I'm a first-time stargazer. What telescopes would you recommend?

For observing the night sky, the principle is that the larger the telescope’s aperture the better, as the more light you can collect the more objects you will be able to see. But – and this is a big but – this must be tempered with considering the ease of setting up the telescope for an evening’s observing.

The best value for money is provided by a Dobsonian telescope which comprises a Newtonian reflector mounted on a simple floorstanding altazimuth mount. Not only do you get a large aperture for your money but you get a stable, easy to use mount that is simple to set up after the one-time construction of the mount, which normally arrives flatpacked. Excellent choices would be the Sky-Watcher Skyliner 200P Dobsonian or the Bresser Messier 8-inch Dobsonian. If you’d prefer a more classic type of mount and are prepared to sacrifice aperture, the SkyWatcher Explorer 150P EQ3-2 should also be on your shortlist.