use.

Specifications
OPTICAL DESIGN Refractor
APERTURE 60 mm (2.36 in)
FOCAL LENGTH 700 mm (27.56 in)
FOCAL RATIO 11.67
EYEPIECE 1 20 mm (0.79 in)
MAGNIFICATION 1 35 x
EYEPIECE 2 12.5 mm (0.49 in)
MAGNIFICATION 2 56 x
EYEPIECE 3 4 mm (0.16 in)
MAGNIFICATION 3 175 x
BARLOW LENS 3 x
FINDERSCOPE 5x20
STAR DIAGONAL Rotatable Erect Image, 1.25 in
MOUNT Altazimuth
TRIPOD Aluminum
ACCESSORY TRAY No-Tool Tray w/ Eyepiece holder
CD ROM The Sky Level 1
OTHER EQUIPMENT Compass
CARRYING CASE Soft carrying case
WEIGHT 10 lb (4.54 kg)
LIMITING STELLAR MAGNITUDE 11.4
RESOLUTION 2.31 arc seconds
RESOLVING POWER 1.93 arc seconds
PHOTOGRAPHIC RESOLUTION 171 line/mm
LIGHT GATHERING POWER 73 x
ANGULAR FIELD OF VIEW 1.2 °
LINEAR FIELD OF VIEW (@1000 YDS) 61 ft (18.59 m)
OPTICAL COATINGS Multi-Coated
OPTICAL TUBE LENGTH 30 in (762 mm)
TELESCOPE WEIGHT 10 lb (4.54 kg)


CELESTRON POWER SEEKER 76
D=76 / F=700mm Newtonian reflector. . . . Rs. 7,605. Inclusive of TAX
Recommend for: FIRST TIME BUYER



General
Easy to assemble 76mm Newtonian reflector

Pre-assembled aluminum tripod and accessory tray

3x Barlow Lens-triples the magnifying power of each eyepiece

Finder scope: 5x24


Includes two 1.25" eyepieces

Includes CD-ROM "The Sky" Astronomy Software

PowerSeeker telescopes are a great way to open up the wonders of the Universe to the aspiring astronomer!
The Celestron PowerSeeker series of telescopes is designed to give the first-time buyer the perfect combination of quality, value, features and power. Offering exceptional value, these telescopes feature portable yet powerful designs with ample optical performance to excite any newcomer to the world of amateur astronomy.

Specifications
OPTICAL DESIGN Newtonian Reflector
APERTURE 76 mm (2.99 in)
FOCAL LENGTH 700 mm (27.56 in)
FOCAL RATIO 9.21
EYEPIECE 1 20 mm (0.79 in)
MAGNIFICATION 1 35 x
EYEPIECE 2 4 mm (0.16 in)
MAGNIFICATION 2 175 x
BARLOW LENS 3 x
FINDERSCOPE 5x24
MOUNT Altazimuth
TRIPOD Aluminum
ACCESSORY TRAY No-Tool Tray w/ Eyepiece holder
CD ROM The Sky Level 1
WEIGHT 14 lb (6.35 kg)
LIMITING STELLAR MAGNITUDE 11.9
RESOLUTION 1.82 arc seconds
RESOLVING POWER 1.53 arc seconds
PHOTOGRAPHIC RESOLUTION 217 line/mm
LIGHT GATHERING POWER 118 x
ANGULAR FIELD OF VIEW 1.2 °
LINEAR FIELD OF VIEW (@1000 YDS) 62 ft (18.9 m)
OPTICAL COATINGS Aluminum
SECONDARY MIRROR OBSTRUCTION 0.75 in (19.05 mm)
SECONDARY MIRROR OBSTRUCTION BY AREA 6 %
SECONDARY MIRROR OBSTRUCTION BY DIAMETER 25 %
OPTICAL TUBE LENGTH 27 in (685.8 mm)
TELESCOPE WEIGHT 14 lb (6.35 kg)

Answer 1

I have to agree with Tom. I would not buy either one if I were you. You can do much better for your money.



There are several different kinds of telescopes and all of them have some excellent features. Refractors and Reflectors, plus Schmidt-Cassegrain, APO refractors and more. There are also several mounts to chose from and the mounts are just as important as the scope is. All of the different scopes and mounts have some features that some people like and do not like.

______________________________________



http://oriontelescopes.com/



Orion is the very best for value and for customer service too. I have 2 of their scopes and I will only buy from them from now on.



The Orion site has some excellent diagrams and explanations of all types of scopes and mounts.



Things to consider are size--can the user lift and transport the scope to the viewing site easily? If not, then it will gather dust in a closet. Can the viewer reach all the knobs and buttons? I have a long tube large manual refractor and it is very dificult for me to reach the knobs when I am pointed to Zenith. I am not a tall person.



Take your time in making your decision.



I would like to suggest that you join a local astronomy club or astronomical society BEFORE you spend your money on a scope. There are many different kinds of scopes and what is perfect for one person is not perfect for another. Everyone has their own set of eyeballs and no two are the same. If you join a club, you can attend a few of their star parties and try out members scopes to see what works best for YOU, before you buy a scope. The members can also help you when you get your scope and show you how to get the most out of your new scope as well as to help teach you where the treasures in the sky are located. Hint: they will be especially helpful if you take cookies to star parties. Most clubs have loaner scopes and extensive libraries that you can gather more information from too.



Some people will suggest that you purchase binnoculars. Not a bad idea but dont buy anything less than 10x50 and you must have a tripod too or you will not be happy with your astronomical views because they will be too shakey from your movements. Personally, I prefer a scope to binos.



But when you buy go Orion and you wont be disappointed.

Answer 2

Well I began with a 60mm UNITRON refractor in 1961. It was exceptional quality. I did have a great deal of fun with it. But it is in the same class as the two you ask about. Between those, go for the 76mm. for a little more light gathering power. The 60mm for more convenience and for distant Earth objects. With either forget about anything more than 120X. You will still be disappointed, Nothing in a telescope looks like the photos you see published. Planets are -tiny-!



BUT if you are a beginning stargazer, INSTEAD look at binoculars.com and find the BARSKA 15X70 rubber coated binoculars. I got a pair a few weeks ago very inexpensive! You will need binoculars anyway. I am rediscovering the sky with them. I have 7x50. I frequently go out with my binoculars. The new ones are getting the nod as I can find star clusters and deep sky objects much easier than with 7x50 or even a telescope.



I upgraded the finder on my scope from 6x30 to 9x50. It's a big help



Visit at least a couple of Amateur Astronomical Society meetings and Star Parties. Look at and through their scopes. Remember that there are refractor people, mirror people and mirror-lens people. I have all three types besides binoculars!



Everyone has their preferences and prejudices.



Buy neither, not that the Celestron are so awful. They are better than nothing. With them you will see lots on the Moon and you can see Saturn's rings + its largest Moon, Titan. You can see 4 Galilean Moons of Jupiter. You can see the phase of Mars and Venus. You can see a faint blue-green dot that is Uranus. Pronounced YOO'-re-nus please!

You can see lots of open clusters and the Prion Nebula and even the Trapezium and the easy double stars



With a special SAFE Solar filter these small scopes will show sunspots on the Sun. But it is still a quiet Sun so you may have to wait a year or more.



Do you want something quick and easy to setup? You need a big enough scope and a sturdy mount.or it is hard to observe, especially at high powers.



Final advice: Get the binoculars. Save your money for when you know more about using telescopes.



Good luck!

Answer 3

I have to agree with everyone above. Don't bother with any of those telescopes. Go for 10x50 or 7x56 binoculars. In fact, my 10x50 binoculars cost only 40 dollars, they came from a generic brand (so generic that they don't even write their own company name on their boxes), and they were barely bested out in a quality view than the 72mm aperature Walmart tube I used to have. And that cost $150!



If you have a child or you're planning to give you're scope as a gift to a novice, then the telescopes above are barely acceptable. Use them only in urban and suburban areas where light pollution would block out the dimmer points of interest, such as deep space globular clusters and galaxies. You need at least a 4 or 6 inch aperature to see those.



Also, don't be fooled with all of those high magnifications. Usually, telescopes like those are only good with the one or two weakest eyepieces, and the rest are too strong and will render blurry images. Those pictures you see on those boxes are just images taken from it's highest magnification on a better telescope. Those telescopes are refracting, and making a lens costs twice as much as an equivalent set of mirrors. Thus, a Dobsonian reflector will cost only half as much as an equivalent refractor.

Answer 4

Shreyas -



If your choice is really limited to these two options, then I would favor the reflector. Why? Aperture I guess. But seriously, you should take the time to get a scope that you really want for reasons that you understand. You are at the low end of the price range for a telescope, and the options there are very limited. Can you afford/ get delivery on the Orion StarBlast shown below?



http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=reflectors/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=09814



If so, it's a better scope for your money than either of the ones you mentioned. If you can extend a little further, I would look into a Dobsonian. You can find decent scopes at oriontelescopes.com, meade.com, and celestron.com, but you usually get what you pay for.



The advice about visiting a local astronomy club observing session is right on. You will get a chance to see through several scopes without having to buy them first, and you will receive a warm welcome and plenty of good info. They can be found on line. Take your time. Don't buy a scope until you know why you want the one you're buying.

Answer 5

Neither; and for the reason already stated; especially if you are a beginner. If you have some experience and feel that a small scope like these can be used as a guide scope/finder/ or grab and go, then go for it. I have several 60mm; and have had alot of fun with them. But, if you are starting out, then the poor images, the very narrow field of view, the lousy mount, the useless finder, and the bottom of the barrel eyepieces, will all go together for a very frustrating experience.

Answer 6

earlier computerised telescopes got here alongside, having the flexibility to song an merchandise meant you mandatory an equatorial mount. you nonetheless do once you're making plans on doing astrophotography. If it is your first scope, not having an equatorial mount could be an benefit. utilising a telescope takes prepare and many folk conflict with equatorial mounts and finally provide up. An alt-azimuth mount is plenty greater straightforward to apply and additionally you gets the possibility to certainly leaf through it. yet another portion of think of roughly is the fee - good equatorial mounts are not much affordable. in case you get some thing like a dobsonian you're spending just about all your funds on the telescope itself - in case you identify which you quite do choose an equatorial you ought to purchase (or make) the mount by skill of itself and positioned your latest telescope on it. and then there is the situation of portability - do you decide on some thing it is basic to hold around? Equatorials would be heavy. the worldwide's moved on, of path, and additionally you gets computerised mounts which will discover the gadgets for you and then song them. it is super, yet now you're spending a good smaller share of your difficult earned funds on the bit you are going to leaf through! If funds's no merchandise then nice, yet once you're on the cheap you may actual finally end up with some thing which will very straight away discover an merchandise, even though it wont be nicely worth finding at using fact the 'scope's too small.

Answer 7

Neither. They're both trash in one way or another. They may carry the name Celestron, but they carry the history "Made in Mainland China at a factory that churns them out and attaches the label of anyone who'll pay us".



If you're interested in scopes, read this. Ignore that it's from Australia, and ignore the money amounts, which are in Aust $ in 2002. Just read the info. The principle is the same.



http://astronomy.concreteairship.com/scope.htm



For buying in India, you'll need to do some research, but I'm sure you can get something decent. Don't rush into this.

Answer 8

save your money and buy a 6 inch one i had the same thing like you but you will regret it if you are buying either of these...



for really good viewing minimum size should be 6 inch you will get it reflector only refractor cost way more due high build cost...



so go for equtorial 6inch telescope at minimum for a good viewing

Answer 9

I wouldn't recommend either of those scopes. A common mistake newbies make is to buy a cheap low-end mass-marketed scope - most often you will be disappointed. For better choices see OrionTelescopes.com, beginner's models....I would recommend at least a 4.5" reflector.