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So just what IS the best scope for suburban astronomy?
Folks,
Now we have Bambo's 597 to chase, I'm wondering a bit harder at what might be THE best scope for suburban visual astronomy. I'm interested in just the viewing result, not the portability or cost issues.
Is it a 24 inch f5 Dob? Is it an 8 inch f10 E.Q. Or is it even a 60mm f11 refractor?
Some questions:
Larger or smaller aperture?
Everyone always says 'Bigger is better' when it comes to aperture, but is this really true in light polluted suburban skies? Does extra aperture just collect more light pollution? Does a bigger aperture improve or degrade the signal to noise ratio? If bigger IS better, then is there a sweet spot, where going bigger evens out of possibly gets worse?
Faster or slower f number?
Faster gives a brighter image, but slower gives a darker sky background. For a given aperture, is faster or slower better?
Thoughts?
Cheers,
Jason.
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