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Do you ever look up at the night sky and wonder about the heavens and stars above us? You will see the Milky Way and star clusters such as the Pleiades on a clear night. You could probably point out the Big Dipper and Orion's Belt. If you are an amateur astronomer interested in learning more about the celestial objects in the sky, you may feel intimidated about what type of telescope or pair of binoculars is right for you. At OpticsPlanet, we have gathered our favorite telescopes and the best binoculars for astronomy. So you can go out to stargaze with friends and family and be able to see objects that you wouldn't be able to see with the naked eye.
The Best Telescopes for Beginners
Celestron AstroMaster 70 AZ Altazimuth Refractor Telescope
The Celestron AstroMaster 70 AZ Altazimuth Refractor Telescope produces bright and clear images of the craters on the Moon, the moons of Jupiter, and the rings of Saturn through the telescope's fully coated lens. The two eyepieces of 45x and 90x magnification pull in objects near and far away. You also have a full range of motion with an Altazimuth mount that allows the user to move the telescope up and down quickly or left and right to view items in the sky or here on Earth. The Celestron AstroMaster Telescopes are very child-friendly. Their refractor design makes them easy to maintain and capable of withstanding continuous use. These telescopes come with a tripod with 1.25" thick steel legs, providing a rigid and stable platform. The Celestron AstroMaster 70 AZ Refractor Telescope features make it an excellent telescope for beginners and intermediate users.
Galileo 500mm x 80mm G-SPA Table Top Dobsonian Reflector Telescope
The Galileo G-80DB and Galileo G-SPA Smartphone adapter kit lets you use the camera feature on your smartphone to take pictures or video through the optics of your telescope, or use your smartphone to assist navigating your telescope view to your celestial object of interest. The G-80DB transforms the easy to use and affordable Dobsonian telescope design into a portable, light-weight system you can take anywhere. The G-80DB features a compact matte black finish base and the overall size of the G-80DB, standing just over 1ft. tall and with a 1ft. diameter base, makes it perfect for almost any table or stand. The 80MM Primary mirror delivers the light gathering ability of a full size Reflector telescope, but is very portable. Known for their light-gathering ability, Dobsonian telescopes are known as "light buckets" among astronomers because they have a large aperture.
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Celestron PowerSeeker Newtonian Telescope
The Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ Newtonian Telescope 21049 gives the first-time buyer quality, value, features, and power. Features portable yet powerful designs with ample optical performance to excite any newcomer to amateur astronomy. This telescope comes with all coated glass optical components for enhanced image brightness and clarity. Newtonian reflectors offer the larger aperture and greater light gathering power needed to resolve the faint detail of hundreds of deep-sky and other celestial objects.
The Best Astronomy Binoculars for Beginners
Celestron SkyMaster 25x100mm Porro Prism Binoculars
Celestron 25x100 Skymaster Giant Astronomy Binoculars offer phenomenal performance for astronomical viewing. The casing has structural reinforcement of the main body for maximum stability and secure optical alignment. These binoculars feature high-quality BAK-4 prisms and multi-coatings for enhanced contrast. In addition, they have a built-in super-rigid photo tripod adapter.
Bresser C-Series 10x50 Binoculars
On your next backpacking trip, the forecast is calling for a clear night. Still, you don't want to bring along a bulky telescope; the Bresser C-Series is an excellent pair of astronomical binoculars to see the night skies. These roof prism binoculars are sleek and easy to grip; all models are made with premium BaK-4 prisms that are fully multi-coated for brilliant images rich in contrast. These waterproof binoculars have a water-tight casing. The anti-fog optical barrels are purged with an inert gas to prevent internal fogging.
Cassini Astro Binoculars
Do you want to know how red the red planet of Mars is? Or observe the methane gas giants of Uranus? You can see for yourself by looking through a pair of Cassini Astro Porro Prism Binoculars. The Cassini Astro 20x60mm Porro Prism Binocular is the ideal astronomy binocular for any stargazer. The Porro prism set of binoculars gives the user increased depth perception and has fully coated optics, reducing glare. The 60mm objective lenses bring deep-sky objects 20 times closer to you than the naked eye. This Cassini Binocular comes with a carrying case, neck strap, lens cloth, and protective eye caps, providing everything the wearer needs for an excellent night stargazing.
Shop Telescopes and Astronomy Binoculars
On the next cloudless night with no moon in the sky, take a drive with your telescope and your astronomy binoculars and discover the stars, planets, comets, and deep-sky objects such as the Andromeda Galaxy and Orion Nebula above us. Also, check out our other blogs on How to Choose Astronomy Binoculars, How to Buy A Telescope, and more!
