You can get a range of quality budget telescopes under $500, all of which will give you the experience you want, without draining your bank account. You don't have to settle for a particular type of telescope or miss out on high-end optics and quality. The guide has telescopes for that price range.
A lot of the best budget telescopes under $500 are best suited for beginners and children, but you can find an upgrade on your equipment at a discount. Most of the telescopes under $500 are portable and easy to set up. Buying a telescope for the first time can be quite confusing, so we recommend checking out our best beginner telescopes or the best telescopes for kids guides.
If you are looking for a serious upgrade on your equipment and you can find some serious telescope deals, you should check out some of the best telescopes. It is unlikely that a telescope worth thousands will be cut down to just hundreds, however you can find some great deals and some top-quality telescopes under $500.
The best deals for telescopes under $500 can be found in the section. There is a section for expired deals at the bottom, so you can see what went before and what to expect in the future. If we find any other great telescopes under $500, we will add them to this page. Below are the best budget telescopes.
The optical design includes a Mount type that is Alt-azimuth and a focal length that is 25.59 inches. The weight is 8.16 kilograms.
It is easy to assemble and align.
Suggests targets to watch.
Good start to astronomy.
No motor vehicle.
It is possible to see a lot of different night sky targets with the wide 130mm aperture on this unit. It is one of our favorite telescopes for beginners as it works with the Star Sense app on your phone. Simply download the app and mount your phone onto the scope, and you will be able to quickly identify night sky targets and navigate the stars.
It is easy to operate and move around on a simple alt-azimuth mount. You can pack it up and transport it at 18 lbs. You would be hard pressed to find a better option at this price point with a solid build and good quality optics.
Today's best deals are from the Celestron StarSense Explorer.
The optical design has a focal ratio of f/6.5. Mount type: Alt-azimuth
It is very easy to find objects.
Push-to method of homing.
The procedure depends on a mirror.
The instrument is stiff to move.
With a slightly smaller telescope, it's more difficult to get good images of faint objects in the deep sky. You won't have to worry about collimating the mirrors as this telescope is an achromatic reflector. If you get it wrong, this can ruin your evening, so the 102AZ might be better for beginners.
It is possible to navigate the sky and know what you are looking at with the help of the Star Sense app. The app can point out and name the objects you are looking at, and the telescope is lighter than the 130AZ model, making it easier to transport.
StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ deals are the best of the day.
The Mount type is Dobsonian and the optical design is Maksutov-Cassegrain. The version on thedesktop is 3.0 kg.
It is easy to use.
The solar system has views.
The box has been assembled out of it.
Lacks controls for slow motion.
This is a telescope that can be used at your own leisure, and it can rest easy on your desk. There is no need to set up a tricky tripod because it is quick and easy to use.
The telescope comes ready to use out of the box, so no assembly is required, and it has decent-sized and good quality optics for the price. Thanks to the Maksutov-Cassegrain design, there is no color-fringing present, and we were very impressed with the views that we achieved of objects like the lunar surface. It's a great option for beginners or older kids who are interested in astronomy.
Today's best deals are on the StarMax 90mm Telescope.
The highest useful magnification is 204x and the lowest is 14x. The weight is 6.4 kilograms.
There is a tripod.
It is easy to assemble.
Very portable.
There is color around bright targets.
The portable design of this telescope makes it portable. It suffers from color-fringing around bright targets like Jupiter and Saturn, but this is something that is expected at this price point. We quickly forgave the telescope's viewing fault because it offered stunning views of the atmospheric bands and the Cassini Division in the rings.
It's easy to operate, with a panning handle that allows you to sweep the night sky and slow-motion controls for fine movements. It is easy to maneuver around a backyard or dark camping spot. You will have to find your own way around the night sky because there is no technology assistance here.
The best deals on the AstroMaster Telescope are available today.
The optical design includes a mount type that has an Aperture of 4.5 and a focal length of 17.72. The weight is 9.2 kg.
Very good build.
There are add-ons included.
Good communication.
It could be difficult for some beginners.
The Tripod needs an upgrade.
The telescope has a solid build. It comes with a mount that can be difficult to master at first, so we recommend playing around in the daytime before you try out nighttime viewing. It is quick and easy to set up. It comes with a long list of accessories, including two eyepieces, a Barlow lens, and a Star Target Planisphere and Telescope.
A large field of view is offered by the fast focal ratio of this scope. We were able to see the stars with a pin-sharp one and only a small amount of coma.
The best Orion Starblast II deals are here.
The focal length is 17.72 and the maximum magnification is 228x. The weight is 5.90 kilograms.
It's great for low budgets.
Excellent clarity in the optics.
It was intuitive to use.
More eyepieces are required for small views.
The Dobsonian telescope has a great focal length of 114mm. It is a ready-to-use model that is perfect for young stargazers or those who don't want to fiddle with any kind of set-up. Explorer II 6mm and 17mm eyepieces, a collimation cap, and an eyepiece rack are included in the price of the telescope.
It's a little heavy for young kids to carry around, but it's very intuitive to use. The scope shone through when we turned it on wider starfields, which were displayed in rich, contrasting views. The eyepieces gave us clear views of the moon.
The best deals on the StarBlast 4.5 Astro Reflector Telescope can be found today.
The highest useful magnification is 241x and the lowest is 15x. The weight is 9.07 kilograms.
There is a great range of accessories.
It is easy to assemble.
Good start to astronomy.
There is a false color in the optics.
You can take pictures of the night sky with this telescope, it comes with accessories. You're limited to short-exposure photography here because of the focal ratio. It's a nice introduction to astronomy.
This telescope is perfect for adult beginners. Tracking targets can be difficult without the help of a computer. We experienced some false color when we tested it, but it could be resolved with carefully selected eyepieces.
The best Celestron Inspire 100AZ deals are here.
The focal length is 39.37 and the maximum magnification is 269x. The weight is 4.72 kilograms.
It's simple to set up and align.
Good start to astronomy.
Suggests targets to watch.
Lacks computerized mount.
This telescope is one of the best budget telescopes under $200 because it has a fair-sized and good quality telescope. You can download the Star Sense app onto your phone to make it easier to navigate the night sky. It took less than 20 minutes for the telescope to be set up.
We were able to see the moon, Venus and the Beehive Cluster with the 10mm eyepiece. It is easy to move between targets, but you will have to do it manually. It's an excellent option for both beginners and intermediate stargazers.
Today's best deals are from the StarSense Explorer.
The optical design is a Mount type that has an Aperture of 5 and a focal length of 39.37. The weight is 9.98 kilograms.
Excellent value package.
Excellent optics, with collimation.
Very good build.
Not the best quality accessories.
An excellent entry-level telescope, this model has a powerful 127mm aperture and comes with an equatorial mount. Before using these mounts in the dark, we recommend testing them out in the daytime, as they take a bit of getting used to. It should be easier to spot targets in the deep sky.
The telescope is designed to be portable but at 22 lbs it might not be something you want to carry around. If you want to set up in a remote, dark sky location, this is a great telescope to put in the back of a car.
The best deals of the day are from the Celestron Powerseeker 127EQ.
The highest useful magnification is 160x, the lowest is 11x. 4.5 lbs.
Good value for money.
The design is lightweight.
There are clear solar system views.
There is a false color in the optics.
It could be better.
The views we were able to achieve with the telescope were very impressive. With the right eyepieces, we were able to see Jupiter with its belts and moons, as well as the rings and disks of distant planets. We were not surprised to find a degree of false color at this price point. There are craters on the moon's surface.
The telescope's accessories are of low quality. You will need to buy separate eyepieces if you want to improve the false-color issues. The one supplied isn't particularly sturdy, so we recommend a stronger tripod.
Today's best deals are on the Observer 80ST Telescope Kit.
The highest useful magnification is 165x, the lowest is 10x, and the supplied eyepieces are 10mm. The weight is 888-282-0465 888-282-0465
There are good views of the solar system.
Versatile and accepts accessories.
Good build.
Cheaply made diagonal stars.
The best AstroMaster 70AZ telescope deals are here.
This telescope has an easy-to-use alt-azimuth mount, which we found to be very pleasant to look at. The model is a little fragile due to a few plastic elements, and we recommend that younger kids be supervised around it.
Observers will be able to see the moon, Venus and Jupiter through this telescope. With a bit of tweaking, we were able to bring a hint of Jupiter's cloud bands into view. The model comes with eyepieces of 10 and 20mm and a red dot finderscope.
Eyepiece 1 focal length is 20mm and Eyepiece 2 focal length is 4mm. Mount type: Dobsonian.
It is portable and robust.
It is easy to use.
It is easy to observe wide-angle targets with a fast focal ratio.
The focuser is loose.
Some observations are not clear.
There is a challenge to collimate.
Not supplied is the finderscope.
This scope is a great gift for young people, as it is robust and comes ready to use out of the box. This model won't offer a lot of views of the lunar surface or the broad night sky. It's difficult to collimate as the primary mirror isn't adjusted, and it's difficult to achieve pin-sharp sights through the field of view since the focuser tube is loose.
This is something that will bring joy to young viewers as they get a deeper view of the general night sky. If you're after a little more bang for your buck, you might want to consider a pair of the best binoculars for kids.
The best Celestron 76mm Firstscope deals are here.
The optical design has a focal mount type that has the highest useful magnification and the lowest useful magnification. There is a total of 3.2 kilograms.
Good views for skywatchers.
Good build.
There is an excellent range of accessories.
Views are not straight.
It's a little difficult to assemble.
This is a good option for young stargazers because it offers wide-field views but also performs well with lunar and planetary observations. It comes with everything a budding astronomer would need, including 10mm and 25mm Kellner eyepieces, a red dot finder and a moon map. The red dot finder is helpful when star-hopping under skies with light pollution.
At this price point, you can't really expect views to be pin sharp, and we found it difficult to attach the tripod to the mount. This is a really lightweight kit that will make any camping trip more enjoyable with its views of planets and lunar craters.
Today's best deals are on the Orion SpaceProbe II Telescope.
You have to act fast when you see a deal. If a deal expires, we will put it in the below section so you can compare deals from the past. We keep this page updated year-round so you never know when a deal will come back. There are expired deals for the best budget telescopes.
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