Best Telescope Under $1500

Gazing at the night sky has always been a mesmerizing experience that fuels our curiosity and ignites our imagination. Whether you’re an aspiring astronomer or simply a stargazing enthusiast, having the perfect telescope can enhance your celestial explorations to unimaginable heights. But, with countless options to choose from, finding the best telescope under $1500 may seem like a daunting task. Fear not, as we embark on a celestial journey together, navigating through the vast expanse of telescopes available within this budget. So, buckle up and prepare to unearth the wonders of the universe, all within the confines of your backyard.

7 Best Telescopes Under $1500 in – Top Picks & Reviews

Many people enjoy stargazing and observing the planets. A telescope is needed to get the best view, and there are a ton of them out there to choose from. They are expensive, though, so how do you get one if you live on a budget?

We reviewed many telescopes that cost under $1000 and have put together a list of seven that we think will give you the most value. We will tell you some of the pros and cons of each one so you can begin to narrow down the field that you have to choose from.

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1. Sky-Watcher ProED Refractor Telescope – Best Overall

The Sky-Watcher ProED is a 100mm APO refractor telescope with a 90mm focal length. It includes a dual speed two-inch focuser with an adapter, an 8×50 viewfinder, a two-inch dielectric diagonal, two different-sized eyepieces, and a carrying case.

This is a small telescope that’s easy to take with you wherever you go and provides you with quality images. However, if you’re using a heavy eyepiece, the focuser slips at times, making it more challenging to get a clear view. The case is kind of flimsy. It has good padding on the inside to protect the telescope, but the outside material doesn’t seem like it will hold up very well.Pros

• 100mm APO refractor
• 90mm focal length
• Dual-speed two-inch focuser with adapter
• Two eyepieces
• 8×50 RA viewfinder
• Two-inch dielectric diagonal
• Aluminum carrying case

Cons

• Focuser slips with heavy eyepieces
• Flimsy case

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2. Celestron NexStar Telescope

The Celestron NexStar 6 SE Telescope features a six-inch aperture and a 59-inch focal length. It comes with SkyAlign technology to help you get your scope aligned correctly, so you can easily find the 40,000+ celestial objects that are preprogrammed into the scope. It’s great that this scope automatically finds things for you because there are no crosshairs to help you find the center of the object you’re observing. All this technology drains the telescope’s battery pretty fast. You may want to consider getting a 110-volt adapter for it if you’ll be using it near an outlet.

This telescope has a steel tripod that breaks down for easy transport with the compact scope. The tripod only has one arm, though, so if you breathe hard or have even the slightest breeze, it will wobble on you. It isn’t a huge deal until you get into the smaller lenses.Pros

• Six-inch aperture
• 1500mm (59-inch) focal length
• SkyAlign technology
• Automatically tracks 40,000+ preprogrammed celestial objects
• Compact
• Steel tripod

Cons

• No crosshairs in scope
• Single arm on tripod isn’t steady
• Batteries don’t last long

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3. Sky-Watcher Dobsonian Telescope

The Sky-Watcher S11620 Traditional Dobsonian Telescope features a ten-inch aperture with a 1200mm focal length for obtaining a clear view. The telescope is held onto the tripod by a mount with Teflon bearings and a tension clutch. This mount will hold the scope steady, but the telescope itself is quite heavy, and you’ll find that the tripod slowly drifts downward under its weight. You’ll either have to keep readjusting it or get a heavy-duty tripod.

This telescope has a two-inch single speed focuser with a 1.25-inch adapter. It doesn’t have fine-tuning capabilities, though. It also comes with two different-sized eyepieces, 25mm and 10mm.Pros

• Ten-inch aperture
• 1200mm focal length
• Two-inch single-speed focuser with 1.25-inch adapter
• Two eyepieces
• Rocker-mount with Teflon bearings and tension clutch

Cons

• No fine tuning
• Heavy
• Tripod drifts down under weight of telescope

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4. Orion SpaceProbe 130ST Telescope – Best Value

The Orion 09007 SpaceProbe 130ST Equatorial Reflector Telescope features a 5.1-inch aperture and a 24-inch focal length. Both are pretty small, so you don’t see high-quality images. It comes with a finderscope and two different-sized eyepieces, 25mm and 10mm.

The first problem we encountered with this telescope was the written instructions. They are very confusing and difficult to follow. We recommend using YouTube videos to assemble it. They are much clearer.

We also found that the mount isn’t strong enough to hold this telescope steady. The grips don’t stay secure, and the scope wobbles, making it difficult to see clear images.Pros

• 1-inch aperture
• 24-inch focal length
• Two eyepieces
• Finderscope

Cons

• Poorly written assembly instructions
• Poor image quality
• Grips that hold the scope don’t hold well
• Mount is too lightweight for scope

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5. Celestron NexStar Computerized Telescope

The Celestron NexStar 127SLT Mak Computerized Telescope has a five-inch (127mm) aperture, a 1500mm focal length, and a finderscope. It also comes with SkyX planetarium software to help you locate specific items in the sky. We do find it difficult to fine-tune images with this telescope.

This telescope isn’t built with the best materials, so it seems to be somewhat fragile. The focuser causes the scope to shake somewhat, and at times it will move the object you’re looking at completely out of view.

The mount that comes with this scope is another reason the telescope is shaky. It’s very lightweight and not strong enough to hold the telescope steady. The tripod that comes with this telescope is not great. It wobbles with a light breeze.Pros

• 5-inch (127mm) aperture
• 1500mm focal length
• Finderscope
• SkyX planetarium software

Cons

• • Difficult to get fine focus
  • Flimsy construction
  • Weak mount
  • Tripod shakes in light breeze

• Focuser causes shaking

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6. Orion AstroView Refractor Telescope

The Orion 9005 AstroView 120ST Equatorial Refractor Telescope has a 4.7-inch (120mm) aperture, a 600mm focal length, a polar alignment scope, and two different-sized eyepieces, 25mm and 10mm.

This telescope is heavy and cumbersome, so taking it places can be difficult. Once you get it set up where you want to view, it’s hard to find the objects you’re looking for unless you know the layout of the sky well, as there is no computer guidance to help you find things. Another thing that makes it difficult to see objects is the axis finder. Its location on the telescope makes it very awkward to use. There is also no auto guide to help you align the telescope to where you want it.Pros

• • 7-inch (120mm) aperture
  • 600mm focal length
  • Polar alignment scope

• Two eyepieces

Cons

• Axis finder is awkward to use
• No auto guide to help align
• Heavy and cumbersome
• No computer guidance

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7. Orion 8297 Newtonian Astrograph Reflector Telescope

The Orion 8297 8-Inch f/3.9 Newtonian Astrograph Reflector Telescope features an eight-inch aperture and an 800mm focal length. Both of the internal mirrors also come with a protective coating to help keep them from getting damaged.

This is a good telescope for a beginner who can’t afford much, but remember that you get what you pay for. Most of the parts on this telescope are painted a flat black, but the spider vanes are a shiny black, and the focuser is silver. Things reflect off silver, making this a bad choice, but the shiny finish on the spider vanes causes glare too. You also need to be careful with the focuser, because it’s held in place with plastic thumbscrews. When you do finally get your object into focus, there’s no focal lock to keep it in position.Pros

• Eight-inch aperture
• 800mm focal length
• Both mirrors have protective coatings

Cons

• Focuser held in place with plastic thumbscrews
• Paint causes glare
• No focal lock

1. The Celestial Treasures Unveiled: Exploring the Best Telescope Gems Under $1500