Buying guide

A guide to telescope types and mounts

Checked 2026-09-10

Finding the right way to look at the sky depends on what you want to see and how much gear you want to carry. This catalog organizes 286 live products to help you compare apertures and focal lengths.

Our method

How we organize these listings

We sort through hundreds of optical instruments to group them by their actual use and hardware specs. This catalog focuses on clarity and utility rather than marketing claims.

Optical design

We categorize gear by how it handles light, separating traditional lens-based refractors from mirror-based reflectors and compact Maksutov-Cassegrain systems.

Mounting and tracking

The listings distinguish between simple altazimuth mounts for manual tracking and equatorial wedges designed for following the rotation of the stars.

Specific use cases

We tag equipment based on its strengths, such as high-contrast optics for moon viewing or portable builds meant for travel and camping.

Aperture and focal length

The aperture determines how much light the telescope can collect, which dictates how bright and clear the image will be. Focal length affects the magnification and field of view, with shorter lengths often preferred for wide views of the stars.

Manual versus smart systems

Traditional mounts require you to move the telescope by hand to track objects as the Earth rotates. Modern smart telescopes use digital sensors and motors to find and track celestial objects automatically via a phone app.

Portability and accessories

For those who travel to find dark skies, portable kits with carry bags are essential. Many listings also include extras like moon filters to reduce glare and Barlow lenses to increase magnification.

This group

Start with a set

A collection is a short cut into the catalog

For adults For beginners Refractor telescopes For kids For moon viewing Portable Tripod included For travel Budget With phone adapter Altazimuth mounts Reflector telescopes 90mm aperture 80mm aperture Equatorial mounts 70mm aperture Professional For deep sky For bird watching Black For astrophotography Smart telescopes 600mm focal length Digital Dobsonian telescopes 400mm focal length Monocular telescopes 800mm focal length White 50mm aperture Tabletop mounts Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes STEM learning 130mm aperture 60mm aperture 900mm focal length 114mm aperture 300mm focal length Blue Waterproof 700mm focal length Red Green

Glossary