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Hi Natalie,
I admire your enthusiasm for your daughter's excitement in astronomy. But just a few notes of caution, from another parent.
Your daughter is 10, and petit you say. Unless you and your husband are prepared to either construct a permanent observatory for her current interest, there is no way that your daught will be able to set up any telescope on an equatorial mount of the price range you mention in spending. These things are just so big and heavy, and unforgiving if dropped.
Are you prepared, as the only other alternative to a permanent set up, to set up the rig everytime she wants to use the telescope? And any equatorially set up scope requires time to align. Not seconds or minutes. The whole process is quite involved.
I strongly suggest to reconsider the style of telescope you would like to purchase. Today's Go-To dobsonians will not only find and track, but are also capable of allowing some astrophotography. Things like the Moon and planets are well within the range of extremly high quality final photos with only a dobsonian mounted scope and the appropriate software.
These telescopes are also much more easy to set up and move around. Though still considerable in size, and weight, they can be placed on a simple trolley to move around, and are set up and running in under five minutes. And something a reasourceful, enthusiastic 10 year old could manage with mum and dad around to lend a hand if needed.
If the enthusiasm to continue on the astro path is still there when she is older, and bigger, you and her, can revisit the more complex telescope question.
I am trying to offer practical advice. While an equatorially set up rig looks impressive, they are complex machines that can quickly dampen enthusiasm. You can spend all the money you want on a rig, but the only 'good' telescope is the one the most gets used. Not the fanciest looking.
If your daughter is excited about astronomy, get her something that will suit her age and size, and one that will grow with her. Don't write-off a dobsonian mounted telescope. These instruments are much more capable than they are given credit for.
Kind regards,
Alex.
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