[touge kyousou (Touge kyousou)]

Hi all,

I come humbly before all asking for advice.

I realise there's probably a wealth of knowledge on these forums and i have read a few threads and read the sticky of how to pick a telescope but i thought maybe some of you would like to tell me what exactly to look for etc.

Please forgive the following seeming stupid questions.

My situation: i'm looking to get a telescope for my fiancee but don't have much money to spend.

What her needs are from the telescope: Fairly portable (can't be too heavy). Point and view no fuss. Complete package ready to go don't need to buy add ons and more etc. We live in a unit but moving to a house with backyard soon.

What she would like to view: Stars, moons, planetary detail, Saturn rings if possible (i think something to view this will be exxy?). Is it right deep space stuff like stars and planetary details/moons can't really be done well with one telescope?

Budget: I have no idea what a ready to go package would cost.. unfortunately i don't have much money at the moment so can i chuck out a $500 figure and go from there. Really am after the best bang for buck for complete beginner but will last well. I am happy to get a good condition second hand set etc.

It seems i should be looking at a dobsonian for my budget. Would a typical one of these come ready to go or do i need to then look at eyepieces, mount, filters etc etc.

All help appreciated and sorry for the newbness!

Jon