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32 refractors, reflectors, Dobsonians, Maksutov-Cassegrains, and dedicated solar telescopes from Explore Scientific, National Geographic, and Lunt Solar Systems, from $99.99 grab-and-go scopes to research-grade H-alpha instruments. Free Shipping.

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50-254mmAperture Range
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Find the Right Telescope for Your Night Sky

Refractors give you sharp, high-contrast views of the Moon and planets in a compact tube. Reflectors and Dobsonians trade portability for bigger apertures and brighter deep-sky views of nebulae and galaxies. Maksutov-Cassegrains fold a long focal length into a short body. Dedicated solar telescopes do something different entirely, showing you prominences, filaments, and active regions on the Sun in daylight.

Our lineup runs from the $99.99 National Geographic 70mm AZ Refractor up to the $39,995.99 Lunt LS230THa double stack solar telescope, with apertures from 50mm to 254mm (10 inches) across Explore Scientific, National Geographic, and Lunt Solar Systems. Every scope ships free.

Already have a telescope? Browse eyepieces to sharpen your view, mounts and tripods to steady it, or solar filters to point it at the Sun safely.

Explore Scientific FCD100 triplet apochromatic refractor telescope on a tripod

Why buy a telescope from Telescope Depot

Three trusted optics brands, real apertures, and support from people who use this gear.

1

An aperture for every budget

From 70mm grab-and-go refractors under $150 to 254mm (10 inch) Dobsonians for serious deep-sky viewing, sized to what you actually want to see.

2

Trusted optics brands

Every telescope here is Explore Scientific, National Geographic, or Lunt Solar Systems. No unbranded imports, no mystery optics.

3

Day and night coverage

We stock both night-sky telescopes and dedicated hydrogen-alpha solar telescopes, so one shop covers the Moon, the planets, and the Sun.

4

Real human support

Not sure which aperture or mount type fits your sky? Contact us or call (855) 501-0541 before you buy.

Shop telescopes by type

Five optical designs, each better at something different. Pick the one that matches what you want to look at.

Refractors

13 models, $99.99 to $4,499.99

Sealed lens tubes with sharp, high-contrast views and almost no maintenance. The easiest first telescope, and the design most apochromatic astrophotography rigs use.

Shop Refractors

Dobsonians

5 models, $449.99 to $749.99

The most aperture per dollar of any design. A large mirror on a simple rocker base, built for chasing faint nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters.

Shop Dobsonians

Reflectors

3 models, $149.99 to $219.99

Newtonian mirror optics on tripod or equatorial mounts. More light-gathering than a similarly priced refractor, in a package that still travels easily.

Shop Reflectors

Maksutov-Cassegrains

1 model, $479.99

A long focal length folded into a short, portable tube. Excellent on the Moon, planets, and double stars where high magnification matters most.

Shop Mak-Cassegrains

Solar Telescopes

10 models, $995.99 to $39,995.99

Dedicated Lunt hydrogen-alpha instruments with the safety filtering built in. Watch prominences, filaments, and flares change over the course of an afternoon.

Shop Solar
APERTURE
RULE

Bigger aperture means brighter, sharper views, not more zoom

Magnification comes from the eyepiece you use, not the telescope. Aperture (the diameter of the main lens or mirror) controls how much light the scope gathers, which is what actually determines how bright and detailed the Moon, planets, and deep-sky objects look. When in doubt, buy the largest aperture you'll comfortably carry and set up. Call (855) 501-0541 if you want a second opinion before you order.

SOLAR
SAFETY

Never point a night-sky telescope at the Sun without proper filtering

Unfiltered sunlight through a telescope will cause permanent eye damage in a fraction of a second, and it can melt an eyepiece. Dedicated Lunt solar telescopes have the required blocking built in and are safe out of the box. If you want to use a telescope you already own, you need a purpose-built front filter or wedge from our Solar Filters collection. Sunglasses, exposed film, and welding glass are not substitutes.

Doing the research first?

These pages come up a lot while people are comparing telescopes.

Buyer's Guide Eyepieces Mounts & Tripods Solar Telescopes Solar Filters Accessories Why Buy From Us Contact Us

Featured telescope picks

Four tiers, twelve scopes, one from each end of the range we carry.

Entry Telescopes ($99.99-$219.99)

National Geographic 70mm AZ refractor telescope
National Geographic · Refractor · Entry

National Geographic 70mm AZ Refractor Telescope

A simple alt-azimuth 70mm refractor built for first-timers who want an easy setup for the Moon and bright planets.

From $99.99
View Details
National Geographic 70mm refractor telescope with adjustable height tripod
National Geographic · Refractor · Entry

National Geographic 70mm Refractor with Adjustable Tripod

Same 70mm optics with a height-adjustable tripod included, good for families sharing one scope at different heights.

From $139.99
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National Geographic NT114CF 114mm reflector telescope
National Geographic · Reflector · Entry

National Geographic NT114CF 114mm Reflector

A 114mm reflector that gathers noticeably more light than the 70mm refractors above, still priced for a first telescope.

From $149.99
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Mid-Range Telescopes ($299.99-$649.99)

Explore Scientific AR127 air-spaced doublet refractor telescope
Explore Scientific · Refractor · Mid-Range

Explore Scientific AR127 Doublet Refractor

A 127mm air-spaced doublet refractor with enough aperture for crisp lunar and planetary detail.

From $449.99
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Explore Scientific 6-inch Dobsonian reflector telescope
Explore Scientific · Dobsonian · Mid-Range

Explore Scientific 6-Inch Dobsonian

A 6 inch Dobsonian on a simple rocker mount, built for buyers who want more aperture per dollar than a refractor.

From $449.99
View Details
Explore FirstLight 127mm Mak-Cassegrain telescope optical tube
Explore Scientific · Mak-Cassegrain · Mid-Range

Explore FirstLight 127mm Mak-Cassegrain OTA

A compact 127mm Maksutov-Cassegrain optical tube with long focal length in a short, portable body.

From $479.99
View Details

Premium Telescopes ($699.99-$2,599.99)

Explore Scientific FCD100 triplet apochromatic refractor telescope
Explore Scientific · Refractor · Premium

Explore Scientific FCD100 Triplet APO Refractor

A true apochromatic triplet available from 80mm to 127mm, built to control color fringing for the sharpest views in this catalog.

From $699.99
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Explore Scientific 10-inch Dobsonian reflector telescope
Explore Scientific · Dobsonian · Premium

Explore Scientific 10-Inch Dobsonian

The largest night-sky aperture in this catalog at 254mm (10 inches), for the brightest views of nebulae and galaxies we carry.

From $749.99
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ED152 air-spaced triplet apochromatic telescope in carbon fiber
Explore Scientific · Refractor · Premium

ED152 Triplet Apochromatic Refractor, Carbon Fiber

A 152mm carbon fiber triplet apo, the flagship night-sky refractor in this catalog for buyers who want the largest apo aperture available.

From $2,599.99
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Solar Telescopes ($619.99-$39,995.99)

Lunt LS50THa 50mm hydrogen-alpha solar telescope
Lunt Solar Systems · Solar · Entry

Lunt LS50THa 50mm H-Alpha Solar Telescope

The most affordable way into dedicated hydrogen-alpha solar viewing. Small enough to carry to an eclipse, sharp enough to show prominences and surface detail.

From $995.99
View Details
Lunt LS60MT 60mm universal day and night telescope
Lunt Solar Systems · Solar & Night · Mid-Range

Lunt LS60MT 60mm Universal Day and Night Telescope

A modular 60mm that works as an H-alpha solar scope by day and a conventional refractor after dark, so one tube covers both.

From $1,195.99
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Lunt 100mm solar ready telescope kit
Lunt Solar Systems · Solar · Premium

Lunt 100mm Solar Ready Telescope Kit

A 100mm solar package with the etalon, blocking filter, and focuser matched at the factory, for observers who want serious resolution on the solar disk.

From $3,495.99
View Details

Also in this tier: the Lunt MT Series Universal Refractor from $619.99, the LS152THa 152mm, and the LS230THa 230mm double stack. See all 10 solar telescopes.

More ways to gear up

Round out your setup or learn more about buying from us.

Eyepieces

Swap in wider fields of view or more magnification.

Mounts & Tripods

Equatorial mounts and tripods to keep your optical tube steady.

Solar Filters

Etalons, blocking filters, and wedges to observe the Sun safely.

Accessories

Diagonals, finders, adapters, cases, and power for your setup.

Buyer's Guide

How to pick aperture, optical design, and mount without guessing.

Why Buy From Us

What makes Telescope Depot different from a big-box retailer.

Price Match Guarantee

Found it cheaper elsewhere? We will match it.

Contact Us

Talk to someone who has actually used this gear.

Telescope FAQs

Answers to what buyers ask us most before ordering.

What is the difference between a refractor and a reflector telescope?

A refractor uses a glass lens at the front to bend light, giving sharp, high-contrast views in a sealed tube that needs almost no maintenance. A reflector uses a curved mirror, which lets you get a larger aperture for less money, at the cost of needing occasional mirror alignment (collimation).

What aperture do I need to see planets and deep-sky objects?

A 70-114mm scope will show you Saturn's rings, Jupiter's cloud bands and moons, and lunar craters clearly. For fainter deep-sky targets like nebulae and galaxies, more aperture (127mm and up) gathers more light and shows more detail.

Can I use a regular telescope to look at the Sun?

Only with a purpose-built solar filter fitted over the front of the tube, or a solar wedge designed for refractors. Never look at the Sun through an unfiltered telescope, and never use a screw-in filter that threads into an eyepiece, since those can crack under concentrated heat. Our Solar Filters collection covers the safe options. If you expect to observe the Sun often, a dedicated Lunt solar telescope has the filtering engineered in and shows far more detail than a white light filter can.

What is the difference between a white light and a hydrogen-alpha solar telescope?

A white light filter or wedge shows the visible surface of the Sun, which mainly means sunspots and granulation. A hydrogen-alpha telescope isolates one very narrow wavelength and reveals the chromosphere above it, so you see prominences arcing off the limb, dark filaments, plage, and flares. Every Lunt solar telescope we carry is a hydrogen-alpha instrument. Double stacking, which adds a second etalon, narrows the bandwidth further and increases surface contrast.

Do I need a computerized Go-To mount, or is manual fine for beginners?

Manual alt-azimuth mounts are simpler, lighter, and a good way to learn the sky by star-hopping. Go-To and tracking mounts, like the one included with the Explore FirstLight 80mm combo, find and follow objects automatically, which some beginners prefer.

What is included when I buy a telescope from Telescope Depot?

Each listing states exactly what ships with it, typically the optical tube, a mount or tripod, and one or two starter eyepieces. Solar telescopes are sold in several configurations, so check which blocking filter and mounting the variant you pick includes. Contact us if you want to confirm before ordering.

Can I see Saturn's rings and Jupiter's moons with an entry-level telescope?

Yes. Even the 70mm National Geographic refractors will show Saturn's rings as a distinct shape and Jupiter's four largest moons as points of light on a clear night, away from heavy light pollution.

What is the difference between a Dobsonian and an equatorial mount?

A Dobsonian sits on a simple rocker base you move by hand, up-down and side-to-side, which keeps the price low for a given aperture. An equatorial mount tracks the sky's rotation along one axis, which makes it easier to keep an object centered for longer viewing or photos.

Is there a telescope that works for both the Sun and the night sky?

Yes. Lunt's MT series, including the LS60MT, LS100MT, and LS130MT, is built as a modular tube that runs as a hydrogen-alpha solar telescope by day and a conventional refractor for the Moon, planets, and deep sky after dark. The Lunt MT Series Universal Refractor is the night-first version of the same platform, ready to accept a solar module later.

Do your telescopes come with eyepieces included?

Most of our telescopes ship with one or two starter eyepieces. Serious observers usually add at least one more from our Eyepieces collection for a wider field of view or higher magnification. Solar observers often want the dedicated Lunt solar eyepieces, which are also in that collection.

How long does telescope shipping take, and is it free?

Every telescope on this page ships free within the U.S. See our Shipping page for current transit times, or call (855) 501-0541 if you need it by a specific date.

What is your return policy if the telescope does not work for me?

We offer easy returns within our stated window. Full details, including how to start a return, are on our Easy Returns page.

Should I buy a mount or tripod separately, or does the telescope include one?

Most telescopes on this page include a matching mount or tripod, noted on the product page. Several Lunt solar telescopes are sold as an optical tube only, so plan on a mount for those. If you want a sturdier or upgraded option, or a spare, see our Mounts & Tripods collection.