>>1709767>telescopeI have one, it's all right but I think some people overestimate what you can actually see with a telescope. I have an 8", and Mars looks like an orange blob. Andromeda is mostly a gray blob. It's neat if you like the idea of being able to look at stuff but don't expect to get good quality views. See if you can join an astronomy club or if you know somebody with a telescope so you can get an idea of what to expect before you invest in one.
Do your research, you'll need a dobsonian/Newtonian to look at anything more than the moon.
Also idk what the skies are like in Alabama, do you have a lot of cloudy nights?
