April 26, 2024

Budget telescopes under $500: Picks from Celestron, Meade and Orion

Greatest beneficial magnification: 307x

(3.0 kg) (desktop variation) Compact and easy to useSharp solar system viewsAssembled out of the boxLacks slow-motion controlsThis is basically a tabletop telescope, which suggests you dont have to stress about setting up a tricky tripod in the dark to start stargazing. In addition to the main system, when you acquire this telescope youll get Explorer II 6 mm and 17 mm eyepieces, EZ Finder II reflex sight finderscope, a collimation cap, an eyepiece rack and Starry Night Special Edition software.Its most likely a bit heavy for truly young kids to carry around, at 13lbs, but it does have the advantage of being extremely instinctive to use. (4.72 kg) Simple to set up and alignGood introduction to astrophotographySuggests targets to observeLacks electronic mountThis reflector telescope boasts a fair-sized aperture and excellent quality optics, which is why we rank it as one of the finest budget plan telescopes under $200. (5.0 kg) Good views of the solar systemVersatile, accepts accessoriesGood overall buildCheaply made star diagonalTodays finest Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ telescope dealsAnother top choice for young observers, this refractor telescope has a user friendly alt-azimuth install, which we found offered a enjoyable and smooth watching experience. It comes with everything a budding astronomer would need, consisting of 10 mm and 25 mm Kellner eyepieces, a red dot finder and a moon map.