1. The list in brief ↴
2. Best overall
3. Best for quick setup
4. Best for basic astrophotography
5. Best Maksutov-Cassegrain
6. Best for backyard
7. Best for wide-field observation
8. Best computerized telescope
9. Best grab-and-go telescope
10. Best budget telescope
11. Best beginner telescopes FAQ
12. How we test
Picking up one of the best telescopes for beginners is a wise choice if you're looking to get into astronomy. There are so many telescopes out there, however, that it can be hard to sort the good from the bad. That's where we come in. In our guide, you'll find a run-down of our picks of the best telescopes for those just getting started in stargazing.
We've chosen the telescopes on this list based on their user-friendliness, ease of setup, and good views. We've also included telescopes from a range of different price points, so no matter what your budget, we've hopefully got something to suit.
Our list has been put together with the help of our expert reviewers, and you'll find links to full reviews on many of the telescopes mentioned in this guide. We've included lots of information on each model featured, including its specifications, who the telescope will suit, and reasons why you should or shouldn't buy it.
If you're already a more experienced stargazer and you're looking to upgrade, we also have guides to the best telescopes overall and best telescopes for deep space, and if you're on a very tight budget, take a look at our guide to the best telescopes under $500 for some more pocket-friendly options. If your children are showing an interest in astronomy, you may want to explore our list of the best telescopes for kids, and if you want to try your hand at astrophotography we also have guides to the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography.
Remember that Amazon Prime Day is coming up very soon, Amazon's annual day of discounts for Prime members. There's a very good chance you'll be able to pick up a good discount. For example, last year saw the Celestron AstroMaster 90AZ—a great beginner telescope that just missed a place on our list—reduced to half price. Stay tuned, because we'll have more great deals to share as Prime Day gets closer.
The quick list
Best overall
No astronomy experience needed here, this smart telescope can do it all — but be prepared to pay for it.
Best for quick setup
An easy, affordable option for views of all types of celestial objects, and good for basic astrophotography.
Best for basic astrophotography
As an introduction to astrophotography, this is a great option — but it isn't suitable for long exposure tracked photography.
Best Maksutov-Cassegrain
Easy to use with bright optics, although it's not the most portable option. Provides a stress-free setup and good views of deep sky objects.
Best for the backyard
Built to last, this telescope will have you stargazing for years to come. It's heavy, so it's not one to travel with, but you'll be able to pick out faint galaxies and nebulas with ease.
Best for wide-field observation
The EQ mount does take some getting used to for beginners, but it's a brilliant all-rounder that offers outstanding value for an extensive piece of equipment.
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Best computerized telescope
The motorized mount can initially be tricky to set up for beginners, but it comes at a reasonable price for a decent night sky view.
Best grab-and-go telescope
A great telescope that's perfect for beginners. It's easy to set up and use without any distracting bits of tech.
Best budget telescope
A decent budget telescope that's good for viewing the moon, but not a whole lot else. Keep an eye on the price as it often fluctuates.
Gemma currently works for the European Space Agency on content, communications and outreach, and was formerly the content director of Space.com, Live Science, science and space magazines How It Works and All About Space, history magazines All About History and History of War as well as Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) kids education brand Future Genius. She is the author of several books including "Quantum Physics in Minutes", "Haynes Owners’ Workshop Manual to the Large Hadron Collider" and "Haynes Owners’ Workshop Manual to the Milky Way". She holds a degree in physical sciences, a Master’s in astrophysics and a PhD in computational astrophysics. She was elected as a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 2011.
Best telescopes for beginners 2024
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Best overall
✅ You want to invest on something that's going to last: This telescope caters to both beginners who have no prior knowledge of the night sky, and pros who have a lot of astronomy experience, so you're unlikely to outgrow it.
❌ You don't have a big budget: Although it is worth the money, this telescope is incredibly expensive, so most beginners likely wouldn't be able to afford it.
❌ You want a 'traditional' telescope: This is very much a telescope for the tech lovers, so if you want a more traditional instrument, this may not be the one for you.
🔎 Unistellar eQuinox 2 A very impressive smart telescope that can do it all, it's incredibly easy to use and guides you around the night sky even if you have no prior astronomy knowledge, though the image resolution is average. ★★★★½
Unistellar has made the best telescope for beginners overall with its smart eQuinox 2 — which is a modern take on a classic design. This is really easy to use thanks to its one-button operation, and you can even connect it to the Unistellar app on your smartphone.
Doing this lets you activate "explore mode" which uses the time and location of your telescope to automatically find celestial objects in the night sky. You can also manually adjust the telescope to direct it to an object you had in mind. This is alongside the bonus of taking astrophotos.
During our Unistellar eQuinox 2 review we were particularly impressed with the Smart Light Pollution Reduction feature, which makes the telescope more usable in densely populated areas by digitally removing city glow from the images of the night sky.
We are, however, taking a bit of a liberty calling the Unistellar eQuinox 2 a "beginner" telescope. Its price tag — generally well over $2,000 — is far out of the typical starter price range we'd normally recommend. It's not going to be for everyone as a result. But if you can stretch to this price range, you're going to get an incredible bit of technology that will last you for years to come.
There are no difficulties in setting up the eQuinox 2: Using it is all about enjoying the wonders of the night sky, and that's the very thing that will hook newcomers to the hobby. By using your smartphone, you can quickly and easily set up this telescope to view whatever objects are visible in the night sky. It's not a traditional viewing experience, however, so if you want something a little more "manual", this probably isn't the scope for you.
- Read our full Unistellar eQuinox 2 review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Sleek, simple design. |
| Performance | Incredibly easy to use, but image resolution is average. |
| Functionality | Backpack needed to travel with easily. |
Best for quick set up
✅ You want a hassle-free setup: Our top pick in this category, this telescope assembles and packs down very quickly and easily.
✅ You want to do basic astrophotography: There's a clever dust cap that doubles as a smartphone holder, so you can easily take photos with your phone.
❌ You want something super portable: It's not a heavy telescope by any means, but it does have a fairly large footprint. You could take it to dark sky locations in your car, but you might not want to carry it too far.
🔎 Celestron Inspire 100AZ Aimed at beginners and users looking to upgrade, this telescope is at its best when viewing the moon and planets and comes with a lens cap that doubles as a smartphone holder for easy astrophotography. ★★★★
Celestron's Inspired series of telescopes offers a number of great options, and among them are the Celestron Inspire 70AZ (which has a focal ratio of f/11) and the Inspire 80AZ (and its focal ratio of f/11.3). But our pick is the Celestron Inspire 100AZ — which has the biggest aperture and a focal ratio of f/6.6, letting more light in and offering the brightest views in this range.
But above everything else, it's really easy to set up and a great choice for anyone starting out. It also comes packaged with various accessories so you can set it up and use it straight out of the box without too much hassle or stress figuring out how everything works — letting you see objects in the night sky much quicker.
While it is suitable for beginners, it isn't a perfect telescope. During our Celestron Inspire 100AZ review, we did detect some false color (which we'd expect at this price) and some blurring in the field of view. However, the latter is easily resolved with a careful selection of one of the best eyepieces.
Out of the box, the Celestron Inspire 100AZ telescope comes with everything you need. There are two eyepieces to choose from (20mm and 10mm), a red flashlight to allow you to see or set up in the dark without disrupting your night vision, a StarPointer Pro finderscope (great for locating objects in the night sky) and a smartphone adapter. There's also an accessory tray which makes storing and organizing your gear a cinch.
The StarPointer Pro finderscope is a great addition, primarily because it makes locating celestial objects so much easier than it would be otherwise. It sets the Inspire 100AZ apart from other beginner telescopes, actually, as their finderscopes are often limited or too delicate to use with much accuracy. This one, however, is very dependable, and we've found it impressively able to identify even the faintest stars.
- Read our full Celestron Inspire 100AZ review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Comes with a lens cap that doubles as a phone holder. |
| Performance | Excels with lunar views. |
| Functionality | Easy to assemble and take down. |
Best for basic astrophotography
✅ You want to do basic astrophotography: This telescope offers great views for anyone wanting an intro to basic astrophotography, but for any real long-exposure shooting it would be impossible.
✅ You want it to offer target suggestions: The StarSense app will display a simulated view of the night sky where you can select a range of options to view from the menus.
❌ You want good eyepieces: We noted that the included 10mm eyepiece, in particular, is lacking in quality, so either choose a different model or invest in better eyepieces.
❌ You're a seasoned astrophotographer: As it doesn't have an EQ mount, long exposure photography will be near impossible.
🔎 Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ An exquisite telescope for a beginner, fully equipped and supplied with everything the skywatcher needs for a successful observing session under the stars ★★★★
One of our favorite telescopes for beginners is the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ. It doesn't break the bank, it's great to use, and thanks to GPS and smartphone integration, finding celestial objects has never been easier.
In our Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ review, we praised the StarSense App that comes bundled with this scope. Download the app onto your smartphone, and you'll see a simulation of the night sky. From there, you can pick any one of a number of celestial objects to explore further. By displaying arrows on the screen, the app will show you which way to move the telescope in order to line up to the object you've chosen.
You don't need to use the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ with the app — you can operate it without for a more traditional experience — but with it, it offers an easy way for beginners to get to know the night sky. It's a fun and pleasurable way to do things, too, taking out all of the stress of scanning the night sky without really knowing what you're looking at.
Beginners will definitely value the telescope's ability to let you stargaze without needing much high-level configuration. While using most GoTo telescopes means pointing the telescope toward a few bright stars so the computer can determine where it is, Celestron automatically takes care of the calibrations and alignments within minutes — making it much easier on you. This lets you explore the starry night sky without much hassle; it's an ideal feature for newcomers.
Celestron's StarSense Explorer range also includes a 4.5-inch aperture Newtonian and a 4-inch refractor — be sure to check out our Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ review. But because the DX 130AZ boasts an aperture of 5.11 inches, we feel this is the superior instrument.
The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ comes with two eyepieces: a 25mm and a 10mm, providing magnifications of 26x and 65x. However, as is common with many budget telescopes, it's advisable to consider additional accessories to unleash the telescope's optical capabilities fully. We noticed that the 10mm eyepiece, in particular, was a bit underwhelming, so we'd recommend upgrading it to enhance your observing experience.
- Read our full Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130Az review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Good quality optical tube and mount. |
| Performance | Views are good — clear, crisp and contrasty. |
| Functionality | Easy to use for navigation. |
Best Maksutov-Cassegrain
✅ You want a stress-free setup: There's basically no setup required with this telescope, so you can get to observing straight away.
❌ You want to view deep-sky objects: The narrow FOV makes deep-sky viewing tricky, so this is a telescope best suited to lunar and planetary viewing.
❌ You want portability: While it's certainly doable, it's not the most lightweight option, so if you plan on traveling a lot with it we'd suggest a more suited option.
🔎 Celestron NexStar 4SE Aside from some questionable design choices, the NexStar 4SE is a good buy for the beginner astronomer for its ease of use and sharp, bright optics. ★★★★
The Celestron NexStar 4SE is a great choice for beginner astronomers thanks to its quick set up and ease of use. Within minutes you can have your telescope aligned using three bright sky objects, your time and your location. After that, the GoTo technology takes over and automatically slews to different objects of interest in the night sky at the push of a button on the handheld controller, with nine different slewing speeds available. This means it can easily be used by all the family.
The NexStar 4SE is a 4-inch (102mm) Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope with a focal ratio of f/13, which makes it excellent for lunar and planetary viewing. In our Celestron NexStar 4SE review we were able to get clear and sharp views of Jupiter and its surrounding moons, along with other Solar System objects. The supplied 25mm Plossl eyepiece (with a magnification of 55x) creates a field of view that is a little too narrow for viewing deep-sky objects, so we would suggest investing in a 32mm eyepiece and Barlow lens if you want to make use of the 241x highest useful magnification on this scope.
There are some downsides to the NexStar 4SE telescope, however. It's rather heavy and bulky for one: It weighs approximately 10kg which means that carrying it around while traveling isn't ideal. Worse, the tripod doesn't fully fold away, so this is best suited for someone who wants to set it up at home and leave it in one place.
It's also very power hungry: We've found it'll easily eat through eight AA batteries in a night or two of skywatching, so it's much better if you can connect it to the mains (or an external power source). However, it's a sturdy and well-made scope that should last you for many years and its automatic slewing will be very appealing for those who are just starting out with their stargazing.
- Read our full Celestron NexStar 4SE review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Solid and sturdy build, but drains batteries fast. |
| Performance | Crisp, detailed views of the moon and planets. |
| Functionality | Celestron's Skyalign and GoTo system automates most of the viewing work. |
Best for the back yard
✅ You want to view galaxies and nebulas This telescope has impressive observing power, allowing you to see deep sky objects in incredible detail.
❌ You want something lightweight: The tube and mount weigh around 50 lbs, so it's not a telescope you can easily pack up and lug to dark sky sites.
❌ You're on a budget: While we've featured it in this beginner's guide, it's not at the cheaper end of the spectrum, so if you're on a budget you'd be better off with one of the more affordable models.
🔎 Sky-Watcher Skyliner 200P While technically very portable, it's actually quite a heavy bit of kit, so it would be a pain to transport anywhere — better suited to the back yard. That said, it'll reward you with incredible views of the night sky in stunning detail. ★★★★
Dobsonian mounts are famous for their capacity to support big aperture telescopes without the expense of tripod setups. The Skyliner 200P, with its 200mm aperture, offers fantastic value by delivering breathtaking views. Its remarkable ability to gather light enables detailed observations of distant galaxies and nebulas. If you've ever dreamed of getting up close to the far corners of the universe, we think this telescope is perfect for you.
But there's one significant downside to the Skyliner 200P: It needs frequent collimation. Collimation is when you adjust the position of the primary and secondary mirrors using small screws. Even a slight bump can throw off this alignment, and having to do it often can be quite annoying. On the flip side, if you like messing around with gadgets, you might find this process enjoyable.
While the Skyliner 200P's large aperture is fantastic, it does raise another point: it's quite heavy. The tube and mount together weigh over 50lbs (22.7kg), meaning it's not a telescope you can easily move around. It's meant to stay in one spot, so if you're searching for something portable for camping or hiking, this isn't the right choice.
Its large tubes are mounted on alt-azimuth rocker mounts as opposed to a tripod, so you won't need a tripod. While its weight means you probably won't want to carry it around too much, it does split in two, making it easy to do so if needed.
The Skyliner 200P comes with two eyepieces — a 10mm (120x) eyepiece for displaying wide fields of view, such as the full moon or entire galaxies, and a 25mm (48x) eyepiece for working in more detail, like on a close-up of the rugged lunar surface or the planets.
- Read our Best eyepieces for telescopes guide to further your skywatching experience
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Portable, but heavy. |
| Performance | Excels at gathering light. |
| Functionality | Requires frequent collimation. |
Best for wide field observation
✅ You want an EQ mount: The equatorial mount, although tricky to get used to if you're a beginner, will reward you with better tracking.
❌ You don't want a learning curve: remember that helping people quickly identify if a product ISN'T right for them is just as helpful as pointing out the ones that are.
🔎 Orion StarBlast II 4.5 EQ A brilliant all-rounder that offers outstanding value for an extensive piece of equipment. The EQ mount does take some getting used to for beginners, but the initial setup is a breeze. ★★★★
The Orion StarBlast II 4.5 sets itself apart from other beginner telescopes by using an equatorial mount — a more advanced system than the simple alt-azimuth mount you'll find on most other starter scopes. It's a little harder to get the hang of, but once you do, it'll allow for a greater level of precision and much improved tracking during your night sky observations.
Setting up the Orion StarBlast II 4.5 is incredibly simple. It's designed to be user-friendly, and if you need guidance, there's a manual included with step-by-step instructions. Everything you need comes in the telescope package: a mount, tripod, optical tube assembly, two eyepieces with magnifications of 18x and 45x (10mm and 25mm), a 2x Barlow lens, a moon map, a red LED light for preserving night vision, a red-dot finder and Orion's Star Target Planisphere and Telescope Observer's Guide to help you plan your observations. We think it's an excellent choice for beginners, especially given its very competitive price.
Although we haven't published a full review, we have had hands-on experience with this telescope. During our stargazing expedition, Jupiter was prominently visible in the southeast, shining brightly with a magnitude of -2.7. The conditions were favorable, allowing us to discern the atmospheric belts and the largest moons of the gas giant. We observed a slight amount of coma, causing images to appear as if they were 'falling inwards' near the edge of the field of view. However, with this telescope, we had to look closely to notice any distortion, and it did not impact our views or our enjoyment of the night sky.
As the telescope is better suited to wide-angle subjects, we turned the tube to the Pleiades (Messier 45), which dazzled in the field of view. The major member stars were pin-sharp, like white jewels. We were also able to spot the Merope Nebula, a reflection nebula surrounding the 4th-magnitude star, Merope.
- Read our Best telescopes for stargazing galaxies and nebulas guide
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | EQ mount is unusual for beginner telescopes. |
| Performance | Stars are pin sharp, but we did detect a small amount of coma. |
| Functionality | Better suited to wide angle subjects. |
Best computerized telescope
✅ You want alignment technology: The SkyAlign technology makes aligning your telescope a breeze, all at the touch of a button.
✅ You want something portable: This telescope is lightweight and easy to transport, making it a great option to take on camping trips to dark sky sites.
❌ You don't want technology: This telescope requires the use of its app in order to function, so users looking for a more traditional approach should look elsewhere.
🔎 Celestron AstroFi 102 A basic telescope best suited to lunar and planetary observation. The motorized mount can initially be tricky to set up for beginners, but it comes at a reasonable price for a decent night sky view ★★★½
The Celestron Astro Fi 102 has everything you need when using a telescope as a beginner, including two eyepieces (10mm and 25mm, for magnifications of 132x and 53x), a smartphone adapter if you fancy your hand at astrophotography and a red dot finder to. Overall, it's a great beginner telescope that's available at a great price thanks to the technology it's packaged up with alongside the great support you get.
Its optics lets you pick out planets with ease and offers good views of the moon. With its four-inch aperture, we also caught nice views of Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn — and a close-up look at our moon's rugged terrain.
In our Celestron Astro Fi 102 review, we praised just how portable this telescope is. Weighing just 6lbs/2.7kg, it's amongst the lightest on this list, making it easy to move around or take on excursions. Part of that lightness comes from the fast that its outer casing is plastic, and the downside is that it's not as sturdy and robust as some other models. But, we would say that any telescope should be handled delicately anyway, so as long as you take care, it shouldn't be an issue.
The Astro Fi 102 features SkyAlign technology, which is straightforward to use and simplifies the alignment process. Alignment is crucial before you begin observing, as it assists the telescope in understanding its position in the night sky. Once aligned, the Astro Fi 102 can automatically direct you to your chosen target when you press a button.
To initiate the alignment process, you use your smartphone as the button. Simply download the Celestron SkyPortal app from the Apple App Store or Google Play to get started.
- Read our full Celestron AstroFi 102 review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Basic plastic casing, tripod needs weighing down. |
| Performance | Seamless syncing with the SkyPortal App. |
| Functionality | Quiet operation and reliable integrated Wi-Fi. |
Best grab and go telescope
✅ You don't want any distractions: Many users feel distracted or overwhelmed with screens and apps to contend with, but this telescope is a great option for beginners who want to keep things simple.
✅ You want something portable: Our best pick for a grab and go telescope, this model is lightweight and portable enough to travel with it easily.
❌ You want something powerful: Part of the beauty of this telescope is its simplicity, so if you want something with a bit more oomph and more tech, there are better options.
🔎 Celestron AstroMaster 102AZ A great telescope that's perfect for beginners. It's easy to set up and use without any distracting bits of tech. We were impressed by its performance and image quality. ★★★½
This easy-to-use refractor telescope can be put together easily and works without additional technology. It means the Celestron AstroMaster 102AZ is a fantastic option for anybody who wants to get started without any distractions that can take away from some amazing views — including smartphone screens.
We noticed in our Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ review (this is the longer version of that model) that there is no false color. The telescope also connects with a mount that offers smooth movement horizontally and vertically — which means it's easy to scan the night sky. The panning handle on the Celestron AstroMaster 102AZ also lets you track objects or sharpen focus easily, with the mount holding the object in view stably while preventing it from moving out of the field of view slowly.
We observed a waning gibbous moon and were fascinated by the clear view of its crater-covered surface. But, we did notice a slight bluish-purple outline around the moon's edge. This same effect was noticeable when looking at planets like Jupiter and Saturn. However, despite this minor issue, the telescope provided stunning sights of Jupiter's atmospheric stripes and the Cassini Division in Saturn's rings. We could easily ignore this expected optical flaw with this portable refractor.
There's everything you need to get started in the box for the AstroMaster 102AZ. You'll find two eyepieces (10mm and 20mm, which allow for magnifications of 66x and 33x), a red dot fingers, a star diagonal, the Starry Night software and, of course, a good quality mount. Being easy to set up, you'll be able to gaze at the stars in no time — and the two included eyepieces have just enough magnification to see distant objects (although more eyepieces are available if you'd like to be able to see even further — take a look at our guide to the best eyepieces for telescopes).
You can get a Celestron AstroMaster in different apertures — namely 70mm, 76mm, 80mm, 90mm, 114mm and 130mm — but we've found the Astromaster 102AZ to be beginner- and budget-friendly, and a great choice if you want to observe a wide variety of targets.
- Read our Best telescopes for deep space for alternative deep space friendly models
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Easy to assemble. |
| Performance | Good views with very little color fringing. |
| Functionality | Exquisite clarity and contrast. |
Best budget telescope
✅ You want to look at the moon: If your only interest is getting a closer view of the moon, then this is an inexpensive option that will give you decent lunar views.
❌ You want a telescope that's going to last: Not only did we find this telescope frustrating to use, but we thought some of the parts weren't the best quality, so if you want an instrument that's going to last you for a while, look elsewhere.
🔎 Encalife SVBONY 501P 70 If you're looking for a small and inexpensive telescope so you can look at the moon and not a whole lot else, this model is worth considering. ★★★
You won't be able to do serious stargazing and deep-sky viewing with the Encalife SVBONY 501P 70, but if you're brand new to astronomy and simply want to test the waters, it's a good choice — primarily thanks to how inexpensive it is. This small and portable refractor telescope will offer great views of the Moon, making it a good choice for children and absolute beginners.
It comes with a simple photographic tripod that is familiar and intuitive for beginners, along with a small backpack. It's extremely lightweight, so this makes it eminently portable should you wish to take it out in the field with you. You also get a medium power 20mm (20x magnification) eyepiece included in the kit. It could be worth adding further eyepieces to this telescope, but be aware that it won't stretch beyond about 135x magnification.
It's important to consider the limitations if you plan to buy this budget scope. In our Encalife SVBONY 501P 70 review we were able to get pleasing views of the Moon and could just about make out Jupiter and its four major moons, although the image lacked sharpness. But the telescope doesn't have enough light-gathering ability to offer views of deep-sky objects, so it's really best for occasional Moon observations.
Although the price is attractive for beginners, the manual controls mean that it's not particularly beginner-friendly since you'll need some basic knowledge to be able to find targets. The components are also a bit clunky, so it can be difficult to effectively lock on to targets even when you do find them. But if you're looking for a cheap and cheerful means of observing the Moon from your backyard, this could be a good option.
- Read our full Encalife SVBONY 501P 70 review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Lightweight, but cheap price reflects cheap feeling design. |
| Performance | Decent for lunar views but lacks sharpness. |
| Functionality | Lacks versatility. |
Best telescopes for beginners: Frequently Asked Questions
When deciding on the best beginner telescope for yourself or the budding astronomer you're buying for, you'll need to consider what to look for if you want to achieve the best stargazing or skywatching experience.
It's important to take into account the various features and capabilities of the different telescope models, as well as any budget constraints you have when making your decision — set a budget and stick to it so you don't overspend.
You also need to consider the portability of the scope if you plan on using your scope in different locations, not all of them are simple to transport.
What types of beginner telescope are there?
There are three main types of beginner telescopes: Reflector, refractor and catadioptric, all more or less suitable depending on the desired night sky subjects. Typically, reflectors are better for viewing faint, deep-sky objects like nebulae and galaxies, whereas refractors are popular for observing objects like planets or moons. Catadioptric telescopes can give you the best of both worlds and can be a happy middle ground.
As the name suggests, refractors bend the light and typically work similarly to camera lenses, whereby light passes through a series of glass elements before resolving toward the eyepiece.
Reflectors use a primary mirror to capture light from the telescope tube, then a secondary mirror to reflect the light into the eyepiece. These types of telescopes are often less expensive to build since they require the creation of a single large mirror instead of the multiple glass elements you'd find in refractors.
Catadioptrics combine refractive and reflective technology, allowing for long focal lengths and wide apertures in smaller telescope bodies.
What is the cheapest beginner telescope?
In this guide, the least expensive beginner telescope we've reviewed is the Encalife SVBONY 501P 70, which is available for around $89.99 at the time of writing. However, it should be noted that while we gave it three out of five stars, it's not the best at anything in particular and we'd only recommend it for lunar viewing.
If you'd prefer something budget-friendly that can do a little more, then take a look at the Celestron AstroMaster 102AZ telescope.
Which is the best beginner telescope for astrophotography?
Undoubtedly, that would be the Unistellar eQuinox 2 telescope which is a smart telescope that automatically orients itself and can image straight from the Unistellar app on your smart device. However, it may be out of budget for many.
If that's the case for you, then take a look at the Celestron Inspire 100AZ which we'd recommend for astrophotography. You will need a camera and an adapter though. Discover What equipment do you need to see and photograph the planets with our handy guide.
What's the best beginner telescope for a child?
The Celestron Inspire 80AZ is the best beginner telescope for kids because it offers more over most beginner packages and it's easy to assemble. Want to browse the very best models? We have an entire buying guide dedicated to the best telescopes for kids.
What do the telescope terms mean?
Here are some basic terms you may want to familiarize yourself with before you make a purchase:
Aperture: The diameter of the primary mirror or lens that allows the telescope to collect light.
Field of view: Area of sky visible through the eyepiece.
Focal length: A telescope's tube length. Short focal lengths offer a wide field of view and a small image.
Focal ratio: Also known as the telescope's speed. Small focal ratios provide lower magnifications, a wide field of view, and a brighter image.
Magnification: Relationship between the telescope's optical system and the eyepiece.
Which beginner telescopes comes with a phone mount?
The Celestron Inspire 100AZ has a phone mount that ships with the telescope as well as other accessories you'll need to get started. But increasingly there are many models that ship with phone mounts. Either to hold while you use one of the best stargazing apps, to manually guide you while you navigate the stars, and some phones use apps that control the telescope electronically. Take a look at the models above to decide which you want or need.
How we test the best telescopes for beginners
To guarantee you're getting honest, up-to-date recommendations on the best telescopes to buy here at Space.com we make sure to put every telescope through a rigorous review to fully test each instrument. Each telescope is reviewed based on many aspects, from its construction and design, to how well it functions as an optical instrument and its performance in the field.
Each telescope is carefully tested by either our expert staff or knowledgeable freelance contributors who know their subject areas in depth. This ensures fair reviewing is backed by personal, hands-on experience with each telescope and is judged based on its price point, class, and destined use. For example, comparing a 10-inch Dobsonian to a 2.76-inch refractor wouldn't be appropriate, though each telescope might be the best pick in its own class.
We look at how easy it is to set up, whether computerized or motorized mounts are reliable and quiet and if a telescope comes with appropriate eyepieces and tripods. We also suggest if a particular telescope would benefit from any additional kit to give you the best experience possible.
With complete editorial independence, Space.com are here to ensure you get the best buying advice on telescopes, whether you should purchase an instrument or not, making our buying guides and reviews reliable and transparent.
If you're curious to see what the best telescopes are, we've got a guide for that. Similarly, if you already know what brand of telescope you want to purchase, we've got you covered there too. Be sure to check out our brand-specific guides for Celestron, Meade Instruments, Orion and Sky-Watcher.
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