{"id":25923,"date":"2021-10-26T09:42:33","date_gmt":"2021-10-26T09:42:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=100698"},"modified":"2021-10-26T09:54:14","modified_gmt":"2021-10-26T09:54:14","slug":"best-budget-telescopes-2021","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/best-budget-telescopes-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Best budget telescopes, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Iain Todd\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 26 October 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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How much does a good telescope cost? It\u2019s a question we asked quite a lot. Cheap, affordable, inexpensive telescopes are very common nowadays, spurred on no doubt by the boom that amateur astronomy has seen over the past few years.<\/p>\n

But just as an expensive telescope isn\u2019t always a good telescope, it\u2019s also the case that a cheaper, more affordable telescope doesn\u2019t mean you won\u2019t be able to get stunning views of the Moon, planets, stars and deep-sky objects like nebulae and galaxies.<\/p>\n

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A well-made yet affordable telescope can still give you amazing views of the heavens. Credit: Roman Makhmutov \/ Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

A good telescope is a good telescope, whatever the price. However, if you\u2019re starting out in astronomy and have a low budget, it can be tricky to navigate all the various brand names, types of telescope and whether or not you\u2019re getting good value for your money.<\/p>\n

For help with this, read Tim Jardine\u2019s excellent guide on how to choose your first telescope<\/a>, or discover our pick of the best telescopes for beginners<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Below we\u2019ve selected some of the best budget telescopes that we\u2019ve reviewed over the years, including advice on where to buy them online.<\/p>\n

You can find more stargazing and observing tips in our astronomy for beginners section<\/a> and, once you finally do get your telescope set up, find to how to get started with our guide to spending your first night with a telescope<\/a>.<\/p>\n

8 of the best budget telescopes<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1<\/span>

Omegon MightyMak 60 Mini Dobsonian telescope<\/h3>\n<\/div>

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<\/div> 3.5 out of 5 star rating<\/span> <\/span> <\/div> <\/div>

A tabletop Dobsonian can be a great option for beginners who want a budget telescope that won\u2019t break the bank but will offer those enticing first glimpses of the night sky that got most of us hooked on astronomy in the first place.<\/p>\n

The MightyMak 60 comes with both a table-top tripod and a mini Dobsonian mount, a red dot finder<\/a>, a star diagonal and an eyepiece. It\u2019s light and easy to set up, and we found it arrived well-collimated and ready to go.<\/p>\n

Optics are reasonable for a beginner telescope. We got good views of a quarter Moon, plus stars Sirius and Betelgeuse.<\/p>\n

While we couldn\u2019t get any detail out of a deep-sky object like the Orion Nebula<\/a>, this telescope is well-suited for the Moon and the planets. Like we said, sometimes it\u2019s all about those enticing first views, and as an affordable first telescope the MightyMak 60 is well worth your money.<\/p>\n

Read our full Omegon MightyMak 60 review<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n