Which Telescope should I buy?

[LEM]

Hello I joined today and new to astronomy. I have an interest in looking at the moon, planets, stars and other Deep Sky Objects. I would like to purcahse a telescope so that I can view these objects and enjoy the night sky. I have a budget of £250 and hope to get a reasonable telescope that will enable me to see these relatively well. I know that the bigger the telescope then the better the view, but I want something that's portable. I have looked at various sizes, models and types and have settled on three that I think might be worth investing in, these are the Skywatcher 114mm, the Celestron 114mm or the Orion Star Blast 4.5 ?

I know that it is probably better to think about a 130mm or even 150mm but my thinking is that I could put some money towards getting a good eyepiece also?

Any help would be much appreciated in informing my decison.

Thanks

LEM

[DOBBY]

Sky-Watcher Explorer 130P SupaTrak AUTO Telescope at Astronomia

might be worth a look.... best bet might be...find a local observing group & pop along to have a look at what they use & get some advise

[Carbon Brush]

Try to get a hold/carry of a scope or two. If you think a 150 is OK, spend there. Generally the eyepeices that come with a scope are good enough to get you started.

When you buy a scope package, you can split the cost into 3 main areas. Scope. Mount. Electronics.

Do you really want goto? Or would you rather put the money into a more stable mount and better 'glassware'?

If you tell us a bit more, we can offer better advice. Will you will observe from home? Or put the kit in the back of the car? do you have to carry down flights of stairs? etc, etc.

[palebluedot]

Have you looked at the Skywatcher 150P on the EQ3-2 mount? Not motorised, but you can add that later if you wish. Add a colimator and that should be all you need to get you up and observing for quite a while. Might be a bit of a stretch at £279 though. Its what I started with and don't regret it at all.

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Explorer 150P EQ3-2 / EQ3 PRO GOTO