Choose with confidence

Choose a first telescope by target, aperture, mount, storage and setup. Compare refractors, reflectors and smart scopes before buying.

Compare larger and more portable Dobsonian telescopes by aperture, storage, transport, setup and observing location before selecting a size.

Telescope types compared: refractors, reflectors and Dobsonians, and Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov designs, by aperture per dollar, upkeep and targets.

Why aperture matters more than magnification: how to calculate magnification, the maximum useful power, focal ratio, resolution and how seeing limits the view.

Compare smart telescopes and traditional telescope setups by observing style, imaging, setup, control, portability and upgrade flexibility.

How smart telescopes work: app control, automatic alignment, live stacking, typical apertures, light pollution and how they differ from traditional scopes.

Compare a Barlow lens and a shorter focal-length eyepiece for magnification, eye relief, cost, weight and your existing eyepieces.

Telescope mounts compared: alt-azimuth, Dobsonian, equatorial and GoTo mounts, polar alignment, payload capacity, tracking for imaging and star trackers.

Choose telescope eyepieces: low, medium and high power focal lengths, apparent and true field of view, exit pupil, eye relief for glasses, barrel sizes and Barlows.

Read telescope mount payload ratings, count the full imaging load and compare visual and astrophotography configurations before adding equipment.

Safe solar viewing: ISO 12312-2 eclipse glasses, front-mounted white-light solar filters, hydrogen-alpha telescopes, covering finders, and what never to use.

Compare white-light solar filters and dedicated hydrogen-alpha telescopes by visible features, equipment, safe setup and observing purpose.