See more of the sky, for real.
Telescopes, eyepieces and smart scopes compared by what the makers state, plus the magnification math, what you can realistically see, and NASA’s rules for looking at the Sun safely.
Gear guides
Compared by official specs and listings. No made-up test scores.
What matters in a first telescope, and Celestron and Sky-Watcher starters compared by official specs.
What a Dobsonian is, and 6, 8 and 10 inch models compared by size, weight and what's included.
Motorized GoTo scopes and app-guided StarSense scopes compared, with power and setup notes.
What refractors do well, and Celestron's 70 to 102 mm refractors compared.
Easy telescopes and binoculars for kids, compared by listing, with the one safety rule to teach first.
What matters for planetary viewing, and telescopes and eyepieces that suit it.
Celestron's two NexStar SE Schmidt-Cassegrains compared from official specs.
Two Celestron equatorial reflectors compared from official specs, including the magnification math.
Two of Celestron's app-guided reflectors compared from official specs.
Sky-Watcher's two 8 inch Dobsonians compared from official sheets, plus Celestron's app-guided 8 inch.
The eyepiece math in plain terms, and Celestron and SVBONY eyepieces and kits compared by listing.
How a Barlow works, the useful-magnification catch, and 2x Barlows compared by listing.
Fixed, variable and ND Moon filters compared by listing, with the solar safety warning.
NASA and AAS solar safety rules, and front-mounted solar filters from AAS-listed makers.
Red lights, finders, star charts, phone adapters and power for telescopes, compared by listing.
NASA's advice on astronomy binoculars, and handheld and tripod-mounted pairs compared by listing.
App-controlled smart telescopes compared from maker specs, with honest limits.
Two pocket-size smart telescopes compared from ZWO and DwarfLab specs.
Camera star trackers compared from iOptron and Sky-Watcher specs.
Head-to-head comparisons
This vs that, side by side from official specs.
Find your way around
Telescopes
Refractors, reflectors, Dobsonians and computerized scopes from Celestron, Sky-Watcher and Zhumell, compared by aperture, focal length and mount from official specs.
Eyepieces and Accessories
Eyepieces, Barlow lenses, Moon filters, solar filters, finders, red flashlights and star charts, explained with the math and safety rules.
Smart Scopes and Astrophotography
App-controlled smart telescopes from ZWO, Dwarflab and Unistellar, plus star trackers for camera astrophotography, compared by official specs.
Learn Astronomy
How to use a telescope, magnification math, collimation, what you can actually see, and solar safety, cited to NASA, the AAS and the makers.
Learn the sky
Cited to NASA, the American Astronomical Society and the makers.
Celestron's step-by-step method for aligning a Newtonian's mirrors, and the tools that help.
A step-by-step first night with a telescope, cited to Celestron, NASA and the National Park Service.
How the three main telescope designs work, and the trade-offs between them.
The magnification formula, useful limits, exit pupil and field of view, with worked examples.
Realistic expectations by instrument size, cited to NASA, with tips for when and where to look.