10 Best Telescopes 2025 in the United States

The Gskyer Telescope is an excellent choice for kids and beginners who are interested in exploring astronomy. With a 70mm aperture and 400mm focal length, it provides clear and bright images of the moon and stars. The fully coated optics ensure high transmission of light, enhancing image quality and protecting your eyes. The included 3x Barlow lens and two eyepieces offer versatile magnification options, making it easier to locate and observe celestial objects using the 5x24 finder scope. The Altazimuth mount allows smooth and simple movement, making it user-friendly for beginners.

The adjustable aluminum tripod and carry bag enhance its portability, allowing you to take it on your travels conveniently. The added smartphone adapter and wireless camera remote are great for capturing and sharing your celestial discoveries. While this telescope is highly rated and popular, its manual focus might require some practice to get right, and it’s designed mainly for casual star-gazing rather than advanced astronomical research.

Nonetheless, for its price point and ease of use, it's a solid entry-level telescope for those starting their journey into astronomy.

The Celestron NexStar 8SE Telescope is a versatile option for both beginners and seasoned astronomers, thanks to its 8-inch aperture that provides excellent light-gathering capabilities. This makes it suitable for observing various celestial objects within our Solar System, while its compact design ensures that it remains portable for easy transport. The computerized GoTo mount is a standout feature, allowing users to automatically locate and track over 40,000 celestial objects—a fantastic tool for novice stargazers who might not yet be familiar with the night sky.

Assembly is straightforward with the single fork arm design and sturdy steel tripod, making it manageable for users who may feel intimidated by setting up a telescope. SkyAlign technology simplifies the alignment process, allowing for quick use right out of the box.

On the downside, the NexStar 8SE weighs nearly 24 pounds, which may be cumbersome for some users when transporting it to different viewing locations. Additionally, while the GoTo functionality is impressive, fully automated systems can sometimes be less reliable compared to manual setups, especially in varying environmental conditions. Users may also want to invest in additional eyepieces for a wider range of magnification options, as the included 25mm eyepiece might not meet everyone's needs. The warranty and customer support from Celestron are notable, providing peace of mind for buyers, but those seeking a more premium experience may find other high-end models worth considering. If you're looking for a telescope that balances ease of use with quality observations and a robust feature set, the NexStar 8SE is certainly a strong contender.

The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is a user-friendly telescope ideal for beginners and casual stargazers. One of its standout features is the integration with the StarSense app, which utilizes your smartphone to guide you through the night sky, making it accessible for those with little to no prior telescope experience. The patented StarSense technology allows the telescope to determine its position by analyzing star patterns, ensuring you can quickly locate celestial objects.

With a 130mm Newtonian reflector, this telescope boasts a good aperture size that enhances light-gathering capacity, allowing for clear views of the Moon, planets like Jupiter and Saturn, as well as deep-sky objects such as the Orion Nebula. The included eyepieces (25mm and 10mm) further add to the viewing experience, enabling varying magnifications.

The manual altazimuth mount with smooth controls makes it easy to track objects once you've located them through the app, adding to the ease of use. However, the setup may still require some practice to master fully. Its portability is decent, but weighing 18 pounds, it's not the lightest option if you're planning to travel frequently with it. On the downside, some users might find the manual focus a bit limiting, especially if they are accustomed to more high-tech, automated systems. Additionally, while the app provides a wealth of information, it does require a smartphone, which may not appeal to everyone.

The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is an excellent choice for those who want to explore astronomy without the steep learning curve. Its strengths lie in its smartphone integration and quality optics, although it may not be the best fit for seasoned astronomers who prefer more advanced features.