# Why are telescopes so expensive?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-telescopes-so-expensive/528889>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [February 13, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-telescopes-so-expensive/528889 "2010-02-13T19:15:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MrFloppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@MrFloppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFloppy)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-telescopes-so-expensive/528889/21 "2010-02-17T21:13:35Z")

</div>

I have a 10" Dobsonian. I bought it for about $500. I think that is reasonable for the aperture.

The newer dobs have encoders and computers so that you can easily find stellar objects. The only thing a dob won’t do is track the sky like a good equatorial mount although some have come up with contraptions to make a dob do so.

Orion make a decent dob here: [Starter](http://www.telescope.com/control/dobsonians/classic-dobsonian-telescopes)

Spend a few evenings at a dark sky site with one of these and a good field guide and you will be hooked.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-telescopes-so-expensive/528889/22 "2010-02-17T21:31:51Z")

</div>

> [@Kyla](#):
>
> Why? Because they can. Why not?
> 
> This strikes me as a very strange question. Companies will charge as much as they can get away with. It’s how capitalism works.

Right, it has nothing to do with the costs of the item, which are higher than you’d expect, as evidenced by, you know, this whole thread.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-telescopes-so-expensive/528889/23 "2010-02-17T22:29:32Z")

</div>

> [@MrFloppy](#):
>
> Orion make a decent dob here: [http://www.telescope.com/control/dobsonians/classic-dobsonian-telescopes](http://www.telescope.com/control/dobsonians/classic-dobsonian-telescopes)

And they sell a 50" one too. A snip at $128K. 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-telescopes-so-expensive/528889/24 "2010-02-17T23:43:05Z")

</div>

> [@Quartz](#):
>
> And they sell a 50" one too. A snip at $128K. 🙂

It does come with FREE Starry Night software 😃

Brian

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-telescopes-so-expensive/528889.md?page=1)