Terence Dickinson's Ideal Telescope for Beginners

A few years ago there was a heated dispute about the ideal telescope for a novice. One individual claimed that Terence Dickinson, who he fervently believed to be a professional astronomer and not a science writer, said that it was a 90mm refractor.

Dickinson's books - http://www.smc.edu/planetarium/bkrev-Nightwatch&Backyard.html - on amateur astronomy and amateur gear at the time made no such direct statement and seemed to favor a 6" Dobsonian reflector. However, I happened to see the new (fourth) edition of his classic Nightwatch on Saturday and the answer is now crystal clear.

What does the author really have to say on the matter?

On page 69, a discussion entitled "An Ideal Beginners Telescope" ensues. Here is a partial quote from the passage:

"There may not be a perfect telescope for the beginner, but the closest thing to it is a 6-to-10 inch Dobsonian mounted Newtonian reflector."

In the next paragraph, Dickinson states:

"The 6-to-10 inch Dob is the product of a unque combination of factors, that in my opinion, makes it an overachiever in the telescope world and the ideal beginners instrument."

Dave Mitsky

Dave:

I have always heard that Dickison's recommendation was the 6 inch DOB and it certainly makes sense. I have an older 6 inch Celestron sonotube Starhopper, this might even be the scope Terrence had in mind...

Lots of advantages, enough aperture to see something, inexpensive, easy to collimate, easy on eyepieces...

Thanks for taking the time to track that down.

Jon

Dave,

Considering all the things I know now, I would have to agree that a 6" dob is probably a best for a start - considering price, performance, capability, and size.

However, as I recall those many decades ago with my 1st scope (a refractor on an equatorial mount), I gave it up for a new scope for mostly one reason...it was just so difficult to point the thing at what I wanted and to find anything!

So even if a 6" dob is all around best, I could still see people getting frustrated because they can't find what they are pointing at. So that means a really wide field finder scope or telerad or green laser should be a MUST. Then, given all the frustrations trying to find messier objects via star hopping and the like for a beginner, I'd say put a push-to computer on it. Added expenses dor sure...so maybe we are down to a 4.25" dob?

Anyway, that' as I recall, was just so frustrating and almost made me quit. So whatever scope, frustration potential really needs to be reduced.

-Bill