Choose your first telescope without getting lost in the spec sheet
Buying guides, comparisons and product reviews for beginners in amateur astronomy.
Latest articles
How to collimate a Newtonian reflector telescope
How to align the secondary and primary mirror of a Newtonian, which tools to use, and the symptoms that tell you your reflector needs collimation.
Light pollution: how it affects what you see and how to work around it
What you actually lose observing from a city, what filters and target selection can compensate for, and what has no fix short of a darker sky.
GoTo telescope: what it is and whether it's worth it to start with
What a GoTo mount actually does, what problem it solves, how much extra it costs, and when a beginner can skip it.
Telescope for kids: what to check before buying one
How to tell a genuinely useful kids' telescope from a toy, which age and mount fit each stage, and which models several guides say to avoid.
Telescope or binoculars: where to start in astronomy
Why a good pair of binoculars is often a better first purchase than a cheap telescope, and when it makes sense to skip straight to a telescope.