Most first telescopes end up in a loft, and binoculars do not
Start with binoculars
Ten by fifty binoculars show the moons of Jupiter, star clusters, and lunar detail. About sixty pounds and no setup at all.
If you still want a telescope
A six-inch reflector on a simple mount. Aperture matters more than magnification and mount quality matters more than either.
What to avoid
Anything advertised by magnification, and anything on a spindly tripod. Both are the marks of a telescope that will not be used twice.
