I am residing in Banagalore City, India. I am interested in buying a telescope. I am not sure which kind of telescope should i buy and whether the light pollution will prevent me from observing the sky through telescope. Please guide me. ops: :-k

A lot depends on how much money you want to spend. How much did you have in mind?

Light pollution in cities can vary widely, depending on the city, but generally, yes, if you want to see anything more than the brightest stars, you'll have to go where there's less light. Perhaps there's a local astronomy club that could advise you on the best places to go?

Also, it isn't necessary to have a telescope--you can stargaze with ordinary binoculars. A lot of people start out that way.

That's what I did!

Starting out with binoculars is a great way to start (books seems to recommend 7x50 or 10x50). They're much more portable then a telescope and have good daytime uses as well. I've had mine for about a year now.

For a starter telescope I definately wouldn't spend too much money right away - if your interest in stargazing wanes then you're out a lot of money. I've recently acquired a fairly cheap 4.5 inch Newtonian (about $125) as my first telescope and am just starting to use it. The book Backyard Astronomer's Guide is a great book for the beginner to have as well. If after a year I'm getting the hang of using a telescope I'll move up to a more expensive one.

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Try finding a local organization. here is one place you can search for orgs in India:

http://skyandtelescope.com/resources/

or do searches on the web.

Observing brighter objects from large cities is very possible and enjoyable. For example, look at KC Pau, who lives in downtown Hong Kong and is probably one of the best amateur lunar photographers in the world.

http://observingthesky.org/index.php?p=174