Choosing the perfect telescope can be a serious challenge, especially as a beginner. There's a lot of jargon and technical knowledge that surrounds them. Plus, you've got hundreds of options to choose from, with multitudes of different configurations, settings, all at a wide range of prices.
The good news is that quality of telescopes has drastically improved in recent years, so most models' quality is usually pretty good these days; you're unlikely to end up with a total dud. That said, there are better options than others, and we've endeavored to only include the very best in this guide.
The most important factor in choosing a telescope is the optical quality it provides. You'll also want to think about what aperture you need and whether you need a more portable model or a larger, more powerful one. Beginner telescopes are a brilliant option if you're just starting out in the field.
In order to get the best possible views of the night sky, you'll also need to consider where you're observing from, what objects you'd like to see in particular, your setup if you're going to attempt astrophotography, and more. If you're planning on roaming with your telescope, weight and portability are other factors to take into consideration.
We'd strongly advise you to stick to reputable telescope dealers to buy your scope from. That way you'll be sure to get exactly what you've ordered, and many will provide a warranty with your purchase. Astronomical equipment businesses also tend to offer the best deals on their products, and have advisors on hand to help you make the right decision for you.
Below, you'll find a breakdown of the different types of telescopes you can buy, as well as which model we think is best.
What types of telescope are there?
There are three main types of telescopes: reflector, refractor and catadioptric telescopes.
Reflectors have a main mirror to gather and focus light, whereas refractors have an objective lens. Catadioptrics have a main mirror, and a lens of the same diameter. All three of these types of telescopes have 'sub-types' which vary by design. For example, the most basic reflector telescopes have a Newtonian design, which means they have a main mirror and a smaller, secondary one to divert the light at right angles to the eyepiece from the top of the telescope.
As we've mentioned above, nowadays, you're spoilt for choice when it comes to quality (and relatively affordable!) telescopes. So, which type should you opt for? We think Newtonian reflector telescopes on a simple undriven alt-azimuth mount (known as a 'Dobsonian') offer the best value in terms of aperture.
However, if you are interested in learning your way around the night sky 'the old fashioned way', then a Dobsonian telescope might be the way to go. They don't come with any bells and whistles, so you'll need to arm yourself with a star map to make sense of stargazing. Dobsonians collect a lot of light, and they have enough resolving power to deliver breathtaking views of celestial objects. Dobsonian telescopes over 6 inches in aperture tend to be pretty large and imposing, so you'll need to consider where it can be stored if you purchase one. A garden shed or garage might be the best option.
If you add an equatorial or computerized mount, Newtonian or refractor telescopes become much more expensive. You can find several types of computerized mounts for Newtonian telescopes: Dobsonians (push-to or GoTo), single time-mounted (tracking or GoTo) and German equatorial (GoTo). For reference, for a computerized push-to Dobsonian, you'll be looking at spending about twice as much than for a manual model of the same aperture, while a GoTo will set you back almost four times the price of its manual counterpart. A premium Newtonian on a German equatorial mount can be as much as ten times more expensive than one on a manual mount!
If ease of use, portability and convenience are high on your requirements, and you like gadgets, then a short focal length refractor of up to 4 inches or a catadioptric (Schmidt- or Maksutov-Cassegrain) up to 5 inches on a computerized mount may well fit the bill. These are versatile telescopes with high magnification which enables you to observe amazing details on the moon and planets.
Achromatic refractors with short focal lengths typically display a degree of false color around the edges of bright objects like the moon because they can't focus all wavelengths of light to a precise point. Most users are happy to accept this drawback because refractors are so easy to use and care for; however, if you're after a clean, high-contrast view without false color, the Maksutov is the best option here.
The best views of the night sky are obtained through apochromatic refractors. Using special glass objectives, they focus all wavelengths of light to as near a single point as possible and are free of false color. It is worth noting though that apochromats cost around four times as much as equivalent-sized achromats. It's up to you whether you're prepared to invest that kind of money into your skywatching.
Refractors are usually supplied with a simple alt-azimuth mount that allows you to slew from left to right and up and down. (Image credit: Amazon)
How does a refractor telescope work?
Refractors work by bending — or refracting — the light they gather to give you a view of your astronomical target. Easy to set up, the refractor is best suited to planetary and lunar viewing, using lenses to collect and focus light to form an image, while an eyepiece magnifies the view.
The refractor has a fairly straightforward design, with a main objective lens at one end and a star diagonal with a threaded eyepiece at the other. Being intuitive to use, the refractor is often a popular instrument for novice astronomers, given their low maintenance. Refractors are usually affixed to a simple alt-azimuth mount, that slews from side to side and up and down to locate a desired target. Being easy to use means these telescopes are also simple to manufacture (at least for novice models) and, therefore, cheaper to buy.
The downside is that the higher the aperture, the more expensive the refractor gets. Unfortunately, this means that a basic refractor is also the number one target to replicate in mail-order catalogs and other non-reputable vendors, so caution must be exercised when purchasing this type of telescope.
Refractors are particularly good at giving highly magnified and high contrast images and, because of this, are ideal instruments to use when looking at solar system targets such as the moon and the planets. The best refractors usually have an aperture of 2 inches (60mm) or more and will provide you with reasonable views of astronomical objects. A 3 to 4-inch (80 mm - 90 mm) would be best suited if you're looking for a larger aperture.
The drawback of a refractor is that it can suffer from chromatic aberration, also known as color fringing. When a single lens doesn't focus all the colors emitted from a target object at the same point, bright objects such as the moon, Venus or Jupiter usually have a colored halo around them. To reduce this problem, many refractors are manufactured as achromatic or APOchromatic (also known as Extra Dispersion (ED) telescopes).
The achromatic refractor is cheaper than the apochromatic refractor and, combined with its efficiency, is often the type of telescope that novice astronomers go for. Even if you choose the more expensive achromatic, you'll likely get a stubborn degree of purple fringing around some targets.
Unless you're a seasoned skywatcher and you can afford to go for the more expensive apochromatic — which corrects for such an effect by using exotic glass for the lenses — this degree of color fringing will not ruin your observing experience to any great extent. If you decide to go for the expensive option, you will be stunned by the views you will get through these excellent telescopes. Be warned, though, you might find that some apochromatics come without a tripod, something that you'll have to buy separately along with any accessories.
- Discover the Best tripods, Best travel tripods and Best camera accessories for astrophotography in our handy guides.
Reflector telescopes are excellent for low-magnification targets such as galaxies and nebulas. (Image credit: Jamie Carter)
How does a reflector telescope work?
There are two common types of reflector telescope — the Newtonian and the Dobsonian. The way these instruments operate is the same — they both use mirrors to reflect light to create an image of the object you're looking at.
The Newtonian telescope comprises a curved light-collecting mirror, which can be found at the tube's base. The light that hits this mirror is reflected back to the front of the tube, where a smaller flat mirror — oriented at 45-degrees — brings light to the observer who can see their chosen object.
The Newtonian can be found on alt-azimuth mounts, but you shouldn't be too surprised to find this type of reflector is more popularly affixed to an equatorial mount, allowing the telescope to follow the rotation of the sky while being aligned with your hemisphere's celestial pole. This reflector is a favorite in the amateur astronomy community due to its versatility in observing a wide selection of astronomical targets and allowing for astrophotography. With Newtonians, you can also buy a large aperture for less money — for instance, an eight-inch (203.2 mm) reflector would cost you less than a refractor with the same aperture, allowing you to get much more value for your money.
Newtonian reflector telescopes do require some maintenance. The mirrors must be aligned periodically to ensure that they are reflecting light properly. The mirrors can also become tarnished over time, so they may need to be repainted. If you choose a Newtonian reflector telescope, select one with a protective mirror coating. This will help extend the mirrors' life and make them easier to maintain.
Some beginners to the hobby of astronomy might find setting up and using an equatorial mount tricky — that's where the Dobsonian comes in. These telescopes give the capabilities of a reflector without the complexities an equatorial mount will bring since it employs an alt-azimuth mount. Dobsonians are very simple to use and can easily be pulled into orientation when looking at astronomical objects. If you're not confident in navigating your telescope though, then GoTo or computerized Dobsonians and Newtonians (that slew to objects for you using an in-built motor) are on the market — but cost more. Learn more about these in our 'What are Dobsonian telescopes' guide.
Whatever reflector you choose, these telescopes are excellent for low-magnification targets such as galaxies and many nebulas.
The short optical tube allows high power magnifications in smaller packages. (Image credit: B&H Photo)
How does a catadioptric telescope work?
Ideal for astrophotography, the catadioptric is an excellent instrument for taking a wide range of astronomical targets and is manufactured in order to take the best parts of two kinds of telescopes: The reflector and the refractor. What's more, the catadioptric takes advantage of a lightweight design, meaning that it's much more portable than other kinds of telescopes and its sealed optics promote little to no maintenance. The only major downside to choosing a catadioptric is that the vast majority can be expensive. However, if you are on a strict budget, picking up one of these instruments isn't unheard of — you've just got to make sure to shop around.
While refractors use lenses, and reflectors make use of mirrors, to create and magnify an image, the catadioptric makes use of both lenses and mirrors for high-definition and superior views. During your observations, light from your chosen target passes through to a lens, which corrects or reduces aberration that distorts the view that is later taken in through the eyepiece. Curved primary mirrors then reflect this light onto a secondary mirror, which then reaches your eyes. You will find two kinds of Catadioptric telescopes — the Schmidt-Cassegrain and the Maksutov-Cassegrain.
The Maksutov-Cassegrain, also affectionately known as the 'Mak', corrects the optical problem that is experienced by reflectors — an aberration effect called 'coma,' which can make objects look distorted and appear like they have a tail. This effect is reduced or banished with the combined efforts of a spherical mirror and a meniscus lens, the latter of which is 'weakly negative'. The Maksutov is also adept at correcting for chromatic aberration, or color fringing, a distortion that creates an unwanted purple or blue edging around bright night-sky objects.
Packed into its short optical tube is a system that allows you to target higher magnification objects such as the planets, moon and double stars. Additionally, if you struggle to find objects and your way around the night sky, then both this type of catadioptric telescope and the Schmidt-Cassegrain can be found in abundance and equipped with a GoTo system.
The other most common kind of catadioptric, the Schmidt-Cassegrain, offers similar capabilities to the Maksutov and will allow you to make general observations of planetary targets and stars. It is also possible to expand the telescope's field of view with the help of corrector lenses, enabling exquisite views of an even wider selection of astronomical targets.
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A finderscope attached to a telescope may look like this. Pictured is the Celestron Starsense explorer 8-inch dobsonian red dot finderscope. (Image credit: Jamie Carter)
What is a finderscope?
A finder scope is a low-power (low magnification) telescope that sits on your main telescope, to help you track down your desired subject. Your main telescope will typically have a narrow field of view, meaning you'll see only a little portion of the sky when you look through it. Your finder scope, with a wider field of view, assists you in pointing your telescope, making it easy to hone in on your target with minimal searching and repositioning.
Center your subject in the finder scope's frame; there are usually crosshairs or a dot so you know when it's central. Now when you look through your telescope's eyepiece, your subject will be centered here too.
Many telescopes include a finder scope with the package. But if you need to purchase one separately, it's important to know that there are two main types. One has a straight-through view, and one has a right-angled view. If you have a Newtonian reflector telescope you'll want a right-angle finder. And if you use a refractor or catadioptric due to the location of their eyepieces you should buy a finder with a straight-through view. Some finder scopes will also be magnified — higher magnification and a narrower field may be desirable if you need pinpoint accuracy.
You'll also come across the terms 'inverted' or 'erect image.' The latter means the finder scope has a correcting prism that flips the image the 'right way up’ (top-to-bottom) and ‘around’ (left-to-right). Some finder scopes don't have a correcting prism, so you see either a back-to-front image or upside down. This can be disorientating and make finding subjects more difficult, especially if you're just starting out and wondering why your telescope's controls seem to be inverted.
What does aperture, magnification and focal length mean on a telescope?
Time to dispel jargon myths with a bit of a telescope glossary. The larger a telescope's aperture (the size of its main lens or primary mirror) the more light is collected and more fine detail is revealed. For example, a 200 mm aperture collects four times more light than a 100 mm telescope. Under ideal conditions, a 100 mm telescope reveals stars down to magnitude +11.8, while a 200 mm telescope will show stars down to magnitude +13.3. A 100 mm telescope will 'split' a double star separated by 1.5 arcseconds and resolves a three-kilometer lunar crater; however, a 200 mm telescope resolves a crater just 1.5 km across and a double star separated by just 0.6 arcseconds. Resolution is limited by the telescope's optical quality and the steadiness of the Earth's atmosphere.
Telescopic magnification depends on the telescope's focal length (the distance between the objective lens/primary mirror and the point of focus of the light it collects) and the focal length of the eyepiece used. Magnification is calculated by dividing the telescope's focal length by the eyepiece's focal length. For example, a 100 mm telescope with a focal length of f/8 (eight times the telescope's aperture) has a focal length of 800 mm; used in conjunction with an eyepiece of 10 mm it will deliver a magnification of 80 times (800 divided by 10).
With any telescope, the range of useful magnification depends on a telescope's aperture and focal length, combined with the focal length of the eyepiece. Too low a magnification (taking in as wide an area as possible) will actually waste light since the 'exit pupil' of the eyepiece will be larger than the diameter of the pupil of your dark-adapted eye. On average, the adult pupil will dilate to around 7 mm in dark conditions. Therefore the exit pupil delivered by an eyepiece ideally needs to be 7 mm or smaller so that all the light gathered by the telescope — especially when attempting to see faint objects — can be taken in. Exit pupil can be calculated by dividing the telescope's aperture by the magnification delivered by any particular eyepiece.
Telescope eyepieces can be changed to adjust the magnification of a telescope. Pictured is the eyepiece from the Celestron Starsense explorer 8-inch dobsonian. (Image credit: Jamie Carter)
Magnification: How do telescope eyepieces work?
Eyepieces work by magnifying the light focused by the telescope's primary mirror or objective lens. Every telescope eyepiece has a specific focal length (given in millimeters), and the shorter this figure is, the higher the magnification. To calculate the magnification provided by any particular eyepiece on any telescope, divide the telescope's focal length by the focal length of the eyepiece used. For example, a 1000 mm focal length telescope (say, a 100 mm refractor of f/10, or a 200 mm Newtonian of f/5) will deliver a magnification of 100 with a 10 mm eyepiece (1000 divided by 10 = 100).
Although any telescope can give impressively high magnifications using short focal length eyepieces, there is a point when increasing magnification will provide a worse image rather than improve it. When an object is magnified, its brightness is reduced as the finite amount of light is spread over a larger area. In addition, increasing magnification exacerbates the amount of atmospheric turbulence visible; therefore, high magnifications can only be used when seeing conditions are good. Finally, high magnification is practical only with driven telescopes. Otherwise, the object will quickly drift out of the field of view.
As a guide, your highest power eyepiece should deliver a magnification double the telescope's aperture in millimeters — for example, 200x on a 100 mm telescope, 400x on a 200 mm telescope, and so on.
It's best to have at least three good quality eyepieces that deliver low, medium and high magnifications — say around 50x, 100x and 200x. Taking as an example a 100 mm f/10 telescope, those eyepieces would be of 20 mm, 10 mm and 5 mm focal length. Let's assume that these particular eyepieces are of the commonly used Plossl variety. A field of view around one degree across (an area of 0.8 square degrees) is given by the 20 mm eyepiece — ideal for sweeping the deep skies and finding objects. The 10 mm eyepiece will just take in the half-degree diameter moon and have a field covering just one-quarter that of the 20 mm eyepiece. With its high magnification, the 5 mm eyepiece has a field of view covering just one-sixteenth that of the 20 mm eyepiece and can only be used when seeing conditions allow.
Update Log
Recent updates
Editor's note 01/06/26: Introduction updated with information on the type of models in the guide and updated skywatching highlights section.
How we test the best telescopes
To guarantee you are getting honest reviews and informed recommendations of the best telescopes, each telescope is thoroughly tested and used for observation to see how it performs in all aspects.
By looking at the build of the Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) we can give a clear breakdown to our readers. This includes discussing the type of telescope (refractor, reflector, catadioptric), how many parts the OTA consists of, the size of the OTA and the clarity of the lens. This is important because some telescopes require advanced collimation (alignment) of the mirrors and consistent cleaning to make sure that they perform at their best.
Telescope accessories, like eyepieces and mounts, are assessed in terms of their functionality and quality. Alt-azimuth and equatorial mounts are tested in terms of smooth movement, especially if they are motorized. Star alignment is another important feature we test, as it can range from aligning a finder scope to advanced laser collimation techniques.
Considering that telescopes are complicated optical instruments, we think about how much astronomical knowledge a user would need to operate the telescope with ease. Powerful intricate telescopes often require regular collimation and movement can misalign the mirrors meaning that they require adjustment before every observation. Our recommendations also include whether we think the telescope is portable and suitable for traveling to dark-sky sites.
The most important part of testing a telescope is seeing how powerful its observational abilities are. We give examples of what we were trying to observe and say how good the image was, with honesty. With a range of telescopes, our reviewers have observed the moon, Jupiter and a range of Messier objects, checking for a range of aberrations and distortions in the image.
To give you a review you can trust, we test the claims of the telescope manufacturers against their real-life use. Our staff and freelance reviewers are seasoned stargazers with many years of experience using telescopes. We also work with astronomy experts to ensure that we are giving you the most accurate and important information on telescope use.
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