Best telescopes for seeing planets 2023: See Saturn and more

The best telescopes for seeing planets allow you to immerse yourself in the wonders of our solar system, from the Red Planet to Saturn's magnificent rings.

1. The list in brief ↴2. Best overall: Celestron NexStar 8SE3. Best for planetary imaging: Celestron CPC Deluxe 1100 EdgeHD4. Best for portability: Sky-Watcher Heritage-90P Virtuoso5. Best for beginners: Celestron Inspire 100AZ refractor telescope6. Best for the backyard: Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ27. Best combination package: Celestron Omni XLT 1028. Best for precision: Sky-Watcher Skymax-180 PRO9. Best for functionality: Celestron Astro Fi 10210. Best budget option: Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ11. Best telescopes for seeing planets: FAQ12. How we test

The best telescopes for seeing planets can open up the solar system to you in a way you may never have seen it before. Nothing beats being able to view celestial bodies like Venus, Mars, Jupiter or Saturn with your own eyes instead of on a television screen. From the intense storms of the Jovian cloud tops to the mesmerizing rings of Saturn, the telescopes on this list will make the planets come alive right before your eyes.

The planets tend to appear small but bright in the night sky, so they make great targets for telescopes with high magnification and optical resolution. Each planet can require slightly different settings and accessories to get the best view, but there are many common features to look out for and our experts have gathered together the best the market currently has to offer into this handy guide. Whether you're on a tight budget or looking to make a premium purchase that you can rely on for years, our list will have you covered.

If you're looking for something to view the sky more generally, you might want to check out our guide to the best telescopes or best beginner telescopes. If you like to wander about at night and portability is your main concern, our best binoculars guide might be more up your street. And if you have any young budding astronomers in your midst then we also have guides on the best telescopes for kids and best binoculars for kids.

See our quick list below if you want to dive right in, or scroll further down for more detailed reviews of each product.

Best overall

Best telescope overall

The price is steep, but the optics and quality of this telescope are unmatched. It offers incredible views of the planets, as well being capable of displaying further deep-sky objects.

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Best for planetary imaging

Best for planetary imaging

The huge 11-inch aperture on this telescope makes it supremely good for planetary imaging. It will allow you to get a detailed surface view of even the most distant planets in our solar system.

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Best for portability

Best for portability

This telescope packs a big punch in a small and compact package. With only a 28cm tube, you can still view the planetary surfaces in rich detail, and it also comes with a smooth motorized mount.

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Best for beginners

Best for beginners

This is a great affordable option for beginners looking to get a better view of the planets. It also comes with a handy smartphone mount so you can take photos of whatever you're viewing with ease.

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Best for the backyard

Best for the backyard

Another great option for those on a budget, this telescope comes with an equatorial mount and a 5.1-inch aperture. Its size and weight means that it's ideally suited to a spare room or your backyard.

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Best combination package

Best combination package

This is an ideal package for a quick set-up. You get a good telescope for viewing the planets in detail, along with an equatorial mount, with no tools require to set it all up.

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Best for precision

Best for precision

With a high-resolution and long focal-length optical system, this telescope can produce stunning views of the planets. With its 7.1-inch aperture, you'll also be able to catch a glimpse of some of the solar system's many moons.

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Best for functionality

Best for functionality

This is a great option for those who enjoy using a smartphone app alongside their telescope. You can use the SkyPortal app to instruct the telescope to automatically slew to a celestial body of your choice.

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Best budget option

Best budget option

With quick and easy alignment and a very affordable price point, this telescope makes a great option for beginners on a budget. It will give you high magnification of the planets and the moon.

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Our expert review:

✅ You're looking for outstanding optics: this telescope produces incredibly bright and sharp views of the planets and moons in our solar system.

✅ You like to get hands-on with your telescope: the effective handheld remote on this telescope will suit anyone who prefers traditional telescope controls over using an app.

✅ You need your telescope to last: the build-quality on this telescope is fantastic and we expect it to last for many years.

❌ You're a beginner exploring stargazing for the first time: this telescope is a significant investment, so unless you have a very comfortable budget we'd recommend starting out with a simpler, more affordable model.

❌ You want to be able to control your telescope with an app: some of the other models on this list, such as the Celestron Astro Fi 102, offer a more app-friendly design.

❌ You prefer a manual mount: this telescope is powered by a power-hungry motorized single fork arm mount.

🔎 Celestron NexStar 8SE: While it's an expensive investment, this telescope will last for decades and is one of the best you can buy. Experienced astronomers will love its motorized mount and the ability to add accessories, and it makes a great companion for astrophotographers too.

Coming from Celestron’s extremely successful range of NexStar telescopes, we found it easy to see why this is their star buy when we took it for a spin in our Celestron NexStar 8SE review. The high-quality Schmidt-Cassegrain optical design means that this scope absorbs a phenomenal amount of light, enabling you to not only see the planets in a huge amount of detail but opening up a range of deep-sky objects as well. Smaller apertures are available in the NexStar 4SE, 5SE and 6SE models, but none compare to the awe-inspiring views offered by this 8-inch aperture, which lets in a whopping 78% more light than the NexStar 6SE.

Usually selling for a little over $1500, this telescope is a substantial investment that is most likely to appeal to experienced astronomers and astrophotographers, but its features mean that even budding beginners can get the hang of using this scope fairly quickly. The NexStar 8SE has a database of 40,000 celestial objects and can also be placed in 'tour mode' to guide you to the most popular objects for your date and time of viewing. The motorized single fork arm mount slews effortlessly towards your chosen celestial object at the touch of a button from the handheld remote. Once aligned, the view offered by this telescope is pin-sharp across the whole field of view and it also has the option to mount a range of compatible accessories.

Whilst the price is steep, we found the build quality to be fantastic, with a strong steel tripod that can be easily dismantled for travel. With proper care, this telescope could easily last for decades. If you can afford it, we think the quality of this scope is well worth the investment. However, if your budget can't quite stretch that far then the rest of this list will offer you some competitive alternatives.

Our expert review:

✅ You want the biggest aperture you can get: its 11-inch high-performance mirror is the biggest on our list, offering huge magnification.

✅ Planetary imaging is your primary goal: this telescope can render even the most distant planets in fine detail.

❌ You're on a budget: this telescope is astronomically expensive and there are many cheaper models out there.

❌ You don't want to be buying extra accessories: this telescope only comes with one eyepiece supplied in the box.

🔎 Celestron CPC Deluxe 1100 EdgeHD: if your budget can stretch to it, this telescope will give you an incredible view of the surface of any planet in our solar system, with magnification to spare.

Planetary imaging is an addictive hobby, and thankfully you can get started on any telescope with a mount that tracks the sky. But if you plan to get serious about capturing our neighboring worlds, a telescope with a large aperture is vital.

The CPC Deluxe 1100 EdgeHD features a huge 11-inch high-performance main mirror, capable of resolving the surfaces of the most remote planets. It provides greater resolution, allowing more details to be recorded by the imaging sensor. On more forgiving targets, such as Venus and Jupiter, it sees remarkable detail, and the skilled observer can even pick out landmarks on Mars without too much difficulty.

The CPC mount is robust and dependable, offering excellent tracking for lengthy imaging sessions, and it can be easily converted to an equatorial platform with the use of a wedge for deep-sky astrophotography. Although it is rather heavy, two people can easily assemble and disassemble this telescope in the field in just a few minutes. Of course, with just one eyepiece in the box, you'll need to budget for more, but at this size, it's the camera that sees the most benefit. If planetary imaging gets its hooks into you, at least you know there's an upgrade to aspire to.

Our expert review:

✅ You want something extremely portable: this telescope is ideal for taking with you on night-time adventures out in the field, or even taking on holiday with you.

✅ You're looking for great imagery: you'll get rich colors and high contrast with this telescope.

✅ You want neat and easy tracking: the built-in tracking on this telescope makes it easy to navigate the night sky.

❌ You're worried about lens damage: the lens on the front of this model is quite exposed.

❌ You want a highly effective red dot finder: we thought that red dot finder on this telescope could definitely be improved, though it was fine for basic positioning.

🔎 Sky-Watcher Heritage-90P Virtuoso: as the most portable option on our list, this would be a great choice for those who like to take their telescope on stargazing trips out in the field.

The Heritage-90 Virtuoso's compact size belies its power. It folds a massive 1.25m focal length into a tube that is just 28cm long using two mirrors and a meniscus lens, enabling it to achieve its maximum effective magnification with a comfortable 7mm eyepiece. This makes it a lot more portable than some of the other models we've included on this list.

The Maksutov-Cassegrain design is known for its 'refractor-like' performance, which provides better contrast than a Newtonian reflector of the same aperture. This is great for preserving the rich colors of planetary surfaces and atmospheres (such as Jupiter's bands and moons), which are easy to admire in the Heritage-90. Although its basic red dot finder isn't the best we've seen, the motorized Virtuoso mount's smooth slewing controls make positioning objects simple.

The mount can be upgraded at any time via Sky-Watcher's Synscan GoTo device, giving it the ability to find more than 40,000 objects in the sky for you automatically. It can also track the sky to counteract the Earth's rotation, keeping your object of interest in the field of vision. If you want to fast-track to the complete GoTo system and are interested in a more powerful telescope with a similarly compact design, you might want to check out the Heritage-90's big brother, the Skymax-127 Virtuoso GTI.

Our expert review:

✅ You want a multifunctional telescope at an affordable price: the innovative smartphone mount will allow you try your hand at some basic astrophotography along with your stargazing.

✅ You're mainly interested in viewing the planets and the moon: this telescope does a good job of bringing the planets and moon into sharp focus.

❌ You're looking for real optical clarity: as might be expected at this price, you will experience some minor chromatic aberration with this telescope.

❌ You want to view deep-space objects: though this telescope can view some more distant objects, the aperture isn't up to true deep-space observation.

🔎 Celestron Inspire 100AZ refractor telescope: with some nice additional features like a smartphone mount and built-in red light, this telescope is a great way for beginners to start exploring the moon and planets.

When we reviewed the Celestron Inspire 100AZ refractor telescope we found it to be a great telescope for beginners who are looking to get a better view of the moon and the planets without breaking the bank. It sits at around $350, making it one of the most affordable options on the list, but that does mean that you don't get a fancy motorized mount with this telescope. Instead, it comes mounted on a simple altazimuth mount that allows for manual movement via the panhandle, so you might want to pair it with a stargazing app if you've not yet got the confidence to navigate the night sky on your own.

A particularly nifty feature of this telescope is that the lens cap doubles as a smartphone mount, enabling you to use your phone to take striking photos of what you're viewing through the telescope. The scope is lightweight and can be set up and dismantled quickly and easily, though it does leave a rather large footprint with its 26-inch/660mm long optical tube.

Although the 4-inch aperture doesn't let in enough light to view very distant space objects, this telescope offers a nice view of the planets, particularly with the 20mm eyepiece. We were able to get a detailed look at the moon's craters and even managed to see Andromeda (M31) and some of the brighter star clusters. So whilst this telescope isn't a world-beater, it's a solid beginner's scope and a very competitive option for its price point, with some fun additional features.

Our expert review:

✅ You want an equatorial mount at an affordable price: very few telescopes at this price point come with an equatorial mount like this one does.

✅ You want an all-inclusive package: this telescope comes with a number of accessories in the box, including two Kellner eyepieces and a 2x Barlow lens.

❌ You're looking for a telescope to take out and about with you: once fully set up, this telescope becomes far too big and heavy to transport easily.

❌ You want something easy and intuitive: the manual equatorial mount on this telescope will take beginners a bit of time to get the hang of.

🔎 Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2: with sophisticated features on offer at a very affordable price, this telescope would suit serious beginners who are willing to put the time into learning how to use it and have plenty of space at home to house it.

This is another great option if you're a serious beginner looking for an effective telescope on a budget. In our Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 review we were pleased to find that this telescope, which can often be found for less than $300, ships with an equatorial mount. Although these mounts can be a little trickier for beginners to grasp, the payoff is worth it because they allow you to track objects much more easily across the night sky without them drifting out of view with the Earth's rotation. The mount also offers greater freedom of movement, letting you slew quickly and easily between different space objects.

Another key selling point of this telescope is that it has an aperture of 5.1 inches, which is a generous offering for a telescope at this price point and means that you can hope to see some of the brighter deep-sky objects alongside the moon and planets. It comes with two Kellner eyepieces and a 2x Barlow lens, which we were able to combine to get 75x magnification and 150x magnification whilst still maintaining a sharp view. This enables you to easily see Jupiter's moons and Saturn's majestic rings, as well as more distant objects like the constellation of Cygnus.

On the downside, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130, when fully set up, is too big and heavy to be easily transportable and is probably best suited to users who want to leave it permanently set up in one room. However, if you have the space and are willing to put in the time to learn how to use the equatorial mount, we think you'll be very pleased with this scope for the price.

Our expert review:

✅ You want something sturdy: the mount on this telescope is well matched to its weight and feels solid and substantial.

✅ You're looking for an equatorial mount: this telescope package comes with an effective equatorial mount that can even be operated one-handed.

❌ You want everything to be included: there is only one eyepiece supplied in the box, so you'll need to invest in some extra eyepieces if you want to truly get the best from this telescope.

❌ You're particularly interested in deep-space objects: this telescope gives detailed views of the planets, but isn't quite up to viewing deep-space objects.

🔎 Celestron Omni XLT 102: this telescope offers a nice combination package that feels sturdy and robust. It includes an equatorial mount and can give you a detailed view of the planets.

The Omni XLT 102 from Celestron is quite a unique package that comes with a good telescope and mount combo. It doesn't require any tools and is easy to set up.

The 4-inch F/10 achromat gives fine views, and its focal length makes it a good match for some of the best planetary eyepieces. Unfortunately, only one is supplied in the box, but with the addition of a 10mm and Barlow lens, you can achieve a magnification of 36x, 72x, 100x and 200x. At this top end, the Omni XLT 102 will show you some lovely details on our neighboring planets.

Celestron also sells a 120mm model (read our Celestron Omni XLT 120 review) and a 150mm version of the same telescope, but notably, all three come with the same CG-4 equatorial mount with the larger models pushing the mount's weight limit. As such, it feels sturdy to use and dampens any vibrations quickly.

Being an equatorial mount (where the polar axis is parallel to the Earth's rotation), it takes some getting accustomed to, but once you do, you'll find that it makes planet tracking simple and easy to do one-handed. For those looking to go hands-free, Celestron offers a separate dual-axis auto-tracking upgrade kit that you can install at any time.

Our expert review:

✅ You're looking for excellent optics: the images produced by this telescope are sharp, vibrant and detailed.

✅ You want a larger aperture: the 7.1-inch primary mirror on this telescope performs incredibly well.

❌ You want something that's very portable: although this telescope is relatively compact, it's still quite heavy to move around.

❌ You're on a tight budget: this is quite a pricey telescope and there are plenty of more affordable options out there.

🔎 Sky-Watcher Skymax-180 PRO: this telescope is a beast when it comes to optics and produces incredible views of the planets and moons, but it's quite an investment.

The Sky-Watcher Skymax-180 PRO was purpose-built for solar system exploration. It produces flawless views of the planets with a wealth of vibrant details thanks to its high-resolution, long focal-length optical system, which performs similarly to a much more expensive big apochromatic refractor. With a 7.1-inch primary mirror, it also has enough light grasp to bring many of the solar system's moons into view. The single 2-inch/ 28mm eyepiece won't make the most of this telescope's potential, so you'll need to invest a little extra, but even a comfortable 8mm or 10mm planetary eyepiece will be well tolerated by its formidable optics.

The Skymax-180 PRO is mounted on a HEQ5 PRO equatorial mount (which is great for carrying large payloads) for maximum accuracy. This allows for a variety of photography uses, ranging from high-resolution planetary and lunar imaging to deep-sky imaging. If you plan to purchase another telescope in the future, it is beneficial to 'over-mount' the scope for optimal stability at higher magnifications. This combination of features is why it is loved among visual observers and astrophotographers.

Our expert review:

✅ You're a beginner: we think this is a great option for beginners because it doesn't require any prior knowledge.

✅ You want something portable: this telescope is lightweight and convenient for taking out in the field with you.

❌ You're looking for great optics: there is some image fall-off around the edge of the field of view.

❌ You like the feel of a premium product: this telescope is mostly housed in plastic and we found the tripod a bit flimsy.

🔎 Celestron AstroFi 102: this telescope would suit beginners who want to use an app and plan on taking their telescope out and about.

Celestron's Astro Fi 102 is an excellent choice for tech-savvy beginners who want to get closer to the planets. After the initial setup of the motorized mount, which can take a little time, it's a breeze to use alongside the SkyPortal app (downloadable for iOS and Android).

The app, which we found to work seamlessly during our Celestron Astro Fi 102 review, features approximately 100k celestial objects, which you can 'instruct' the instrument to slew automatically. It slews quickly and quietly, and you can even use a USB video game controller to position the scope, which is a desirable feature for gamers.

While to the touch this admittedly doesn't feel like a premium product, the materials used mean the telescope is lightweight and easily portable. Just be careful to protect it properly in transit to avoid damage.

The views offer clear close-ups of the Moon, Saturn's rings, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune under the right conditions when used alongside the right eyepiece.

Our expert review:

✅ You're a beginner on a budget: this telescope offers an affordable way to start viewing the planets.

✅ You like using an app: the StarSense app makes it easy to operate this telescope and it even comes with a built-in smartphone holder.

❌ You want precise optical clarity: this telescope does suffer from some chromatic aberration on bright objects.

❌ You want to view deep-sky objects: while it's good for viewing the planets, this telescope can't offer a proper view of deep-sky objects.

🔎 Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ: this is a good entry-level telescope for seeing the planets, but the optics won't allow you to see further objects like galaxies.

From our Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ review, you'll see that the best thing to do with this telescope is to look at the moon and planets, as it's designed to give a high magnification of bright objects.

This is an affordable scope, so some compromises have been made. When viewing bright objects, you will see some chromatic aberration (color fringing), and the color isn't as accurate as you'd find in more sophisticated and more expensive models.

The StarSense app allows quick and easy alignment, which takes mere seconds (a dream for novice users). It is a 'push to' scope, so while the mount won't turn itself to find your chosen subject, arrows on your phone screen will help you guide the telescope into position. Turn the telescope in the direction the screen instructs you to, and once you see a bullseye on your screen, your target will be in the center of your field of view. There aren't slow-motion controls, so making precise adjustments takes some practice.

With the included Barlow lens, you will be treated to spectacular views of Saturn, Jupiter, and the moon, but don't count on this scope to see objects in deep space because it doesn't allow in enough light for that.

When shopping on a budget, there's an argument to be made for choosing a smaller refracting telescope than a similarly priced but larger reflector, because the secondary mirrors and struts in Newtonian telescopes perturb the incoming light in a way that reduces image contrast. For many dedicated planetary observers, a large refractor is a dream, but there are downsides. Refractors are bulky, heavy, and expensive, so compound telescopes such as Maksutov-Cassegrains and Schmidt-Cassegrains make for a good compromise.

There are also other optical accessories to consider when shopping for a planet-hunting telescope. Eyepieces with greater magnifications can help get larger views of the tiny planets. Astronomers should also consider Barlow lenses to help attain high magnifications of between 120-250x (within the optical limit of the telescope). This will allow you to observe in the sweet spot on most nights when the seeing is average. Our list includes some of the best telescopes for seeing and capturing planets.

This all depends on the telescope and eyepiece combination. Telescopes have a focal length and so do telescope eyepieces. But telescope eyepieces also have an apparent field of view, which when calculated alongside the focal lengths, determines the true field of view when looking through the eyepiece and telescope.

A simple way to get started calculating which telescope or eyepiece you need to see Saturn's rings is to use the following basic formula:

Telescope focal length / eyepiece focal length = Magnification

Apparent field of view / Magnification = True field of view

You can then compare the true field of view of the combination against the size of any object you wish to observe to see how well you'll be able to view it, including Saturn's rings, Jupiter's red spot and more. But remember that surface brightness and atmospheric conditions as well as weather will ultimately decide how well you can view any night sky object, including a planet.

To guarantee you're getting honest, up-to-date recommendations on the best telescopes to buy here at Space.com we make sure to put every telescope through a rigorous review to fully test each instrument. Each telescope is reviewed based on many aspects, from its construction and design, to how well it functions as an optical instrument and its performance in the field.

Each telescope is carefully tested by either our expert staff or knowledgeable freelance contributors who know their subject areas in depth. This ensures fair reviewing is backed by personal, hands-on experience with each telescope and is judged based on its price point, class and destined use. For example, comparing a 10-inch Dobsonian to a 2.76-inch refractor wouldn’t be appropriate though each telescope might be the best pick in their own class.

We look at how easy it is to set up, whether computerized or motorized mounts are reliable and quiet, and if a telescope comes with appropriate eyepieces and tripods. We also suggest if a particular telescope would benefit from any additional kit to give you the best experience possible.

With complete editorial independence, Space.com are here to ensure you get the best buying advice on telescopes, whether you should purchase an instrument or not, making our buying guides and reviews reliable and transparent.

Aperture: Diameter of the primary mirror or lens, which allows a telescope to collect light.Field of view: Area of sky visible through the eyepiece.Focal length: A telescope's tube length. Short focal lengths offer a wide field of view and a small image.Focal ratio: Also known as the telescope's speed. Small focal ratios provide lower magnifications, wide field of view and a brighter image.Magnification: Relationship between the telescope's optical system and the eyepiece.

Unlike the deep sky, which remains almost unchanged throughout our lives, the planets constantly bring us new and sometimes surprising reasons to look again. They're easy to find and inspiring to take in — real worlds that our descendants or even we may visit one day.

Any telescope can make them look impressive, but a well-tuned high-contrast instrument is what is needed to really do them justice, and you'll be thankful to have one to hand when something special occurs, like the arrival of an incredible gas giant storm, or a night of exceptionally steady seeing that invites you to max out the power. If you plan to take your own astrophotos, it's well worth considering a telescope mount with tracking capability, altazimuth or equatorial — both are suitable for short exposures. At such long focal lengths, the Earth's rotation quickly moves things out of the field of view, and dedicated planetary imaging cameras have small sensors. Regardless of which telescope you choose, you're in for an exciting new hobby as a Solar System explorer. Enjoy the magnificent highlights of our celestial neighborhood.

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Tom Kerss F.R.A.S. is a London-based astronomer, astrophotographer, author and consultant. Having previously worked at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, he is the founder of Stargazing✦London, which delivers world-class online astronomy and space courses with subject experts. Tom is also the host of the Star Signs podcast, providing updates from the world of space news, as well as what to look out for in the night sky. With a background in astrophysics and science communication, he is an avid stargazer and aurora-chaser who is always looking for his next astronomy adventure. Tom has authored numerous best-selling astronomy books for both adults and children, including 2021’s Northern Lights: The Definitive Guide to Auroras, which offers a complete introduction to nature's most magical skybound phenomenon. Find out more about Tom's projects and other books at stargazing.london

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