Telescopes
The best telescope for beginners is a medium-sized reflector with an alt-azimuth mount. It's inexpensive and simple to use, and will show most of the famous sky objects. There are three types of telescope:
Refractor
Refractor telescopes are long and narrow, with a lens at one end and an eyepiece at the other.
They are the best choice for looking at bright objects like the moon and planets. They are not as good as reflectors for looking at dim objects like galaxies and nebula.
Reflector
Reflector telescopes are usually thicker than refractors and have the eyepiece near the open end.
They are better than refractors for looking at dim objects like galaxies because they gather more light.
Cassegrain
Cassegrain telescopes are thicker and shorter than other types. They have one open end and an eyepiece at the other end.
They are a better choice for photography but are usually more expensive.
Telescope Mounts
There are two types of telescope mount: altitude-azimuth and equatorial.
Altitude-Azimuth
Called alt-azimuth for short, these mounts move vertically (altitude) and horizontally (azimuth).
They are the simplest and cheapest mounts, and a good choice for beginners.
Equatorial
Equatorial mounts move in the same arc that stars and planets appear to follow. This makes tracking sky objects much easier.
They are larger, heavier, and more expensive than similar alt-azimuth mounts.
Safety
Blindness can occur instantly if you look at the sun without a solar filter. The filter must cover the entire front opening, and not be cracked. Never use eyepiece filters for looking at the sun.
The reflected sunlight from the moon can also cause eye problems, so it's a good idea to use a solar filter when looking at the moon.
