new to astronomy.

Hello All,
I am new to Astronomy, I have an older Meade 114mmX1000mm, 0.965 lenses,on equatorial tripod.
I bought it at a garage sale many years ago, The glass is in good condition.
I dug it out of the closet to see Jupiter,
However I am wanting to get a more modern/updated version.I would like something that would bring in galaxies and the planets closer and sharper in color,also be able to mount my canon rebel camera.Have been looking at SCT's,Would like to buy just the scope and lenses,go to drive also? that would work with my tripod.Actually any telescope advice would be great.any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Terri

I'm pretty sure your existing tripod is not going to be adaptable to either go-to drives, or be usable for photography. A lot of people start out thinking that they want to do some astrophotography, but that takes a lot of patience, skill, and some fairly expensive equipment. A mount that will correct for periodic errors in the gear drive is going to cost $1,200 used. Add a quality telescope, the cameras, guide scopes, filters, and you are into multiple thousands of dollars before you get anything other than a quick snap shot of the Moon, or some star trails.

The best advice I could give is to try to find a local astronomy club and attend some of their meetings and especially any night-time viewing sessions they sponsor. Clubs typically put on star parties where you can ask the owners about their equipment, take a look, and see what type of telescope suits you and your budget the best.

The quick and easy answer to your desire to get views of galaxies and planetary detail, is to get as much aperture as you can afford and easily set up. That having been said, the best telescope for you is the one you will use the most, and is not too bulky or technologically complicated that it becomes more of a hinderance than a help.

After moving up from 6" to 12.5" (and a 16" project in the works) telescope, I find myself using 8x42 wide-angle binouclars and a 4.125" Astroscan telescope the most. With a smaller bank account, I've learned that the hobby does not have to be expensive to provide unlimited viewing pleasure.

Hi Terri,

I would suggest that you visit the Roswell Astronomy Club and maybe spend some time looking at some scopes. If they have organized observing sessions you will get a chance to compare the different scope designs and find what suits you best before you lay down the cash. I am sure you will be welcomed and most folks are only too happy to talk about their gear.

good luck,
dan