[CaptainRefsmat]

I would caution complete beginners from buying a telescope, because learning to set up and use a telescope might be too frustrating. I would recommend instead starting with a good pair of binoculars (mine are Nikon Action Extreme 10x50), which are powerful enough for you to find Messier objects. Searching for Messier objects will teach you how to identify constellations, read star maps, and how to scan the sky for faint objects. Learning the night sky will go a long ways toward teaching you how to set up and use a telescope.

[TheOtherHobbes]

I would caution anyone from buying a telescope unless they're planning to use it for astrophotography.

The sad truth is that we're so used to stunning Hubble images that looking through a real eyepiece can be disappointing, even with an expensive and powerful instrument. Affordable instruments are even less satisfying. (I'm basing on that on occasional access to a 20 inch Dobsonian, which is far more powerful than most scopes, but still rather meh visually.)

There's some pleasure to be had in finding your way around the sky, but for impressive images with some wow factor, astrophotography is much more rewarding - but will roughly double the outlay.

Location also matters. If you're in a big city, even the best optics will be wasted, and if you want to buy a portable scope you can take out to good locations, there's the inevitable trade-off between performance and portability.

The ideal is a rural location with minimal smog and light pollution and good weather, where you can set up permanently. Then a good scope can be worth it.

I don't want to seem downbeat, but I went through this a few years ago. If you're in the UK like I am, where we're very lucky to get 50 cloud-free nights a year, it became obvious that the practical limits of weather and location mean that the expense of a good scope is very hard to justify.

[Nomentatus]

Seconded (and look for Jupiter's moons first, because you can see those even in daylight). https://www.space.com/36733-jupiter-and-moons-mobile-astrono...

Great advice to start with binoculars because you may find that actually seeing things through a lens isn't magical compared to TV images or internet images of the same thing; or discover that seeing Saturn once fer real is enough. Plus you may find it gets cold at night. I did.

[tzury]

thank you both.

[brudgers]

It will also go a long way toward determining if a person is actually interested in going out at night and looking at celestial objects enough to warrant buying a telescope...I bought one about thirty years ago and sold it about twenty without much use. I've got one sitting in a closet now that was bought about fifteen years ago and given to my child about ten years ago...and after fooling with it a couple of times back then, it's been sitting in a closet ever since. My limit seems to be about a full moon.