Buying the right telescope to take your love of astronomy to the next level is a big step in the development of your passion for the stars. It's important that you get the right telescope for where you are and what your star gazing preferences are. To start with, let’s look at the three major kinds of telescopes. The three main types of telescopes that the amateur astronomer might buy are the Refractor, the Reflector and the Catadioptric telescope. The lens is the heart of the telescope, so the kind that buy will determine how much detail and how far you can see.