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Oceanside Photo & Telescope wants our customers to shop with confidence knowing that you will always get the best deal available. We will match any online price that we confirm as valid.

Oceanside Photo & Telescope wants our customers to shop with confidence knowing that you will always get the best deal available. We will match any online price that we confirm as valid.

We"ve scoped out all the best telescopes for beginners and put them in this handy guide. Whether you want to start small or fancy observing the stars with something a bit more serious we"ve lined up a wide range of the best entry-level telescopes.

Searching for the right telescope can be a little daunting given the number of models, manufacturers and retailers out there, so we"ve created this guide to include the best entry-level telescopes for those without much astronomy experience. Whether you"re gifting for someone else or treating yourself these are some of the best models around.

There are also plenty of telescope deals, and we constantly keep our eye on the market to share the best, genuine, money-saving offers. It"s worth noting the models in this guide will suit different astronomers depending on what they want to achieve from their stargazing experience. We"ve included something for every budget.

Save 12% on this smartphone app-enable Newtonian reflector telescope that comes with two eyepieces (25mm and 10mm), a bespoke smartphone dock, red dot finderscope, full height tripod, Alt-azimuth mount with slow motion control rod and an accessory tray.

The Celestron Inspire 100AZ (which features the largest aperture in the Inspire family) is a top, top choice of telescope for beginners. It offers great ease of setup and use, and it comes with a far greater selection of accessories than most other starter telescope bundles. We think it"s the complete package for those trying their hand at astronomy. There is also a choice of the Inspire 80AZ(opens in new tab) which has a focal ratio of f/11.3 or the Celestron Inspire 70AZ(opens in new tab) with a focal ratio of f/11. Take a look at our in-depth Celestron Inspire 80AZreview for more information. The focal ratio for the 100AZ is f/6.6 thus letting in much more light.

During our review of the Celestron Inspire 100AZ, we did detect a degree of false color and blurring in the field of view. The latter is easily resolved with a careful selection of eyepieces, so we recommend investing in further eyepieces to make the most of Inspire 100AZ"s optical system. False color, on the other hand, is to be expected in telescopes at this price point but it did not ruin our observations.

The Inspire 100AZ comes with a 90-degree erect image diagonal with a 1.25-inch fitting that makes the telescope suitable for terrestrial and celestial views, a pair of eyepieces (20 mm and 10 mm), red LED flashlight, accessory tray, StarPointer Pro finderscope and a smartphone adapter for basic astrophotography.

With this scope, you"ll get great views of the Moon and planets and see many solar system objects, including double stars and deep sky targets — this is impressive for the price.

Unlike lots of beginner models, this telescope ships with an equatorial mount. When aligned with the Earth"s polar axis (more straightforward than it sounds), this mount can make it much easier to track objects in the night sky for a prolonged time, it just takes a bit of getting used to.

The Celestron"s Astro Fi is a great model that gives you more telescope for your money. 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 basic astrophotography, and a red dot finder, the Astro Fi is an excellent piece of kit for the price. Moreover, the overall build is good quality, especially given the sturdy aluminum tripod.

During our Celestron Astro Fi 102 review, we confirmed that the optics provide good moon views and can easily pick out the planets. Good views of Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are possible through the four-inch aperture and 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 whole family will be delighted with what the Astro Fi 102 can reveal.

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 at the touch of a button.

The button, in this case, is your smartphone. Skywatchers need to download the Celestron SkyPortal app(opens in new tab) (from Apple"s App Store or Google Play), which in our experience, is quite intuitive. Follow the simple instructions to assist the scope with the alignment procedure.

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. 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 number(opens in new tab) one seller.

Ordinarily, a GoTo telescope user would have to align their telescope on one or two bright stars for the onboard computer to figure out what direction it"s pointing. This could be a bit daunting for newcomers to the hobby who just want to start observing amazing celestial wonders without getting bogged down in the setting up. Here, Celestron"s StarSense technology(opens in new tab) ingeniously does all of the calibrations and aligning for you in a matter of minutes.

We reviewed the StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ last year and found it to be an exquisite telescope for a beginner interested in astronomy or taking photos with one of the best cameras for astrophotography.

Once you have downloaded the StarSense app (Android or iPhone) onto your device, it will display a simulated view of the night sky along with menus from which to select objects (such as the planets or galaxies) to observe. Once you choose your target, screen arrows are displayed, directing you to nudge the telescope in the direction of your chosen object. Once it"s in your instrument"s field of view, the app will issue an alert — all you have to do is look through the eyepiece. You can use the telescope without the app, but the app is what adds a significant level of enjoyment to the experience.

The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ comes with two eyepieces, 25 mm and 10 mm, 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 Celestron AstroMaster 102AZ is an easy-to-use, no-frills, classic-looking refractor telescope. It"s the perfect choice of telescope for those wanting to learn their way around the night sky without the use of technology. Celestron"s AstroMaster 102AZ is a must-have for beginners, especially since it"s easy to assemble and use.

It"s the longer version of the Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ and as we found in our Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ, it doesn"t give any false color. The telescope is attached to a single-arm alt-azimuth mount and features a slow-motion control for fine movements — from left to right as well as up and down — during navigation. Sweeping the night sky, we found that locking onto a target is simple with the Celestron AstroMaster 102AZ using the panning handle. There is no slippage 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 degree 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 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. As well as a good quality mount, skywatchers are treated to a StarPointer red dot finder for star hopping, an erect image star diagonal for comfortable viewing, Starry Night software, and a 10 mm and 20 mm eyepiece. 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.

A great choice from Sky-Watcher"s telescopes, Dobsonians are considered by astronomers to be observing powerhouses — huge tubes on simple alt-azimuth rocker mounts that don"t require the need for a tripod — but they can often be bulky and cumbersome for travel. Sky-Watcher"s line of Skyliner Dobsonians solves portability problems by manufacturing the tube so that it splits in two, allowing it to extend along a truss or collapse into a more compact form.

Because of their design, Dobsonian mounts can comfortably hold larger apertures, usually at far less of a cost than the equivalent tripod-mounted reflecting or refracting telescopes. The Skyliner 200P, with its 7.87-inch (200 mm) diameter aperture, is a great 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.

There is a problem with the Skyliner 200P though, and it"s that the telescope needs frequent collimation — the process of 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, so be prepared to tinker with this instrument.

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. (22.7 kg) 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 comes with a 10 mm (120x) eyepiece, suitable for presenting wide fields of view that can encompass entire galaxies or the full moon, and a 25 mm (48x) one for more detailed work on, say, a close-up of the rugged lunar surface or the planets.

The Orion StarBlast II 4.5 is an all-arounder for those hunting for an all-inclusive piece of kit. Be warned though: the equatorial mount can take a bit of getting used to compared to the simpler alt-azimuth and the computerized telescopes on the market. We recommend having a play with the setup during the day to get used to the counterbalance and fine-tuning controls. The overall build is very good, but the "lightweight" tripod could do with an upgrade.

The telescope is simple to assemble, we"d go as far as saying intuitive, but a manual is supplied for those who feel that they need more guidance. Included with the mount, tripod and optical tube assembly, the Orion StarBlast II 4.5 is supplied with two eyepieces — a 10 mm and 25 mm, which offer magnifications of 18x and 45x — a 2x Barlow lens, Orion"s Star Target Planisphere and Telescope Observer"s Guide for planning your observations, a moon map, a red LED light to preserve your night vision and a red-dot finder. This all-inclusive reflector is a very good starter telescope at an unbeatable price.

Once you"ve mastered the mount (and we have to admit, it doesn"t take long), the Orion StarBlast II 4.5 is easy to slew from one target to the next. The red-dot finder is able to pick up some of the fainter, low-magnitude stars, making star-hopping a breeze as we navigated the heavens. We didn"t suffer with an undriven instrument, although if you"re looking to try your hand at astrophotography then we recommend choosing a motor drive such as the Orion AstroTrack Drive(opens in new tab).

With a focal ratio of f/4, the Orion StarBlast II 4.5 is a fast telescope, meaning that it offers large fields of view compared to a telescope with a longer focal length. Views are bright through shorter optical tubes and this reflector was of no exception.

Jupiter was visible in the southeast during our observations, 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 of the night sky.

Given the telescope is better suited to wide-angle objects, 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. Around them, and using our peripheral vision, we were also able to pick out the Merope Nebula, a reflection nebula surrounding the 4th-magnitude star, Merope.

The SVBONY 501P 70 is astoundingly and cleverly basic. It"s a 70 mm refractor that sits atop a lightweight tripod that"s easy to travel with. For anyone looking to pare things back with their first or next telescope, this is the one to go for. It contains the optical tube and a very simple 5x24 finderscope but also includes a 45-degree image diagonal so you don"t have to crick your neck to view the night sky.

It comes with a single 20mm eyepiece that attaches to the 400mm refractor and so makes this ideal for lunar viewing but not that 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. But we found in our Encalife SVBONY 501P 70 review that, for the money, it"s a good entry-level telescope.

There are three main types of telescopes: reflector, refractor and catadioptric, all offering better views for different 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.

Reflectors rely on a mirror to reflect the light gathered through the telescope tube and then a secondary mirror to reflect the light into the eyepiece. They can typically be built with larger apertures because it"s cheaper and easier to produce large mirrors than it is large glass elements as in refractors.

Catadioptrics are hybrids between the two systems, combining refraction and reflection technology to produce long focal lengths and wide apertures in smaller telescope bodies.

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.Round up of today"s best deals