The more photons you gather, the fainter the objects that you will be able to see.
Generally speaking, in the world of telescopes the old adage “bigger is better” applies: The larger the diameter (aperture) of the telescope, the more light it will collect and the deeper into space it will see. Think of it as a bucket collecting photons. The wider the bucket, the more photons it will gather. The more photons you gather, the fainter the objects that you will be able to see. However, you will also want to balance other factors such as cost, size, quality, and ease of use. Below are some basics about telescopes that will help you decide.