The Best Telescope For Beginners

The instrument I recommend for beginners is the type of telescope that propelled my interest in astronomy into a life-altering addiction 

It fostered my curiosity at a manageable pace and kept me coming back for more. Whether it was viewing the planet Jupiter using high magnification, or seeing The Pleiades star cluster for the very first time, that first summer under the stars with my telescope was a pivotal stage of my life.

The most popular type of telescope, refractors have many appealing qualities.

They tend to be lightweight, easy to set up and intuitive to use, give sharp views and require practically no maintenance.

Interchangeable eyepieces offer varying magnifications and increase the range of viewable objects.

Good portability allows for trips to enjoy darker skies away from light polluted areas.

However, there is a saying in the world of telescopes that ‘aperture is king’. Or in basic terms, bigger is better.

The right telescope can be determined by deciding where and how you will use your telescope; maybe at home, or to take to dark-sky sites.

Refracting telescopes available to the amateur today therefore tend to be available in apertures between 60 – 150mm.

Within that range we find inexpensive models with a single front lens, up to telescopes with multiple lenses that provide a sharper more natural view, at a premium price point.