Telescopes by Design Type

There are at least three major telescope design types available today, as well as a number of variations on those themes. Why so many? A telescope is basically a tool, and often different tools are needed to perform different tasks. Which type is the best? There is no simple answer to that question because it really depends upon what you intend to use the telescope for. The images and brief descriptions below will start you on your way to understanding these different design types and their applications. If you are completely unfamiliar with the different types of telescopes available, then you may want to start by reading this article by Ed Ting, a contributing editor for Sky " Telescope magazine.

Refractor A Refractor is the optical design that most people associate with a telescope. Refractors utilize two or more lenses to focus light into a smaller area. Refractors excel at producing a wide field of view with high contrast. More...	Schmidt-Cassegrain Schmidt-Cassegrains utilize both mirrors and a lens (corrector plate) to focus light into a smaller area. Schmidt-Cassegrains are popular due to their compact size relative to their aperture. More...	Aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain The aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain is an advancement over the standard Schmidt-Cassegrain design featuring an aspherical secondary mirror to provide a substantial reduction in coma. One manufacturer coined the phrase "Advanced Coma Free" to describe these telescopes. More...
Maksutov-Cassegrain Maksutov-Cassegrains are similar to Schmidt-Cassegrains, utilizing both mirrors and a lens (meniscus lens) to focus light into a smaller area. Maksutov-Cassegrains offer superior contrast to a Schmidt-Cassegrain due to the smaller central obstruction of the secondary mirror. More...	Dobsonian Dobsonian telescopes are a Newtonian reflectors mounted on a simple yet stable lazy Susan style mount. Dobsonian telescopes are popular because they offer the most available aperture for the dollar. More...	Schmidt-Newtonian Schmidt-Newtonian telescopes combine the corrector plate of a Schmidt-Cassegrain with the primary mirror of a classical Newtonian reflector to produce fast focal ratio telescopes that are often used for astrophotography. More...
Solar Telescopes Solar telescopes are designed with one purpose: safe observation of our sun. We offer two types of solar telescopes. More...	Newtonian Reflector Newtonian reflectors are an alternative optical design that uses a mirror to focus light into a smaller area. Most of the larger telescopes in use today utilize mirrors for economic reasons. More...

First time buyers: are you confused by the options?

Relax - the choice of a first telescope can be daunting. We suggest that you stop to ask the following questions about your expectations of this first telescope as follows:

1. What do you hope to see with the telescope? Choices include the moon and planets, deep space objects including star clusters, nebulae and distant galaxies, as well as terrestrial targets such as birds and other wildlife.
2. Does the telescope need to be portable enough to transport to a dark site? This is often essential for urban dewllers.
3. Are you the type of person who has the patience to track down celestial targets on your own, or do you require the assistance of a computerized "go-to" telescope to locate objects for you?

The answers to these questions will start to narrow your choices considerably. We also highly recommend the advice for beginners written by Ed Ting, amateur astronomer and contributing editor for Sky and Telescope magazine.