Skywatcher 16" Black Diamond Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope

A:

For the Go To functIon: it will help you to locate and track objects easily, but you still need to align it properly before you do so that the GOTO function will be accurate. This isn't very difficult and needs some practice but it makes using a telescope much easier than having no GOTO function at all.

On optics, durability: For telescopes in general, the aperture is the biggest factor in optical quality. The Dobsonian telescopes are a type of reflector telescopes so they use mirrors to project the image to the eyepiece. They don't provide as sharp quality image than what you would get with refractor telescopes which use lenses, but at that big aperture you would get really good and clear images with great contrast. As for durability, the Dobsonians are very sturdy and hardy so they will last you long. They do need proper care and maintenance, however, so always put the lens caps on and cover it when not in use, and be careful about putting it in vulnerable positions with hard movements (such as taking it on road trips) to take care of the mirrors inside.

On user friendliness: The GOTO function makes it much more user friendly than regular telescopes without the function. It is also generally quite easy to use when you first begin. As a telescope it is very straightforward to set up and use and the mount is easy to handle - just up, down, left and right.

As for seeing galaxies: With a 16" telescope, it would be quite easy to see the details of even faint nebulae even with light pollution in the atmosphere, simply due to the very large aperture size, and thus an increased ability to capture light. You will be able to see everything within the solar system very clearly under excellent seeing conditions, such as Jupiter's clouds and belts, Saturn's rings, and surface detail on Mars. And you will be able to see thousands of globular clusters, nebulae, and galaxies, with many showing details that were invisible in smaller telescopes. Also, faint color is now visible in some of the brighter nebulae from a dark sky site,as these telescopes excel in viewing these faint objects at low to medium powers.
The 16" telescope is certainly capable of letting you see nearby galaxies and witness supernova but it really depends on the atmospheric conditions. If you live in rural areas where light pollution is very minimal and the skies are really clear then the telescope would be able to give you really good views.

A:

With a 16" telescope, it would be quite easy to see the details of even faint nebulae even with light pollution in the atmosphere, simply due to the very large aperture size, and thus an increased ability to capture light.

For items within the solar system under excellent seeing conditions, you'd be able to see all lunar features – even those less than 2km across, as well as:
- small clouds and significant surface detail on Mars, with moons Deimos and Phobos a rare possibility
- a wealth of detail in Jupiter's clouds and belts
- Enke's division (a gap) in Saturn's rings often visible
- Neptune's moon Triton visible
- Pluto visible as faint star-like point

You will be able to see double stars separated by as little as 0.5 arc seconds in excellent seeing conditions, and faint stars down to magnitude 14.5 and below. And you will be able to see thousands of globular clusters, nebulae, and galaxies, with many showing details that were invisible in smaller telescopes. Also, faint color is now visible in some of the brighter nebulae from a dark sky site,as these telescopes excel in viewing these faint objects at low to medium powers.

The 16" telescope is certainly capable of letting you see nearby galaxies and witness supernova but it really depends on the atmospheric conditions. If you live in rural areas where light pollution is very minimal and the skies are really clear then the telescope would be able to give you really good views.

A:

With a 16" Aperture you would be able to see everything within the solar system in good detail including surface details on Mars, Jupiter's clouds and belts, Saturn's rings, Neptune's moon Triton, stars, nebulae, globular clusters, and galaxies. You can see some visual examples here: http://www.ozscopes.com.au/what-can-you-expect-to-see-with-a-telescope.html.

You can also try looking around youtube and astronomy forums. Many post up their photos or videos of what it's like to see through telescopes with different apertures.