Should I return my Celestron Nexstar 5 ?

Thought we ran into a good deal picking this up for $519, with Celestron Observation kit included. We are new to stargazing and we were wondering if this is a good telescope to get started with or should we have invested more money for better equipment?

Anthony,
You got a great deal on a great scope. I've had my N5 since they came out a few years ago and am still totally satisfied with it. I also have several other scopes including high quality refractors, but love the portability and very high optical quality of my nexstar5. It does everything I could ask of it and is remarkably trouble free. It's a great choice for a first "serious" telescope. Having the GOTO pointing is like having an experienced instructor to show you around the sky. And, if you have any trouble with operation, or it actually requires service, there are few companies that will take better care of you than Celestron. Have fun! -Kurt Horsley

Sorry to disagree with Steve and Joe, but I think Anthony should invest just a little more money: in a good star chart, a red flashlight, an adjustable observing chair, a subscription to Sky & Telescope or Astronomy magazine, and some software like Starry Nights or the free Cartes du Ciel.

http://www.stargazing.net/astropc/

I wouldn't return the Nextstar 5, though. I had a C5 a long time ago, and a C8 now, and they're good scopes. If you decide in the future you need another scope, say a widefield refractor or a big light bucket, you will probably want to keep the N5 as well.

Guys,

Thanks for all of the great advice. It definitely helped put our minds at ease.

We have questions about our N5 though. A little history, we bought the N5 as a floor model. How can we tell if the integrity of the scope has been compromised? It has accumulated a lot of dust. Should we send it to Celestron to be cleaned? Any help would appreciated.

Thanks,
Tony and Jen