Choosing the right telescope involves juggling the five "P"s of Performance, Purpose, Portability, Light Pollution, and Price. It's a juggling act that the information in the next few sections can make easier.

There are two kinds of observing you can do with a telescope:

1. terrestrial (nature studies, birdwatching, people-watching, etc.) and
2. astronomical (lunar, solar, planetary, and deep space observing).

And there are three kinds of telescopes to do the observing:

1. refractors (variations on the all-lens type that Galileo first used in 1609);
2. reflectors (variations on the all-mirrors type that Newton first used in 1671); and
3. catadioptrics (20th century lens and mirror combinations in Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov-Cassegrain optical designs, among others).

Refractors, for example, are usually better at high power observing of bright objects, like the Moon and planets, than they are at finding faint nebulas and galaxies. Large aperture reflectors are normally just the reverse – letting you see large and faint nebulas and galaxies outside the solar system that are simply too dim to be seen by a smaller refractor. So, which type of scope is better for you quite often depends on what kind of celestial objects interest you the most.

The first step in choosing a telescope, then, is to think about what in the skies you want to look at the most. If there are celestial sights that you just have to see with your own eyes, you can pick the kind of scope that excels at that kind of observing, while still knowing it will do a reasonable job of showing you the rest of the heavens. But, if you want to see it all, there are scopes that will do that, too.

If you'll click on the "What Can You Expect To See In A Telescope" link at the top of this page, we'll help you take the first step in choosing the right telescope for you.