See more ofthe night sky.
Buying guides for telescopes, mounts, eyepieces, filters and astrophotography gear, with honest expectations about what each aperture shows from a dark site and from the city.
Choose your path
Visual observing, smart telescopes or imaging. Each path needs a different kind of scope and mount.
Telescopes
Refractors, reflectors and Dobsonians
Smart telescopes
App-controlled imaging telescopes
Mounts & eyepieces
Mounts, trackers, eyepieces and filters
Imaging & observing
Astro cameras, binoculars and solar
Accessories & power
Tripods, cases, power, dew control and collimation
Beginners & education
Starter kits and learning the sky
Understand the optics
- 01
Equatorial vs Alt-Azimuth Telescope Mounts
Alt-azimuth mounts move up-down and left-right, are intuitive and quick to set up, and suit visual observing.
- 02
How to View the Sun Safely: Solar Filters and Eclipse Glasses
Never look at the Sun through binoculars, a telescope or camera without a certified solar filter covering the front of the optics.
- 03
Refractor vs Reflector vs Catadioptric Telescopes Compared
Refractors use lenses, need little maintenance and give sharp, high-contrast views, but large apertures get expensive.
- 04
Smart Telescopes Explained: What They Do and What They Can't
Smart telescopes combine a small telescope, a camera and a computerized mount, controlled from a phone.
- 05
Telescope Aperture and Magnification Explained
Aperture, the diameter of the main lens or mirror, sets how much light a telescope gathers and how fine a detail it can resolve.
- 06
Telescope Eyepiece Guide: Focal Length, Field of View and Eye Relief
Build an eyepiece set around three jobs: a low-power eyepiece for finding objects and wide views, a medium one for most deep-sky viewing, and a high-power one for the Moon and planets.
Telescopes and Astronomy Gear questions, answered
Do I need an equatorial mount?
For visual observing, no. For long-exposure deep-sky astrophotography, an equatorial mount or field rotation correction is usually needed.
Read: Equatorial vs Alt-Azimuth Telescope Mounts →Are sunglasses safe for looking at the Sun?
No. Even very dark sunglasses are not safe. Use eclipse glasses that meet ISO 12312-2.
Read: How to View the Sun Safely →What type of telescope is best for beginners?
A 6 or 8 inch Dobsonian reflector gives the most to see for the money. A small refractor on a solid mount suits those who want grab-and-go simplicity.
Read: Refractor vs Reflector vs Catadioptric Telescopes Compared →Can you look through a smart telescope?
Most have no eyepiece. You view the image on a phone or tablet.
Read: Smart Telescopes Explained →How do I calculate telescope magnification?
Divide the telescope's focal length by the eyepiece's focal length. A 1,200 mm telescope with a 10 mm eyepiece gives 120 times.
Read: Telescope Aperture and Magnification Explained →Which eyepiece should I upgrade first?
Often a quality medium or high-power eyepiece, since bundled short eyepieces are usually the weakest.
Read: Telescope Eyepiece Guide →Realistic expectations, every time
We describe what a telescope shows under real skies, not what the box art suggests.
Each guide says who the gear suits, who should look elsewhere, and what to check before you buy.
Brands cannot buy a review or a spot on a list. Partner codes save you money; they never decide what we recommend.
Prices are dated, codes are updated across the site at once, and pages are revised when a product, standard or rule changes.
The telescopes and astronomy gear index
- 01TelescopesRefractors, Newtonian reflectors, Dobsonians and catadioptric telescopes.2 pages
- 02Smart telescopesAll-in-one smart telescopes that image and stack automatically.1 page
- 03Mounts & eyepiecesEquatorial and alt-azimuth mounts, star trackers, eyepieces, Barlows and filters.2 pages
- 04Imaging & observingAstrophotography cameras, guiding, binoculars, solar filters and observing accessories.1 page
- 05Accessories & powerTripods and piers, cases, power supplies, dew heaters, collimation tools and alignment aids.0 pages
- 06Beginners & educationBeginner kits, star charts, apps and educational equipment for families and first-time observers.0 pages