Telescopes

[Munro]

Need help with choosing a telescope for my 40 year old son,
we/he knows nothing about the subject and there is info overload on the web.
There must be dozens of Orgers taking advantage of no light pollution.
Looking to spend about £100 - £150.

[Stark]

From what i know of 'scopes, u can get them for that price, but if he could stretch to to £200 there are some good ones out there...

This is a good one if he's on a budget http://www.bestoptics.co.uk/ishop/1017/shopscr331.html

[Alice in Blunderland]

Just noticed the lidl brochure has a telescope in it.I think its due next Thursday price £99.No idea though if its good bad or indifferent.

[George Brims]

That bestoptics link has a lot of useful advice if you click on the "help in choosing a telescope" link.

Main things to remember when choosing a telescope especially for a beginner are
1. Don't go for high magnification. Sounds weird, but if the magnification is too high it's impossible to keep it steady on anything.
2. Aperture size - the objective lens size if it's all lenses, or the mirror size if it's a reflector - is much more important. Just as the pupil in your eye opens up to let in more light when the sun goes down, the bigger that optic is the more light you get - so the more stars you can see.
3. Look at the mounting - if it's too flimsy then all the person will see through it is a lot of stuff that seems to be flying about the sky!

Really cheap telescopes usually ignore 1 and 3, combining immense magnification (hey we all tend to think a bigger number must be better) with a tripod made of old lollipop sticks, so flimsy a coo sneezing in the next park over will move it.

A beginning astronomer might well be better with a good set of binoculars (also useful if astronomy is abandoned for birdwatching!). Your brain processes images better when they come in through both eyes.