I wouldn't get any of those scopes - I don't know about the "Galileo" dob; there are a ton of odd-brand imported dobs that are actually pretty good...but that may or may not be one of them. Actually, a quick look over at the Cloudy Nights forum suggests the Galileo dobs are vastly inferior to other dobs on the market. Avoid.

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/2357927/Main/2357438

Both Meade and Celestron put out a mix of very good scopes, and borderline scopes, and some not so great cheapo scopes. Those Celestron scopes have some "red flags" on them: teensy 5x24 finderscopes (next to useless), 4mm focal length eyepiece (almost certainly useless in these scopes), spindly looking mounts that probably shake a lot.

So, I'll say it, too: DON'T buy a telescope at Costco. Just don't. Not even for a beginner's scope. ESPECIALLY not for a beginner's scope. Buy from a dedicated astronomy retailer.

Last edited by zhimbo; 05/13/08 04:11 AM.