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Pros |
Cons |
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Optical Tube Type |
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Aperture size |
Bigger apertures can gather more light and see more |
Bigger apertures can increase the size of the telescope and make it hard to transport |
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Refractors (Glass Lens Based) |
Produce better images, and image is the top to bottom, left to right correct |
Cost a lot to produce |
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Reflector (Newtonian/Mirror Based) |
Much cheaper to make, more light gathering for less money and often weigh less |
Image would not be as sharp as equivalent in Refractor, Image will be upside down and often left to right the wrong way (fine for a planet of a star but not looking at land-based things) |
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Mount Type |
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AZ (Manual) Mount |
Great for land viewing, easy to set up and use |
Hard to follow Astronomical objects which move in Arcs around the pole |
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AZ (Computerised) Mount |
Easy to setup and learn, takes the hassle out of finding and tracking Astronomical objects |
Can be more expensive, limited manual control |
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EQ Mount |
Easy to follow stars, planets, and other astronomical objects |
Need to polar align, steeper learning curve for beginners |
