What is the best telescope for around $2000-$4000?
It really depends on a number of factors. However, since your question is very generalized and isn't very specific, I'll have to answer very generally as well. One of the most important factors to consider when looking for a telescope is the size of its mirror or lens, referred to as aperture. In astronomy, the larger the aperture, the more light you can collect from those distant objects, and thus you can see fainter objects better and brighter. You also gain in aperture with resolving power, the ability to see fine detail in objects.So, in the $2000-$4000 range, there is a huge amount of scopes, too many to list here. But, I'll give you my personal recommendations. 1. Meade 10" LX200 ACF. This fully GoTo telescope is a fantastic choice. Its big enough to keep you very happy for a lifetime, yet still portable. 2. Meade LS 8 ACF. The only scope on the market that permits the user to simply turn it on, and have the scope perform its alignment process by itself. The Astronomer Inside feature brings multimedia elements to your observing, and is quite educational. I own one, and its super fun.3. Celestron 11" Edge HD. Another fantastic, full GoTo telescope. You gain an inch of aperture vs the Meade LX200, and you get a Equatorial mount vs. a fork mount. It is also better suited towards those interested in astrophotograhy, with its Equatorial mount and Fastar optics. I personally prefer fork mounts however, since I'm a visual observer.4. Obsession 12.5" Dobsonian. One of the top 3 premium dobsonian telescope makers out there. You get a very portable, large aperture scope with premium optics and a super simple manual mount. Can be upgraded later on with a computer, but your paying the premium for workmanship and optics, sacrificing any type of GoTo. I have seen one before, and its practically a work of art.5. Orion 14" Intelliscope GoTo Dobsonian. BIG and full GoTo, need I say more? Not optimized however for astrophotography, but a visual observers dream come true. Perhaps my next scope. Of all the scopes above, the Celestron 11" EdgeHD is the most versatile, while the Meade LS 8 ACF is the easiest. ANY of these telescopes will show almost everything there is to view, from craters on the Moon to distant galaxies to cloud features on Jupiter. Again, the larger the aperture, the better. Hope this helps.