This is the advice I give every day to people in this position. That's how I got started, and it fueled my love for the night sky by providing a memorable and positive first experience.

Look for a tabletop Dobsonian for ultimate functionality, or a traditional Dobsonian (8/" is great) if you want better views.

My portable visual glasses: https://bit.ly/3MReVKc
My large visual telescope: https://bit.ly/APERTURA8

You can take photos of the planets and the Moon using your smartphone, but deep sky objects require a tracking mount. More info: http://bit.ly/smartphoneastro

Key takeaways:

• Start with visual astronomy before astrophotography
• I suggest choosing a Dobsonian reflector to maximize light gathering power on a limited budget.
• Remember that a telescope that is too heavy will be used much less
• You can take photos of objects in the Moon and planets system using your smartphone.
• DON'T LOOK AT THE SUN!

Once the telescope arrives, you can find out about collimation: http://bit.ly/collimationtutorial
You can also download a stargazing app for your smartphone: https://astrobackyard.com/astronomy-apps-for-stargazing/

Clear sky!

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