Telescopes gather and focus light using precisely-shaped mirrors and lenses (or a combination of both). The larger the telescope’s main mirror or lens, the more light is gathered and the more detail you’ll be able to see — this is important in the realm of astronomy, since many celestial objects are rather small and faint. Eyepieces are used to magnify the image focused by the main mirror or lens. There are three basic types of telescope: reflectors, refractors and catadioptric, but how do you which type is the best telescope for you?
The answer depends on how much you’re willing to spend, what you find most exciting about the night sky and whether that interest is going to stay with you for a good amount of time. For instance, if you’re a solar system observer and you would like nothing more than to gaze at the moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn or the craters and ridges of the moon then you should go for a powerful telescope that’s capable of achieving this. If you can’t decide and prefer to observe anything and everything in the night sky but you want a telescope that’s relatively easy to set up, then you should go for something a little cheaper and easier to use.
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