A telescope is one of the best Christmas gifts you can give: the first look at Saturn’s rings or the craters on the Moon is something people remember. It’s also an easy gift to get wrong. Too complicated and it ends up in the cupboard; too flimsy and the view wobbles every time you touch it. A good telescope is worth the investment for years to come. A bad one that is too hard to use, can be a hobby killer than gathers dust in the shed or the back of the wardrobe.
This guide picks out the telescopes we recommend for families and keen beginners, organised by budget. Every one is a telescope we stock in Leederville, and we’re happy to talk you through any of them before you buy.
Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ ($429). Our pick for a first telescope. Dock your phone on the telescope, open the StarSense app, and arrows on screen guide you to the Moon, planets and brighter star clusters. It’s light enough for kids to carry outside and simple enough to set up in a few minutes.
Also available under $500:
Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 127AZ ($599). The same phone-guided StarSense system with a 127mm mirror, which gathers more than three times the light of a 70mm lens. That means brighter views of the Moon and planets and a real chance at galaxies and nebulae from a dark spot.
Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ ($989). A 130mm mirror on Celestron’s sturdier DX mount, so the view stays steadier at higher magnification. A good choice if the telescope will be shared by adults and older kids who want to keep going with the hobby.
Also available $500–$1,000:
Celestron StarSense Explorer 8” Dobsonian ($1,499). The most telescope for the money in this guide. An 8-inch (203mm) mirror shows real detail on the planets and brings galaxies and star clusters within reach, and the StarSense app takes the guesswork out of finding them. The simple push-around base means no complicated setup.
Celestron NexStar 4SE ($1,599). A compact computerised GoTo telescope: align it once and it finds and tracks objects for you at the push of a button. Its long focal length makes it excellent on the Moon and planets, and it’s small enough to carry out the back door in one go.
Want to photograph the night sky? The ZWO Seestar S30 Pro ($1,199) and S50 Pro ($1,699) are smart telescopes: no eyepiece, you control them from your phone and they build colour photos of galaxies and nebulae on screen. See all our smart telescopes.
Also available $1,000–$2,000:
Celestron NexStar 6SE ($2,599). Celestron’s classic orange-tube Schmidt-Cassegrain with a 150mm aperture and computerised GoTo mount. Big enough for detailed planetary views and bright deep-sky objects, compact enough to set up in minutes.
Celestron NexStar 8SE ($3,699). The same easy GoTo system with an 8-inch (203mm) aperture. A telescope a keen amateur won’t outgrow.
Also available $2,000 and up:
The NexStar Evolution models add built-in Wi-Fi control from your phone or tablet and a built-in rechargeable battery.
A few accessories make a big difference to a first telescope, and most make great stocking fillers.
See the full range of telescope accessories.
We’re a specialist optics store, not a warehouse. When you buy from Leederville Optics you get advice before you buy to make sure the telescope suits the person and where they’ll use it, help getting started, and after-sales and warranty support from a store you can walk into. Visit us at 201 Oxford Street, Leederville, call (08) 9242 1855 or email sales@leedervilleoptics.com.au.
Browse all our telescopes or come in and talk to us.
