Embarking on the journey of astronomy is an exciting adventure, and choosing the right telescope is your first step towards unlocking the wonders of the night sky. For beginners, reflector telescopes offer an excellent balance of power, performance, and value, providing large apertures for their cost to gather significant amounts of light. This makes them ideal for viewing not just the Moon and planets, but also fainter deep-sky objects like galaxies and nebulae. With so many options available, finding the perfect starter scope can feel overwhelming.
Our roundup is designed to simplify that decision. We have carefully selected ten of the best reflector telescopes that cater to new astronomers, focusing on ease of use, included accessories, and overall optical quality. Whether you are looking for a simple point-and-view model or one with a more advanced mount for tracking celestial objects, this list will guide you to the ideal instrument to begin your stargazing journey.
The Best Reflector Telescopes for Beginner Astronomers
- Telescope for Adults & Beginner Astronomers – 80mm Aperture
- Gskyer 130EQ Professional Astronomical Reflector Telescope
- Celestron – AstroMaster 70AZ Telescope
- Gskyer 70mm Aperture AZ Mount Astronomical Refracting Telescope
- Celestron – PowerSeeker 127EQ Telescope
- Celestron – AstroMaster 130EQ–MD Newtonian Reflector Telescope
- Celestron – PowerSeeker 114EQ Telescope
- Altazimuth Telescope Mount, 130mm Newtonian Reflector Telescope
- Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope, Mak60 Telescopes for Kids Adults
- SOLOMARK 114/1000 EQ Reflector Telescope
Telescope for Adults & Beginner Astronomers – 80mm Aperture
This HEXEUM reflector telescope is a powerful tool for those starting their astronomical journey. With a 650mm focal length and a 130mm aperture, it captures a significant amount of light, allowing for brighter and more detailed views of celestial objects. The fully multi-coated high transmission coatings on all optical lenses further enhance image brightness and clarity, while the carbon fiber covering adds a layer of sophisticated durability.
The telescope comes equipped with two replaceable eyepieces (25mm and 6.5mm) providing 26X and 100X magnification. A 2x Barlow lens effectively doubles the magnifying power of each eyepiece. For easy locating of objects, it includes a red dot finder scope. The German equatorial mount features slow-motion control knobs, enabling smooth and accurate pointing and precise tracking of celestial bodies like the moon and planets.
Gskyer 130EQ Professional Astronomical Reflector Telescope
The Gskyer 130EQ is a professional-grade reflector telescope designed for both beginners and advanced users. Its impressive 5.1-inch aperture and all-glass optical components with high transmission coatings work together to provide enhanced image brightness and clarity. This makes it well-suited for observing a wide range of celestial wonders, from the Moon and planets to brighter galaxies and nebulas.
This model features a user-friendly design with a short 24-inch long optical tube and a fast f/5 focal ratio. The toothless focusing base allows for smooth and precise adjustments. As a complete package, it includes three eyepieces, a 3X Barlow lens, a finderscope, and an adjustable tripod, giving you all the necessary tools to find and observe the night sky from various viewing positions.
Celestron – AstroMaster 70AZ Telescope
The Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ is a perfect entry-level refractor telescope for adults and kids eager to begin exploring the night sky. It offers bright, clear views and features simple, intuitive operation that gets you started quickly. The fully coated 70mm achromatic refractor provides crisp, detailed views, making it ideal for observing the Moon, planets, and bright star clusters.
Designed for versatility, the AstroMaster 70AZ is suitable for both astronomical and land-based viewing. You can observe the stars at night and then use it during the day for wildlife watching or viewing distant landmarks. The telescope comes with an adjustable-height tripod for comfortable viewing and includes a bonus astronomy software package to help you learn more about the cosmos.
Gskyer 70mm Aperture AZ Mount Astronomical Refracting Telescope
This Gskyer refracting telescope is an excellent choice for kids and beginners, featuring a 70mm aperture and 400mm focal length. The fully coated optics glass lens with high transmission coatings creates stunning images while protecting your eyes, making it a positive first telescope for anyone interested in the stars and moon.
The telescope comes with two replaceable eyepieces and a 3x Barlow lens, which triples the magnifying power of each eyepiece. A 5×24 finder scope with a mounting bracket and cross-hair lines makes locating objects straightforward. A significant advantage for the modern user is the inclusion of a wireless remote and a smartphone adapter, allowing you to capture images and view the world directly through your phone’s screen.
Celestron – PowerSeeker 127EQ Telescope
The Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ is an easy-to-use and powerful Newtonian reflector telescope for beginners. Its 127mm aperture provides substantial light-gathering ability, enabling you to see planets, the Moon’s craters in detail, distant stars, and celestial wonders like the Orion Nebula.
This telescope features a manual German Equatorial mount, which includes a slow-motion altitude rod for easy navigation of the night sky. This mount allows you to find celestial objects quickly and then follow them smoothly and accurately as they move. The PowerSeeker is also compact, lightweight, and portable, making it an ideal telescope for families to use together in the backyard or at a dark sky site.
Celestron – AstroMaster 130EQ–MD Newtonian Reflector Telescope
The Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ-MD is a powerful telescope that delivers sharp optics and stable performance for astronomy beginners. It combines a 130mm Newtonian reflector with a stable equatorial mount and motorized tracking, making it a top choice for those ready to engage in more serious observation.
The 130mm (5-inch) reflector features high-quality aluminum and SiO₂ coatings, providing enough light-gathering ability to view a wide array of celestial objects. The included motor drive automatically tracks celestial objects, keeping them in your eyepiece for extended viewing. For manual control, the two slow-motion control knobs for right ascension and declination allow for smooth and accurate pointing whether you are observing planets or deep-sky objects.
Celestron – PowerSeeker 114EQ Telescope
As a perfect entry-level instrument, the Celestron PowerSeeker 114EQ is both easy to use and powerful. This 114mm Newtonian Reflector gathers ample light to see planets, the intricate details of the Moon’s craters, distant stars, and famous deep-sky objects like the Orion Nebula.
It utilizes a manual German Equatorial mount, which features a slow-motion altitude rod to help you navigate the sky with ease. This system allows you to find objects quickly and then follow them smoothly and accurately as they appear to drift across the night sky. Its compact and portable design makes it the ideal telescope for adults and kids to use together at a campsite or in the backyard.
Altazimuth Telescope Mount, 130mm Newtonian Reflector Telescope
This telescope package features a 130mm Newtonian reflector optical tube on a versatile and stable mount. The multi-purpose azimuth base provides reliability for mounting not only telescopes but also cameras, binoculars, and other observation scopes, making it a flexible tool for various viewing activities.
The mount is designed for user-friendly operation. It includes an internal gear mechanism for easier alignment and a V-shaped dovetail slot system for stable attachment. A key feature is the dual adjustment system, which allows you to position the lens using a coarse adjustment for an approximate location and then fine-tune and track objects with the micro-adjustment for precise viewing.
Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope, Mak60 Telescopes for Kids Adults
This Maksutov-Cassegrain (Mak-Cass) telescope offers a unique and compact design that is perfect for travel and education. The Mak-Cass design reduces optical aberrations significantly, resulting in crisp and clear views. Combined with its quality fully multi-coated optical components, it renders terrestrial objects with vibrant clarity and celestial objects with magnificence.
The folded light path of the Maksutov design means it has a long 750mm focal length while the tube itself is only 200mm long. This makes it exceptionally powerful for its size and incredibly easy to pack into a backpack. An educational highlight is the detachable lid on the top of the telescope tube, which reveals the internal structure and, with some tools, allows you to see how light travels inside.
SOLOMARK 114/1000 EQ Reflector Telescope
The SOLOMARK 114/1000 EQ is a reflector telescope built with a long 1000mm focal length and a 114mm aperture. This combination is well-suited for achieving high magnification views, making it a solid choice for beginners who want to observe the Moon and planets in greater detail. The longer focal ratio can also help in providing sharper images on celestial objects.
It is mounted on an equatorial (EQ) mount, which is designed for astronomical use. This type of mount allows for easier tracking of objects as they move across the sky by compensating for the Earth’s rotation. Once polar-aligned, you can use the slow-motion controls to smoothly follow your target, making for a more enjoyable and extended viewing session of the night sky.
Buying Guide: How to Pick Your First Reflector Telescope
So, you’re looking at the 10 best reflector telescopes for beginners and wondering how to pick the right one for you. I remember being in that exact spot, and it can feel a bit overwhelming with all the numbers and specs. Let me break down what actually matters when you’re just starting out.
First, let’s talk about aperture. This is the most important spec on any telescope. Aperture is the diameter of the main mirror, and it determines how much light the telescope can gather. More light means brighter, clearer, and more detailed views. For a beginner, I’d suggest not going smaller than a 114mm (4.5-inch) aperture. A 130mm (5.1-inch) or 150mm (6-inch) is even better and will show you a lot more. A larger aperture lets you see the rings of Saturn, the cloud bands on Jupiter, and finer details on the Moon. It also makes faint deep-sky objects, like galaxies and nebulae, easier to see.
Next is the mount. The telescope tube needs a solid base. There are two main types you’ll encounter: the alt-azimuth and the equatorial. An alt-azimuth mount moves up-down and left-right; it’s very intuitive and simple to use. A Dobsonian telescope is a type of alt-azimuth mount that is famously stable and offers the most aperture for your money. An equatorial mount is designed to track the stars by moving on a single axis, but it requires a bit more setup and polar alignment. For a pure beginner, an alt-azimuth, especially a Dobsonian, is often the easiest and most frustration-free way to start observing.
Finally, consider the focal length and the included eyepieces. The focal length (e.g., 650mm, 1200mm) influences the telescope’s magnification potential and field of view. A shorter focal length gives you a wider field of view, which is great for scanning star clusters. A longer focal length is better for zooming in on planets. Most scopes come with one or two basic eyepieces. A 25mm or 20mm eyepiece is good for low-power, wide views, while a 10mm or shorter eyepiece is for higher magnification. Don’t get too hung up on high magnification claims; the most useful views often come from lower powers. The key is to find a scope with a good balance of a large aperture and a stable, easy-to-use mount. This combination will give you the best chance for success and keep you coming back to the eyepiece night after night.
FAQ
What can I realistically see with a beginner reflector telescope?
You can see a surprising amount! With one of the recommended 10 best reflector telescopes for beginners, you’ll get fantastic, detailed views of the Moon, including craters and mountain ranges. You’ll be able to see the rings of Saturn and the largest moons of Jupiter, along with its cloud bands. Fainter objects like the Orion Nebula will appear as a fuzzy patch, and brighter star clusters like the Pleiades will look stunning. You won’t see Hubble-like color images, but the experience of seeing these objects with your own eyes is incredible.
Is a reflector telescope hard to set up and maintain?
Most modern beginner reflectors are designed for relatively easy setup. An alt-azimuth mount can often be assembled in minutes. The main maintenance point for a reflector is that the open tube can let dust in, and the mirrors may need to be collimated (aligned) occasionally. Collimation sounds scary, but it’s a simple skill you can learn from a quick online video. It’s not something you need to do every time you use the scope, but it’s part of owning a reflector.
What’s the difference between a reflector and a refractor telescope?
This is a great question. A refractor telescope uses lenses at the front of the tube to focus light. They are typically low-maintenance and sealed against dust. A reflector telescope, like the ones on our list, uses a series of mirrors. The big advantage for beginners is that reflectors give you a much larger aperture for the same price. Since aperture is king for viewing faint objects, a reflector often provides better value and more capability for a new astronomer on a budget.
Do I need any extra accessories right away?
Not necessarily. The telescope should come with everything you need to start observing that same night. The first accessory I usually recommend getting is a better eyepiece or two, but only after you’ve used the ones that came with the scope. A planisphere (a star-finding chart) or a simple stargazing app on your phone is the most helpful tool for learning your way around the night sky.
Can I use a reflector telescope for astrophotography?
This is a tricky one. While reflectors are great for visual astronomy, beginner models on simple mounts are not well-suited for deep-sky astrophotography, which requires very precise tracking. You can, however, take basic pictures of the Moon and planets by holding your smartphone up to the eyepiece. For serious astrophotography, you need a very sturdy equatorial mount and a different setup, which is a more advanced and expensive path.