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I live in the city, what type of equipment should I choose?

Home » Astronomy » Astronomy Equipment » I live in the city, what type of equipment should I choose?

It is very possible to practice a great deal of astronomy from a city setting. While light pollution will stop you from seeing many deep space objects—you can still very much enjoy a variety of things without ever leaving your rooftop or suburban backyard!

Because light plays a very important role in what you can see, the ideal scope for a city dweller is one that has high quality optics, yet is small in size. A giant telescope cannot improve the quality of the skies and a too-large telescope can often become a hassle when considering storage space or transporting up and down stairways.

Consider a spotting scope—which is like a very powerful single tube binocular. A small, quality refractor is also a good choice for high-light settings. If your backyard allows you to see many stars on a routine basis, then you will also have no problems with a small to medium reflector telescope as well as a small catadioptric. While binoculars are always a consideration, unless you are able to get to a dark site—they are a little less practical since their “view” is less spectacular on limited objects.

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