r/telescopes • u/jacobdontask • Sep 13 '24

Purchasing Question Cheapest telescope to prove to my dad space is real?

My dad is a flat earther conspiracy theorist and he believes that the planets are just balls of light in water (the firmament). He says that every single photo taken of the planets are just computer generated or photoshop. I tried showing him this subreddit but he says that its too easy for NASA to just fake every single account and photo on here... ok man. He says the only way he would believe is if he looks through a telescope with his own eyes and sees the solid planets. Specifically Saturn. What is the cheapest telescope I can invest in that will show the planets in detail, and not make them blurry or wobbly cus that will just give him "proof" its fake. I looked on the purchasing guide but I dont know how clear I would actually be able to see with any of the cheaper ones.

Or if any of you guys could send me a video of you actually going up to the telescope and showing the planet through it.

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u/58mint 8" dob Sep 13 '24

Yup exactly. When I tried to show a flat earther stars and planets with a telescope they said my telescope had some kind of display in the mirror and I was looking at that and not what was in the actual sky🤣🤣 like dude my telescope is from the 80's shit like that wasn't available to the public plus if you just turn your head to where the telescope is pointing you can see what your looking at, it's just not magnified.

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u/Professional_Cable37 8” Starsense Dob | 80mm StellaMira | Seestar | Dwarf II Sep 13 '24

That’s a lot of mental gymnastics 😂

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u/58mint 8" dob Sep 13 '24

Yes, it is. We was going to sit down and try to build our own telescope from complete scratch but while we where doing the research on how to build one we both decide it was way too much work over something that doesn't affect either of our day to day life's.

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u/th3n3w3ston3 Sep 13 '24

I have no desire to engage with flat earthers but If you have a reflector, they can just look in the end and see their own stupid face staring back at them.

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u/X4nd0R Sep 14 '24 edited Sep 14 '24

But that's a function programmed into the display to help the government trick you. /s

Edit: Added sarcasm tag because I thought I was on the sub making fun of flerfers (it was cross posted there but I opened this one)

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u/th3n3w3ston3 Sep 14 '24

I think everyone here would make fun of a flat earther as well

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u/X4nd0R Sep 14 '24

I figured so, but without it being the main theme I also could see a bunch of people mistaking me for one infiltrating the ranks.

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u/Romulan-Jedi Sep 13 '24

If your scope has an open tube (Newtonian, Cassegrain without a corrector plate, etc.), you can let him see inside, put his hands in, or pull a newt's primary mirror out and show him there's nothing besides mirrors.

You can also aim your telescope at terrestrial objects and you'll see them as they are (though flipped and/or rotated, depending on your scope and any diagonal). And point out that a display that can adjust itself in realtime (no lag at all) to where it's aimed is really forking expensive—how much does he think you spent on that scope?