Refractor telescopes have a long, slender tube with a lens at the front that “refracts” or bends the light from the sky to bring it into focus. This is the oldest style of telescope and has many advantages. They are simple to use and understand, need less maintenance, and typically give very sharp views. Unfortunately, it’s difficult and expensive to manufacture large diameter versions of these scopes, so they are commonly fairly small in aperture. The take­away is that this telescope will really wow you on bright objects, such as the planets and moon, but will not have enough light­ gathering to see the really faint objects in the deep­ sky (but you will still be able to see some​ deep­ sky objects!). We LOVE the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ for beginners. With it’s 4” (102mm) aperture, patented StarSense technology, and nice sturdy mount, we think you will be a very happy planet hunter.
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# Best Telescopes & Gear For:

# Beginners

## Beginners

We’ve all seen pictures of the amazing jewels hiding in the night sky beyond the grasp of our bare eyes. If you want to see them yourself you will need a telescope. But which one? What can you really expect to see? Before you run out and buy a scope, take a moment to find out which type of telescope will be best for you!

Generally speaking, in the world of telescopes the old adage “bigger is better” applies: The larger the diameter (aperture) of the telescope, the more light it will collect and the deeper into space it will see. Think of it as a bucket collecting photons. The wider the bucket, the more photons it will gather. The more photons you gather, the fainter the objects that you will be able to see. However, you will also want to balance other factors such as cost, size, quality, and ease of use. Below are some basics about telescopes that will help you decide.

Your telescope will consist of three main components: The optics, the mount, and the eyepieces. For the most part you don’t have to worry about eyepieces right away; a good beginner telescope will come with one or two to get you started. All you have to do is decide which type of optics and mount will work best for your lifestyle, pocketbook, and observing goals.

Here’s the menu:

Telescope types

Refractor

Refractor telescopes have a long, slender tube with a lens at the front that “refracts” or bends the light from the sky to bring it into focus. This is the oldest style of telescope and has many advantages. They are simple to use and understand, need less maintenance, and typically give very sharp views. Unfortunately, it’s difficult and expensive to manufacture large diameter versions of these scopes, so they are commonly fairly small in aperture. The take­away is that this telescope will really wow you on bright objects, such as the planets and moon, but will not have enough light­ gathering to see the really faint objects in the deep­ sky (but you will still be able to see some​ deep­ sky objects!). We LOVE the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ for beginners. With it’s 4” (102mm) aperture, patented StarSense technology, and nice sturdy mount, we think you will be a very happy planet hunter.

Reflector

Also called Newtonians, these telescopes are the best aperture-bang for the buck. They have fat tubes with a parabolic mirror at the bottom. Light from the sky enters the tube and gets reflected by this mirror back up to the top of the tube where there is a small diagonal mirror that bounces the light out the side of the tube to your eye. The mirrors are cheaper to manufacture than refractor lenses, so you can afford a much larger diameter telescope when you choose this style. With all of this extra aperture, you will be able to see dim and distant objects in the deep­-sky. We think the Celestron StarSense Explorer 8" is an unbelievable deal. You won’t believe what you will be able to see with such a modest investment!

Catadioptric

Ok, so you want it both ways: big enough to really reach out to the universe, but magically small enough that your grandparents can transport it? And what the heck, it should do a nice job on the planets too!

Well, a catadioptric telescope is for you. You’ll spend a little more money on this design because it’s more complex to build than a reflector, but the combo of aperture and transportability is hard to resist. Here is a really popular model that has a computer for finding objects that can be driven by your smartphone or tablet: Celestron NexStar 6SE. This scope is a true grab­-and­-go with all of the very best technology wrapped up into a beautiful package, including a built-in rechargeable battery. If you want a larger diameter and you are thinking about trying your hand at astrophotography, consider the Celestron AVX 8” SCT.

Mount Types

Altitude-Azimuth (Alt-Az)

We love these mounts for their beautiful simplicity and affordability. The two axes of movement are parallel and perpendicular to the ground, making them very straightforward to set up and use. As the Earth rotates, the stars move out of your field of view, requiring you to “chase” them by moving the telescope. You will have to make adjustments to both axes in order to track objects. Some alt­azimuth mounts are fitted with computer drives that will do this automatically for you. A solid standalone manual Alt-Az mount is the Explore Scientific Twilight I mount. An excellent computerized mount is the Sky-Watcher USA Az-GTi.

Equatorial

These mounts employ an ingenious design to track the sky where the axes of movement are parallel and perpendicular to Earth’s rotational axis. This is achieved by pointing the mount’s axis toward Polaris; the same star that Earth’s axis points to. As Earth rotates once on its axis every 24 hours, this type of mount rotates slowly in exactly the opposite direction to compensate, essentially freezing the sky in position in your eyepiece. These are more complicated to set up than Alt­azimuth mounts, but are an absolute MUST for astrophotography. When you purchase your mount from us, we will give you instruction on how to align the mount so it will track properly. These kinds of mounts can also be manually operated or powered to find and track objects for you. Some great beginner options are Celestron’s Omni CG-4 mount or their Advanced VX. iOptron offers a very compact CEM26, and Sky-Watcher USA has the AZ-EQ5 which can be used in Alt-Az or Equatorial mode in the same package!

Qualities of a great beginner telescope:

Sturdy mount

Easy to use

Easy to transport

Backed by a knowledgeable and helpful retailer (that’s us!)

Things to be wary of:

Flimsy mounts

Telescopes advertising extremely high magnification

Buying a scope without first doing a little research

Telescopes that are advertised for kids are often toys that don’t work very well for stargazing and may prove more frustrating than inspiring. Skip it, save your money for a better telescope later or invest in a decent set of binoculars.

## Overwhelmed?

Here are some of our recommendations for the best home telescope to buy. Find a price point you like and an optical design that agrees with your observing goals. Each of these options has been fitted with a mount that is sturdy and works well with the scope. If you are still having trouble deciding, give us a call! We can help you find the perfect beginners telescope to launch you into a life-­long passion for the night sky.

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR Beginners

##### Celestron

1.25" Eyepiece and Filter Kit (94303)

Regular price
$229.95

Sale price
save $-229.95

Unit price/per

##### Celestron

1.25" Omni Series Plössl Eyepieces (32, 40)

Regular price
$49.95

Sale price
save $-49.95

Unit price/per

##### Celestron

1.25" Omni Series Plössl Eyepieces (4, 6, 9, 12, 15)

Regular price
$29.95

Sale price
save $-29.95

Unit price/per

##### Sky-Watcher USA

8" Classical Dobsonian (S11610)

Regular price
$655

Sale price
save $-655

Unit price/per

##### Sky-Watcher USA

8" Flextube 200P SynScan GoTo Collapsible Dobsonian

Regular price
$1,295

Sale price
save $-1,295

Unit price/per

##### Celestron

Advanced VX 8 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope (12026)

Regular price
$2,299

Sale price
save $-2,299

Unit price/per

##### Sky-Watcher USA

Esprit 80mm ED APO Refractor (S11400)

Regular price
$2,230

Sale price
save $-2,230

Unit price/per

##### MASUYAMA

MASUYAMA 1.25″ Barlow Lenses

Regular price
$119

Sale price
save $-119

Unit price/per

##### MASUYAMA

MASUYAMA 1.25″ Series 53° Eyepieces

Regular price
$179

Sale price
save $-179

Unit price/per

##### MASUYAMA

MASUYAMA 1.25″ Series 85° Eyepieces

Regular price
$199

Sale price
save $-199

Unit price/per

##### MASUYAMA

MASUYAMA 2″ Eyepieces

Regular price
$259

Sale price
save $-259

Unit price/per

##### Celestron

NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope (11068)

Regular price
$1,099

Sale price
save $-1,099

Unit price/per

##### Celestron

NexStar Evolution 6 (12090)

Regular price
$1,679

Sale price
save $-1,679

Unit price/per

##### Celestron

NexStar Evolution 8" EdgeHD with StarSense AutoAlign (12096)

Regular price
$2,949

Sale price
save $-2,949

Unit price/per

##### Firefly Books

Nightwatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe

Regular price
$35

Sale price
save $-35

Unit price/per

##### Celestron

Omni XLT 150 Newtonian Telescope (31057)

Regular price
$699.95

Sale price
save $-699.95

Unit price/per

##### ZWO

Seestar S50

Regular price
$499

Sale price
save $-499

Unit price/per

##### Celestron

SkyMaster 15x70 Binocular (71009)

Regular price
$119.95

Sale price
save $-119.95

Unit price/per

##### Sky-Watcher USA

Skymax Maksutov-Cassegrain 102mm (S11510)

Regular price
$320

Sale price
save $-320

Unit price/per

##### ZWO

Solar Filter for Seestar S50

Regular price
$19.90

Sale price
save $-19.90

Unit price/per

##### Sky-Watcher USA

Star Adventurer 2i Astro Package (S20510)

Regular price
$279

Sale price
save $131

Unit price/per

##### Sky-Watcher USA

Star Adventurer 2i Pro Pack (S20512)

Regular price
$419

Sale price
save $101

Unit price/per

##### Celestron

StarSense Explorer Popular Science DX 100AZ

Regular price
$269.95

Sale price
save $80

Unit price/per

##### Celestron

StarSense Explorer™ DX 102AZ Smartphone App-Enabled Refractor Telescope (22460)

Regular price
$469.95

Sale price
save $-469.95

Unit price/per

##### Telrad

Telrad Combining Glass

Regular price
$12

Sale price
save $-12

Unit price/per

##### Telrad

Telrad Reflex Sight Finder w/Mounting Base

Regular price
$49.99

Sale price
save $-49.99

Unit price/per

##### Firefly Books

The Backyard Astronomer's Guide - Fourth Edition

Regular price
$49.95

Sale price
save $-49.95

Unit price/per

##### David Chandler Company

The Night Sky Planisphere Star Finder - Large

Regular price
$14.95

Sale price
save $-14.95

Unit price/per

##### Cloud Break Optics

USED - Bosch & Lomb Professional 560

Regular price
$50

Sale price
save $-50

Unit price/per

##### Celestron

USED - Celestron Firstscope (21024)

Regular price
$53

Sale price
save $18.95

Unit price/per

##### Celestron

USED - NEXYZ smartphone holder

Regular price
$50

Sale price
save $-50

Unit price/per

##### Celestron

USED 1.25" Omni Series Plössl Eyepiece 15mm

Regular price
$33

Sale price
save $-33

Unit price/per





## Learning Resources

Capture that perfect comet photo. Track Saturn all night. Count sunspots from your backyard. Our technical resource documents will get you there.

The sky is not the limit, it’s just the beginning.

## Visit Our Seattle Store



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