Catadioptrics: These telescopes cost a little bit more. They do however come with additional advantages. Highest on the list of advantages is portability. These telescope squeeze the most telescope into the smallest space. The most common catadioptrics are the Maksutov-Cassegrain or the Schmidt-Cassegrain. 

Refractors: For any given aperture and quality level, refractors are the most expensive telescopes. They are noted for providing the sharpest images available. Refractors are typically what comes to mind when a person says they want a telescope. They are the most traditional looking...typically a long skinny tube on a "standard" looking telescope mount. Refractors come in a wide range of styles nowadays. You can get high powered planetary types or low power, rich-fields. 

Binoculars: Binoculars are a fine way to observe the heavens. Capturing many times more light than your eyes, they'll show you a surprising amount of stars and other deep sky objects. Binoculars also have a couple major advantages over telescopes. First off, they're much easier to take with you...wherever you go. Also... and this is the reason why I always take binoculars with me... They provide a much wider view of the skies. While a wide angle view in a telescope might span 2° or so... binoculars typically provide views spanning 5-7°. This is a huge amount of sky to take in. As in telescope selection... you get what you pay for. Don't buy cheap optics. You'll want to look for what are called astronomical binoculars... those with 50mm to 80mm apertures. These provide the light grasp required for deep sky observing. Many manufacturers have models to suit you needs.

Eyepieces: What astronomer on your shopping list couldn't use a new eyepiece? Eyepiece selection is critical when viewing. The choice of eyepiece focal length determines the power as well as the size of the field of view. A good range of eyepieces is important. You'll definitely want to have eyepieces capable of delivering  low, medium and high power views. Here's a quick bit of information on power. To determine the power of a given telescope/eyepiece combination, simply divide the focal length of the telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece. These numbers should be visible on all instruments.

CCD Cameras: Most of the images of deep sky objects which we've published in this report were taken with CCD cameras. These are simply much more efficient at gathering light than film. For any given exposure, you'll see more detail in a CCD image. There are a wide range of cameras to choose from in an equally wide range of prices.

Astronomical Software: There are many great packages out there which will provide you with information about where objects are to be found, how big or bright they are, how distant they are, etc. Often, they'll have images of many of these objects as well. These tools can be very helpful in planning a big observing session.

Miscellaneous: There are tons of miscellaneous items you can get for an astronomer.. I know... I have many of them :). Special filters to combat light pollution, or to enhance the views of certain types of nebulae. Star charts, books, magazines, etc. You might look into an observing chair. These are special chairs which allow you to set the height of the seat. This is very important... since, as you'd expect. The object you are viewing is often located in a very inconvenient location. This often requires you to bend or twist in weird directions which can lead to back-aches.

For a detailed analysis of the various telescopes, binoculars and accessories that are available, checkout www.ScopeReviews.com.

We hope this has given you some good ideas. Feel free to contact us with any questions you might have. We LOVE to talk scopes :)