More Info & Prices (may vary): Amazon or Agena Astro

Our Advice: An 8-inch Dobsonian telescope is the best choice for the beginner just starting out in the hobby.

Simple to set up and use, while not too bulky or heavy, it provides great value for money in an astronomical telescope to chase down and visually observe the wonders of the Universe.

This telescope is designed to be manually pointed meaning the user will need to star hop to objects in the night sky in order to view them with this telescope. Star hopping requires a sky map and using the finderscope to manually navigate to celestial objects. It's easy to learn and a useful skill to have.

The classic 8-inch Dobsonian telescope is a "keeper" that will provide a life-time of service even for experienced observers.

Notes:

• Classic Dobsonians from Sky-Watcher are manually operated telescopes that must be physically pointed to objects in the night sky. GoTo versions are also available (see below) which are computerized and fitted with servo motors to automatically point the telescope to the celestial object. GoTo telescopes cost more and often include collapsible designs making them compact for transport and storage.
  

More Info & Prices (may vary): Amazon or Agena Astro

Our Advice: An 8-inch Dobsonian telescope is the best choice for the beginner just starting out in the hobby.

Simple to set up and use, while not too bulky or heavy, it provides great value for money in an astronomical telescope to chase down and visually observe the wonders of the Universe.

The SynScan GoTo version is computerized and fitted with servo motors to quickly find celestial objects in the night sky, and to then automatically point the telescope to the object.

This model includes a collapsible design making it compact for transport and storage. GoTo telescopes are more costly and complex compared to "Classic" or traditional models but the additional capability is welcomed by owners.

Notes:

• The collapsible design of this telescope means that it may require optical collimation more often than a fixed tube "Classic" telescope. Inexpensive tools are available to facilitate the collimation process which is easy to do once learnt.
  • Recommended: 1.25-inch Collimating Cheshire Eyepiece (Amazon)

More Info & Prices (may vary): Agena Astro

Our Advice: This is a very good basic telescope for young and not-so-young astronomers seeking a more affordable, compact/lightweight, quality telescope with a good sized aperture.

This telescope is designed to be manually pointed meaning the user will need to star hop to objects in the night sky in order to view them with this telescope. Star hopping requires a sky map and using the red dot finder to manually navigate to celestial objects. It's easy to learn and a useful skill to have.

A bonus feature of the Sky-Watcher Heritage telescope design is the ability to remove the original telescope tube and to attach a different small telescope to the mount.

Notes:

More Info & Prices (may vary): Amazon or Agena Astro

Our Advice: This is a very good GoTo telescope for young and not-so-young astronomers seeking a more affordable, compact/lightweight, quality telescope with a good sized aperture.

The telescope can be used manually if desired, but it's the GoTo capability that makes this telescope a joy to use. It's powered by 8 AA batteries (internal battery pack) or an external 12V power pack (not supplied). The telescope mount has inbuilt WiFi and is controlled wirelessly with Sky-Watcher's free SynScan app.

The SynScan app first helps align the telescope to the night sky using 2 or 3 stars. The operator then directs the telescope to slew to a selected object for viewing through an eyepiece. This is the same computerized GoTo technology that Sky-Watcher uses in its larger more expensive GoTo telescopes.

A useful feature of the Sky-Watcher Virtuoso telescope design is the ability to remove the original telescope tube and to attach a different small telescope to the GoTo mount.

Notes:

These telescopes are based upon the Newtonian reflector design which uses a parabolic mirror (primary) to gather a large amount of light from faint celestial objects such as nebulae, star clusters and galaxies. The telescope tube is mounted on a simple rotating base which can be moved up-down and left-right by hand or electronically in order to point the telescope to celestial objects.

The focal length of Dobsonians is typically 1000-1500mm which also makes them useful for observing details on planets and the Moon. A small flat mirror (secondary) centrally located near the top of the telescope directs light gathered by the primary mirror sideways into an eyepiece for observing.

Dobsonian telescopes are designed to easily disassemble into two or more parts to facilitate handling and transport, say, to a dark sky site.

For the above reasons Dobsonians are the most recommended telescope for beginners and experienced amateur astronomers interested in visual observing.

Important Notes:

• 250mm (10-inch) and larger Dobs are the best choice for viewing the faintest of celestial objects because the larger the aperture (mirror diameter) the greater the light gathering power of the telescope. However, large aperture telescopes are very much heavier making handling and transport a lot more cumbersome. This is a very important factor to consider before buying a large telescope.
  • Example: Sky-Watcher 12-inch Flextube Dobsonian (Agena Astro)

• Telescopes with mirrors require optical collimation from time-to-time (often after transport) to ensure peak performance. Inexpensive tools are available to facilitate the collimation process which is easy to do once learnt.
  • Recommended: 1.25-inch Collimating Cheshire Eyepiece (Amazon)

• Light pollution will adversely impact the visibility of many celestial objects thus limiting the visual performance of telescopes used in city or urban locations. Sky watchers need to visually observe from a dark sky site to get the best performance from telescopes.
  • Link: Scrollable Global Light Pollution Map

• Eyepieces bundled with telescopes are generally of poor to average quality. While good enough to get you started, standard eyepieces are best replaced with better options.
  • Recommended: Baader 17mm Hyperion Eyepiece (Agena Astro)