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Adding Equipment - Introduction
Home » Astronomy » Adding Equipment » Adding Equipment - IntroductionWhile almost all telescopes come with some added equipment, a quality finderscope and eyepieces are essential. Chances are your scope already includes these in the package along with the mount, but it is best to make sure.
As time passes, you will add equipment to your astronomy hobby much like a fisherman adds pieces to his tackle box. Just as the line is essential in fishing, the essential “line” for astronomy is the finderscope. This will help guide your telescope’s position and it should be of good quality and provide ample magnification (such as 6X) to help you “spot” fainter stars—and often see the objects themselves. Make sure it mounts securely and firmly on the telescope body.
Non-magnifying designs are the telrad and red-dot finders. Don’t be confused into believing these will project an image on the sky! They use a small screen which contains a bullseye-like set of degree-defined circles or a simple dot. The green laser sight does project a beam of visible light—but these are dangerous to both human vision, aircraft passing overhead, and definitely NOT welcome at star parties.
Like the fisherman’s “hook,” the eyepieces will help you catch what you are looking for. The most preferred type are 1.25" eyepieces…the number refers to the barrel’s diameter. Most telescopes will provide two eyepieces, such as the 25mm for low power views and the 10mm for high magnification. These are usually lower grade, but perfectly acceptable. Choosing additional eyepieces is best done after you’ve gained experience.
Now let’s talk about some other equipment you may eventually wish to add to your “tackle box.”
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