Best Celestron Telescope under $500.
If astronomy fascinates you, a telescope is an important piece of equipment to have. Telescopes turn boring stargazing and moon watching into captivating adventures for both adults and kids. A good telescope under $500 provides quality image views during the day and at night as well.
There are so many telescopes from different brands available on the market today. Celestron is one of them. This brand makes high-quality and reliable telescopes suitable for multiple outdoor applications.
Celestron telescopes are also easy to use and perfect for beginners and professional astronomers alike. However, there are so many Celestron telescopes that finding the best model becomes overwhelming.
Here is a detailed list of the best Celestron Telescope under $500 available on the market today. Let’s have a look.
Best Celestron Telescope under $500-Top Picks
Celestron 70mm Travel Refractor Telescope
This Celestron -Portable Refractor Telescope is a 70mm telescope suitable for both adults and kids. The telescope is incredibly light, compact, and easy to carry. It makes a great travel companion for astronomers who are always on the go. The telescope is designed to provide bright and quality images both day and night. The large 70mm aperture collects optimum light for high-resolution views without adding any unnecessary weight. The high-quality optics are fully coated to provide bright, clear, and sharp images of both celestial and terrestrial objects regardless of the lighting conditions. This refractor telescope is designed with user-friendly features which make it suitable for all users, regardless of their skill levels. The two eyepieces included (20mm and 10mm) provide different magnifications suitable for viewing objects at varying ranges. The telescope comes with an adjustable tripod for hands-free viewing. You can easily adjust the height of your tripod to the most comfortable viewing position. Besides, the telescope mounts easily on the tripod so you don’t have to waste a lot of time mounting it. After your viewing session is over, everything packs easily into the travel bag provided for convenient transportation and easy storage. Features
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Celestron – AstroMaster 102AZ Refractor Telescope
If you are a beginner looking to start your astronomy hobby with a cheap yet quality telescope, the AstroMaster 102AZ Refractor Telescope is your ideal choice. The telescope is easy to use and easy to mount. It provides the best way to discover different objects in the sky at night. With this refractor telescope, locating different celestial objects is a walk in the park. This is thanks to the intuitive Alt-azimuth mount and panhandle. Better yet, the telescope comes with a sturdy, full-height adjustable tripod for a snug, hands-free viewing. The telescope comes with two 1.25” eyepieces for maximum versatility. The two eyepieces combined with the large 102mm aperture objective lens produce excellent magnification. The 20mm eyepiece provides 33x magnification, while the 10mm counterpart provides 66x magnification. This helps you focus on faraway targets with outstanding clarity. The high-quality optics are also fully coated to provide bright and vivid images at night or during the day. Its assembly process is quick and straightforward with no tools needed. The tripod comes pre-assembled and the telescope comes with instructions that are simple to read. Overall, this is a quality telescope that offers great value for the money. It comes with a two-year warranty and a bonus astronomy software package. Features
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Celestron-NextStar 90SLT Computerized Telescope
When it comes to versatility and reliability, you can never go wrong with the NextStar 90SLT Computerized Telescope. This computerized GoTo telescope is easy to use and ideal for beginners and intermediate users. It comes with a database of over 4,000 stars, galaxies, and more. The user-friendly design makes it ideal for users of all ages. Both adults and kids can use it to enjoy watching land-based objects such as birds and animals during the day and celestial objects at night.The compact and light design makes it easy to carry during travel. The sturdy steel tripod included is adjustable to fit all users regardless of their body height. Featuring high-quality optics, this computerized telescope provides quality images. It has a 90mm aperture that collects optimum light to see the solar system, deep sky, and beyond. The wide aperture also provides a wide field of view for easy identification of fast-moving objects. Weighing about 12 pounds, the telescope is fairly light and great for adventure trips. With the SkyAlign procedure, the setup process is quick and straightforward with no tools needed. You also get a bonus for free starry night software. Features
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Celestron- 114LCM Computerized Newtonian Telescope
If you are a beginner or pro, this telescope suits you. It’s not only affordable but also fun and easy to use. It is fully computerized so it locates thousands of celestial objects automatically. The package has everything you will need for stargazing and astronomy. It features two high-quality 1.25” eyepieces (25mm and 9mm), a StarPointer red dot finder scope, and a sturdy adjustable aluminum tripod. The eyepieces provide different magnification for viewing targets at varying ranges. The 114LCM telescope is an ideal travel telescope. It’s made with a light computerized mount for easy transportation. If you like to travel a lot, you can take it with you wherever you go. Moreover, the telescope has high-quality optics for bright and vivid images in all lighting conditions. Overall, this is a decent-quality telescope available at a price that fits your budget. You can use it to explore the solar system at home or on the go. Features
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Celestron- AstroMaster 114EQ Newtonian Telescope
This AstroMaster 114EQ Newtonian is not only powerful but also user-friendly. It’s also an easy setup. The user-friendly design makes it an ideal telescope for family use. It can be used by both adults and kids. This high-powered telescope is highly versatile. You can use it at night to view celestial objects and during the day to watch birds and wildlife. It has a lightweight frame which makes it great for travel. The telescope is engineered to provide the best optical performance. The high-quality optics are fully coated to enhance light transmission for bright and vivid images. The two eyepieces paired with the massive 114mm aperture objective lens produce excellent magnification. With the 20mm eyepiece, you get a 45x magnification and up to 90x magnification with the 10mm eyepiece. The setup process is quick and simple with no tools needed. Thanks to the manual German Equatorial mount, you are assured of a smooth and precise pointing. The AstroMaster mount has 2 slow-motion control knobs for precise adjustments when viewing different targets. Features
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Celestron- PowerSeeker 127EQ Telescope
If you are looking for a high-powered Celestron telescope suitable for multiple applications, the PowerSeeker 127EQ Telescope is your best choice. This telescope comes with a wide range of high-end features to make your sky viewing better. The telescope comes with a manual German Equatorial mount. This mount is sturdy and dependable. It has a large slow-motion knob that allows you to track moving objects smoothly. The two, 20mm and 4mm eyepieces combined with the 3x Barlow lens provide better viewing regardless of the target distance. With a massive 127mm objective lens, you are assured of bright and crisp clear views in all lighting conditions. The optics are also coated to enhance light transmission and provide bright images full of color contrast. Overall, this telescope is the perfect choice for families looking for a high-powered telescope at a budget-friendly price. Features
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Celestron- PowerSeeker 70EQ Telescope
There isn’t much of a difference between the PowerSeeker 70EQ and the 127EQ. The main difference is the size of the objective lens. This telescope provides quality images at night and during the day as well. You can use it to view birds and animals during the day and then view celestial objects at night. Featuring 2 eyepieces (20mm and 4mm), the telescope provides better views at all magnification settings. The 3x Barlow lens triples the power of each to give you multiple options for viewing objects at varying ranges. This 70EQ telescope can be used by both adults and kids. It is compact, lightweight, and portable. If you are always on the go, you can take it with you wherever you go and enjoy the great outdoors. Besides, it comes with a sturdy tripod for hands-free viewing. Features
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Choosing the Best Celestron Telescope under $500
These are some of the main features you should consider when shopping for the Best Celestron Telescope under $500.
- Type
There are three main types of telescopes: refractors, reflectors, and compound/catadioptric.
Reflector telescopes collect and focus light using mirrors. This makes them prone to misalignment and interference from natural elements. However, they don’t have chromatic aberration commonly found in lenses. These telescopes have large apertures which make them ideal for deep sky exploration.
Refractor telescopes collect and focus light using lenses instead of mirrors. The lenses are fixed so you don’t have to make any alignment or collimation. They provide clear and sharp images regardless of the activity you are engaged in. This makes them great for astrophotography. The main drawback about them is that the lenses cause color distortion.
Catadioptric telescopes combine lenses and mirrors to collect and focus light. Most Catadioptric telescopes have computerized functionality. This makes them ideal for all users, beginners, and professionals. They are also suitable for astrophotography and deep-sky exploration as well. Their main drawback is that they are more expensive.
- Aperture
Aperture refers to the size of the telescope’s main lens or mirror. Since telescopes are mainly used for viewing celestial objects at night, the telescope’s ability to collect light is important. The larger the aperture diameter, the better. Telescopes with large apertures accommodate higher magnification and collect more light for bright and clear images. Look for a telescope with at least a 70mm aperture objective lens.
- Weight
Since celestial adventures and stargazing mainly happens outdoors, you’ll want a telescope that’s light and easy to handle. The telescope should be easy to use, mount and stow after use. Most Celestron telescopes have a compact design which makes them easy to use and carry. The tripod should also be lightweight yet stable and durable for convenient transportation.
- Level of Experience
If you are a beginner, you’ll want a unit that is user-friendly. The telescope should also have easy to mount and simple to make adjustments. This way, you can spend more time enjoying your views rather than trying to figure out how to make the adjustments.
Conclusion
We hope that this buying guide has given you insight into the best Celestron telescopes under $500. Celestron targets astronomy beginners and pros both adults and kids. Their telescopes are easy to use, high-quality, and decently affordable. Use our buying guide above and get yourself a quality telescope that will make your astronomical adventure better and more fun.