This section is a little more technical than the others in the Equipment Basics section, but is intended be fairly basic and easy to understand for beginners.  It is by no means necessary to know all the gory details of optical theory to enjoy stargazing.  In fact, very little knowledge is really necessary.  However, for those who wish to have a better understanding on telescope optics and why certain designs are better suited to certain applications (and why some are so much more expensive than others), this section will offer a good introduction to optics.

Telescope Equipment Basics