Visual and/or imaging planetary telescope

[TareqPhoto (Tareq)]

Hi all,

I am new here, and this is my second thread after my first one for introduction.

So, it is a simple question regardless the answers can vary a lot according to factors or whatever, what will be your recommendation for a telescope to use for only planetary visual and imaging? either using a Barlow or without it is not a big deal, camera will be one of those with video and small pixel, so it is only about the telescope and other things are done.

To make this easier maybe, i did look through Celestron C9.25 before with whatever eyepiece, i felt i wanted more, i looked at images from this scope, wasn't bad, but to be honest, this scope is now the minimum requirement for me now, so don't tell me go with 6" it is enough or 8" is great, i looked at 9.25" and i feel i want more, but as usual in life, budget is limited so i can't go with 16" or 20", i doubt my mount can handle 14" as well, no it can't.

[Wavytone]

If you are primarily into planetary, you want focal length - lots of it. There's nothing as good as a seriously long focal length telescope to start with. Hence f/15 or even f/20. However, past 8" aperture you're going to run into another problem - most nights the resolution will be limited by the atmospheric seeing (ie turbulence). Having the right site helps too (ie a mountaintop or clifftop facing the prevailing wind with a laminar airflow).

Best: Large maksutov, from Questar, APM, TEC, or AP (if you are lucky). Questar make a 7", TEC 10", APM maybe 16" if you have deep pockets. AP ... a long wait (if ever).

Nest Best: Long focal-ratio newtonian, f/8 or so with a tube that is well baffled, and a curved vane 1-leg spider supporting the secondary. You will have to make this, however.

Quite good: Takahashi Mewlon, 8" f/20 Maksutov from Orion UK, or 7" f/15 Maksutov from Skywatcher.

Fair: SCT's from Meade (buy an ACF model) or Celestron (EdgeHD). The Meade mounts have a poor reputation for reliability and you should consider putting these on an equatorial mount (not a Meade one). The downside with typical SCT's is that the focal ratio (f/10) is too slow to be much good for photography, and the relatively large central obstruction means they're not ideal for visual, either.

Others you could look for secondhand as home-made affairs (not commercially manufactured): Classical Cassegrains, Shiefspieglers

And FWIW my scope is a Santel 9" Maksutov, f/13. Santel doesn't exist anymore and these beasties are seriously rare.

[TareqPhoto (Tareq)]

Thank you very much for your post.

Well, the first scope i was looking to get was that 7" Mak from skywatcher [180mm = 2700mm], but i was looking at Celestron C11 [not EdgeHD, but i can save for EdgeHD if necessary] because it has FL = 2800mm, so i wasn't sure which one i should get.

Now you put Celestron as fair level or category and that 7" Maksutov as quit good means my choices aren't top notch or higher quality, so i will look at those you regarded as best, if you have links to those of the best one then please do, sure i have limited budget, but let's see first then decide, because from what i see, Mak is cheaper than SCT.