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I grew up with a “rinky-dink” telescope, those small store-bought ones kids get as presents that are cool as you grow up…and when you’re older, you realize you want something more powerful for your next foray in stargazing.
Since I began Sidewalk Science Center in 2018, and became the Hiking Astronomer in 2024, I have personally owned 15 different telescopes, hosted almost 1,500 astronomy events, and taught hundreds of clients how to use telescopes at their own homes.
The #1 reason people toss telescopes in the closet or garage is frustration. Most people have to learn alone, and admittedly, the first few nights will be more difficult. Stargazing is a skill, and telescopes are a tool to enhance that skill, so choosing the right telescope for you and investing quality time in learning how to use it will help you enjoy stargazing for years to come.
I have personally owned, used, sold, and taught others how to use every telescope on my list below, and more. While living on the road has forced me to scale down to 1-2 telescopes at any given time, rest easy knowing I have put thousands of hours into using each of these, and want you to go into your new hobby, side gig, or perhaps even career prepared and confident.
Once you’ve made your selection, considering hiring me for private telescope training at your home anywhere in the continental United States.
Beginner | Kid-Friendly | App Required for Guided Use | 18 lbs, 2 pieces
When families with kids under 12 are searching for their first telescope, this is the one I recommend.
Lightweight and easy to learn, this telescope comes with an app that guides you through the night sky like a video game: the free StarSense Explorer App (Android, iPhone).
Assemble the telescope (15-20 minutes), attach your phone to the dock on the side of the telescope, then complete the initial setup process (5-10 minutes for the first use). This will align your telescope, finderscope, and phone camera. Whatever the finderscope or phone camera is pointed at, the telescope is also pointed at.
From there, tilt the telescope toward a region of stars and wait a few seconds. The app will use the attached mirror to map out the stars, figure out the section of sky it’s pointed at, and then “ding!” when it’s ready for you to control.
Simply select an object from the in-app lists, and the app will point an arrow and target at the object. Turn the telescope until the target turns green, look in the telescope, and voila! With practice, this takes less than one minute.
Pros:
- Easy assembly (15 minutes)
- Easy to learn basic operation (15-30 minutes)
- Easy to pickup and go (1 minute)
- Doesn’t need to be level to operate
- Will work in most suburban areas
- Good views of the Moon
- Better at seeing wide star clusters, e.g. Double Cluster and the Pleiades, compared to larger telescopes such as the 8″ and 9.25″ motorized telescopes listed below
Cons:
- You must realign the phone camera to start most viewing sessions. Once you get the hang of it, typically takes one minute
- Bright city skies and clouds will prevent the app from mapping the stars
- Pointing at a bright Moon will hinder ability to initially map the stars it needs
- Red dot finderscope can be difficult to lean over and look through for taller people
- Cannot tilt straight up without adjusting legs, which causes it to be off-balance
- Saturn and Jupiter will be very small and difficult to see even when magnified
- The 5.1-inch mirror diameter means galaxies and some nebulae will be difficult or impossible to see in areas with heavy light-pollution
- Manual telescope, so you will have to adjust as Earth rotates
StarSense Explorer 8″ Dobsonian
Alex’s favorite telescope!
Beginner | App Required for Guided Use | 44 lbs, 2 pieces
This truly is my favorite telescope. All 8″ Dobsonians are great, but with Celestron’s StarSense Explorer app added, it took a great style of telescope and made it perfect.
I recommend this telescope for adults or families with kids older than 12. I’d go younger, but it is a big telescope and younger kids will need help using it.
While not light, this telescope uses the exact same app technology as above, guiding you through the night sky like a video game. Download the free StarSense Explorer App (Android, iPhone), attach your phone to the dock on top of the telescope, and complete the initial setup process (5 minutes or less). This will align your telescope, finderscope, and phone camera. Whatever the finderscope or phone camera is pointed at, the telescope is also pointed at.
From there, tilt the telescope toward a region of stars and wait a few seconds. The app will use the attached mirror to map out the stars, figure out the section of sky it’s pointed at, and then “ding!” when it’s ready for you to control.
Simply select an object from the in-app lists, and the app will point an arrow and target at the object. Turn the telescope until the target turns green, look in the telescope, and voila! With practice, this takes less than one minute.
NB: The only reason I stopped using this telescope at sidewalk astronomy is because it does not automatically track the sky. When I have lines of 10, 20, 30, 40 people, I have to adjust the telescope every 1-2 minutes, which takes away from having conversations with people. For personal use, this is not a dealbreaker issue.
Pros:
- Easy to learn basic operation (15-30 minutes)
- Easy to Moderate pickup and go (1-5 minutes)
- Doesn’t need to be perfectly level to operate
- Will work in most suburban areas
- Better at seeing wide star clusters, e.g. Double Cluster and the Pleiades, compared to larger telescopes such as the 8″ and 9.25″ motorized telescopes listed below
- Great views of the Moon
- Good views of Saturn and Jupiter
- The 8-inch mirror diameter will allow you to see brighter nebulae in areas with moderate light pollution
- Can tilt straight up
Cons:
- You must realign the phone camera to start most viewing sessions; typically takes one minute after some practice
- Bright city skies and clouds will prevent the app from mapping the stars
- Red dot finderscope can be difficult to lean over and look through
- Heavier weight means you may want to detach the telescope tube from the base, move them separately, the reattach them at your viewing location
- Manual telescope, so you will have to adjust as Earth rotates.
NexStar 4″ SE (top) | NexStar 6″ SE (middle) | NexStar 8″ SE (bottom)
Moderate | App optional | 8 AA batteries or power cord required | 23 – 32 lbs, 3 pieces
To accurately align these telescopes, I recommend downloading the Celestron SkyPortal App (Android, iPhone) for consistent hour-minute-second times.
These telescopes are functionally no different than the Evolution 8″ and 9.25″ telescopes below; however, they use lighter materials, and I find the tripods to be less stable due to being lighter weight.
I recommend these telescopes for teens and adults. Assembly and setup are complex multi-step tasks that require precision. Younger kids will struggle with these.
After setup, these telescopes will automatically track the night sky, reducing or eliminating any short-term adjustment. I sometimes go 30 minutes, but often an hour or more, before adjusting the telescope view.
On the hand controller, you will input this required information EVERY TIME:
- Coordinates* (I use this website)
- You will input the degree-minute-second format, not the decimal format
- Local time in 24-hour format
- Must be to-the-second; any deviation will cause improper tracking. I typically type the time 5-10 seconds ahead of the clock in the Celestron SkyPortal app, then hit ENTER when the time matches up
- Date in MM/DD/YYYY format
*If you view from the same location each time, you do not need to input the coordinates. If you change position by more than 50 feet, I recommend changing the coordinates.
Once you put in that information, you will be given a list of objects to use for alignment, either solar system (planets, Moon, Sun) or stars. Center & Align, and you’re done! The telescope is now tracking whatever you pointed at.
NB: I have never done a polar alignment because I do not do astrophotography, but this will end up being the most accurate alignment for photographers.
The hand controller will have options on the 1, 2, 3 buttons:
- 1 (Solar System) gives you a selection of the planets, Moon, and Sun (you must unlock the Sun in the menu; never view the Sun without a telescope-grade solar filter or you WILL go blind)
- 2 (Stars) gives you a selection of named stars in constellations
- 3 (Deep Sky) gives you a selection of thousands of objects. Some you will find in a simple list, others you will need to know the designation number according to major catalogs
With practice, you can setup these telescopes and start tracking the sky in 15-20 minutes. I personally set up in under 10 minutes because I’ve done this thousands of times.
NB: these telescopes MUST be balanced in order for the tracking system to work. Each telescope comes with a bubble level to aid your setup. I personally use an app on my phone that has a chime sound, and as I adjust the legs, the app starts ringing when the telescope is level. Not leveling the telescope will cause any object to quickly drift, and the telescope WILL NOT accurately locate other objects you try to find.
Pros:
- Moderate to learn basic operations (45-60 minutes)
- Great views of the Moon, Saturn, and Jupiter
- Good views of tighter star clusters, e.g. Butterfly, Hercules, M3, compared to smaller telescopes
- Automatic tracking means you don’t need to constantly readjust every 1-2 minutes
- Can tilt straight up when attached properly
- Designed to add attachments that enhance stargazing and photography experiences
- Red dot sight is easier to look through than the manual telescopes above
- Much cheaper than the Evolution series for the same user interface technology. By learning how to use the SE series, you will know how to use the Evolution series, and vice versa
Cons:
- The 6SE and 8SE are on the heavier side, but have better viewing than the small 4SE
- Advanced pickup and go (10-30 minutes)
- Must be perfectly level to operate
- No internal rechargeable battery means you must use 8 AAs or plug into a power source, such as a portable battery (recommended)
- AA batteries die fast and cause telescope to move slower than plugging into a power source; AA batteries are expensive, save money long-term with a portable one
- When transporting, you must disassemble all three pieces, then reassemble at viewing site
Evolution 8″ SCT (left) | Evolution 9.25″ SCT (right)
Moderate | App optional | Rechargeable internal battery | 41 – 63 lbs, 3 pieces
To accurately align these telescopes, I recommend downloading the Celestron SkyPortal App (Android, iPhone) for consistent hour-minute-second times.
These telescopes are functionally no different than the NexStar 4SE, 6SE, and 8SE telescopes above; however, these telescopes use heavier-grade materials, have an internal rechargeable battery, and sturdier tripods.
I recommend these telescopes for teens and adults. Assembly and setup are complex multi-step tasks that require precision. Younger kids will struggle with these.
After setup, these telescopes will automatically track the night sky, reducing or eliminating any short-term adjustment. When properly leveled, I sometimes go 30 minutes, but often an hour or more, before adjusting the telescope view.
On the hand controller, you will input this required information EVERY TIME:
- Coordinates* (I use this website)
- You will input the degree-minute-second format, not the decimal format
- Local time in 24-hour format
- Must be to-the-second; any deviation will cause improper tracking. I typically type the time 5-10 seconds ahead of the clock in the Celestron SkyPortal app, then hit ENTER when the time matches up
- Date in MM/DD/YYYY format
*If you view from the same location each time, you do not need to input the coordinates. If you change position by more than 50 feet, I recommend changing the coordinates.
Once you put in that information, you will be given a list of objects to use for alignment, either solar system (planets, Moon, Sun) or named stars. Center & Align, and you’re done! The telescope is now tracking that part of the sky.
NB: I have never done a polar alignment because I do not do astrophotography, but this will end up being the most accurate alignment for photographers.
The hand controller will have options on the 1, 2, 3 buttons:
- 1 (Solar System) gives you a selection of the planets, Moon, and Sun (you must unlock the Sun in the menu; never view the Sun without a telescope-grade solar filter or you WILL go blind)
- 2 (Stars) gives you a selection of named stars in constellations
- 3 (Deep Sky) gives you a selection of thousands of objects. Some you will find in a simple list, others you will need to know the designation number according to major catalogs
With practice, you can setup these telescopes and start tracking the sky in 15-20 minutes. I personally set up in under 10 minutes because I’ve done this thousands of times.
NB: these telescopes MUST be balanced in order for the tracking system to work. Each telescope comes with a bubble level to aid your setup. I personally use an app on my phone that has a chime sound, and as I adjust the legs, the app starts ringing when the telescope is level. Not leveling the telescope will cause any object to quickly drift, and the telescope WILL NOT accurately locate other objects you try to find.
Pros:
- Moderate to learn basic operations (45-60 minutes)
- Excellent views of the Moon, Saturn, and Jupiter
- Excellent views of tighter star clusters, e.g. Butterfly, Hercules, M3, compared to smaller telescopes
- Automatic tracking means you don’t need to constantly readjust every 1-2 minutes
- Can tilt straight up when attached properly
- Internal rechargeable battery gives you about 10 hours of unplugged use when fully charged
- Designed to add attachments that enhance stargazing and photography experiences
- Red dot sight is easier to look through than the manual telescopes above
- Same user interface technology as the SE series. If you’ve learned how to use the SE series, you already know how to operate the Evolution telescopes
- Built-in WiFi connection to use SkyPortal app on phone as the controller
Cons:
- The battery and heavier materials add $1,000 to the purchase price over the SE series, but functions are nearly identical
- If you have the 8″ Evolution, you won’t see much more with the 9.25″ model
- I have the 9.25″ version because I was only borrowing the 8″ version, and once I returned it, figured I might as well get the largest telescope I was willing to carry in my car. Otherwise, I’d still have the 8″ version, which will be perfectly fine for 95% of anyone looking to purchase a large telescope
- Advanced pickup and go (10-30 minutes)
- Must be perfectly level to operate
- When transporting, you must disassemble all three pieces, then reassemble at viewing site
- Because they are functionally identical to the SE series, there’s very little reason to spend the extra $1,000 above the 8SE telescope unless you are:
- Using them hundreds of times per year like me (longer durability than SE models)
- Doing astrophotography and need a sturdier setup
Once you’ve selected a telescope, feel free to contact me for questions, or schedule a private training session with me anywhere in the continental United States.
I provide educational resources like these for free to share knowledge that opens access to astronomy and other scientific fields for as many people as possible. Help me continue my mission with monthly support on Patreon, or a tip on Venmo or PayPal.
Which of the above telescopes can you spot in my picture from October 17, 2024 in St. Pete, Florida?
