Best Telescopes for Deep Space in 2026: 10 Picks for Viewing Galaxies and Nebulae

The best telescope for deep space for most buyers is the Sky-Watcher Classic 250P, a 10-inch Dobsonian that gathers about 1,300 times the light of the naked eye and costs under $1,000. For less money and weight, choose the 8-inch Classic 200P, or the Heritage 150 at about $309. For GoTo under a suburban sky, choose the NexStar 8SE. For deep-sky photos from a city, a smart telescope such as the Seestar S30 Pro records images instead of showing an eyepiece view. Through an eyepiece most galaxies are grey smudges, and aperture and a dark sky decide how much you see, not magnification.

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Answer a few questions to narrow the ten picks, or start with the quick picks table.

What galaxies and nebulae look like through a telescope

Galaxies look grey through an eyepiece. The colour in photos comes from long exposures that collect light for minutes or hours. The eye sees faint light with its rod cells, which do not detect colour, so even a 12-inch telescope shows the Whirlpool Galaxy as two grey glows with a hint of spiral structure, not the blue arms of a Hubble image.

What you do see is real light that left those galaxies millions of years ago. The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) shows a bright oval core and a long glow that spills past the edge of the field. Its companions M32 and M110 sit in the same view. M81 and M82 fit together at low power, and an 8-inch shows the dark lane across M82. The Orion Nebula is the exception: it is bright enough to show structure in any scope and a faint green tint in 8 inches and up.

Two techniques bring out more. Dark adaptation takes 20 to 30 minutes, and one glance at a white phone screen resets it. Averted vision, looking slightly to one side of the object, puts its light on the most sensitive part of the retina and often doubles what you notice. The telescope simulator shows how deep-sky objects look at each aperture and magnification before you buy.

What makes a telescope good for deep space?

Deep-sky objects are faint and often large. A deep-space telescope needs to collect as much light as possible and show a wide field. Aperture does the first job and a short focal length does the second. The sky you observe from matters as much as either.

Aperture comes first

Aperture is the diameter of the main mirror or lens. Light grasp rises with its area, so it climbs with the square of the diameter: a 10-inch mirror gathers about 56 percent more light than an 8-inch, and a 12-inch about 44 percent more than a 10-inch. The table gives the light grasp against a dark-adapted 7 mm pupil and the faintest star each aperture reaches from a dark sky, the limiting magnitude.

Aperture	Light vs the eye	Limiting magnitude
130 mm (5.1 in)	345x	12.6
150 mm (6 in)	459x	12.9
203 mm (8 in)	841x	13.5
254 mm (10 in)	1,317x	14.0
305 mm (12 in)	1,898x	14.4

Limiting magnitude applies to stars. Galaxies spread their light over an area, so a galaxy’s listed magnitude overstates how easy it is. The Triangulum Galaxy (M33) is magnitude 5.7 but spreads that light over an area larger than the full Moon, and it is hard to see from a suburb. The Ring Nebula is magnitude 8.8, far fainter in total, but packs its light into a tiny disc and shows in any telescope. Brightness per unit area, called surface brightness, decides what you can see.

No telescope makes a galaxy’s surface brighter than it looks to the naked eye. What aperture buys is a bigger image at that same brightness. A 10-inch at 100x shows a galaxy as bright as a 5-inch does at 50x, but twice as large, and a larger image is where dust lanes and spiral arms become visible. That is why every pick in this guide is ranked on aperture first. Our telescope aperture comparison shows photos taken at each size.

A dark sky matters as much as aperture

Light pollution brightens the sky background and the galaxy stays the same, so contrast falls. A 6-inch under a rural sky shows more galaxy detail than a 10-inch in a city. From a city, M31’s core and M42 are the only easy deep-sky targets. From a suburb, the brighter Messier galaxies and most clusters and planetary nebulae show. From a dark site, a 10-inch shows spiral arms in M51 and M33 and hundreds of galaxies beyond the Messier list.

A one-hour drive out of town often helps more than a bigger telescope. That makes weight a deep-space spec: a scope that fits in the car gets used at dark sites. Our list of the best dark sky locations covers ten places worth the trip.

Filters help with some nebulae and not with galaxies. A UHC or OIII filter passes the few wavelengths that emission nebulae such as the Orion, Lagoon and Veil glow in and blocks most streetlight. Galaxies shine with the light of billions of stars across the whole spectrum, so a filter dims them as much as the sky.

Low magnification and a wide field

Most deep-sky viewing runs at 40x to 150x. Magnification is the telescope’s focal length divided by the eyepiece’s, so the Classic 250P with its 1,200 mm focal length gives 48x with a 25 mm eyepiece and 120x with a 10 mm. Large objects such as M31, the Pleiades and the Veil Nebula need the lowest power and widest field you can get. Small, bright objects such as the Ring Nebula and globular clusters take 150x to 200x.

A short focal ratio, f/4.7 to f/6, gives wider fields with the same eyepieces. That is why Dobsonians and short Newtonians suit deep space. An f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain such as the NexStar 8SE has the same 8-inch aperture as the Classic 200P, but its narrower field cannot fit the full extent of M31 or the Pleiades.

Finding objects you cannot see with the naked eye

Almost every galaxy is invisible to the naked eye, so you aim at an empty patch of sky. There are three ways to do it. Manual scopes need star-hopping: you follow a chart from a bright star to the target. It costs nothing and teaches the sky, but a first galaxy can take 20 minutes. App-guided scopes (the StarSense Explorer models) use a docked phone to show arrows to the target, with no alignment and no power for the telescope. GoTo scopes and smart telescopes point and track on their own and need batteries. From a bright suburban sky, where guide stars are scarce, app or GoTo finding saves the most time.

Deep-sky objects to see first

These ten targets cover galaxies, nebulae and clusters. Magnitude is the total brightness; a lower number is brighter. The third column describes the view from a suburban or darker sky.

Object	Mag	What you see
Andromeda Galaxy (M31)	3.4	Bright core in any scope; dust lane at 8 in
Orion Nebula (M42)	4.0	Wings and the Trapezium stars in any scope
Hercules Cluster (M13)	5.8	Resolves into stars at 6 in and up
Triangulum Galaxy (M33)	5.7	Faint glow; arms only from a dark site
Bode’s and Cigar galaxies (M81, M82)	6.9, 8.4	Both in one field; M82’s dark lane at 8 in
Dumbbell Nebula (M27)	7.5	Apple-core shape at 4 in and up
Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)	7.9	Large faint glow; needs a dark sky
Sombrero Galaxy (M104)	8.0	Dust lane at 8 in
Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)	8.4	Two cores at 6 in; arms at 10 in, dark sky
Ring Nebula (M57)	8.8	Small grey smoke ring at 150x

M31, M33, M27 and M57 are best in late summer and autumn evenings, M42 in winter, and M51, M81, M82, M101 and M104 in spring. For background on each nebula type, see the five types of nebulae, and for cluster targets see the most spectacular star clusters.

Which telescope is best to see galaxies?

A Dobsonian with the most aperture you can store and carry is the best telescope to see galaxies. Six inches (150 mm) is the useful minimum: it shows the cores of dozens of galaxies and the two cores of M51. Eight inches shows dust lanes in M31, M82 and M104. Ten inches shows spiral arms in M51 from a dark site. Past 12 inches the weight stops most owners from taking the scope out, which costs more views than the extra aperture adds.

Pick a GoTo or app-guided scope instead when finding objects is the barrier, as it is under a bright suburban sky. Pick a smart telescope when you want colour images rather than an eyepiece view.

Smart telescopes: images, not eyepiece views

A smart telescope has a camera in place of an eyepiece. The Seestar S30 Pro and the Dwarf 3 find a target, track it and take hundreds of 10-second exposures, then stack them into one image that builds on your phone. After 10 to 30 minutes the Orion Nebula shows its red and pink gas and M31 shows its dust lanes in colour. Light-pollution filters and stacking let this work from a city sky, where an eyepiece shows almost nothing.

The trade-off is that you look at a screen. Their 30 mm and 35 mm lenses are small, so M31, M42 and the large nebulae fill the frame, while most galaxies come out as small ovals that need cropping. For galaxy astrophotography with a camera, these two are the simplest start. The NexStar 8SE and Virtuoso GTi 130P track the sky but sit on alt-az mounts that rotate the field during long exposures, so treat them as visual telescopes.

Planets and galaxies in one telescope

One telescope can do planets and galaxies. An 8-inch Dobsonian such as the Classic 200P shows Jupiter’s cloud belts and Saturn’s Cassini division as well as the galaxies above. Planets reward long focal ratios and steady air, though, and galaxies reward wide fields and dark skies. If planets come first, see our guide to the best telescopes for viewing planets.

The best telescopes for deep space in 2026

Picks run in ranked order, by aperture first and then by how easily you will find objects with them. Each card shows aperture, focal ratio, weight and price tier, plus the limiting magnitude and light grasp of that aperture.

Best telescope for deep space: Sky-Watcher Classic 250P

Best telescope for deep space

Best for: Observers who want the most galaxy detail for under $1,000

Aperture

254 mm (Reflector)

Focal length

1,200 mm (f/4.7)

Mount

Dobsonian

Finding

Manual

Tracking

No (manual)

Weight

24 kg

Deep-sky reach

Mag 14.0, 1,317x the eye

Photos

Eyepiece only

Price tier

$500 to $999

Deep-sky reach: Limiting magnitude about 14.0 from a dark sky, and 1,317x the light of the naked eye. See it in the telescope simulator

Pros

• 254 mm shows spiral arms and dust lanes from a dark site
• No power, no app, nothing to align
• Wide field at f/4.7, 2-inch focuser

Cons

• 24 kg in two pieces; the tube needs a hatchback or SUV
• No tracking, so you nudge it to follow objects
• Needs collimation and about 45 minutes to cool

Ships with 25 mm and 10 mm eyepieces, a 2-inch focuser and a 9x50 finder. Weight 53 lb (24.0 kg): tube 28 lb plus base 25 lb, from the Sky-Watcher USA specification.

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The Classic 250P is a 10-inch f/4.7 Dobsonian with a solid tube on a rocker base. It gathers 1,317 times the light of the eye, and that is enough to show spiral arms in M51, the dust lane across M104 and hundreds of galaxies beyond the Messier list from a dark site. The 1,200 mm focal length gives 48x with a 25 mm eyepiece and a wide field for M31 and the Veil Nebula. The 2-inch focuser takes wide-field eyepieces when you want more sky.

It weighs about 24 kg in two pieces, and the 1.2 m tube needs a hatchback or SUV. There is no tracking, so you nudge the tube to keep an object in view. Collimate the mirrors now and then, and set it outside 45 minutes before you observe so the mirror cools. At its sale price it is the most deep-sky aperture for under $1,000.

Best value 8-inch Dobsonian for galaxies: Sky-Watcher Classic 200P

Best value 8-inch Dobsonian for galaxies

Best for: First-time buyers who want a real deep-sky scope that fits most cars

Aperture

203 mm (Reflector)

Focal length

1,200 mm (f/5.9)

Mount

Dobsonian

Finding

Manual

Tracking

No (manual)

Weight

20.4 kg

Deep-sky reach

Mag 13.5, 841x the eye

Photos

Eyepiece only

Price tier

$500 to $999

Deep-sky reach: Limiting magnitude about 13.5 from a dark sky, and 841x the light of the naked eye. See it in the telescope simulator

Pros

• 203 mm shows dust lanes in M31, M82 and M104
• No power, no app, nothing to align
• 4 kg lighter and about $240 cheaper than the 10-inch

Cons

• About 20 kg in two pieces
• No tracking
• Needs collimation and cooldown time

Weight 45 lb (20.4 kg): tube 20 lb plus base 25 lb, from the Sky-Watcher USA specification. Focal length 1200 mm is derived from f/5.9.

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The Classic 200P is the 8-inch version of the same design, at f/5.9. It reaches magnitude 13.5 and shows the dust lanes in M31, M82 and M104 and resolves globular clusters such as M13 into stars. It also shows planets well, which makes it the best all-round choice in this guide.

It weighs about 20 kg in two pieces, 4 kg less than the 250P, and costs about $240 less. It needs no power and no app, and the same cooldown and collimation as the 10-inch. For a first deep-sky telescope that still fits most cars, it is the pick.

Best app-guided telescope for deep space: Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ

Best app-guided telescope for deep space

Best for: Beginners who want a phone to point them at galaxies

Aperture

130 mm (Reflector)

Focal length

650 mm (f/5)

Mount

Alt-az

Finding

App-guided

Tracking

No (manual)

Weight

8.2 kg

Deep-sky reach

Mag 12.6, 345x the eye

Photos

Eyepiece only

Price tier

Under $500

Deep-sky reach: Limiting magnitude about 12.6 from a dark sky, and 345x the light of the naked eye. See it in the telescope simulator

Pros

• App finds faint targets with no alignment
• Wide field for large galaxies and clusters
• 130 mm of aperture for under $500

Cons

• Galaxies are small grey patches at 130 mm
• 8.2 kg and bulky for travel
• Mirror needs occasional collimation

Ships with 25 mm (26x) and 10 mm (65x) eyepieces and the StarSense dock. Weight 18 lb (8.16 kg). Price $480 to $500.

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The DX 130AZ is a 130 mm f/5 Newtonian on an alt-az tripod with a phone dock. The StarSense app reads the star field through the phone camera and shows arrows to the target, so a beginner can find M81 and M82 from a suburb in minutes instead of star-hopping. The 650 mm focal length gives a wide field, and the 25 mm and 10 mm eyepieces give 26x and 65x.

130 mm reaches magnitude 12.6, so galaxies are small grey patches and spiral arms are out of reach. It weighs 8.2 kg and the mirror needs occasional collimation. For a beginner whose main obstacle is finding things, it is the best way in under $500.

Best GoTo telescope for deep sky: Celestron NexStar 8SE

Best GoTo telescope for deep sky

Best for: Suburban observers who want GoTo and 8 inches of aperture

Aperture

203 mm (Schmidt-Cassegrain)

Focal length

2,032 mm (f/10)

Mount

GoTo alt-az

Finding

GoTo motor

Tracking

Yes (needs power)

Weight

14.5 kg

Deep-sky reach

Mag 13.5, 841x the eye

Photos

Eyepiece only

Price tier

$1,000 and up

Deep-sky reach: Limiting magnitude about 13.5 from a dark sky, and 841x the light of the naked eye. See it in the telescope simulator

Pros

• 203 mm in a short, portable tube
• GoTo finds and tracks after a short alignment
• Finds faint targets under suburban skies

Cons

• $1,699, over twice a Classic 200P
• f/10 field is too narrow for all of M31
• Alt-az mount, so no long-exposure photos

Ships with a 25 mm eyepiece (81x). Needs 8 AA batteries or 12 V. Weight 32 lb (14.5 kg) with the tripod.

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The NexStar 8SE is an 8-inch f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain on a computerised single-arm mount. After a short alignment it finds and tracks thousands of objects, which matters under a suburban sky where the guide stars for star-hopping are washed out. The short tube makes 203 mm of aperture easy to carry, and the whole kit weighs 14.5 kg.

The 2,032 mm focal length gives 81x with the included 25 mm eyepiece, too much for the full extent of M31 or the Pleiades. Galaxies such as M51, M104 and the planetary nebulae suit it well. It costs $1,699, more than twice the price of a Classic 200P with the same aperture, and needs 8 AA batteries or a 12V supply. You pay for GoTo and portability.

Best big-aperture Dobsonian for dark skies: Sky-Watcher Flextube 300P

Best big-aperture Dobsonian for dark skies

Best for: Dark-sky observers who want a 12-inch that collapses for the car

Aperture

305 mm (Reflector)

Focal length

1,500 mm (f/4.9)

Mount

Dobsonian

Finding

Manual

Tracking

No (manual)

Weight

38.3 kg

Deep-sky reach

Mag 14.4, 1,898x the eye

Photos

Eyepiece only

Price tier

$1,000 and up

Deep-sky reach: Limiting magnitude about 14.4 from a dark sky, and 1,898x the light of the naked eye. See it in the telescope simulator

Pros

• 305 mm, the deepest reach here
• Collapsible tube packs shorter
• Faint galaxy structure from a dark site

Cons

• About 38 kg in two pieces; the tube alone is 21 kg
• About $1,650 to $1,900
• Needs collimation, and a shroud under bright skies

Weight 84.5 lb (38.3 kg): tube 46.2 lb plus base 38.3 lb, from the Sky-Watcher USA specification for the manual S11740. The price comes from one dealer listing; verify it before publishing.

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The Flextube 300P is a 12-inch f/4.9 Dobsonian whose tube collapses on three poles for transport. It has the most aperture in this guide: 1,898 times the light of the eye and a limiting magnitude of 14.4. From a dark site it shows structure in faint galaxies that a 10-inch only hints at, and the Veil Nebula through an OIII filter.

It weighs about 38 kg in two pieces, the heaviest scope here, and costs about $1,650 to $1,900. Under a bright sky the open tube needs a light shroud. Buy it if you drive to dark sites and can lift a 21 kg tube.

Best GoTo telescope under $500: Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 130P

Best GoTo telescope under $500

Best for: Beginners who want GoTo and tracking in a small scope

Aperture

130 mm (Reflector)

Focal length

650 mm (f/5)

Mount

GoTo alt-az

Finding

GoTo motor

Tracking

Yes (needs power)

Weight

7.9 kg

Deep-sky reach

Mag 12.6, 345x the eye

Photos

Eyepiece only

Price tier

Under $500

Deep-sky reach: Limiting magnitude about 12.6 from a dark sky, and 345x the light of the naked eye. See it in the telescope simulator

Pros

• GoTo and tracking for under $500
• 7.9 kg, light enough to carry in one trip
• Wi-Fi control from a phone

Cons

• 130 mm shows galaxies as faint patches
• Needs a table or crate
• Needs power for the motors

Ships with 25 mm (26x) and 10 mm (65x) eyepieces. Weight 17.3 lb (7.85 kg).

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The Virtuoso GTi 130P is a 130 mm f/5 collapsible tabletop Dobsonian on a Wi-Fi GoTo mount. The SynScan app on a phone aligns it, points it at a galaxy and tracks it, so the object stays in view while you watch. The 25 mm and 10 mm eyepieces give 26x and 65x, and the whole scope weighs 7.9 kg.

It shares the DX 130AZ’s aperture and limits: galaxies are faint patches. It needs a sturdy table or crate and power for the motors. It is the cheapest telescope here that finds and tracks objects on its own.

Best app-guided Dobsonian: Celestron StarSense Explorer 150mm Tabletop

Best app-guided Dobsonian (6-inch)

Best for: Beginners who want 6 inches of aperture and app finding

Aperture

150 mm (Reflector)

Focal length

750 mm (f/5)

Mount

Tabletop

Finding

App-guided

Tracking

No (manual)

Weight

11.3 kg

Deep-sky reach

Mag 12.9, 459x the eye

Photos

Eyepiece only

Price tier

$500 to $999

Deep-sky reach: Limiting magnitude about 12.9 from a dark sky, and 459x the light of the naked eye. See it in the telescope simulator

Pros

• 150 mm with app-guided finding
• No motors, no alignment
• Compact for its aperture

Cons

• 11.3 kg and needs a table
• No tracking
• About $600, twice the Heritage 150

Weight 25 lb (11.33 kg). Focal length 750 mm.

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The StarSense Explorer 150mm is a 6-inch f/5 tabletop Dobsonian with the same phone-dock finding as the DX 130AZ. The extra 20 mm of aperture adds a third more light, enough to show the two cores of M51 and resolve the edge of M13. The 750 mm focal length keeps the field wide.

It weighs 11.3 kg in one piece and needs a table. It has no tracking. At about $600 it costs twice the Heritage 150 with the same aperture, and the difference pays for the app.

Best cheap 6-inch for deep sky: Sky-Watcher Heritage 150

Best cheap 6-inch for deep sky

Best for: Buyers who want the cheapest real deep-sky aperture

Aperture

150 mm (Reflector)

Focal length

750 mm (f/5)

Mount

Tabletop

Finding

Manual

Tracking

No (manual)

Weight

7.5 kg

Deep-sky reach

Mag 12.9, 459x the eye

Photos

Eyepiece only

Price tier

Under $500

Deep-sky reach: Limiting magnitude about 12.9 from a dark sky, and 459x the light of the naked eye. See it in the telescope simulator

Pros

• 150 mm of aperture for about $309
• 7.5 kg, fits a car and a closet
• No power needed

Cons

• You find everything by star-hopping
• Needs a table
• No tracking

Weight 7.5 kg. Focal length 750 mm.

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The Heritage 150 is a 150 mm f/5 collapsible tabletop Dobsonian for about $309, the lowest price for 6 inches of aperture in this guide. It shows the same objects as the StarSense 150mm: galaxy cores, the brighter nebulae and globular clusters starting to resolve. At 7.5 kg it fits a car and a closet.

You find every target by star-hopping, so pair it with the Pocket Sky Atlas in the accessories below. It needs a table and has no tracking. For a deep-sky first telescope on a tight budget, it is the one to buy.

Best smart telescope for deep-sky photos: ZWO Seestar S30 Pro

Best smart telescope for deep-sky photos (imaging only)

Best for: City and suburb dwellers who want deep-sky photos, not eyepiece views

Aperture

30 mm (Smart telescope)

Focal length

160 mm (f/5.3)

Mount

Smart (built in)

Finding

GoTo motor

Tracking

Yes (needs power)

Weight

1.7 kg

Deep-sky reach

Camera view, no eyepiece

Photos

Yes (smart scope)

Price tier

$500 to $999

Camera view: a stacked image builds on your phone in minutes. Galaxies and nebulae look small but colourful, even from a city sky. See it in the telescope simulator

Pros

• Colour nebula and galaxy images from a city
• Finds, tracks and stacks on its own
• 1.65 kg, easy to carry

Cons

• No eyepiece: imaging only
• Small galaxies stay small in the frame
• Needs a phone and a charged battery

30 mm f/5.3, 160 mm focal length, 1.65 kg, about 6 hours of battery.

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The Seestar S30 Pro is a 30 mm f/5.3 smart telescope with a camera, a motorised mount and a battery in one 1.65 kg unit. Choose a target in the app and it finds it, tracks it and stacks exposures into a colour image on your phone. It works from a city balcony, where no eyepiece scope shows much beyond M42.

It has no eyepiece, so you never look at the sky through it. The 160 mm focal length frames large targets well and leaves small galaxies small. Buy it for photos, not for views.

Best budget smart telescope for deep-sky photos: DWARFLAB Dwarf 3

Best budget smart telescope for deep-sky photos

Best for: Budget buyers who want nebula photos from a bright sky

Aperture

35 mm (Smart telescope)

Focal length

150 mm (f/4.3)

Mount

Smart (built in)

Finding

GoTo motor

Tracking

Yes (needs power)

Weight

1.4 kg

Deep-sky reach

Camera view, no eyepiece

Photos

Yes (smart scope)

Price tier

$500 to $999

Camera view: a stacked image builds on your phone in minutes. Galaxies and nebulae look small but colourful, even from a city sky. See it in the telescope simulator

Pros

• Built-in dual-band filter for nebulae
• Tracks and stacks on its own
• 1.35 kg, about 5.5 hours per charge

Cons

• Tripod sold separately, about $89
• No eyepiece: imaging only
• 35 mm lens keeps galaxies small

35 mm f/4.3 tele lens, 150 mm focal length, 1.35 kg, about 5.5 hours of battery. Price $549 plus the tripod.

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The Dwarf 3 is a dual-lens smart telescope with a 35 mm f/4.3 telephoto lens, a wide-angle lens for finding and a built-in dual-band filter that isolates the hydrogen and oxygen light of emission nebulae. It tracks and stacks like the Seestar, weighs 1.35 kg and runs about 5.5 hours on a charge.

It costs $549, and the tripod is about $89 more. Like the Seestar, it is imaging only. For nebula photos from a light-polluted sky at the lowest price, it is the pick.

Deep-sky telescope comparison

This table sets the ten picks side by side. Scroll sideways on a phone.

Accessories for deep-sky viewing

Five accessories matter most for deep sky: a UHC filter and an OIII filter for nebulae, a wide-field eyepiece, a star atlas and a red light. Kit eyepieces of 25 mm and 10 mm cover the basics. For more on eyepieces, see the best eyepieces for Dobsonian telescopes.

Which deep-space telescope should you buy?

Match the scope to your sky, your car and your budget.

• Most deep-sky detail for the money: the Classic 250P.
• A first deep-sky scope that also does planets: the Classic 200P.
• The most aperture, for dark-site trips: the Flextube 300P.
• GoTo from a suburb: the NexStar 8SE, or the Virtuoso GTi 130P under $500.
• A phone to guide you: the StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ or the StarSense Explorer 150mm.
• The lowest cost: the Heritage 150.
• Colour photos from a city: the Seestar S30 Pro or the Dwarf 3.

No pick in this guide costs under $300. For that budget see our budget telescope guide, which suits the Moon, planets and the brightest deep-sky objects. For a scope that covers everything, see the best telescopes for adults. To narrow the choice by who, where and budget, use the Telescope Finder.

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