Best Telescopes Under $1000

• Apertura AD10 Dobsonian -
• Apertura AD8 Dobsonian -
• Celestron NexStar 4SE -

• Celestron NexStar 5SE -
• Celestron StarSense 150 Tabletop Dobsonian -
• Honorable Mention: Celestron NexStar 6SE -

Apertura AD10 Dobsonian -

It has been said that the best value for a visual telescope is a Dobsonian telescope, and this Apertura 10" Dobsonian Telescope is the largest telescope you can buy under $1,000 in terms of light gathering capability. The huge 10" primary mirror and fast f/5 focal ratio collects copious amounts of light for stunning, bright views, and the 1250mm focal length presents a deep look into the night sky. With 10" of aperture, the Apertura AD10 will reveal Jupiter and its moons, Saturn and its rings, as well as Mars, the "Red Planet."

Sitting on a simple Dobsonian alt-azimuth mount, the Apertura 10" Newtonian is an excellent telescope to help you learn the location of celestial objects in the sky. Set up of this telescope is a breeze, and operation is simple and intuitive, making it a perfect choice for beginners. While great for those just getting started in the hobby, seasoned amateur astronomers can also appreciate the awe-inspiring sights this light bucket provides, it's smooth, easy to maneuver base, and the low price per inch of aperture!

This Apertura AD10 Dobsonian telescope package includes everything you need right out of the box, including a full-sized, right-angle, image-correcting 8x50 finder scope, two eyepieces, a laser collimator, and even a moon filter. The optical tube assembly is made from steel for durability and style and is fitted with a machined aluminum 2" dual-speed, 10:1 Crayford-style focuser for smooth, precise focusing.

Apertura AD8 Dobsonian 8" Telescope -

This Apertura AD8 is a Newtonian telescope, meaning that it uses mirrors to create an image. The mirror is eight inches in diameter with a focal length of 1200mm which yields a focal ratio of f/6. The long focal length makes this telescope ideal for observing the planets, yet has a large enough aperture to observe many faint and bright nebulae, star clusters, and more.

Through this telescope, you’ll be able to observe beautiful detail on the Orion Nebula, all of the major Moons of Saturn and Jupiter, the core and dust lanes of the Andromeda Galaxy, and distant galaxies in the Virgo cluster millions of light-years away!

The telescope is seated on an easy-to-use alt-azimuth rocker-box mount that allows you to direct the telescope anywhere in the sky. The overall telescope weight is roughly 38 lbs. Setting up the telescope is easy: simply carry the telescope outside, set it down on the rocker box, take the dust cap off, and you’re ready to go! The telescope comes with a Crayford focuser that will accept any 1.25” eyepiece, a 6x30 finder, a 25mm Plossl, and a lens cap to protect your mirrors from dirt and dust.

Celestron NexStar 4SE -

Celestron NexStar 4SE Essential Telescope Bundle -

Celestron NexStar 4SE Telescope Bundle -

The 4" Maksutov optical design of the Nexstar 4SE gives greater sharpness, a longer focal length, and higher contrast than traditional reflecting telescopes thanks to its smaller secondary mirror. This Celestron telescope has a focal length of 1325mm, and 4” of aperture with a limiting stellar magnitude of +13.4. This magnification is great for observing the Moon and deep-sky objects like the Andromeda Galaxy and the Orion Nebula!

The optical tube assembly can be removed and placed on any standard photo tripod without additional adapters, making this a versatile and portable system. The single-arm fork mount is fully computerized and includes a go-to hand controller with a very large database consisting of nearly 40,000 objects. Using the simple star alignment, you'll easily be able to identify and track any object you choose!

Celestron NexStar 5SE -

The next telescope on our list is the “bigger brother” to the NexStar 4SE. The telescope features more light gathering power (5 inches vs 4 inches), which increases your ability to resolve fine detail. Additionally, the telescope comes with a slightly lower focal length of 1250mm, making the focal ratio f/10. This makes the telescope an even better choice for observing deep-sky objects with roughly the same magnification as the Celestron 4SE with the included 25mm E-lux eyepiece.

This Celestron telescope also comes with the NexStar+ hand controller that includes 40,000 different objects for you to view. The NexStar 5SE sits on a sturdy stainless steel tripod which offers maximum stability when looking at distant objects. Overall, the telescope optical tube weighs 17.6 lbs and the tripod 10 lbs, making this telescope quite easy to take out to your favorite observing site.

If you're interested in this Celestron NexStar 5SE and are willing to spend a bit more than $1,000, be sure to check out the Celestron NexStar 5SE Telescope Bundle we offer here at High Point Scientific. This package comes complete with a high quality eyepiece kit and a portable power supply to make your nights under the stars even better!

Celestron StarSense Explorer 150 mm Dobsonian -

If you’re looking for a small, compact system that offers bright views and an engaging experience under the stars, this Celestron StarSense 150 mm Tabletop Dobsonian is the perfect choice! With 6” of light gathering power, enjoy highly detailed sights of the Orion Nebula, Jupiter, Saturn, and plenty more. The optical tube is supported by a rugged alt-azimuth tabletop Dobsonian base, which is lightweight and easy to transport.

Taking the concept of plate solving, a technique used by professional astronomers to locate objects within the night sky, the StarSense Explorer app uses the camera of your smartphone to help you effortlessly center targets within your eyepiece. Once an image is captured, the powerful technology within this app can determine the exact pointing location of your telescope, and guides you in navigating the night sky with its intuitive interface.

Setting you up for success, everything you need to get observing comes standard within this package. Included in the box is the 150 mm optical tube, the tabletop Dobsonian base, 25 mm and 10 mm eyepieces, a StarPointer red-dot finderscope, a StarSense Explorer dock, a StarSense Explorer unlock code, an eyepiece rack, and a collimation cap.

Celestron NexStar 6SE -

If you’re willing to expand your budget a bit beyond $1,000, we recommend the Celestron NexStar 6SE! With 1.44x more light gathering capability than the 5SE, you’ll be able resolve even more detail within your eyepiece. Pair this with the tried and true NexStar SE mount and intuitive GoTo hand controller, you’re sure to have engaging, awe-inspiring visual sessions night after night.

This NexStar 6SE also comes furnished with the patented StarBright XLT coatings from Celestron, delivering bright, highly detailed views. With optics like these, you have the power to get up close and personal with our Moon, the Cassini Division on Saturn, the Orion Nebula, and plenty others.

This computerized telescope comes equipped with everything you need for observing right out of the box. Additionally, you may use other accessories, like the Celestron StarSense AutoAlign, which offers cutting-edge align assist technology, or the Celestron Wi-Fi SkyPortal module, for wireless control of your telescope via your smartphone or tablet.