Best Telescopes Under $200 For

A high quality telescope can be an expensive investment in a new hobby, and many people would prefer to purchase something cheaper to gauge their interest. This introduces some new problems; a telescope that costs under $200 may be capable in many ways, but you’re not going to see the rings of Saturn in that price range.

However, an inexpensive telescope will make an excellent gift and provide plenty of fun for the entire family. You could also consider checking out our guide to the best telescopes for kids too. Of course, with both these budget scopes and ones made for youngsters, there will be a limit to how detailed you can see planets and deep sky objects.

There are various affordable telescopes available, and finding the right one can be tough. Let’s take a closer look at five of the best telescopes under 200 that are available on the market today.

Aperture: 114mm | Focal Length: 1000mm | Focal Ratio: f/8.7 | Features: Two eyepieces includes, Lightweight value for money

For those looking for a good quality portable reflecting telescope, then the Astromaster 114EQ is another good option. Although it’s not the most powerful telescope, it does have a compact design which makes it perfect for outdoor activities.

It is a Newtonian reflector telescope, which is similar to a Dobsonian. These telescopes give you the maximum aperture that you can expect at the current price range, and if you combine that with the focal length, you get a focal ratio of f/8.7. With the right eyepiece, you can get up to 269x magnification.

Generally, opting for a Celestron telescope is going to be a pretty good choice, as they’re quite reliable and long lasting. The Astromaster series has been around for a long time, so they do a have a good track record. It’s a good choice if you want to get into night astronomy, and want to spot objects like Nebulae in the night sky.

Matching this telescope with a 3x Barlow lens and the right eyepiece could be the perfect option for an amateur astronomer, and it will give you more clarity when searching for stars and planets. Extra accessories are typically a good idea if you want greater position and don’t mind sacrificing your wide view for a narrower field instead.

As you’d expect from a Newtonian telescope, you’ll get a sharp and clear image of terrestrial objects with the additional two eyepieces that can increase your magnification level. So overall, it’s an affordable telescope that provides a good viewing experience.

It has a good focal ratio based on its aperture and focal length.
It’s a cheap and simple way to get started looking at the night sky and its galaxies.
This is a great telescope that will give you a clear image, perfect for stargazing.

It comes on an Alt-az mount, not an equatorial mount. Equatorial mounts are generally considered to be better, especially for astrophotography.
Amateur astronomers might want to check this much aperture is sufficient – if not, you might need to increase your budget.

This is the Newtonian reflector equivalent of the 90EQ. Don’t be put off by its large optical tube, as it’s not as heavy as it looks – though it still provides good views, and it may be the best telescope to go for if you’re trying to keep costs down.

Sale Celestron – PowerSeeker 127EQ Telescope – Manual German Equatorial Telescope for Beginners – Compact and Portable – Bonus Astronomy Software Package – 127mm Aperture

PERFECT ENTRY-LEVEL TELESCOPE: The Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ is an easy-to-use and powerful telescope. This 127mm Newtonian Reflector offers enough light gathering ability to see planets, the Moon’s craters, distant stars, the Orion Nebula, and more.
MANUAL GERMAN EQUATORIAL MOUNT: With its slow-motion altitude rod, the German Equatorial mount allows you to navigate the sky with ease. Find celestial objects quickly and follow them smoothly & accurately as they appear to drift across the night sky.
COMPACT AND PORTABLE: The ideal telescope for adults and kids to use together, the PowerSeeker is compact, lightweight, and portable. Take it to your favorite campsite, a dark sky observing site, or simply the backyard.

Aperture: 127mm | Focal Length: 1000mm | Focal Ratio: f/8 | Features: Free software, clear image

The Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ is a reflector telescope with a 5” primary mirror that provides excellent magnification. Though it’s not a wise choice if you’re looking for a compact telescope, there are several good features that this telescope offers.

Users can easily expect 200x magnification, and this could increase to as much as 250x with a good eyepiece. Each telescope in the PowerSeeker lineup comes with 4mm and 20mm eyepieces supplemented with a Barlow 3x lens. The 4mm eyepiece is powerful enough for these smaller budget range scopes, and it really enhances the viewing experience.

The PowerSeeker 127EQ is limited in terms of useful magnification to approximately 250x when the 4mm eyepiece is used. Users that are accustomed to using a Barlow lens to boost the magnification on a refractor telescope will not need to do that here.

If the Barlow lens is added to the 4mm eyepiece, the 127EQ would have a magnification of 750x, which is so powerful you cannot actually see anything at all!

However, if you pair the Barlow lens with the 20mm eyepiece, you can achieve a magnification of 150x, which can be very useful in certain viewing situations.

It has a longer focal length than most cheaper telescopes of a similar price, which makes it fairly easy to track celestial objects and find star clusters in the night sky.

This all sounds impressive, but a professional telescope user doesn’t rely purely on high magnification settings to get the best viewing experience. If you use a magnification of 150x or lower, you can successfully observe brighter objects such as the moon and planetary bodies in our Solar System.

Even very faint objects may be within the reach of the observer under certain conditions, including every object in the Messier catalog.

The Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ offers a great deal for a modest price. If you’re relatively new to astronomy and you’ve never personally observed a close up image of a lunar crater or even the rings of Saturn, you may be wondering if the hobby is for you.

The best way to find out is to invest in an affordable telescope that allows you to experience these observations first hand, and this is where the 127EQ excels.

Having access to a 5” primary mirror opens up new possibilities for stargazing.
The Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ offers tremendous value for money.
This telescope has a short tube, which makes it fairly portable and easy to store.

This telescope has a steep learning curve.
An aftermarket 12mm or 15mm eyepiece is required if you want to get the best out of this telescope.

This one is kind of cheating, because it’s actually the same as the Meade 127 (Celestron and Meade are both made by the same brand). However, this is another option if you’d rather stick with the Celestron brand.

Sale Orion StarBlast II 4.5 Equatorial Reflector Telescope

The whole family will enjoy the StarBlast II 4.5 EQ thanks to its parabolic primary mirror, convenient portability, and easy-to-use operation
Views of everything from the Moon and planets to distant objects like star clusters and galaxies appear bright and clear through this petite telescope
A fantastic wide-field astronomy telescope with reflecting optics large enough to keep you and your family busy viewing for years to come

Aperture: 114mm | Focal Length: 450mm | Focal Ratio: f/4 | Features: Quality optics, clear image

This is a great wide-field telescope at a modest price point, and it offers a 4º field of view. To put this into some perspective, that’s approximately eight full moons in your field of vision at the same time.

And when you consider that this is a budget friendly telescope then you’ll probably be pretty impressed by what it has to offer.

This telescope was designed to compete with the now discontinued Edmund Astroscan, which was a well liked inexpensive telescope in its own right. The Orion StarBlast comes with a pair of cheap Kellner 6mm and 17mm eyepieces that will suffice for beginners.

However, the 17mm eyepiece doesn’t take full advantage of the capabilities of the Orion StarBlast, and users may want to purchase a 24mm or 32mm eyepiece when they want to upgrade.

This will allow you to see deep night sky objects as opposed to getting a wider field of view. It has a 450mm focal length, which gives us a shorter focal length than some may line.

So, Orion marketing advertises the StarBlast as a telescope designed primarily for wide field and low magnification use. But, this telescope actually does a pretty good job at high magnification viewing tasks as well when you combine it with the right Barlow & eyepiece.

The focuser for this scope is made from cheap plastic, which is fairly standard on cheaper telescopes, but it can be annoying.

The 6mm eyepiece only has a 76x magnification, it has no eye guard, and it has a very narrow field of view. An upgrade to a 6mm or 15mm gold-line and perhaps a 32mm Plossi and a Barlow eyepiece would improve the viewing experience a great deal.

However, these extra eyepieces will cost more money, and the added price could be spent on a better telescope instead.

The Orion StarBlast has a red-dot finder that gets the job done due to the wide field of view. But, there is a caveat; the simple design means that you cannot attach a DSLR camera and take footage or pictures. So, if you’re really interested in astrophotography, the StarBlast is not suitable for your needs.

This is a reflector telescope that best suited to deep sky viewing, and the focal length of 450mm provides optical power that’s unprecedented at this price point.

Adding a UHC filter or an Oxygen III will allow the user to view dark nebulae crossing the Milky Way and the Veil Nebulae.

Searching for these objects is challenging, but a great deal of fun, and this is where a wide-field telescope really comes in handy.

If the user adds one of the aforementioned better eyepieces, they can see the Great Red Spot on Jupiter and the phases of Venus with no problems.

This is a user-friendly telescope that arrives pre-assembled.
It is a good choice for beginners.
The focal length has fantastic light gathering potential.

The included eyepieces are not good enough.
The user cannot attach a DSLR camera.
This telescope is a little expensive for what you get.

This telescope offers one of the best value for money deals currently available on the telescope market – it would make an awesome choice for any new budding astronomer. It may well be the best telescope under $200 currently available.

Gskyer Telescope, 70mm Aperture 400mm AZ Mount Astronomical Refracting Telescope for Kids Beginners – Travel Telescope with Carry Bag, Phone Adapter and Wireless Remote

Large Aperture: A great option for amateur astronomers who want to explore the night sky. With a focal length of 400mm(f/5.7) and an aperture of 70mm, it can provide clear and detailed images of celestial objects such as stars and the moon.
Quality Optics: The fully coated optics glass lens with high transmission coatings can help to reduce reflections and increase the amount of light that reaches the eyepiece, resulting in brighter and more vibrant images. Plus, the lens is designed to protect the eyes of the observer, making it a safer choice for extended viewing sessions.
Powerful Magnification: Comes with two replaceable eyepieces and a 3x Barlow lens that can triple the magnifying power of each eyepiece. This allows for a range of magnification options, making it easier to observe objects at different distances.

Aperture: 70mm | Focal Length: 400mm | Focal Ratio: f/5.7 | Features: Adjustable tripod, very cheap

This Gskyer refractor telescope has a short focal length of 70mm, and it’s mounted on a camera style tripod. The telescope package includes the telescope, a finder scope, a pair of eyepieces, a 3x Barlow lens, a 45º diagonal, and a handy carry case.

This is a cheaper telescope package that’s squarely aimed at teens and beginners. An assembly sheet with a pictorial tutorial shows how to put the telescope together, but there is no printed user guide or manual included. Like many budget telescopes, this instrument is made in China, and even a check of the company website reveals no further information on how to use this product.

Despite the target demographic, it seems the Gskyer is assuming that the buyer will already know how to use a telescope correctly. This lack of support should be considered carefully, the telescope may be cheap, but if you have to buy a separate guide on using the instrument, this will bump up the price.

The telescope has a hand 45º diagonal, which comes in handy if you want to use this instrument as a daytime spotting scope. Another useful application is viewing objects in the night sky that are under 30º above the horizon. But, viewing objects above 40º is problematic, and the user may have to kneel on the ground to get their eye onto the eyepiece.

The best viewing range is 30º-90º above the horizon, so in the vast majority of viewing situations, the eyepiece will not be in a good position for effective viewing.

The very best area to view at night is straight up, or the zenith where the thinner atmosphere creates less distortion, and the viewing experience is far clearer. Adding a 90º diagonal to this telescope would help in this respect, but obviously, that would add to the overall price.

The Kellner style eyepieces lack eyecups to block out ambient light pollution, and the user may need to place a hood or cover over their head when viewing. The included eyepieces are 17x, and 40x magnification but the Barlow 3X combined with them means the real magnification available is 48x and 120x.

This is the realistic limit of a refractor telescope with a short 70mm focal length. The camera style tripod will support the weight of the telescope, but it feels a little flimsy, and there isn’t much control. But aside from this it isn’t a bad option; the Alt-azimuth mount is perfect for those just getting started with amateur astronomy.

This is a very cheap telescope for beginners.
This is a super lightweight scope, making it ideal for those who want something portable.

No printed guide or owners manual and a lack of online support.
The eyepieces are cheap, and they lack an eyecup.
The tripod feels too light and flimsy.

If you’re looking for a refractor over a reflector and you want to keep the cost down, then this Gskyer telescope is hard to beat at its current price.

Aperture: 70mm | Focal Length: 400mm | Focal Ratio: f/5.71 | Features: Two eyepiece included, good for first timers

The Celestron 21061 AstroMaster is a good telescope in this price range with a pair of eyepieces that provide 45x and 90x magnification, respectively. This refractor telescope can be used for stellar and terrestrial observations. Many professionals dismiss refractor telescopes because they cannot capture the details that a reflector scope can.

This is true, but in the under 200 price range, we need to make certain compromises. That being said, the AstroMaster will allow the user to observe Mars and the outer rings of Jupiter at a reasonable level of detail. This makes the AstroMaster a great choice for beginning astronomers and casual users.

The AstroMaster is easy to set up and use when compared to a more complex compound telescope. Despite the slight lack of magnification, this is a good refractor telescope that weighs less than 52lbs. This telescope is portable, it’s easy to assemble and disassemble, and it can be stored virtually anywhere.

This makes the AstroMaster an ideal choice for viewing trips; simply place it in the trunk, drive to the viewing spot, and it takes around 10 minutes to setup. The user manual is a great resource, and this should be the first port of call for any user that has a problem.

This telescope has an Altazimuth mount, which delvers better precision and movement to track objects. The handle of the mount has a panning handle with a clutch to make the movements extremely accurate. The built-in StarPointer has a red dot reticle that helps the user to fix stellar objects, and this is a more precise system than the older red dot technology.

The Celestron 21061 AstroMaster has a 2.6” lens with and an aperture of 70mm. So, this telescope can easily capture many of the finer details that you would find on the surface of our moon. The images are crisp and detailed, and this is everything that you would expect and far more in a telescope at this kind of price.

No special tools are need to setup the AstroMaster.
This is a good telescope for beginners and casual observers.
This telescope is excellent value for money.

The 25” tripod height is too short for most users.
This telescope should not be used near heat sources because the image can be distorted.

The Celestron Astromaster is a cheap and cheerful option if you have a tight budget. It doesn’t offer everything the other options will, but you can’t really argue for the price, and it will still enable you to get a bright image of the night sky.

Aperture: 127mm | Focal Length: 1000mm | Focal Ratio: f/7.9 | Features: Barlow lens and two eyepiece included, Red dot finder

Meade is a well regarded telescope manufacturer, and along with Celestron, they probably have the best instruments at the budget end of the spectrum. But, when it comes to these cheaper telescopes, the instruments can deliver mediocre results in some cases. However, if you’re looking for a good beginning telescope, the Polaris 127 can deliver acceptable results.

The Polaris 127 moniker comes from the 127mm aperture, which is paired with three different eyepieces; the sizes are 6.3mm, 9mm, and 26mm. A Barlow 2x eyepiece is also included to double the magnification options. The eyepieces offer a decent level of detail for the price, but adding better quality versions would improve the clarity.

However, if you get into purchasing expensive eyepieces, it’s probably a better idea to simply buy a better telescope with improved eyepiece included in the package. This will allow for a higher amount of light transmission, and in turn, crisp images of the night sky.

Most modern budget telescopes use a very simple mount that isn’t well suited to tracking moving objects with any kind of reasonable accuracy. The Altazimuth mounts found on some budget telescopes are better, but they require some practice to get the best results.

The Meade Polaris 127 has a stable German equatorial mount that’s a surprising addition at this price point. This type of mount has slow motion control settings that allow the user to make smooth and steady tracking for celestial objects.

The Polaris 127 is a good telescope for the money.
The German equatorial mount adds a great deal to the viewing experience.
It will allow you to view deep sky objects pretty easily.

The eyepieces could be better, but that’s a common fault with budget telescopes. You really want some Sirius Plossl eyepieces if you want higher magnification combined with a brighter image.

The Meade 127 has been known as a decent value for money telescope for a while now, and it’s still a good option for those who like a bargain. It’s ideal for terrestrial viewing, and it’s a great price if you don’t want to spend too much.

When you’re deciding on which telescope to buy, there are different things to take into account. This ranges from the multi-coated or fully coated glass optics of your optical tube to the mount that you decide to use with your telescope.

Much of the decision may come down to budget – we can’t all spend a fortune on a high power telescope with a super light frame. So, let’s start by looking at how much a telescope costs.

There are many different makes and types of telescopes on the market, and there will be one to suit virtually any budget. So, the real question isn’t how much a telescope will cost, but how much are you prepared to spend?

Hopefully, in this article, we’ve shown that you don’t need to spend thousands to get started in astronomy. Some people may claim that this is a hobby for rich people, but that simply isn’t the case.

With a few additional purchases of a better eyepiece or a 90º angle, most of the telescopes we’ve shown here are very capable optical instruments. They are certainly good enough to gauge your interest in astronomy and observe some very interesting stellar objects.

A telescope is a technical instrument, and much like a camera, there are a number of terms that are tricky to grasp at first. Let’s take a look at five common terms in an easy to understand way:

This is the hole in the lens where the light passes through to create a viewable image. A larger aperture will create a brighter and crisper image.

This is the distance between the lens or mirror inside your telescope and the focal point. As a beginner, this figure isn’t really relevant, and it’s more important to focus on a larger aperture size instead.

This may seem trivial to a new astronomer, but the mount on your telescope is very important because you need a stable viewing platform. There’s nothing more frustrating than locating something interesting and then losing it because the mount isn’t good enough.

Many budget telescopes have an Altazimuth mount, which will move in the vertical and horizontal axis to track objects. Some telescopes may use an Equatorial mount, which can only move in a single axis making it less versatile. If you want the best option, then look for a German Equatorial Mount.

Something else that’s definitely worth considering with your telescope is its additional accessories, with the most often used ones being eyepieces or Barlow lenses. Most telescopes nowadays will come with one or two eyepieces, but they may not come with a Barlow.

Depending on the aperture of your telescope, it’s going to have different abilities in terms of optics and magnification. A high powered telescope might be able to see stars clearly.

But with lower costing telescopes less than $200, then it can be a good idea to get a good 2x or 3x Barlow and some eyepieces too. This will allow you to see the starry night in greater detail.

The are three common telescope types, they are: refractor, reflector, and compound. A refractor uses a lens, a reflector uses a mirror, and a compound uses both to view an image. A reflector telescope can be used to observe the skies at night and the ground during the day.

A refractor telescope is only good for astronomy, and it delivers far more detail than a reflector telescope. Refractor telescopes are ideal if you’re okay with a smaller aperture telescope.

Reflector telescopes can give you more power, but you’ll often have to worry about collimation and optical tube assembly. This means that reflector telescopes take longer to set up, but they usually have higher powered magnification, meaning you can see objects in closer detail.

A compound telescope is the best of both worlds, but they are expensive, and you will not find one for under 200.

The best telescopes have larger lenses or mirrors or both, and this adds a considerable amount of weight to the instrument.

Now, this isn’t an issue if you have a permanent location where you want to site your telescope. But, if you want to take your telescope out into nature to make observations in different locations, it needs to be fairly light and portable.

As you can see, there are a lot of things to consider, but if you’re starting out in astronomy, it’s important to avoid becoming overwhelmed. A cursory glance at any astronomy forum will reveal fierce debates over the merits of one telescope over the other. Perhaps in the future, when you become more experienced, you will have your own favorites?

But, for now, simply look at the aperture size, the type of mount, and if you want the best type of telescope for stargazing, get a refractor telescope. You won’t get a large aperture, but you will get strong optical quality and an easy setup.

If you’re a beginner, any of the telescopes on our list will fulfil most of your current needs. Then when you’re ready to upgrade, you will have a better idea about the kind of features that you need on a more expensive telescope.

It is more than possible to get a telescope with acceptable performance for less than 200. When you’re starting out, you don’t need to go to 500 or even a 1,000 to get something that will meet your needs.

However, as you advance beyond these prices, the quality of the telescopes increases dramatically, and it would only make sense to purchase one of these instruments if you take astronomy seriously.

As a beginner, it’s a great idea to focus on buying a telescope that’s good enough to explore astronomy as a hobby. Other external factors will have a greater impact on your early observation efforts, such as light pollution and the weather.

It’s also a great idea to get some good astronomy books and learn how to keep a journal to record what you see in the skies. Finally, if you have an interest in astrophotography, you need to get a telescope that will accept a smartphone mount.

Buying a budget telescope is a great investment; the whole family can get involved, and it can lead to an engrossing hobby that could even develop into something else later.