Find Best Starter Telescope Kits for Beginners

As a beginner amateur astronomer, you may feel overwhelmed trying to choose the best starter telescope. The enormously wide range of telescope kits available in the market may add to your confusion.

Basically, whether a particular telescope is good for you as a beginner will depend very much on, firstly, your observation preferences, whether your focus is on the moon and planets or you have the intention to venture further into deeper space to view nebulae, galaxies and star clusters. Secondly, your usual observation site, since light pollution will affect your ability to see faint objects.

The above factors will help you narrow down your selection. Before going on your shopping spree, do familiarize yourself with the basics on how to choose a good beginner astronomy telescope. You will then be able to identify the most suitable starter telescope that meets most, if not all, your requirements.

What are the Differences between a Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Level Starter Telescope?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions by beginners.

Depending on how deep you want to dive into your hobby in amateur astronomy, you may choose any one of the following telescopes as a starter telescope in terms of their complexity in construction.

(a) Entry level beginner telescopes are comparatively easier to set up, operate and maintain. The recommended mounts are alt-azimuth or Dobsonian due to their ease of use. Go for one with good optical and mechanical quality so that you will not grow out of it too soon. Having said that, we do not discount the usefulness of a cheap kiddie telescope in nurturing young children’s interest in astronomy.

(b) An intermediate level starter telescope offers more features, better performance, excellent mechanics and quality optics. It allows an enthusiast to grow into the hobby without having to upgrade too soon.

(c) Advanced telescopes are high performance instruments with exceptional quality. They generally require more commitment to use, i.e. you must have the patience and be technically savvy to set one up properly. There tends to be some trade-offs in these types of telescopes. While some are easy-to-use, they are usually large and heavy, or are intended for specific usage, e.g. astrophotography. With careful selection, an advanced telescope can be your lifetime companion in your exploration of the outer space.

Comparison Shopping for Good Beginner Telescopes

For your hassle-free online shopping experience, we’ve meticulously categorized all types of telescopes for your easy comparison. Having set your budget, decide on the Type of telescope and its Mounting, then choose the Aperture size followed by the Brand.

Compare Prices

Use the recommendation below as a rough price guide:-

1. Kiddie telescopes under $100 are great for introducing young children to astronomy. Complement it with a best selling book on astronomy for children, A Child’s Introduction to the Night Sky. Find well-illustrated books on astronomy for children here.
2. Young adult users whose focus are on near Earth objects may opt for a refractor telescope. For a wider choice of views, a low cost Newtonian reflector telescope with an equatorial mount priced under $200 is a fair choice and allows you to grow into your hobby.
3. Some of the best beginner telescopes are available for under $300 and are suitable for most adult beginners; and
4. Telescopes priced at $500 or higher are generally considered as “Intermediate Level” telescopes and are highly recommended for the serious beginners.

Compare Types of Telescopes

Select your preferred type of telescope kits and compare the offers.

• Reflector Telescopes;
• Refractor Telescopes;
• Dobsonian Telescopes;
• Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes;
  
• Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescopes; and
• Entry Level Computerized and Go-To Telescopes.

Compare Aperture Sizes

The true power of an astronomy telescope is in its aperture size. The larger the aperture, the more light it can collect and therefore, gives sharper images. For the same aperture size and similar overall quality, a refractor usually cost more than a reflector telescope.

Browse and compare aperture sizes:-

1. Less than 80mm aperture;
2. 80mm to 90+ mm aperture;
3. 100mm to 150 mm aperture;
4. 150mm to 200mm aperture;
5. Over 200mm aperture.

Compare Brands

You may wish to compare the following popular brands of telescopes:-

1. Orion Telescopes
2. Celestron Telescopes
3. Galileo Telescopes
4. Bushnell Telescopes
5. Meade Telescopes
6. SkyWatcher Telescopes
7. Tasco Telescopes
8. Barska Telescopes
9. Konus Telescopes
10. Zhumell Telescopes
11. Vixen Telescopes