When selecting the best telescope, the aperture—or the diameter of its primary mirror or lens—should be your top priority. The telescope can view fainter objects and can reveal more details on nearby, bright objects such as the Moon with a larger diameter.

The Moon, the planets and Jupiter's moons may all be seen clearly via telescopes with a four or five inch aperture. With a scope this narrow, viewing Uranus and Neptune can be challenging, but it's not impossible. For a complete newbie, a telescope of such a size is definitely a decent place to start.

You'll need something bigger than 4 or 5 inches if you wish to take your stargazing to the next level and see fainter deep-sky phenomena like star clusters, galaxies, and nebulae. However, you should think about how practical it would be to use a large telescope on a regular basis before buying the biggest telescope that you can afford in order for you to see more objects.

The Celestron NexStar 130SLT - Best telescope

Newton's Reflectors have developed into cozy, strong, beautiful, and user-friendly instruments during the past 3 and a half centuries. Celestron's NexStar 130SLT is one of the best telescope we've discovered for less than $600.

One of the top optical companies in the world, Celestron, offers a feature-rich powerhouse in the NexStar 130 SLT Computerized Telescope. You'll struggle to find a computerized scope that works as well as the 130 SLT in this price bracket for amateur and beginning astronomers.

Who should buy this model?

Given its low cost, the NexStar 130 SLT is a compact yet powerful Newtonian reflector that has a sizable aperture. This refractor's aperture, which is slightly over 5" wide, can gather enough light to show you a variety of deep-sky objects (DSOs), including the Andromeda Galaxy, the Ring Nebula and the M80 globular cluster.

This scope's fast f/5.0 aperture makes it a great tool for viewing far-off objects outside the solar system. Additionally, you'll be able to increase the magnification and take in some breathtaking views of the Moon and other heavenly bodies.

It is a powered telescope with GoTo capabilities. Simply enter a few information into the hand controller, the telescope will then automatically point towards any one of the 40,000 various objects stored in its memory.

This NexStar is the ideal travel companion for someone who enjoys taking their hobbies with them. It is a very portable scope, weighing under 20 pounds (9 kg).

Features and benefits

Whether you're buying your 1st telescope or your 10th, you should always judge what you're considering based on the features and advantages it offers. Make sure to keep the following factors in mind while you conduct your study.

• Optical performance
• Mount performance
• What you can view
• Included equipment
• Setup and use 
• Astrophotography 

Optical quality 

Most inexpensive telescopes cannot match the crispness and clarity of the NexStar 130 SLT scope. The main mirror is a parabolic reflector with many layers of aluminum coating. You can examine objects with better clarity and detail thanks to the coatings' improved light reflection and increased contrast.

Things to keep in mind before buying

Beginners and inexperienced astronomers will benefit greatly from the NexStar 130 SLT's many outstanding features. However, that does not imply that it is the best scope for everyone.

Before choosing if this is the ideal telescope for you or if there is another option that would suit your needs a little bit better, there are some things you should think about.

We hope that this review was able to help you decide on which best telescope to buy.