Best Telescopes
Best Beginner Telescopes for Adults
The best beginner telescopes for adults, compared by setup, mount and aperture. Five picks for a first telescope, from guided reflectors to portable refractors.
Choose a first telescope you'll actually use
Plain picks and guides for a first real telescope, from app-guided scopes to simple Dobsonians. Start with what you want to see.
Latest guides
DobsoniansBest Dobsonian Telescopes for Beginners
Best Dobsonian telescopes for beginners: five tabletop and base picks, with notes on mirror size, weight, setup and what each one shows you.
- Best Telescopes
Best Telescopes for Adults
The best telescopes for adults, compared by aperture, mount and setup. Five picks for a first telescope, from phone-guided reflectors to tabletop Dobsonians.
- Best Telescopes
Best Telescopes for Viewing Planets
The best telescopes for viewing planets, compared by aperture, mount and steadiness. Five picks for Jupiter and Saturn, from app-guided to equatorial scopes.
Best TelescopesBest Telescopes Under $200
Best telescopes under 200 dollars for adults and families: five picks, with notes on aperture, mount, phone help and how easy each one is to carry.
- Best Telescopes
Best Telescopes Under $300
The best telescopes under 300 dollars, compared by aperture, mount and setup. Five picks for a first scope, from phone-guided reflectors to budget refractors.
Start HereCan You See Planets With a Telescope?
Yes, a telescope shows planets as more than dots. Learn which planets you can see, what a beginner scope shows and what to expect at the eyepiece.
Refractors & ReflectorsCelestron AstroMaster 130EQ Review
Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ review: a 130 mm reflector on an equatorial mount. See what it shows, how the mount works and who should choose it.
- App-Guided (StarSense)
Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ Review
Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ review: a 114 mm phone-guided reflector for beginners. See how the app works, what you can see and who should skip it.