7 Best Telescope For Adults 2026; Reviews

Eyepieces determine the magnification and field of view of a telescope. Different eyepieces are used to view different objects.

Some objects, such as nebulae and star clusters, appear quite large and are best viewed at low magnifications (which give a wider field of view), whereas planets appear very small and are normally viewed with high-magnification eyepieces.

Most telescopes come supplied with one or two eyepieces. Ideally, you’d like to have a set that spans a range of magnifications.

You can expect to spend anywhere from $40 to $250 on a good eyepiece.

Barlow Lens

A Barlow lens is also worth considering: it multiplies each eyepiece’s power by two or three times, effectively doubling your eyepiece collection.

A Barlow lens will connect directly to your eyepiece. The most common Barlow is the 2x Barlow. A 2x Barlow will double the magnification of the eyepiece it is attached to.? For example, if you were using a 20mm eyepiece on a telescope with a 1000mm focal length, you would have 50x magnification.

If you attach a 2x Barlow lens to that eyepiece you will double the effective magnification of that eyepiece to 100x.

Types Of Telescopes

Telescopes come in all shapes, sizes, and functions. There is a telescope type for each and every band of electromagnetic radiation from gamma rays to light to radio. However, the optical types are all you need.

Optical telescopes may only work for visible light, but will let you see just about everything nature has to offer. There are three types of optical telescopes on the market and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Refractor Telescopes are the original, earliest type of telescopes. Basically just a long tube with lenses on the ends, these small telescopes gather and concentrate light by passing the light through the common focal point of the two lenses.

They are relatively cheap and offer the best bang for your buck. Refractors give you clear, detailed, and highly magnified images, and there is no obstruction to block any of the light.

Reflector Telescopes use mirrors instead of lenses to gather light and produce clear and magnified images. A large concave mirror focuses the light, and a much smaller secondary mirror redirects the light into the eyepiece.

With all their main optical equipment on one end, reflectors can get quite large.

Dobsonian telescopes fall under reflector telescopes (Newtonian reflector).

Cassegrain Telescopes are the best of both worlds. They combine a lens (like a refractor) with two mirrors.

They are a bit fancier in design and are usually more compact than the other two. They are, however, also the most expensive.

In spite of their high costs, these are the most popular scopes on the market.

Conclusion

Our top pick for the best telescope for adults is the Celestron – PowerSeeker 127EQ . The scope is Ideal for near and deep-sky observation and is best for beginner  adults looking for a good telescope. 

It features a respectable focal length and a large, parabolic mirror that produces detailed images of the Moon, clear views of the planets, and the ability to resolve bright distant objects such as nebulae and galaxies.

Our next best telescope for adults is a reflector – Celestron’s AstroMaster 130EQ 130mm f/5 Reflector Telescope features a 650mm focal length and an oversized parabolic mirror that produce detailed images of the Moon, clear views of the planets, and the ability to resolve distant objects such as nebulae and galaxies.

Celestron – NexStar 5SE Telescope is our pick for the best GoTo telescope for adults. The 5-inch aperture provides excellent light-gathering ability at an affordable price. You’ll get impressive views of the Moon and planets, along with deep sky objects like the Orion Nebula, while retaining a compact form factor.

Fully automated GoTo mount with a database of 40,000+ celestial objects automatically locates and tracks objects for you.