Our pick of the best telescopes and binoculars for astronomy featuring in Black Friday offers online.
Black Friday telescope deals are a great opportunity to get your first telescope, or even to upgrade your current setup. Many of the UK shops that embrace Black Friday are electronic retailers which means there are often discounts and deals on telescopes, binoculars and other astronomy equipment to be found. You’ll also find plenty of Black Friday camera deals.
We’ll be updating this page throughout the month with the latest offers, including Black Friday telescope deals, as well as general sale models too, so don’t forget to bookmark!
If you’re buying a telescope for the first time, however, it pays to know what you’re looking for. Read our guide on how to choose your first telescope or our pick of the best beginners telescopes.
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Where to find Black Friday telescope deals UK
Keep an eye on the following retailers for potential bargains on telescopes as Black Friday approaches:
- Wex Photo Video – Enjoy Christmas deals on astronomy, tripods and cameras
- Amazon – Home to popular brands such as Celestron and Sky-Watcher
- Argos – Worth a look for reduced binoculars and telescopes, Argos often have decent offers come Black Friday
- Jessops – Telescopes for all budgets, and with plenty reductions up for grabs
- PicStop – A good range of beginner’s telescopes and budget offerings
- eBay – You may be able to get a good deal on a good quality secondhand telescope
Where to find Black Friday telescope deals US
- Orion – Reductions on beginner, intermediate and advanced models to suit all levels
- Walmart – Browse popular telescope brands such as Celestron, National Geographic, Orion and more
- B&H – Explore the photo and audio specialist’s deals on optics
Most telescopes come with mounts these days, too. Get all the info you need with our guide to telescope mounts.
Best Black Friday telescope deals UK
Unistellar eQuinox 2 – was £2,199, now £1,799
Buy it from Jessops, Park Cameras
Unistellar has announced a reduction in its eQuinox 2 smart telescope.
This a 4.5-inch reflector telescope boasts a Sony IMX347 image sensor that captures short exposures of deep-sky objects and stacks them to produce an image of your chosen galaxy or nebula.
The image appears on your connected device and can be shared via social media.
This is a great telescope for those who suffer from light pollution, but also those who have a bit of a budget to work with!
However, if you’ve ever thought about delving into Unistellar’s smart telecopes, this might be the time to do so.
Find out more in our full eQuinox 2 review.
eVscope 2 – was £3,999, now £3,199
Buy now from Jessops, Park Cameras
Unistellar has also announced a reduction in its eVscope 2 telescope which, like the eQuinox 2, creates real-time views of deep-sky objects.
This is a 4.5-inch reflector telescope with motorised altazimuth mount.
It has its own WiFi network, to which you can attached a phone or tablet and begin exploring the night sky.
Slew to objects via the Unistellar app, which provides info on what targets are currently visible, and which are about to set or rise.
The computer images an object every four seconds and stacks the results.
Find out more in our full eVscope 2 review
Celestron Inspire 100AZ refractor, was £299.99, now £249.99
Buy now from PicStop
The Celestron Inspire range of refractor telescopes are arguably among the best telescopes for beginners and young astronomers. They are easy to set up, easy to use and are good quality instruments, as you would expect from a reputable brand like Celestron.
What’s perhaps most appealing to this new generation of young astronomers is the included smartphone adapter, which means you can easily attach your phone’s camera to the eyepiece, snap an image of the Moon or Mars and share online to your heart’s content!
A number of retailers have discounts on the Inspire 100AZ model (see above), but there are also good deals to be found on the slightly-less-expensive Inspire 80AZ model from retailers like Currys.
Celestron AstroMaster 76 EQ Reflector, was £199.00, now £165.00
Buy now from Wex
Celestron is perhaps the most famous brand name in amateur astronomy, and with good reason. The company was set up by US astronomer Tom Johnson in the 1960s, and since then has been producing simple telescopes for beginners and more high-end instruments for experienced astronomers and astrophotographers.
The AstroMaster 76 EQ would make a great first telescope for beginners and young astronomers, and is currently available as part of Amazon’s Black Friday offerings. The telescope comes with an equatorial mount and tripod, an accessory tray, 10mm and 20mm eyepieces and a finderscope.
No tools are required for setup, which makes it a good grab-and-go telescope, as well as one that can be packed away for transport and easily assembled at a dark-sky site (and one that won’t take you too long to set up ready for Christmas morning!)
The AstroMaster also comes with downloadable software featuring a database of 36,000 astronomical objects, printable sky maps and images.
Sky-Watcher Evostar-90 (EQ2) Achromatic Refractor Telescope, was £245, now £219
Buy now from Wex
You’ll likely spot a number of Sky-Watcher telescope deals in the Black Friday sale.
The Sky-Watcher Evostar-90 (EQ2) Achromatic Refractor Telescope has a long focal length, ideal for detailed Moon study and observation.
Read our review of the Sky-Watcher Evostar-90 AZ Pronto telescope and mount.
Celestron Travel Scope 70 refractor kit, was £99.99, now £79.99
Buy now from Amazon
Travel telescopes make a great option for many amateur astronomers, and not just those who like to journey to far-flung dark-sky sites. A travel telescope should by definition be lightweight, easy to carry and easy to set-up, which is probably what most people are looking for in a telescope anyway.
The Celestron Travel Scope 70 is really a ‘telescope kit’ as it comes with travel backpack, light aluminium tripod, 4mm, 10mm and 20mm eyepieces, and a Barlow lens. The telescope is suitable for observing the Moon, planets, star clusters and brighter galaxies and nebulae. It also comes with a CD-ROM that contains a database of 10,000 astronomical targets.
Celestron PS1000 Newtonian Reflector Telescope, was £249.99, now, £129.99
Buy now from Jessops
Save £100 on the Celestron PS1000 Newtonian Reflector Telescope. The sturdy equatorial mount is designed to help track objects in the night sky, making this Black Friday telescope find a good choice for those wanting to study deep-sky objects like nebulae and galaxies. Plus, with no need for tools to set up, this is an effortless pick for those keen to explore the night sky.
Best Black Friday telescope deals US
Orion StarBlast 102mm Travel Refractor Kit, was $309.99, now $249.99
Buy now from Orion
Suitable for both day time viewing and stargazing in the evening, the Orion StarBlast 102mm Travel Refractor Kit is now on offer. The kit comes with a convenient carry case, making this a portable option, and a stainless steel tripod. This would also be a suitable model if you’re just starting out!
We reviewed the Orion StarBlast 62mm compact travel refractor and found the little scope produced impressively sharp images when the skies were clear.
Celestron NexStar Evolution 8 Kit Bundle, was $2,299.99, now $1,899.99
Buy now from Walmart
The Celestron NexStar Evolution 8 is an innovative telescope that makes astronomy even more accessible.
Hidden inside the mount is a built-in Wi-Fi network which lets you connect wirelessly with a smartphone or tablet to control the scope.
Read our five star review for more on the Celestron NexStar Evolution 8.
Sky-Watcher Heritage 150 150mm Tabletop Telescope, was $310.00, now $265.00
Buy now from B&H
Looking for a more compact and portable telescope? A top seller for B&H, the Sky-Watcher USA Heritage 150mm f/5 Tabletop Reflector AZ Telescope features a large 150mm aperture and aluminium-coated parabolic mirrors to allow for more detailed studies of the moon and planets. Just collapse the tube down for effortless packing up and storage when you’re finished.
Read our review of the Sky-Watcher Heritage 150P Flextube Dobsonian.
When is Black Friday 2023?
This year, Black Friday lands on 24 November. This is the official start date, but we’re seeing sales start earlier and earlier each year.
If you’re on the lookout for a Black Friday telescope deal, there are usually a good number of bargains to be found throughout November.
How to get a good deal on Black Friday 2023
It can be tricky knowing where to start, with such an abundance of deals and offers around. We’d recommend doing some research before diving into the sales. Note down specific models or brands you’re interested in, and take note of pricings pre-sale, to ensure you’re getting a genuine bargain.
Downloading browser extensions such as CamelCamelCamel can also help, particularly for Amazon-related shopping. The tool monitors the prices of products on Amazon and notifies you if you’re truly securing the best possible deal.
Why Black Friday?
As an often expensive piece of kit, it’s worth holding out for a big sale event before investing in a telescope. Plus, Black Friday telescope deals are also a chance to get a first telescope for a child or young astronomer just in time for Christmas!
For more savings, check out the best Black Friday binoculars deals.