10 Best Telescopes for Beginners

Choosing the right telescope as a beginner is a thrilling start to a wonderful adventure. But we know that the vast of options on the market can be overwhelming. That’s why we decided to list the 10 best telescopes for beginners, so you don’t have to worry whether a telescope will fit you or not.

Now that the selection of a perfect telescope is sorted for you, the only thing you need to do is check out our top picks and settle on the one that you like the most. With each pick being carefully considered, you can rest assured you’ll get an exceptional viewing experience without breaking the bank or having to struggle with the setup.

10 Best Telescopes for Beginners

Whether you’re interested in observing the craters, rings of Saturn, or distant galaxies, these picks won’t disappoint, yet will make a great investment to kick off your journey.

NextStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

NextStar 8SE is a computerized telescope which is a great revelation for novice astronomers. With an easy setup, user-friendly design, and intuitive SkyLight technology, you won’t have a hard time aligning this telescope with celestial bodies.

An 8” aperture is capable of capturing breathtaking celestial bodies and what we liked the most about this aperture were sharp and bright images. As a beginner, you’ll love the computerized approach to this telescope where SkyLight technology helps you easily align the telescope with celestial bodies so you don’t have to spend time figuring out every little detail.

Combined with a motorized GoTo mount, you can let the NextStar 8SE navigate you over 40,000 celestial objects. This is not only a great way to save time and experience more of the wonderful images you get to capture, but it’s also a great way to find celestial objects you might not be able to find on your own.

We also like the telescope’s portability since you can take it almost anywhere with you to stargaze from different locations. The only downside might be the price that’s a little bit steep, but rest assured, this computerized telescope is worth every penny.

Celestron StarSense Explorer

Celestron StarSense Explorer is a Dobsonian telescope that comes with a great twist, and an app-enabled functionality, which makes this telescope an absolute gem for everyone new to astronomy.

The biggest and most important benefit of this telescope is its ease of use. With a smartphone-enabled app, you can let the telescope navigate you and guide you to see celestial objects you might have a hard time finding yourself. The StarSense app has a great way of guiding you through the setup process too, which makes it a breeze. At the same time, it serves as a personal tour guide since you can easily highlight objects in the sky you might not even find yourself.

We really like the way this telescope is built since it’s very robust and has high-quality optics, which will help you enjoy impressive and crisp images of the moon, planets, and nebulas. Considering the affordable price point of Celestron StarSense Explorer, we were impressed by its quality.

With a great balance between innovation, quality, and affordability, this might be one of the very best, if not the best choices for astronomical beginners who want to get into the world of outer world experiences.

Explore Scientific FirstLight

Explore Scientific FirstLight comes with a go-to tracker combination and a solar filter, providing a great way for beginners to get into astronomy. Another great thing is that this makes the telescope ideal for both nighttime and solar astronomy.

The carbon fiber design isn’t only for the show but it also provides lightness to the telescope without compromising its durability and sturdiness. Paired with an 80mm aperture, you’ll get to enjoy crisp and clear views of the celestial bodies. We were able to track a variety of celestial bodies with ease, so you’ll definitely be able to do the same and see anything from Jupiter’s bands to the moon’s craters.

The big advantage lies in the Go-To tracker, which is a standout feature and isn’t something that comes with many telescopes. Such a tracker can help you track about 100,000 celestial bodies through the sky. Not only does this make things much easier for beginners, but it also saves you the time you’d spend searching for each object yourself.

The second big advantage is the solar filter, allowing you to use this telescope in the sun, so you won’t lack additional fun while inspecting solar phenomena, including famous ones such as solar flares and sunspots.

Vixen SD103S FPL-53

When you’re trying to find a remarkable balance between performance and portability, Vixen SD103S FPL-53 makes a great choice. This is a refractor telescope with a 103mm aperture, ensuring detailed and vibrant images of celestial bodies. In combination with the FPL-53 glass, we’ve noticed a huge reduction in the chromatic aberration.

As a result, this telescope will keep you amazed with clear, high-contrast, and clear images of planets, the moon’s surface, and even deep-sky objects. We had a chance to use it to look for nebulas and galaxies, which was really an amazing experience.

The build quality is excellent thanks to the solid double construction and it’s paired up with easy setup and ease of use, making it a great telescope for beginners who are serious about getting into astronomy.

Unistellar Digital eVscope 2

When you’re looking for a great stepping stone to enter the wonders of astronomy, going with a modern choice like Unistellar Digital eVscope 2 might be the best way to go. This telescope has the power of eliminating the learning curve and drastically reducing it. While you’ll still learn, you won’t have to spend as much time doing things manually.

We like to think of this telescope as a great combination of advanced features and simplicity. One of the best features is the Enhanced Vision technology, which can amplify the light to observe planets and celestial objects in extreme detail. This telescope works brilliantly with an app to help you identify objects and find new celestial bodies to inspect.

With it being a digital telescope and a light yet sturdy body, transporting it is a breeze because you won’t have to spend time setting the telescope up in new locations or finding objects manually. Even though the price is on the higher end, this telescope is very well worth the price tag, and if you aren’t on a tight budget, this might be the best way to begin your journey.

National Geographic CF700SM

National Geographic CF700Sm is one of the more affordable telescopes that can serve as an introduction to the real of astronomy for beginners who are looking for an affordable option that won’t break the bank.

Equipped with a 70mm aperture and included eyepieces, it’s a great starting point that can help you learn and observe the moon’s craters, Saturn’s rings, and Jupiter’s moons. The images provided are clear and bright, and we were slightly surprised by the quality, considering the price.

With plenty of accessories included such as a finderscope, two eyepieces, a diagonal, and even a smartphone adapter, you’ll have everything you need to get started and capture amazing images. The setup process is straightforward and with the design being lightweight, you can take this telescope and set it up anywhere under the sky.

While it’s a great pick for beginners, more advanced astronomers might be limited by the simplicity of this telescope, so that’s something to keep in mind. Needless to say, affordability is one of the best standout features since it allows almost anyone to get a quality stargazing experience.

Meade 6” Telescope

Anyone who’s venturing into amateur astronomy and wants a telescope that will have everything ready for the initial steps, Meade 6” makes one of the best choices out there.

This Meade 6” telescope comes with AFC optics which can deliver sharp and bright images across the field of view. Therefore, the quality of this telescope reminded us of the higher-priced telescopes out there. That’s one of the reasons why this makes a great pick for beginners who are serious about getting into astronomy. Observing lunar craters, planetary rings, and deep sky objects with clarity was never easier.

The setup isn’t one of the lightest ones out there, but it’s still relatively portable if you have to move. However, no matter where you set this telescope up, you’ll love the Go-To functionality of the LX85 mount that’s also included. This is a game changer that allows automatic tracking so you don’t have to spend time tracking objects across the sky.

Even though the price might be a bit steep for a beginner, it’s very well worth it considering the value and quality of the included optics. It’s definitely an investment, but the one that you won’t regret and will be glad you made every single time you observe celestial objects.

Explore FirstLight 127mm Mak-Cassegrain Telescope

Explore FirstLight telescope comes combined with a Twilight I Mount, which can even impress a seasoned astronomer. With a 127mm aperture and a Mak-Cassegrain design, you can expect only crispy clear and detailed images that can help you explore lunar landscapes, including planetary features.

With a stable and smooth platform, tracking celestial objects is enhanced by slow-motion control knobs that are made with precision in mind.

Setting up the telescope is fairly easy so even a complete beginner won’t have any issues, and with a compact size and lightweight, you can take this telescope almost anywhere. Such a combination of a lens and a mount is even ideal for intermediate astronomers, so this makes a great choice for beginners since you won’t have to upgrade to a new telescope after a while.

NextStar 5SE Computerized Telescope

With only a 5” aperture, this telescope still provides spectacular views of the moon’s rugged terrain or even exploration of brighter deep-sky objects. Being one of the more affordable telescopes for beginners, we were still surprised with the user-friendliness, as well as the quality of the telescope.

With its compact size and powerful capabilities, NextStar 5SE makes a great choice for beginners who don’t know much about astronomy but need a bit of help. That’s where the computerized feature helps the users. The Go-To Mount can help you track about 40,000 celestial bodies automatically with remarkable accuracy. The learning curve is lowered and you will have more time to spend enjoying the spectacular views.

Even though this telescope is packed with advanced features, it’s very easy to set up and it’s even easy to transport thanks to its compact size.

NextStar Evolution 6 Telescope

When all you care about is the advanced features and ease of use, NextStar Evolution 6 is the right telescope that seamlessly combines these two. With a perfect blend of advanced features where you won’t get lost, confused, or have to deal with a big learning curve, you can enjoy crisp details and detailed images of celestial bodies.

What stands out about this telescope is not only the 6” aperture, but it’s the Wi-Fi compatibility. All you need is a free Celestron SkyPortal app and you can control the telescope and have it track celestial bodies for you. Thanks to the Go-To tracking system, you can observe about 40,000 celestial objects with ease, so following objects in the sky is a breeze too.

With a decent price tag, a good ratio of quality, and the price, this telescope makes a great investment for beginners and even intermediate astronomers.

Conclusion

Astronomy is an enriching experience that will feed a curious mind. With a wide range of telescopes available on the market, it can be a struggle to find the right one for your needs. However, you’re in the right place since we did all the work for you and any of these beginner-friendly telescopes will be a good fit for most common needs.

Each telescope offers a unique gateway to the stars above, and it’s up to you to choose the one you like the most.

Which one of these 10 best telescopes for beginners do you like the most and why?