Best Eyepieces for Planets: 10 Picks by Planet and Telescope

The best eyepiece for planets on most telescopes is the Celestron X-Cel LX 7 mm. It gives 143x on a 1000 mm telescope, which sits inside the useful range for Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury. For the lowest price buy the SVBONY 6 mm 68°. For Mars at 200x buy the Celestron X-Cel LX 5 mm. For a telescope with a focal length of 1500 mm or more buy the Celestron X-Cel LX 12 mm. For an eyepiece to keep for years buy the Tele Vue DeLite 7 mm.

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The right eyepiece depends on your telescope, because magnification is the telescope focal length divided by the eyepiece focal length. Enter your aperture and focal length below, tick the planets you want to see and the picker shows the eyepiece focal length, the power and the exit pupil for each one, followed by the three best matches from the ten in this guide.

How much power each planet needs

Each planet has a power range where its disk is large enough to show detail and the image is still steady. The ranges below are the observer consensus published by Telescope School. The apparent sizes are the minimum and maximum diameters from NASA’s planetary fact sheets. The last column shows the eyepiece focal length that gives each range in a telescope with a 1000 mm focal length.

Target	Apparent size	Useful power	Eyepiece in a 1000 mm telescope
Moon	31 arcminutes	150 to 250x for close-ups	4 to 6.7 mm
Mercury	4.5 to 13 arcseconds	100 to 200x	5 to 10 mm
Venus	9.7 to 66 arcseconds	30 to 100x	10 to 33 mm
Mars	3.5 to 25.6 arcseconds	150 to 250x	4 to 6.7 mm
Jupiter	30.5 to 50.1 arcseconds	100 to 200x	5 to 10 mm
Saturn	14.5 to 19.9 arcseconds	100 to 200x	5 to 10 mm
Uranus	3.3 to 4.1 arcseconds	150 to 200x	5 to 6.7 mm
Neptune	2.2 to 2.4 arcseconds	150 to 250x	4 to 6.7 mm

Telescope School publishes no range for the Moon. This guide gives the Moon the Mars range for close-ups, because at that power your aperture and the air set the limit, not the size of the target.

Two limits cap every range. The optical limit is about 2x the aperture in millimeters, or 50x per inch, so an 80 mm refractor stops near 160x and a 150 mm telescope near 300x. The air is the second limit. A realistic ceiling on an average night is about 250x whatever the telescope size, and on a poor night 100 to 150x is the most the air allows. The picker caps every range at 2x your aperture and shows when a planet needs more than your telescope supports.

How to choose the eyepiece focal length for your telescope

Two formulas give every number in this guide:

• Magnification = telescope focal length / eyepiece focal length.
• Exit pupil = aperture / magnification, which equals the eyepiece focal length divided by the telescope f-ratio.

Take a 150 mm Dobsonian with a 1200 mm focal length (f/8). Jupiter needs 100 to 200x, so the target is 150x and the eyepiece is 1200 / 150 = 8 mm. Eyepieces from 6 mm (200x) to 12 mm (100x) stay inside the range. Mars needs 150 to 250x, so the target is 200x and the eyepiece is 6 mm. The exit pupil of a 6 mm eyepiece in this telescope is 6 / 8 = 0.75 mm.

The exit pupil tells you whether a power is comfortable. An exit pupil of 1 to 2 mm gives a bright image that holds up on mediocre nights. The planetary sweet spot on a decent night is 0.5 to 1 mm. Below 0.5 mm the image dims and shake, turbulence and floaters become obvious. Anything above 2 mm is too low in power to show planetary detail.

The telescope eyepiece magnification chart lists the power of common eyepieces in common telescopes, and the telescope focal length guide explains where to find your number. If you need help choosing a telescope that reaches these powers, see the best telescopes for viewing planets.

Best eyepiece for each planet

The examples use three common telescopes: an 80 mm refractor with a 900 mm focal length (160x limit), a 150 mm Dobsonian with a 1200 mm focal length (300x limit) and a 203 mm Schmidt-Cassegrain with a 2032 mm focal length (406x limit). Your own numbers go in the picker above.

Best eyepiece for the Moon

The Moon is half a degree wide, so the whole disk fits in a low-power eyepiece and any telescope shows craters. For close-ups use 150 to 250x. A 60° eyepiece at 200x shows 0.3° of sky, about 57 percent of the Moon’s width, so a 68° eyepiece such as the SVBONY 6 mm frames more of it. The 6 mm gives 200x in the 150 mm Dobsonian. For the whole disk, use a long eyepiece from a telescope eyepiece set.

Best eyepiece for Mercury

Mercury is 4.5 to 13 arcseconds wide and shows phases like Venus, with little to see beyond them. Use 100 to 200x. The 7 mm Celestron X-Cel LX gives 129x in the 80 mm refractor and 171x in the 150 mm Dobsonian. The 12 mm X-Cel LX gives 169x in the 203 mm SCT.

Best eyepiece for Venus

Venus is the one planet that needs less power. It swings from 9.7 to 66 arcseconds wide and shows phases, with little surface detail, so 30 to 100x is enough. That range needs an eyepiece of 10 to 33 mm in a 1000 mm telescope. The 12 mm X-Cel LX gives 75x in the 80 mm refractor and the 10 mm Ultima Edge gives 90x. The 203 mm SCT needs a 20 mm or longer eyepiece, which none of the picks here provide, and the picker flags it.

Best eyepiece for Mars

Mars grows from 3.5 to 25.6 arcseconds across, so it shows surface markings only near opposition. It needs 150 to 250x, tied with Neptune for the highest range. A green #58 filter brings out the darker areas and the polar caps. The SVBONY 6 mm gives 200x in the 150 mm Dobsonian and the X-Cel LX 5 mm gives 240x. In the 80 mm refractor the limit is 160x, so the 6 mm at 150x is the shortest eyepiece that fits. In the 203 mm SCT the Ultima Edge 10 mm gives 203x.

Best eyepiece for Jupiter

Jupiter has the largest disk of the outer planets, 30.5 to 50.1 arcseconds, so it holds detail at lower power than Mars. Use 100 to 200x. An #82A filter strengthens the cloud bands. The 7 mm X-Cel LX gives 129x in the 80 mm refractor and 171x in the 150 mm Dobsonian. In the 203 mm SCT the 12 mm gives 169x.

Best eyepiece for Saturn

Saturn’s disk is 14.5 to 19.9 arcseconds wide, and the rings add to the width. Use 100 to 200x, the same range as Jupiter, so the same eyepieces work. The guide to seeing Saturn with a telescope covers what Saturn looks like through one. For the 150 mm Dobsonian the 8 mm is the target, and the Baader Hyperion 8 mm gives 150x with a 68° field.

Best eyepiece for Uranus and Neptune

Uranus is 3.3 to 4.1 arcseconds wide and Neptune 2.2 to 2.4. Moderate telescopes show them as small disks without surface detail. Use 150 to 200x for Uranus and 150 to 250x for Neptune, the same eyepieces as Mars: the 6 mm and the 7 mm in a 1200 mm telescope. The planets you can see with a telescope guide covers which planets a telescope shows.

What matters in a planetary eyepiece

Focal length. It sets the power. All ten picks are between 4 and 12 mm, the range that reaches 100 to 250x in telescopes from 600 to 2500 mm. A telescope under 700 mm reaches 150x only with the 4 mm or a Barlow.

Eye relief. It is the distance between the eyepiece and your eye. The picks range from 6 mm on the Celestron Omni 4 mm to 20 mm on the Baader and Tele Vue eyepieces. Glasses wearers need about 15 mm or more.

Apparent field. A wider field keeps a planet in view longer on a telescope without tracking. The sky drifts at about 15 arcseconds per second, so at 200x a 60° eyepiece shows 0.3° of sky and a planet crosses it in about 70 seconds. A 68° eyepiece gives about 80 seconds.

Design. A Plossl such as the Omni has four elements, a 50° field and short eye relief. Wide-angle designs such as the X-Cel LX and the SVBONY 68° add elements for 60 to 68° and 16 to 17 mm of eye relief. A flat-field design such as the Ultima Edge keeps the edge of the field in focus. Premium designs from Tele Vue add 62 to 72° and 20 mm of eye relief. The Plossl vs Super Plossl comparison covers the basic designs.

Barrel size. Nine of the ten picks have a 1.25-inch barrel, which fits every telescope, including 2-inch focusers with the 1.25-inch adapter. The Baader Hyperion fits 1.25-inch and 2-inch focusers.

The 10 best eyepieces for planets

The price tiers come from US prices: under $75, $75 to $249 and $250 and up. Three picks are in the first tier, five in the second and two in the third.

Best overall: Celestron X-Cel LX 7 mm

The 7 mm X-Cel LX covers Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury on the most common telescopes: 129x in an 80/900 refractor, 171x in a 150/1200 Dobsonian and 143x in any 1000 mm telescope. It has six elements, a 60° field and 16 mm of eye relief. It is parfocal with the rest of the X-Cel LX line, so you can swap between them without refocusing.

Best overall planetary eyepiece

Best for: Most telescopes and most planets

Focal length

7 mm

Apparent field

60°

Eye relief

16 mm

Barrel

1.25"

Design

Wide-angle

Brand

Celestron

Price tier

$75 to $249

Power at 1000 mm

143x

A six-element 60° eyepiece with 16 mm eye relief. On a 1000 mm telescope it gives 143x, inside the useful range for Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn.

Pros

• 60° field with 16 mm eye relief
• Six elements and a 1.25" filter thread
• Parfocal with the other X-Cel LX eyepieces

Cons

• Costs nearly three times an SVBONY 68° eyepiece
• Narrower field than the 68° eyepieces

Celestron's description gives 16 mm eye relief for the whole X-Cel LX line; its 7 mm spec table says 36 mm. The 16 mm figure is used.

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Best budget: SVBONY 6 mm 68°

The SVBONY 6 mm costs about a third of an X-Cel LX and has a wider field, 68° against 60°, with 17 mm of eye relief. It gives 150x in an 80/900 refractor, which is the limit of that telescope, and 200x in a 150/1200 Dobsonian.

Best budget planetary eyepiece

Best for: High power at the lowest price

Focal length

6 mm

Apparent field

68°

Eye relief

17 mm

Barrel

1.25"

Design

Wide-angle

Brand

SVBONY

Price tier

Under $75

Power at 1000 mm

167x

Pros

• 68° field with 17 mm eye relief
• Filter thread on a 1.25" barrel
• About a third of the price of an X-Cel LX

Cons

• No flat-field correction
• Price varies by seller

Field, eye relief and element count are from svbony.com, which lists no price. The price is a US retailer reference of $39.95.

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Best high-power eyepiece: Celestron X-Cel LX 5 mm

The 5 mm gives 200x in a 1000 mm telescope and 240x in a 150/1200 Dobsonian, the range Mars and Neptune need. It is too much for small refractors: in an 80/900 it gives 180x, above the 160x limit.

Best high-power eyepiece

Best for: Mars, Saturn and Jupiter at 200x

Focal length

5 mm

Apparent field

60°

Eye relief

16 mm

Barrel

1.25"

Design

Wide-angle

Brand

Celestron

Price tier

$75 to $249

Power at 1000 mm

200x

Pros

• Reaches 200x on a 1000 mm telescope
• 16 mm eye relief at 5 mm
• Six elements in four groups

Cons

• 300x on a 1500 mm telescope needs steady air
• Narrower field than the 68° eyepieces

Celestron's description gives 16 mm eye relief for the line; the 5 mm spec table says 28 mm. The 16 mm figure is used.

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Best for long focal lengths: Celestron X-Cel LX 12 mm

Schmidt-Cassegrains and Maksutovs have focal lengths of 1500 to 2800 mm, where a 6 mm eyepiece gives more power than the air allows. The 12 mm gives 125x on a 1500 mm Maksutov, 169x on a NexStar 8SE and 233x on a 2800 mm Celestron 11. It also covers Jupiter and Saturn in those telescopes.

Best for long focal lengths

Best for: SCTs and Maksutovs from 1500 mm up

Focal length

12 mm

Apparent field

60°

Eye relief

16 mm

Barrel

1.25"

Design

Wide-angle

Brand

Celestron

Price tier

$75 to $249

Power at 1000 mm

83x

Pros

• 125x to 233x on 1500 to 2800 mm telescopes
• Same 60° field and 16 mm eye relief as the 5 and 7 mm
• Six elements

Cons

• Too little power for planets on telescopes under 1200 mm
• Narrower field than the 68° eyepieces

Specs are from celestron.com: 60°, 16 mm eye relief, six elements, 13 mm field stop.

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Best flat-field eyepiece: Celestron Ultima Edge 10 mm

The Ultima Edge has a field flattener, which keeps stars and planets in focus to the edge of a 60° field. At 10 mm it gives 120x in a 150/1200 Dobsonian and 203x in a 203/2032 SCT, the Mars range for that telescope.

Best flat-field eyepiece

Best for: Sharp edges in fast Newtonians and Dobsonians

Focal length

10 mm

Apparent field

60°

Eye relief

16 mm

Barrel

1.25"

Design

Flat-field

Brand

Celestron

Price tier

$75 to $249

Power at 1000 mm

100x

Pros

• Flat field with sharp edges
• 16 mm eye relief
• Parfocal with the 15 and 18 mm Ultima Edge

Cons

• Needs a 1500 mm telescope to reach 150x
• Retailers disagree on the element count

60°, 16 mm eye relief and the flat field are from the US retailers in research/SOURCES.md. Most give 5 elements in 4 groups; Astronomics gives 8 in 5.

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Best value mid-power eyepiece: SVBONY 9 mm 68°

The 9 mm has six elements, a 68° field and 17 mm of eye relief. It gives 133x in a 1200 mm telescope, 100x in a 900 mm one and 226x in a 2032 mm one.

Best value mid-power eyepiece

Best for: Jupiter and Saturn on 1200 mm and longer

Focal length

9 mm

Apparent field

68°

Eye relief

17 mm

Barrel

1.25"

Design

Wide-angle

Brand

SVBONY

Price tier

Under $75

Power at 1000 mm

111x

Pros

• 68° field with 17 mm eye relief
• Six elements in four groups
• Low price

Cons

• No flat-field correction
• Price varies by seller

Field, eye relief and element count are from svbony.com, which lists no price. The tier follows the 6 mm reference of $39.95.

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Best for short telescopes: Celestron Omni 4 mm

A short telescope needs a short eyepiece. The Omni 4 mm is a four-element Plossl that gives 150x on a 600 mm telescope and 100x on a 400 mm one for $31.95 at celestron.com. Its 6 mm of eye relief is tight, and it suits only observers who do not wear glasses.

Best for short telescopes

Best for: Telescopes under 800 mm

Focal length

4 mm

Apparent field

50°

Eye relief

6 mm

Barrel

1.25"

Design

Plossl

Brand

Celestron

Price tier

Under $75

Power at 1000 mm

250x

Pros

• The lowest-cost route to 150x on a short telescope
• Four-element Plossl
• $31.95 at celestron.com

Cons

• 6 mm eye relief is tight
• 50° field is the narrowest here

Celestron lists 50° and some retailers list 52°. Eye relief of 6 mm and four elements in two groups are from celestron.com.

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Best modular eyepiece: Baader Hyperion 8 mm

The Hyperion has eight elements, a 68° field and 20 mm of eye relief, and its body fits 1.25-inch and 2-inch focusers. At 8 mm it gives 150x in a 150/1200 Dobsonian and 113x in an 80/900 refractor.

Best modular eyepiece

Best for: A 68° field with 20 mm eye relief

Focal length

8 mm

Apparent field

68°

Eye relief

20 mm

Barrel

1.25" and 2"

Design

Wide-angle

Brand

Baader Planetarium

Price tier

$75 to $249

Power at 1000 mm

125x

Pros

• 68° field with 20 mm eye relief
• Eight elements in five groups
• Fits 1.25" and 2" focusers

Cons

• About five times the price of an SVBONY 68° eyepiece
• About $196 against $110 for an X-Cel LX

Price, 68°, 20 mm eye relief and eight elements in five groups are from the B&H listing of the Baader Hyperion 8 mm at $196.

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Best premium eyepiece: Tele Vue DeLite 7 mm

The DeLite has a 62° field, 20 mm of eye relief and a sliding, locking eyeguard. It is parfocal with Tele Vue Plossl, Panoptic, Nagler and Delos eyepieces, so it fits into a larger Tele Vue set later. It gives 171x in a 150/1200 Dobsonian.

Best premium eyepiece

Best for: An eyepiece to keep for years

Focal length

7 mm

Apparent field

62°

Eye relief

20 mm

Barrel

1.25"

Design

Premium wide-angle

Brand

Tele Vue

Price tier

$250 and up

Power at 1000 mm

143x

Pros

• 20 mm eye relief with a locking sliding eyeguard
• Parfocal with Tele Vue Plossl, Panoptic, Nagler and Delos
• Delos optical quality

Cons

• $283 to $305 at US retailers
• Narrower field than the 68° eyepieces

62°, 20 mm eye relief and parfocality are from the Astronomics listing. US prices were $283 and $305 in two snapshots.

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Best no-compromise eyepiece: Tele Vue Delos 6 mm

The Delos 6 mm combines a 72° field with 20 mm of eye relief, the widest field and the longest eye relief at this focal length in the guide. It gives 200x in a 150/1200 Dobsonian. It is the most expensive eyepiece here.

Best no-compromise eyepiece

Best for: The widest field and longest eye relief at 6 mm

Focal length

6 mm

Apparent field

72°

Eye relief

20 mm

Barrel

1.25"

Design

Premium wide-angle

Brand

Tele Vue

Price tier

$250 and up

Power at 1000 mm

167x

Pros

• 72° field with 20 mm eye relief at 6 mm
• Ethos-level image quality and color neutrality (Astronomics)
• Fits any 1.25" focuser

Cons

• $438 on the Astronomics collection page
• The most expensive eyepiece in this guide

72° and the planetary use are from the Astronomics listing; 20 mm eye relief is from the Astroshop description of the Delos line. Astronomics showed $438 on its collection page and $351 on a cached product page.

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Planetary eyepiece comparison

The four right-hand power columns show what each eyepiece gives in telescopes of 700, 1000, 1500 and 2000 mm focal length. A power above 2x your aperture in millimeters is too much for that telescope.

Barlow lenses, filters and cases

A Barlow lens multiplies the power of any eyepiece, so a 2x Barlow turns a 12 mm into a 6 mm and keeps the eye relief of the 12 mm. One eyepiece and a Barlow give two powers. The best Barlow lenses guide compares them, and Barlow lens vs eyepiece explains when a short eyepiece is the better buy. If you want several focal lengths in one box, see the best telescope eyepiece sets.

Color filters add contrast on planets: a green #58 for Mars and an #82A for the Jupiter cloud bands. A binoviewer shows planets to both eyes but needs two matched eyepieces and a longer light path. The best binoviewers guide covers the options.

Frequently asked questions