10 Best Telescopes 2025 in the United States

The Gskyer Telescope is an excellent choice for kids and beginners who are interested in exploring astronomy. With a 70mm aperture and 400mm focal length, it provides clear and bright images of the moon and stars. The fully coated optics ensure high transmission of light, enhancing image quality and protecting your eyes. The included 3x Barlow lens and two eyepieces offer versatile magnification options, making it easier to locate and observe celestial objects using the 5x24 finder scope. The Altazimuth mount allows smooth and simple movement, making it user-friendly for beginners.

The adjustable aluminum tripod and carry bag enhance its portability, allowing you to take it on your travels conveniently. The added smartphone adapter and wireless camera remote are great for capturing and sharing your celestial discoveries. While this telescope is highly rated and popular, its manual focus might require some practice to get right, and it’s designed mainly for casual star-gazing rather than advanced astronomical research.

Nonetheless, for its price point and ease of use, it's a solid entry-level telescope for those starting their journey into astronomy.

The Celestron NexStar 8SE Telescope is a versatile option for both beginners and seasoned astronomers, thanks to its 8-inch aperture that provides excellent light-gathering capabilities. This makes it suitable for observing various celestial objects within our Solar System, while its compact design ensures that it remains portable for easy transport. The computerized GoTo mount is a standout feature, allowing users to automatically locate and track over 40,000 celestial objects—a fantastic tool for novice stargazers who might not yet be familiar with the night sky.

Assembly is straightforward with the single fork arm design and sturdy steel tripod, making it manageable for users who may feel intimidated by setting up a telescope. SkyAlign technology simplifies the alignment process, allowing for quick use right out of the box.

On the downside, the NexStar 8SE weighs nearly 24 pounds, which may be cumbersome for some users when transporting it to different viewing locations. Additionally, while the GoTo functionality is impressive, fully automated systems can sometimes be less reliable compared to manual setups, especially in varying environmental conditions. Users may also want to invest in additional eyepieces for a wider range of magnification options, as the included 25mm eyepiece might not meet everyone's needs. The warranty and customer support from Celestron are notable, providing peace of mind for buyers, but those seeking a more premium experience may find other high-end models worth considering. If you're looking for a telescope that balances ease of use with quality observations and a robust feature set, the NexStar 8SE is certainly a strong contender.

The Celestron Origin Intelligent Home Observatory is an advanced telescope designed for both stargazing and astrophotography. With a 6-inch aperture and a fast f/2.2 focal ratio, it offers bright and clear images with minimal exposure time, thanks to its patented RASA optical design. One of its standout features is the AI-powered astrophotography, which automatically processes and stacks images in real-time, making it user-friendly for beginners and convenient for experienced astronomers. The automated setup with StarSense technology further enhances its ease of use by quickly aligning and focusing the telescope with minimal user intervention.

It is compatible with iOS and Android devices, allowing seamless control through a dedicated app that provides an intuitive interface for navigating the sky. The GoTo mount ensures precise tracking of celestial objects, and its combined weight of 41.6 pounds makes it relatively portable for a home observatory setup. However, potential drawbacks include its relatively high weight, which might make it less suitable for frequent transport, and the reliance on a power source, which could limit its use in remote locations without easy access to electricity.

Additionally, while its AI and automated features are impressive, they may reduce the hands-on learning experience for those who prefer manual control. Despite these considerations, the Celestron Origin offers a compelling package for anyone interested in easily capturing high-quality images of the night sky with minimal effort.