Award-winning investments advisor Marguerite Cassandra Toroian has established a reputation as an expert in private equity investing. Marguerite Cassandra Toroian is interested in astronomy and has purchased a telescope for backyard stargazing.

Now is a good time for amateur astronomers to pursue their love for backyard stargazing. There is a wide suite of choices of telescopes and accessories that are available for sale. The challenging part is making the right decision about which type of telescope to purchase.

The aperture is perhaps the most important specification of a telescope. Aperture, which refers to the telescope’s lens or mirror diameter, determines how bright and sharp the gathered images can appear. For amateur astronomers, an aperture that ranges between 2.8 and 10 inches is recommended.

The usefulness of a telescope is often dependent on its magnifying ability because seeing objects in outer space is precisely why an amateur astronomer wants a telescope in the first place. A telescope’s useful magnification is two times its aperture in millimeters or 50 times in inches. For amateur astronomers, magnification ranges between 4 times and 5 times per inch of aperture are recommended.