Here are a bunch of questions that should always be considered for buyers of a new telescope, regardless of the skill level of the astronomer using it. Whether it be your first or third telescope, these questions have held true. These questions have been really helpful for us in advising others and ourselves in purchasing telescopes.

Starting Questions

1. What is the purpose of the new telescope? (Why buy one/What do you want to observe?)
2. What is the budget?
3. How much extra gear will be required? How much of the existing gear can be used for the new telescope?
4. How much room do you have to store the telescope?
5. How will the scope fit into the transportation from the residence to the observation site?
6. How much time do you want to spend constructing the telescope at the observing site?

Breakdown

1. What is the purpose of the new telescope? (Why buy one/What do you want to observe?)
   This question is important because one can be purchasing a telescope for a plethora of reasons, such as imaging, viewing the moon, or upgrading an existing piece of hardware. Knowing why the telescope is being purchased can help determine and steer the buyer towards certain telescopes and away from other telescopes. For example, if one wants to utilize a telescope for viewing the moon, then the issue of a guidance system or mount is less important, as compared to the desire to image galaxy clusters which requires considerations about weight and tracking. Moreover, observing planets will require a smaller telescope than observing galaxies, which can make the difference between buying a 6 inch versus an 8 or 10 inch scope. This difference can really make a big price and gear difference.
2. What is the budget?
   Knowing your budget is crucial. Rarely is a telescope ever JUST the telescope as there are a plethora of eyepieces and many more accessories for the telescope. Protecting the telescope in transit would require purchasing a telescope cover, and protecting the lens against dewing then requires a Dew Shield. Therefore, it is always mindful to buy a telescope within the budget, and check what gear would be needed for a telescope in the area if one is unsure. A great way to do this is to talk to the local astronomy club and ask a member who has a similar scope. Or, see if one can take a telescope that the club has for a night observing to see how you like it.
3. How much extra gear will be required? How much of the existing gear can be used for the new telescope?
   This goes along with the previous question of budget, as different seasons require different gear for the scope. For example, colder weather or humid weather might require a dew shield for the scope itself. For those who have an existing scope setup might be more inclined to either utilize the existing gear for the new scope or buy new gear for the new setup. The first option of using existing gear means that the purchase of a new scope is driven by the extra gear. The second option means that the old gear will not factor into the decision, which makes the purchase more expensive as the extra gear will need to be purchased for the new telescope.
4. How much room do you have to store the telescope?
   Storing telescopes in apartments or houses can sometimes not be an easy task. Where can the telescope be securely stored in an area that would be easy to transfer outside when being used, but also not be in the way of daily living? Some telescopes require more moving parts than others, which can restrict and therefore dictate which telescopes to purchase. More moving parts means more room is required to store the telescopes and more opportunities for the gear to be spread around a residence.
5. How will the scope fit into the transportation from the residence to the observation site?
   The last thing an observer wants is the new gear to not fit neatly into the car. Therefore, it is always worth considering how the telescope and any applicable gear fit into the car of the observer when driving to the observing site. The gear should NOT put the driver in danger nor should the gear provide a hazard for the observer when loading or unloading it. These are crucial considerations that might not be considered right away, but can make or break the experience of amateur astronomy. Easy loading and configuration of the gear at the site can make the difference between going on and not going out to observe on any given night. Make life easy for yourself and talk to someone who has the gear.
6. How much time do you want to spend constructing the telescope at the observing site?
   Larger scopes take longer time to setup and configure. With more moving parts or even an automated finder scope, the astronomer would then need to make sure to come to the observing site that much earlier to setup their gear. Setting up gear can sometimes take 10-15 minutes, and then the configuration of the GoTo Tracker can take that much time or more to setup, depending on the skill of the observer and precision desired. This must be considered in with the drive times to the observing site as well as the logistics of observing.

1. What is the purpose of the new telescope? (Why buy one/What do you want to observe?)
   This question is important because one can be purchasing a telescope for a plethora of reasons, such as imaging, viewing the moon, or upgrading an existing piece of hardware. Knowing why the telescope is being purchased can help determine and steer the buyer towards certain telescopes and away from other telescopes. For example, if one wants to utilize a telescope for viewing the moon, then the issue of a guidance system or mount is less important, as compared to the desire to image galaxy clusters which requires considerations about weight and tracking. Moreover, observing planets will require a smaller telescope than observing galaxies, which can make the difference between buying a 6 inch versus an 8 or 10 inch scope. This difference can really make a big price and gear difference.
2. What is the budget?
   Knowing your budget is crucial. Rarely is a telescope ever JUST the telescope as there are a plethora of eyepieces and many more accessories for the telescope. Protecting the telescope in transit would require purchasing a telescope cover, and protecting the lens against dewing then requires a Dew Shield. Therefore, it is always mindful to buy a telescope within the budget, and check what gear would be needed for a telescope in the area if one is unsure. A great way to do this is to talk to the local astronomy club and ask a member who has a similar scope. Or, see if one can take a telescope that the club has for a night observing to see how you like it.
3. How much extra gear will be required? How much of the existing gear can be used for the new telescope?
   This goes along with the previous question of budget, as different seasons require different gear for the scope. For example, colder weather or humid weather might require a dew shield for the scope itself. For those who have an existing scope setup might be more inclined to either utilize the existing gear for the new scope or buy new gear for the new setup. The first option of using existing gear means that the purchase of a new scope is driven by the extra gear. The second option means that the old gear will not factor into the decision, which makes the purchase more expensive as the extra gear will need to be purchased for the new telescope.
4. How much room do you have to store the telescope?
   Storing telescopes in apartments or houses can sometimes not be an easy task. Where can the telescope be securely stored in an area that would be easy to transfer outside when being used, but also not be in the way of daily living? Some telescopes require more moving parts than others, which can restrict and therefore dictate which telescopes to purchase. More moving parts means more room is required to store the telescopes and more opportunities for the gear to be spread around a residence.
5. How will the scope fit into the transportation from the residence to the observation site?
   The last thing an observer wants is the new gear to not fit neatly into the car. Therefore, it is always worth considering how the telescope and any applicable gear fit into the car of the observer when driving to the observing site. The gear should NOT put the driver in danger nor should the gear provide a hazard for the observer when loading or unloading it. These are crucial considerations that might not be considered right away, but can make or break the experience of amateur astronomy. Easy loading and configuration of the gear at the site can make the difference between going on and not going out to observe on any given night. Make life easy for yourself and talk to someone who has the gear.
6. How much time do you want to spend constructing the telescope at the observing site?
   Larger scopes take longer time to setup and configure. With more moving parts or even an automated finder scope, the astronomer would then need to make sure to come to the observing site that much earlier to setup their gear. Setting up gear can sometimes take 10-15 minutes, and then the configuration of the GoTo Tracker can take that much time or more to setup, depending on the skill of the observer and precision desired. This must be considered in with the drive times to the observing site as well as the logistics of observing.

After answering these questions, check out our article on the topic of which telescope is right for you?