Best Scope for $400 Budget

AllanF · Guest

I have been given a gift of about $400 and want to buy a telescope with the gift money. I already have an Orion 4.5 inch Dobsonian starter scope (SkyQuest?) but in our sky poluted area can see no detail on Mars and barely can see a ring or so around Saturn. It and Mars appear very tiny - about pin head size. I would like to get a goto scope as well to help me find and view deep sky objects and looking for advice as to what is the best scope I could get for around $400 with "goto" capability. Or am I better off getting the largest scope possible and no "goto" capability?

Allan F

Jne_K · Site Admin Joined: 24 Sep 2003 Posts: 5401

Hi

That's your call, but if you are in a light polluted area, I would recommend a computer. Pretty tough to naviagte to deep-sky objects, manually, when you can't see too many stars. However, at that price, you aren't going to get much more of a scope, in terms of size, with a computerized model. If you want both a larger scope and a computer, you need to budget, more.
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Allan F · Guest

Thank you Joanie - kind of what I thought. Will be back with more questions when I figure out budget.

Jne_K · Site Admin Joined: 24 Sep 2003 Posts: 5401

Hi

You are very welcome. Wish I had better news, but, yes, let us know when you get a budget arranged. For a larger scope with a computer, the Celestron Nexstar SEs are a good value. Buy the biggest one you can afford that has the features you want.
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