"David" wrote in message news:AS6pd.8229$8o.6373@trndny08...
I have decided on buying an Orion SkyQuest 4.5 dob. It is a compromise
decision as I got three kids 13 and under and the 4.5 is also fairly
portable. I was wondering if users familiar with this scope can tell me what
I can expect to see.

The book "Turn Left at Orion" by Guy Consolmagno, et al. is a must
have for anyone with a small telescope.

It's wonderful for getting the most out of your scope and telling you
what objects will really look like through the eyepiece. Lots of great
tips, techniques, and viewing ideas.

Here's the amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...87111?v=glance

Don't forget about ovserving the moon, especially with kids. Try to
get your kids to look at it when it's not full so the shadows will
make the craters really jump out at the terminator.

-Mark