If you are thinking of buying a telescope as a gift for your loved ones, then you have come to the right place. Previously, we wrote Part 1 of this article and suggested some telescopes according to the astronomy level of the person. The telescopes mentioned in that article are still good telescopes as a gift.
In this article, we will recommend 5 such telescopes as a gift that is extremely beginner friendly and can be used by any astronomer, regardless of skill level.
StarSense Explorer 130 AZ.
StarSense telescopes are designed to make astronomy extremely easy for beginners. These telescopes can be used with the help of your phone and make stargazing very easy, like playing a video game. So, these StarSense telescopes are the perfect choice for beginners who are just starting out with stargazing.
The StarSense Explorer 130AZ is this series’s most giant aperture-sized non-Dobsonian telescope. This is a reflector-type telescope. The telescope has an aperture of 130mm around 5.1 inches and a focal ratio of 650mm.
With this telescope, you can see the moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and its rings. You can also see some bright deep space objects with this telescope. If you want to know more about this telescope, then we have already explained everything about this telescope in this article.
StarSense Explorer 8-inch Dobsonian.
Dobsonian telescopes are the most cost-effective. One of the most important parts of a telescope is its aperture. The bigger the aperture, the clearer and sharper the images you can see.
Usually, when you buy a normal 8-inch telescope, it will cost you quite a lot of money. But if you buy the same 8-inch Dobsonian telescope, then it will cost you much less. Usually, a Dobsonian does not have a computerized mechanism to guide your telescope through the night sky. The Dobsonian telescopes that have this computerized tracking mechanism are called intelliscope.
The StarSense Dobsonian works with your phone and is very easy to use. This makes these Dobsonian telescopes a really good option to get started with stargazing. With this telescope, you can see the moon, Jupiter and its moon, Saturn and its rings, the Orion Nebula, and star clusters.
We have also explained this StarSense Dobsonian telescope in detail in this video. Also, if you want to learn more about Dobsonian telescopes, you should check out this article.
Sky-Watcher Skymax 150 Pro.
The Sky-Watcher 150 telescope is not completely ideal for beginners. But with a little bit of effort, this telescope can also be used by beginners. The telescope is a Maksutov-Cassegrain-type telescope. We have explained these different types of telescopes in these videos, make sure you watch them.
This telescope has an aperture of 150 mm or around 6 inches. Its focal length is 1800mm and its focal ratio is 12. This telescope is very compact, and you get only the optical tube assembly with it. You have to purchase a mount separately for this telescope.
Mak telescopes have a very long focal length and are very good for observing the planets and nearby objects in great detail. The higher focal length helps you zoom in on the nearby objects to observe the small details of those objects.
This telescope is perfect for people who really want to look at planets and nearby objects in great detail.
Zhumell Z100.
This is another small tabletop Dobsonian telescope. This is the cheapest telescope in this list of telescopes and is perfect for beginners who are on a tight budget.
The telescope has an aperture of 100mm around 4 inches and a focal length of 400mm. Its focal ratio is 4. Usually, Dobsonian telescopes are big and heavy. But this small tabletop Dobsonian mount of this telescope is very lightweight. This makes this telescope very easy to carry around to different stargazing locations.
With this telescope, you can see the moon, Jupiter, and Saturn, so if you want a budget telescope, this is a really good choice that will not break the bank.
NexStar Evolution 8 Edge HD.
This is the most expensive telescope you can find on this list. The telescope is huge and has great performance. Usually, this telescope is for the advanced level of astronomers, but a beginner can also use it very easily. The telescope is built in such a way that even a beginner can get the maximum benefit from it.
This is a Schmidt-Cassegrain-type telescope. The telescope has an aperture of 8 inches, or 203 mm. Its focal length is 2032mm, with a focal ratio of 10. On top of that, the optics of this telescope come with Edge HD technology. The Edge HD technology will give you sharper and clearer views of any object you are looking for. With this telescope, you can see the moon, planets, and deep-space objects, and with some adjustments, you can also do astrophotography with this telescope.
If you want to gift a telescope that will last for 8 to 10 years, then you can definitely go with this telescope. You can read a detailed review of this telescope here.
So that’s it. These are some of the good telescopes you can consider as a gift. If you didn’t like the telescopes mentioned in this article and want to buy a different telescope as a gift. Then the most important factor you should consider while buying a telescope is its aperture size and sturdy mount. A bigger aperture gives sharp images, and a sturdy mount offers good stability.
If you are looking for a telescope specifically for astrophotography then you need to check this article. You can also find the best suitable telescope for you with our telescope suggestion tool.
