Edmund Optics
Edmund Optics
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Magnet - Edmund Heavy Duty
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DescriptionLifts over 200 Pounds -- Large Gripping Surface- 3.25" Square -- Our exclusive heavy-duty magnet has myriad uses! Go treasure hunting on the bottom of a bay, river, lake or ocean. Your treasure haul might be anchors, fishing tackle - all kinds of ferrous metal valuables... |
How to Buy a Telescope
Buying a first telescope for you or for someone else as a gift can be a bit tricky if you don’t know a lot about telescopes. This article will guide you through making the right choice based on price, performance, and what your astronomical goals are.
A telescope is a scientific optical instrument. It has lenses or mirrors in it that have to be carefully made to exacting specifications if it is to perform adequately as an astronomical instrument. This can cause problems when it comes to buying a lower priced and subsequently lower quality telescope because these telescopes can underperform or even not perform at all. In order to be guaranteed you will get high performing optics that give you good value for your money you should stick with one of the better known manufacturers of telescopes. I recommend you buy from Orion, Celestron, Meade, or Edmund Scientifics. There are many makers of telescopes that make outstanding telescopes but I have first hand knowledge of these and can vouch for their quality.
Most of these makers of telescopes sell them but you don’t need to buy directly from them. You can find telescopes from these makers on sale at many online sites or retail outlets. So you can stick with your favorite big retailer.
If you are buying a first telescope for a high school student or child your best choice is to buy a 60mm refractor telescope. This kind of telescope is sturdy, easy to use, easy to set, up and gives great performance in the hundred-dollar price range. This type of telescope is also very useful for terrestrial observations, which makes it versatile. I would vary from this rule of thumb if you are getting a telescope for someone that spends a lot of time hiking and camping and they are looking for something easily toted along. A 60mm refractor can be a bit impractical for camping and hiking because of its size. In this case I recommend you get either an astroscan from edmund scientifics or the backpack observatory from the Meade Corporation. Both these telescopes are a bit more expensive but much more compact and easy to tote around.
If you are buying a telescope for someone that knows a bit about astronomy or maybe already has a telescope you might consider sitting down with him or her and discussing needs and wants. Telescopes vary widely in price, style, type and ability and an amateur astronomer probably has some definite wants and goals. But as a rule of thumb for a person that already is interested in astronomy they probably are looking for a reflector or catadioptric telescope because these types of telescopes give significantly more light gathering power than the refractor when you weigh the price. A five-inch refractor telescope will cost you anywhere between three and four thousand dollars! Yet you can get a reflector or catadioptric with a massive eight or ten inch mirror for a few hundred dollars. This massive increase in size gives the amateur astronomer a significant improvement in what he or she can see in the night sky.
If you are looking to purchase something in a moderate price range (500-1,000 dollars) you should consider getting a catadioptric telescope in the Schmidt Cassegrain style. This type of telescope gives you superior performance, maximum light gathering power, and quality of instrument that will last you a lifetime. This kind of telescope now often comes with a motorized computer with a database of thousands of celestial object that allows you to find things at the touch of a button. It is also a folded optics telescope so it is compact and reasonably easy to tote around. They are suitcase sized and many of the leading manufacturers often make the suitcase to go with it.
In summary if you are buying for a child, teen, or first time telescope owner you should get a 60mm refractor because it is easy to use, easy to set up, durable and entry level priced around one hundred dollars. If you are buying a telescope for someone that is seriously interested in astronomy you should consider a reflector in the six-inch to ten-inch range. This will give you maximum light gathering power for your dollar in the range of three hundred to five hundred. If you are looking to buy something of heirloom quality that will give you a lifetime of superb quality you should consider an eight-inch catadioptric Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope which will cost between five-hundred and a thousand dollars.
About the Author
The author has been an amateur astronomer for many decades. Learn more about telescopes and astronomy by visiting his website at:
The Joy of Telescopes and Astronomy
Edmund Optics Corporate Video
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 Edmund Optics Interference Filter Model 45672  US $45.00
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 EO Edmund Industrial Optics P75 US $52.00
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 EDMUND OPTICS 25mm SQ Window Model 45183 US $10.00
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 LOT 10 EDMUND OPTICS RODENSTOCK LENSES COKIN FILTERS US $74.99
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 Lot 3 Edmund Optics NT03 632 Brass Spacer Ring 1mm US $7.50
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 Lot 3 Edmund Optics NT03 631 Brass Spacer Ring 050mm US $7.50
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 New Edmund Optics Achromat 125mm Laser Lens Sealed US $24.95
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 EDMUND OPTICS NT55 350 1X TELECENTRIC LENS US $300.00
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 Edmund Opal Diffusing Glass optical diffuser 25mm NT46 167 US $20.00
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 Edmund Optics FILTER ND ABS 50MM SQ 25 US $40.00
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 Edmund Optics NT02 075 02075 Float Glass Window 63mm Diameter Lot Of 2 US $9.99
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 Edmund Optics first surface mirror FS 25 x 35 TS gold US $30.00
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 NEW Edmund Optics Microscope Eyepiece Reticle 21mm US $80.00
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 Edmund Optics Interference filter Model 46158 US $39.00
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 Edmund Optics 52275 2x Telecentric Convertor Adaptor US $40.00
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 EDMUND OPTICS MI 150 FIBER OPTIC ILLUMINATOR US $335.00 |
 Edmund Optics Lot of 11 Lens Filters US $115.00
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 Edmund Optics lot of 12 Lens Filters US $120.00
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 NEW IN BOX EDMUND OPTICS PRECISION ASPHERIC LENS 25MM US $154.99
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 Edmund Optics 568nm Filter P N 43075 Brand new $15 US $15.00
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 EO Edmund Industrial Optics 25mm Window 1 Wave BB NEW US $93.40
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Magnet - Edmund Heavy Duty
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DescriptionLifts over 200 Pounds -- Large Gripping Surface- 3.25" Square -- Our exclusive heavy-duty magnet has myriad uses! Go treasure hunting on the bottom of a bay, river, lake or ocean. Your treasure haul might be anchors, fishing tackle - all kinds of ferrous metal valuables... |
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Celestron EdgeHD 800 CGEM Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope
Sale Price: $2,499.00 |
DescriptionCelestron's innovative new EdgeHD telescopes are aplanatic Schmidt Cassegrain models designed to produce aberration-free images across a wide visual and photographic field of view. Celestron EdgeHD optics produce a focal plane more than three-times flatter than a standard Schmidt Cassegrain telescope... |
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Large Fresnel Lens For Solar or Optics Projects
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DescriptionPrecision crafted lens has approximately 50 lines per inch. Lens is approx. 11" square and is 1/16" thick. Unmounted. Instructions included to build a 360° stand and frame (frame not included). Frame allows you to use lens as a solar cooker for heating prepared foods, or for other solar experiments... |
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Orthoscopic Eyepieces
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DescriptionThe most popular eyepieces for astronomical observing, these offer very wide, flat fields, excellent spherical and chromatic corrections, greater eye relief than Kellners, and freedom from scattered light... |
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Heavy Duty Coated Magnet
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DescriptionA magnetic monster, six extremely powerful ceramic magnets are stacked for strength with steel pole pieces in an aluminum frame and bar handle. Heat-fused PVC coating. 90 kg. lift. |
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30X Pocket Microscope
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DescriptionPrecise Screw Focus -- Designed for the aircraft industry, our 30X pocket microscope features a precision glass lens system mounted in a black anodized aluminum cell with a clear acrylic base. -- The system has a fine-thread screw focus with lock ring so that the instrument can be set for your eye and then Used for repeated inspections without readjustment... |
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Edmund Scientific Equilateral Glass Prism
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Description50mm X 25mm equilateral prism (middle prism pictured) made from high quality glass sheet. Highly polished surfaces make this ideal for a variety of optical experiments and ensure accurate results. Includes one prism. |
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Opticks: Or a Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections & Colours of Light-Based on the Fourth Edition London, 1730
List Price: |
DescriptionOne of the most readable of all the great classics of physical science, Opticks presents a comprehensive survey of 18th-century knowledge of light. Newton describes his experiments with spectroscopy, colors, lenses, reflection, refraction, and more, in language lay readers can easily follow... |
