All telescopes can be used in some capacity for both purposes, but some telescopes are best suited for only one use. Terrestrial telescopes can be built much smaller, for portability and convenience, since they have lots of light to work with and don't need so much magnification. Most people settle on a compromise between these extremes, depending on just what they want from a telescope. Telescope Types Telescopes have progressed through many changes over the years.
Many modern designs look quite unlike the traditional image of a telescope.
We recommend choosing telescopes not just by technical design, but by suitability for particular uses. The Refractor - The familiar long tube, with the lens in front and the eyepiece in back, has in modern times evolved into two distinctly different kinds of telescopes. The spotting scope refractor is one of the best terrestrial telescopes, with its compact size and simple operation. Permanently aligned with a closed tube and a simple focus design, it can be used with any conventional camera-type tripod. The best spotting scopes are prismatic, with built-in image erecting prisms.