We've compiled a comprehensive guide to the best telescopes for beginners, from small and portable to powerful and sophisticated models.
With so many models, manufacturers, and retailers to choose from, finding the best telescope can be tough. We've compiled a list of the best entry-level telescopes for beginners to help you get started on your search. Whether you're looking for a gift for someone else or a treat for yourself, we've got you covered — especially as Amazon Prime Day is just around the corner, you could find yourself a bargain.
If you want a broader look at the best telescopes for all levels of experience, check out our guides to the Best telescopes, where we've got makes and models to suit all budgets and varying experience levels. For kid-friendly models, take a look at the Best telescopes for kids as an excellent starting point for budding young astronomers.
The telescopes we've selected for this guide are designed to meet the needs of different astronomers, depending on what they hope to achieve from their skywatching experience. Read the descriptions below to learn more about each telescope and what it's best suited for.
Best telescopes for beginners 2023
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The best telescopes for beginners 2023 ranked
The Unistellar eQuinox 2 is the second iteration of this line of smart telescopes (Unistellar also produces the much more expensive eVscope 2) and is a modern take on a traditional telescope. The smart telescope has just one button and is operated by the Unistellar smartphone app, which enables you to manually slew the scope and automatically go-to celestial objects using 'explore mode.' This mode uses the time and location of the telescope to identify objects currently visible in the night sky and allows users to take astrophotographs.
During our Unistellar eQuinox 2 review we were impressed with the Smart Light Pollution Reduction feature, which makes the telescope more usable in densely populated areas by digitally removing city glow from images of the night sky.
This telescope is excellent for beginners because it removes all the 'chores' of setting up a traditional telescope and gives users all the joy of exploring the night sky. It requires little to no collimation alignment procedures (or at least, very infrequently) and there's no finderscope or complex star alignment process to go through, just set it up with the smooth-operating Unistellar app on a smart device and get observing.
- Read our full Unistellar eQuinox 2 review
The Celestron Inspire 100AZ (which features the largest aperture in the Inspire family) is a top, top choice of telescope for beginners and, we think, the best beginner telescope for astrophotography. Also in the Inspire range is the Inspire 80AZ with a focal ratio of f/11.3 and the Celestron Inspire 70AZ with a focal ratio of f/11. However, the 100AZ's focal ratio is f/6.6 which lets in more light and so we'd recommend this model for brighter nighttime observations.
With its ease of setup and use, the 100AZ is a great choice for beginners who want to get started in astronomy without the hassle of a complicated telescope. It includes a much wider range of accessories than the majority of starting telescope packages, making it a complete and affordable set for those who want to try their hand at astronomy.
While it's 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 blurring in the field of view. The latter is easily resolved with a careful selection of one of the best eyepieces.
The Inspire 100AZ comes with a pair of eyepieces (20mm and 10mm), a red LED flashlight to preserve night vision, an accessory tray, a StarPointer Pro finderscope and a smartphone adapter for basic astrophotography, making it suitable for both terrestrial (on land, daytime) and celestial views.
Many beginner telescopes come with flimsy optical finders that can only be used to locate the brightest stars in the sky. This can make it difficult for beginners to find their way around the night sky. However, the Celestron Inspire 100AZ telescope StarPointer Pro is much more accurate and reliable. Beginners can navigate the night sky much easier thanks to the StarPointer's ability to distinguish faint stars even in areas with moderate light pollution.
- Read our full Celestron Inspire 100AZ review
The development of the smartphone has revolutionized how we interact with technology, and Celestron's StarSense series of beginner telescopes take full advantage of that fact. In our Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ review, we found it owes its ingenious design and ease of use to the Starsense app, combined with the magic of GPS. It's no wonder it is a B&H Photo best seller.
A GoTo telescope user would typically need to point their telescope at one or two bright stars in order for the onboard computer to figure out which way it is pointing. Although it's an easy process, it could be intimidating for newbies to the hobby who want to see stunning celestial wonders right away without having to spend too much time setting up. Here, Celestron's StarSense technology does all of the calibrations and aligning for you in a matter of minutes — wonderful.
We reviewed the StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ last year and thought it was an outstanding instrument for a beginner interested in astronomy or astrophotography using one of the best cameras for astrophotography.
Once you have downloaded the StarSense app to your Android or iPhone device, it will display a simulated view of the night sky, and you can select objects (such as planets or galaxies) to observe from the menus. Once you've chosen your target, the app will display arrows on the screen, directing you to manually nudge the telescope in the direction of your chosen object. When the object is in your telescope's field of view, the app will issue an alert, then all you have to do is look through the eyepiece to see it. You can use the telescope without the app, but the app adds a significant level of enjoyment and education to the experience.
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 out of the two.
The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ comes with two eyepieces, 25mm and 10mm, which will provide magnifications of 26x and 65x, but as with all mass-produced budget telescopes, we recommend purchasing additional bespoke accessories to make the most of this instrument's optical system. The 10mm eyepiece is particularly lacking optically so it's worth considering upgrading.
- Read our full Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ
We've featured the Celestron NexStar 4SE in this guide because it is easy to set up and allows you to start observing right away without requiring any complicated setup. This is just one of the reasons we gave it four out of five stars in our Celestron NextStar 4SE review.
The SkyAlign technology from Celestron can help you find anything you want to observe automatically and electronically slew (move) to put your desired object in the center of the field of view once you've set it up (a straightforward process that involves pointing the telescope at three bright objects in the sky, including the moon and bright planets). Unlike the aforementioned Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ, it ships with a chunky hand controller rather than relying on an app.
You will be treated to bright and sharp images, especially for the price, which fluctuates around the $550 mark. Deep sky viewing is tricky because of the small field of view, (for that you'll want to check out our guide to the best telescopes for deep space) but for lunar and planetary viewing, you won't be disappointed.
This isn't the most portable beginner telescope; it weighs roughly 8kg (without the tripod, etc.), but the slim design keeps the accessories close to the tube, so you're less likely to knock anything off during transport. As with the other Celestron NexStar models, we'd also suggest plugging it into a power source rather than relying on AA batteries, as it is very power-hungry.
- Read our full Celestron NexStar 4SE review
The Sky-Watcher Skyliner 200P is a great choice to maximize observing power on location. Dobsonian telescopes are considered by astronomers as observing powerhouses since they have large tubes on simple alt-azimuth rocker mounts without the need for a tripod, but they tend to be heavy and awkward to transport. The Skyliner Dobsonians from Sky-Watcher are designed to split in two, allowing them to extend along trusses or fold into a more compact shape, which overcomes any portability issues.
Because of their design, Dobsonian mounts can comfortably hold larger aperture scopes, usually at far less of a cost than the equivalent tripod-mounted reflecting or refracting telescopes. The Skyliner 200P, with its 7.87-inch (200mm) diameter aperture, is a bargain for the price — especially given the superb views it offers thanks to its light-gulping ability. If you've ever wanted to see some of the furthest galaxies and nebulas up close, then this is the telescope for you.
However, the Skyliner 200P has a drawback — it requires frequent collimation, which involves aligning the primary and secondary mirrors using tiny screws that hold them in place. Even a few small jolts can knock the mirrors out of alignment, but this may be an enjoyable process for those that love to tinker.
The aperture size presents another issue. Although the truss-tube design makes the setup more compact and portable, the tube and mount still weigh over 50 lbs (22.7kg) together. It's not quite a grab-and-go telescope, so we advise being mindful of this before traveling to dark-sky sites.
The Skyliner 200P has 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
For anyone looking for an extensive bit of equipment that offers outstanding value, the Orion StarBlast II 4.5 is a fantastic all-rounder. The equatorial mount isn't the norm for beginner telescopes and can take a bit of getting used to compared to the simpler alt-azimuth mount. However, if you're willing to overcome this learning curve you'll be rewarded with much better tracking when using it.
The telescope is simple to assemble, we'd go as far as saying intuitive, but a manual is supplied for those who'd prefer step-by-step instructions. The Orion StarBlast II 4.5 comes with a mount, tripod, optical tube assembly, two eyepieces with magnifications of 18x and 45x each (10mm and 25mm), a 2x Barlow lens, a moon map, a red LED light to preserve your night vision, a red-dot finder, and Orion's Star Target Planisphere and Telescope Observer's Guide for planning your observations. This all-inclusive reflector is a very good starter telescope at an unbeatable price.
While we've yet to upload a full review, we have observed with this telescope. During our stargazing trip, Jupiter was visible in the southeast, dazzling at a magnitude of -2.7. Conditions were fair, allowing us to pick out the gas giant's atmospheric belts and largest moons. We did detect a small amount of coma, causing our images to appear as if they were 'falling inwards' near the edge of the field of view. However, with this telescope in particular, we had to look hard for distortion. It didn't affect our views or enjoyment of the night sky.
Given 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 pick out the Merope Nebula, a reflection nebula surrounding the 4th-magnitude star, Merope.
This is a top choice telescope for beginners, even if it takes a little getting used to. The Orion StarBlast II 4.5 benefits from a selection of accessories with the stand-out being the supplied eyepieces to maximize the magnifications. With those, it's the complete package and a great choice for novices until they're ready to upgrade.
- Read our Best telescopes for stargazing galaxies and nebulas guide
The Celestron's Astro Fi is an excellent value-for-money telescope. It's a telescope with cutting-edge technology and superb support for anyone trying their hand at skywatching, especially those who are already tech-savvy.
Supplied with everything a beginner needs for great tours of the night sky, including 10mm and 25mm eyepieces (for magnifications of 132x and 53x), a smartphone adapter to dabble in astrophotography for beginners, and a red dot finder, the Astro Fi is an excellent piece of kit for a good price. Although there have been some quality compromises made in order to keep the scope lightweight and affordable, particularly with the external plastic casing, this shouldn't be an issue for you as long as you take care of the delicate optics and don't take it outside in bad weather.
During our Celestron Astro Fi 102 review, we confirmed that the optics provide good moon views and can easily pick out the planets. Pleasing views of Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are possible through the four-inch aperture and the breathtaking sights of our moon's rugged, chalky terrain. The Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31) is also a pleasing sight, with its disk coming into view when playing with the magnification. Beginners and the entire family are going to love what the Astro Fi 102 has to offer.
The attractive characteristic of the Astro Fi 102 is the SkyAlign technology for simple alignment. Aligning your instrument is essential before you begin your observations as it reveals your orientation relative to the night sky. With this information, the Astro Fi 102 can slew to your desired target electronically at the touch of a button.
A smartphone is the said 'button' that takes users through the alignment process. Download the Celestron SkyPortal app from the Apple App Store or Google Play to get started.
- Read our full Celestron AstroFi 102 review
The Celestron AstroMaster 102AZ is a simple, classic refractor telescope that is perfect for beginners. It's simple to assemble, use, and doesn't require the use of any technology, making it the ideal option for individuals who want to learn about the night sky without being distracted by any screens.
It's the longer version of the Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ and in the same way, as we found in our Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ review, it doesn't produce any false color. The telescope is mounted on a single-arm alt-azimuth mount with a slow-motion control that allows for precise navigational motions from left to right as well as up and down. While sweeping the night sky, we found that locking onto a target is simple with the Celestron AstroMaster 102AZ using the panning handle. There's no slippage over time and our chosen object remained in the center of the field of view.
A waning gibbous moon was visible using our observations. While the cratered surface could be seen in exquisite clarity and contrast, there is a small amount of blue-purple fringing around the lunar limb. The same could be said when observing planets like Jupiter and Saturn; however, with the stunning views of the atmospheric bands and the Cassini Division in Saturn's rings, this minor (and expected) flaw in this portable refractor's optics is soon forgotten.
Like most beginner telescopes, the AstroMaster 102AZ is fully equipped for a successful night under the stars. Skywatchers also receive a high-quality mount, Starry Night software, a 10mm and 20mm eyepiece, a StarPointer red dot finder for simple star hopping, and an erect image star diagonal. The duo will offer magnifications of 66x and 33x, which is ample for observing the solar system and a selection of bright deep-sky targets.
The Celestron AstroMaster is also available in apertures of 2.76-inches (70mm), 2.99-inches (76mm), 3.15-inches (80mm), 3.14-inches (90mm) 4.48-inches (114mm) and 5.11-inches (130mm), but for a budget-friendly telescope that's able to observe a wider variety of targets, we'd highly recommend the AstroMaster 102AZ.
- Read our Best telescopes for deep space for alternative deep space friendly models
The SVBONY 501P 70 is amazingly simple yet clever. It's a lightweight 70mm refractor telescope that is easy to travel with, making it a good choice for first-time or experienced stargazers looking to keep things simple. The telescope includes the optical tube, a basic 5x24 finderscope, and a 45-degree image diagonal to avoid neck strain while viewing the night sky. A backpack is also supplied to aid in easy transportation.
It comes with a single 20mm eyepiece that connects to the 400mm refractor, making it perfect for viewing the moon but not really for much else. The tripod (which reaches 41.5-inch / 105cm, or 50-inch / 127cm with the central column extended) is a little on the flimsy side so that may be an item worth upgrading in the future.
Overall, after our Encalife SVBONY 501P 70 review our verdict was that, for the money, it's a good entry-level telescope for looking at the moon. Keep a watch out around occasions like Bank Holiday Sales, Prime Day, and Black Friday as pricing might change significantly, as they do with a wide range of Encalife items.
- Read our full Encalife SVBONY 501P 70 review
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.
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 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.
