When you are looking into buying a telescope, you will want to know the night sky’s views through the telescope you are considering. A 50mm telescope will not cost us a lot of money compared to some bigger telescope on the market. With the smaller size and smaller budget, we need to dial back our expectations somewhat.
With a 50mm telescope, you will see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn but no rings, and the Moon. A 50mm telescope has limitations, and it will be hard to impossible to pick distinguishable features on these planets. 50mm telescopes will be limited to the eyepiece used.
Ok, that all sounds great, but there is a little more than that simple answer and things to consider if you feel a 50mm telescope would be the right choice.
What does 50mm mean?
The first thing to consider and help you decide on a telescope is understanding what 50mm means.
A telescope focal length of its lens is measured in millimeters that are indicated in a MM. Looking through the 50mm telescope, the distance from the lens to the image being formed in millimeters.
The smaller the MM, the smaller the image the telescope will produce for you to view. The bigger the MM, the bigger the picture. 50mm telescopes are one of the most miniature telescopes available.
So the “mm” is all down to the size of the image that your telescope can produce.
Who Would Suit a 50mm Telescope?
50mm telescope is a budget-friendly entry-level telescope and is recommended for kids and people on a small budget. A 50mm telescope can be the first step into astronomy but should be considered upping your budget a little. Some will class a 50mm telescope as a toy, but I feel this is a bit disparaging.
50mm telescopes are not for experts or anyone looking for deep images of the night sky. If you have a child or a tight budget, then a 50mm telescope may be the right solution.
Pros & Cons of 50mm Telescopes
What Can You See With a 50mm Telescope?
I have been a little hard on the 50mm telescope range, but as you can see that you will have plenty of objects to view in the night sky. However, how good these views will be is another matter. They may trigger a child’s fascination to want a giant telescope to get better pictures of these distant planets.
| Planet Visible | Detail level |
|---|---|
| Mercury | Visible |
| Venus | Distinguishable phases |
| Moon | Major craters visible |
| Mars | Visible |
| Jupiter | Visible |
| Saturn | No rings |
Recommended 50mm Telescopes
I can’t recommend a 50mm telescope for a fraction more money; you can buy a 70mm telescope, which will offer you much better views.
If you are buying a 50mm telescope, there are plenty available on the market, but they are only for children. Many reviews will show you the views they are getting with the scope in question. It takes a lot of work to find anything worth considering, but I would pass on the 50mm telescope. Go with the Celestron – 70mm Travel Scope; it will cost you just a little more but will offer you much better views.
Conclusion
Despite 50mm telescopes not getting a glowing review here, they may be perfect for small kids under ten years old. You can get plenty of views with a 50mm telescope, but it will leave you wanting more.
I wouldn’t buy a 50mm telescope and go with something a little bigger even something in the 70mm range will give you much better views of the night sky.
