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A huge amount depends on your location.  I get reasonable dark skies even though I live in a city.  I can certainly see lots of galaxies through my six inch reflector - I love M51 the Whirlpool.  It certainly does look like the photographs (OK, not so much detail, but you can certainly spot featrures shown in the books). 

Dave

Jonathan Ransom 2 on 15 May 2006 at 21:52 +0000 wrote:
I know what you mean, I bought myself a 4" reflector, Great for the moon and sun and planets but galaxies, I don't think I've ever seen one through it, I think the most dissapointing thing is the adverts showing galaxies in all thier glory but you never get to see them like that.

David A. Edwards writes:
>When I was a kid I got a 3 inch reflector and had a great time.  Out
>every clear night.  It gave lovely views of the Moon, Saturn and Jupiter.
> I also saw Mars, Venus and Mercury but they never showed much detail. 
>From Manchester the galaxies (except M31) never put in an appearance!
>
>Dave
>
>Jonathan Ransom 2 on 15 May 2006 at 21:43 +0000 wrote:
>I've got to agree with you Andy, buying a scope and then not having many
>good seeing nights can really put a downer on your enjoyment of the
>subject. 
>
>
>Andy Norton writes:
>>For someone just starting out, I usually recommend a good pair of
>>binoculars (say 10 x 50) mounted on a stable tripod in preference to a
>>cheap telescope ... 
>>
>>What do others think?
>>
>>Andy
>>
>>Julia Faulkner writes:
>>What advice would you give for a beginner like myself to purchase an
>easy
>>to use telescope I can use in the garden that is reasonably cheap?
>>
>>I think I could spend a good few hours looking in the sky at night!
>>
>>Thanks
>>
>>Julia
>>
>>
>>
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