If you’re just getting started in stargazing and are looking for your first observational aid, a telescope can open a world of wonderful nebulae, galaxies, and planets to your eyes. Telescopes not only magnify observable objects in the sky but also gather more light to enter your eyes so dimmer objects can normally be seen with the naked eye become visible.
The best telescopes are expensive and nothing is more frustrating than spending lots of money on something that isn’t quite ideal for your purposes. So if you’re not sure how to weigh all the features and options that come with buying a telescope I put together a list of quality telescope recommendations which I have selected.
Secondly I have put together a telescope buyer’s guide which concisely yet comprehensively will inform you on everything you need to know when shopping for a telescope.
Additionally it may also be worth it to check out the Binoculars section to help you decide if they are actually a better choice in what you are looking for.
Recommended Telescopes
Below I’ve made a list of the best telescopes that I would recommend to people looking to buy a telescope for the first time, sorted by how much money you’re looking to invest.
Lower Range Telescopes ($250 – $500)
This Celestron model is a great starting point for those on a budget. Celestron is known for having quality products in all price ranges and this reflecting telescope will allow you to get a good sized telescope for your dollar. While not as small and compact as some models available in this price range, it offers a great aperture size for it’s price. Additionally it also comes with a Go-To system for those who aren’t familiar with finding stars themselves.
Click here to view at Telescopes.com
Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope
The Orion SkyQuest Dobsonian is a great telescope for beginners and those with more experience alike. It is a classic in the world of amateur astronomy. While it is larger than a lot of telescopes in this price range it offers great optics and a good sized 8″ aperture. If size isn’t as much of a concern to you when searching for your first telescope, this telescope offers some of the best images for the price. Dobsonian telescopes specialize in large aperture low magnification viewing ideal for viewing large areas of the sky and are best suited for observing large deep space objects including galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters as opposed to individual stars or planets. The Orion SkyQuest is the best telescope choice for an affordable yet high quality Dobsonian.
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This line of telescopes is ideal for those who find price and portability their two greatest concerns, as this model is both compact and lightweight. Meade makes quality catadioptric telescopes in the low to mid price range, and although this telescope is only capable of viewing the brighter objects in the sky (brighter stars and planets), its ease of use will probably ensure greater usage. Like many catadioptrics for sale nowadays these usually come with a Go-To star finder.
Click here to view on Telescopes.com
Mid Range Telescopes ($500 – $2000)
Celestron NexStar 8 SE Telescope
The Celestron 8 SE is has been around on the market for over 40 years and is one of the most continually manufactured long running telescopes ever made. Over the years Celestron has upgraded many of the features on this telescope but the design of the actual optical tube has actually changed very little. Its success in my opinion is due to the fact that is offers the whole package so to say. It has very high quality optics, a good sized aperture of 8″, the advantages of being very compact and portable while maintaining a very reasonable price for what is offered. Additionally they are sold with a star-finder right in the arm of the mount which means only a compatible tripod is necessary. If you really not sure what your looking for in a telescope this is the most well rounded, overall best telescope I can recommend if you want to get a high quality telescope for a middle of the road price.
Click here to view at Telescopes.com
The Celestron C9.25 is the big brother of the 8 SE. With a larger aperture of 9-1/4″ this model has a greater light 
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The Best Telescopes Buyer’s Guide
Table of Contents
1. About Buying a Telescope – Aperture size – Magnification
2. Types of Telescopes – Refracting Telescopes – Reflecting Telescopes – Compound Telescopes
About Buying A Telescope
Aperture Size
The most common mistake people make when it comes to buying their first telescope is focusing only on the magnification of the telescope. The fact of the matter is really the magnification is not nearly as important as the aperture. Aperture, in regards to telescopes, is the size of the opening that allows light in. The larger the aperture size, the brighter objects appear in the eye piece, and therefore the greater amount of dim objects that can be seen. A common misconception is that many of the deep space objects out there, can’t be seen by the naked eye because they appear too small, while often it is really because they are just too dim. So the number one, best thing, you can put your money towards in terms of optical performance is aperture size.
The aperture also determines the amount of useful magnification a telescope. It is not recommended to attempt to obtain magnifications of more than 50 times the aperture in inches (or 2 times the aperture in millimeters). Meaning if your telescope has an 8″ aperture, don’t expect to be able to see well with magnifications beyond 400x. Beyond that the telescope’s aperture size would not be able to support the increased magnifications and the view will appear fuzzy.
Magnification
The magnification of a telescope is determined by two things; the focal length of the telescope, and the focal length of the eyepiece that is used with the telescope. Focal length refers to the distance from the lens to the place where it concentrates the light to a point, and is typically presented in millimeters. Both the objective lens in the telescope and the lens in the eyepiece have focal lengths and the magnification you will experience from your telescope is simply the telescope’s focal length divided by the focal length of the eyepiece. So the larger the focal length of the telescope the larger the magnification you will get from a given eyepiece. Conversely the smaller the focal length present in the eyepiece the greater the magnification.
All this means for you is that when you are selecting a telescope, pay attention to the focal length of the scope as it will give you an idea of the magnifications you will be able to achieve (Remember maximum magnification is also limited by the aperture size). Telescopes with larger focal lengths will be able to achieve greater magnifications, however due to the laws of physics they are typically larger in size.
Types of Telescopes
There are three main types of telescope available today, each with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. They are refracting telescopes, reflecting telescopes (Newtonian), and Catadioptric (or Compound) telescopes.
Refracting Telescopes
Refracting telescopes are what most people think of when it comes to telescopes. They are the long slim, straight bodied telescopes that have a simple design of a lens and an eyepiece at opposite ends of the body tube. These are the original telescope design dating as far back as the early 1600s. For a given aperture size it still provides the best quality image, with better image contrasts, due to its simple design. They are also the easiest to maintain, which make them a good choice for those who don’t want to spend lots of time taking care of their telescope.
The downsides of the refractor type telescope are mostly due to its size. Because it is the largest type of telescope, they are also the most expensive for a given aperture size. Also large telescopes are harder to pack up and set up, losing portability as the size increases. Another disadvantage of a large telescope is that if the mount or tripod it is secured on are not sturdy enough, the telescope can lose some of its stability when viewing, causing images to jump around or shake.
Advantages: Best quality images available in terms of clarity and contrast. Easy to maintain and amount of maintaince required is minimal.
Disadvantages: Has the largest bodies for a given aperture size, reducing portabilty, ease of setup, and overall stability.
Reflecting Telescopes use curved mirrors to bounce light into an eyepiece and create an image. The most common type of reflecting telescope is called a “Newtonian Telescope” and provides the best price for a certain aperture size. The eyepiece is located on the side of the body of the telescope. The contrast quality of the reflecting telescope is comparable to refracting telescopes if they are made correctly, and because they have a much more compact design than refracting, they are much more portable, stable, and therefor easier to use.
The major downside to this type of telescope is that the mirror at the bottom requires occasional alignment (also know as collimation). This isn’t as difficult as it may sound but this type of toying around can be a turn off to many people. Additionally the design is more open to the surrounding air and therefore must be cleaned more regularly. Again nothing very difficult but some people desire a more hands free telescope maintenance wise.
Advantages: Best quality images available in terms of clarity and contrast. Easy to maintain and amount of maintaince required is minimal.
Disadvantages: Has the largest bodies for a given aperture size, reducing portabilty, ease of setup, and overall stability.
Catadiotropic (or Compound) Telescopes
Compound telescopes are the most modern design, utilizing a combination of reflecting light with mirrors, and refracting light through lenses, to create an ultra compact telescope that can offer the same magnifications and aperture sizes as much larger different type telescopes. For a given aperature size they are sightly more costly than a reflecting telescope but still less so that a refracting telescope. This type is a very popular choice because it offers the best of all worlds; large apertures, at a reasonable price, coming in a very compact and transportable size. Compounds are also the best telescope for Go-To automatic star locating mounts. This can be a real benefit for those who don’t want to spend all the time mastering the skill of star location and want to spend more time simply observing.
The main downside of catadioptric scopes is that because the light gets folded up inside the body of the scope so many times, the inside becomes brighter reducing some of the contrast. Many people find this to be an acceptable trade-off for all of the aperture, price, and compactability benefits is offers.
There are two main types of catadioptric telescope that you will see out there; the Maksutov-Cassegrain and the Schmidt-Cassegrain. Both are very similar designs, the difference being in the type of secondary mirror that is used. There are some slight differences between the two, but for the most part the are very similar and the important thing to know is that if you see a telescope advertised under either of these two names, that it is a compound telescope.
Advantages: Are the smallest and most compact, allowing large apertures at small sizes. Less expensive than large refracting scopes. Very portable and easy to setup and use, most compatible type for Go-To systems.
Disadvantages: Won’t produce as clear and contrasty of an image. Not as cheap as Newtonian reflecting telescopes. Still some maintenance required.
5 Priceless Buying Tips
1. Shopping for Telescopes is best done online. Specialty stores are few and far between nowadays. Shopping at the mall, you’re most likely to run into a department store with one telescope on showcase and a salesman who knows little to nothing about it. I recommend Telescopes.com; they have a wide selection of the best telescopes and telescope accessories, and have FREE ground shipping on most orders.
2. If you’re just starting out with your first telescope and your just not quite sure what you want, a moderately priced catadioptric/compound telescope with an aperture of 6 to 10 inches is recommended as the best telescope choice. They offer a variety of advantages, without many disadvantages that would be noticed by someone just getting their feet wet. Once you become more acquainted with your style of observing and what qualities you want out of a telescope, you can then upgrade to that more pricey fancy telescope suited to your exact needs.
3. Avoid cheap toy-like telescopes with small apertures like the plague. There are many cheap telescopes ($100 or less) that will hit the top of best seller lists (especially around the holidays) that boast large magnifications of 400x or more. Remember that it is important to have an aperture to support the magnification otherwise every thing will just look fuzzy. Also avoid buying a super cheap low quality telescope, thinking that you’ll upgrade later if your interest holds. A low quality telescope is the quickest way to kill any enthusiasm you or a child might have in astronomy and there are many reasonably priced options out there that offer much higher quality.
4. Buy according to your patience level. A telescope that doesn’t produce quite as clear an image, that gets used because it is easy to carry and operate, is always better than the telescope that collects dust in the garage because the owner doesn’t find it worth it to set up and maintain, no matter how good the quality.
5. Buy according to your needs. For some people, Go-To telescopes with high end electronic features are a must have. While for some, who have experience aligning telescopes themselves, find that they would rather spend the money on a larger aperture. Know what you want and put your dollars towards the things that are important to you.