Queries fall into two main groups, information about the telescopes at specific observatories, and “What sort of telescope should I buy ?
Observatory telescopes can be checked out on their institution’s home pages. Quick links to the largest optical telescopes on the planet are on the Nine Planets “BigEyes” page. Your search tool can find radio, X-ray, Infra-red, etc telescope information. Buying a first telescope can be an exercise in frustration. The sad fact is that most of the telescopes sold in department stores and camera shops are next to useless for looking at the heavens. Telescopes need to be powerful enough to see more then a good pair of binoculars will. The power depends on the collecting area of the main lens or mirror, so this has to be significantly larger than that of your binoculars. Price rises fairly rapidly with the size of the optics, so go for the largest aperture your wallet can stand and remember, “Pay peanuts, get monkeys”. Forget department stores and buy from a store that deals in telescopes and optical equipment. Advice from your local amateur astronomical society can save lots of problems; c
