Naturally you'll also want large aperture (size), but don't lose sight of portability and convenience.
Naturally you'll also want large aperture (size), but don't lose sight of portability and convenience. Remember, the best telescope for astronomy for beginners is the one you'll use most. Sometimes gung-ho novices forget this and purchase a huge "white elephant" that is difficult to carry, set up, and take down, so it rarely gets used. How good an astronomer you become depends not on what your instrument is, but on how much you use it. (For more specific tips on buying, see "A Guide to Choosing a Telescope").