{"id":275,"date":"2018-06-14T14:40:17","date_gmt":"2018-06-14T14:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stargazing.me.uk\/?p=275"},"modified":"2020-10-03T23:07:12","modified_gmt":"2020-10-03T23:07:12","slug":"best-telescope-planet-viewing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/?p=275","title":{"rendered":"Which is the Best Telescope For Planet Viewing?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re searching for a new telescope<\/a>, there are a few things you should consider. What are you wanting to look at? How far away do you want to see? What sort of conditions will you be viewing from? We have a selection of telescopes listed below that will take away the hard work of browsing the internet looking for the best telescope for viewing planets.<\/p>\n

The Meade<\/strong>\u00a0Polaris 130EQ MD Reflector Telescope<\/strong><\/a> is an all round, best-buy telescope that gives great images for a decent price. If you are a gadget fiend and you are looking for a scope that can be controlled with your smartphone, try the Celestron 22204 5″AstroFI Scmidt-Cassegrain<\/strong><\/a>. The Bresser Classic 70\/350 Refractor<\/strong><\/a> is perfect for those on a budget who still wish to see some beautiful imagery of things on this earth as well as off it.<\/p>\n

If you are looking into stargazing as a new hobby, or if you need a bit of a refresher, read on…<\/p>\n

Planets in the solar system<\/h2>\n

There are 8 planets in the solar system including the earth which all revolve around the sun (forget everything you learned at school; Pluto was demoted to “dwarf planet” status in 2008)!<\/p>\n

These planets appear in the night sky at times relating to their journey around the earth, and also relating to the earth’s own orbit. There are only two planets closer to the sun than the earth – Mercury and Venus.<\/p>\n

These two always appear to be moving quickly through the sky, and tend to show up close to the sun before the sunrise or after the sunset. You can see the bigger ones – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, as larger twinkles with the naked eye, but for closer detail you will need powerful binoculars or a telescope.<\/p>\n

Strong binoculars<\/a> will show you some details, such as the four moons of Jupiter and Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, but for a closer focus you will need a telescope.<\/p>\n

With even a small, basic telescope, you can see an amazing amount of detail on the faces of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. You will be able to discern the white polar caps of Mars, as well as its orangey-red rocky regions.<\/p>\n

If you point your scope at Jupiter or Saturn, you will see bands of clouds, and even oval spots which represent raging storms that are larger than our own planet. Saturn’s famous rings will be visible with even a small, low-spec telescope – these rings are formed of small icy particles and are particularly stunning to look at.<\/p>\n

Uranus and Neptune can also be spotted, but they are more elusive and harder to get good detail, especially for a beginner – but don’t be put off! As well as the well-known planets, there are literally billions of other stars, nebulae and celestial treats to feast your eyes on.<\/p>\n

Best telescope for viewing planets?<\/h2>\n

The more you get into stargazing the more fascinating you will find it, and you will find yourself more and more willing to put in the time and money to make it a truly worthwhile hobby.<\/p>\n

Because planets are so much bigger than stars, you won’t necessarily need a massive, high powered telescope to get some great viewing of our closest neighbours.<\/p>\n

A smaller, less high tech scope can work just as well if you are looking to get some really good, detailed visions of planets. The images won’t be up to the standards of the Hubble Telescope, but if you are just looking for some brilliant shots, you can achieve this with a good all-round telescope.<\/p>\n

Let’s have a look at these three contenders for the best telescope for viewing planets in a bit more detail:<\/p>\n

1. BEST FOR MOST:\u00a0[easyazon_link identifier=”B01FG8JEGG” locale=”UK” tag=”stargazinguk-21″]Meade Polaris 130EQ MD Reflector Telescope[\/easyazon_link]<\/h3>\n

[easyazon_image align=”center” height=”333″ identifier=”B01FG8JEGG” locale=”UK” src=”https:\/\/www.stargazing.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/31fGklOEVSL.jpg” tag=”stargazinguk-21″ width=”500″]<\/p>\n

As a great all-round telescope for the enthusiastic hobbyist, this one has no equal.<\/em><\/p>\n

Pros:<\/h4>\n