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Which to pick ...
Hi Wade,
I'm biased and a bit of an aperture junkie (and an eyepiece junkie too) but if it were my choice I'd go for the 10". Choosing a telescope is a very personal thing so really it's up to you and what qualities you value most. Money -v-Aperture -v- Portability.
Yep, I know it's dearer but the way to look at this is that the 10" collects 56% more light than the 8".
That means that for any given object, the 10" will produce a 56% brighter image. You will resolve more (and see more) globular clusters, you will see many more galaxies and you are more likely to see some detail in the brighter galaxies and PNe.
As for the planets, unless the seeing is exceptional, the image in the 10" will be brighter and if the seeing supports it, you can use a bit more magnification without the image becoming noticably dimmer. On really top notch nights, the 10" will show a bit more detail over the 8".
On the other hand, the 10" is somewhat bigger, so if bad-backs and portability are an issue, you might well see it differently.
Either one will prove a real eye-opener for you because they are both so much bigger than a 70mm.
In the end it boils down to this -- the best telescope for you is the one you will use the most. Which one do you think you are most likely to use the most? The one that shows more and brighter but is a bit more costly and heavy (10"), or the one that is a little cheaper, shows less but is easier to move around and store (8")?
Good luck with your choice!
Best,
Les D
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