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Best beginners scope under $400? Save another $50 and get an 8" dob from Andrews Communications. Easiest type of mount to use.
Equatorial mounts for beginners are overrated. Really, they are. 30 years experience has shown me a couple of things.
What do I think of the two scopes being polled on? Not much. Sorry.
In astronomy, scopes are used to collect faint light. So, the larger the scope's mirror or objective lens, the more light and the fainter detail you will be able to see.
So, comparing an 200mm to a 114mm and a 70mm, the 200mm will collect 3 times as much light as a 114, and 8 times as much as a 70mm. What will you see? In a 70mm, bugger all galaxies, a 114mm, some galaxies, but no detail, and a 200mm, NOW you're talking serious detail starting to be made out and lots and lots of galaxies.
How do I know? Not from just reading about it, but from having had and still owning scopes in this range of sizes.
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