Best Portable Telescope 2020 – [Feel Close To The Moon]
No need to fly to the moon anymore! Feel close to the moon; reach the stars! I am now in the quest of finding the best portable telescope that helps you gaze into the ornamented night sky and lets you enjoy the beautiful view of birds in your backyard.
Below I have reviewed 6 such telescopes that serve this purpose fairly well.
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This awesome easy to setup portable telescope is the companion you need to have on your astronomical quest.
The PowerSeeker 127EQ is an awesome piece of device that every aspiring astronomer should be having.
It’s high-quality optical glass combined with 3x Barlow lens which triples the magnifying power of this telescope, makes it easy for you to track wonders of the endless night sky.
Apart from that, it is built with high-quality durable material which comes along with a 2-year limited warranty giving you peace of mind when you purchase this item.
Celestron is one of the most reputed maker of telescopes, so you know you are in right hands.
Table of Contents
Best Portable Telescope Reviews
Telescopes do nothing more than gathering light. This light reflects and helps you get closer views of distant objects. However, not all telescopes are the same. Subject to your needs and affordability, you must choose the best portable telescope available on the market.
This portability is important in view of the fact that you might need to move it from one corner of your balcony to another or take it along with you outdoors for better viewing. This brings down our review criteria to three main aspects and those are viewing quality, affordability and design.
1. Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker Portable Telescope
A nice telescope for basic astronomy – this is how Celestron 127EQ telescope is known to the customers.
No matter if you need a portable telescope for your inquisitive kid or for exercising your family hobby this is the best portable telescope that ensures hours of enjoyment.
Whether terrestrial observation or celestial astronomy, this scope gives the right orientation.
To unveil the wonders of the universe there are 3 Barlow lenses supplied with the scope. This means that the power of each lens is magnified.
The fully-coated optical glass ensures clarity of view, thanks to its high transmission coating material.
What Makes it the Best Portable Telescope?
You can’t wait to see the stars. Celestron understands that and gives you an easy-to-assemble telescope. Unpack the box and take out the telescope and the tripod. Attach them together and use a suitable eyepiece supplied with the telescope. You are all set to explore the universe.
The equatorial mounts are ideal for the night sky; the collapsible alt-azimuth mounts are for land as well as sky viewing, any time of the day.
The telescope has dimensions of 11 inches x 17 inches x 33 inches. For smooth tracking, the telescope includes slow motion control option.
For aspiring astronomers, there is “The Sky” Level 1 planetarium software. It is an exhaustive database of 10000 stars providing you their exact location and time.
- It is a decent scope, reasonably priced.
- Managing the telescope accessories is easy because of the accessory tray supplied with the scope.
- The telescope comes with 2 years limited warranty.
- The aluminium tripod is not as stable as some others on the market.
- Collimation process is daunting and the manual supplied with the scope is a bit complexed.
2. Gskyer Portable Telescope
Whether it is for science or travel purpose, for land or sky viewing, Gskyer AZ70400 model has gained much popularity. It is the best portable telescope for the price range, suitable for novice and expert astronomers alike.
Latest German technology has been used in creating this telescope. Superior quality optical glass ZF4 is used in the lens. For enhanced image quality and also for the safety of your eyes, it is coated with multilayer green film. The transmittance of the glass is 99.5%.
Made from aluminum alloy, this telescope is sturdy and stable. You can easily adjust the height of the tripod for better viewing.
Some of the accessories are supplied with the telescope; others are optional.
Why Do We Recommend This Portable Telescope?
Two of the valuable accessories that come packed with the telescope are the eyepieces (25 mm and 10 mm) and the Barlow lenses. The eyepieces add variety so that you get the best viewing experience in any situation. The Barlow lenses are there to magnify the power of an eyepiece up to 120 times.
It works for all the members of the family, children and adults alike. Those who are not interested in planets and comets can use the telescope for bird watching. The tripod can be separately used by photographers.
- Because of its lightweight, it is easy to carry outdoors. The backpack supplied with it makes carrying even more convenient.
- It is truly an easy-to-assemble telescope. Even a beginner can follow the instructions supplied in the manual. Besides English, the manual is written also in the Chinese language.
- It is a reasonably priced gift item for anyone interested in watching moon and stars.
- Compared to similar telescopes available on the market, it has a shorter warranty period.
- You cannot connect it with your laptop or any other digital device.
- This is not the best telescope for viewing planets.
3. Emarth 20-60x60AE Waterproof Angled Spotting Scope with Tripod
From archery to hunting, from shooting to bird watching, Emarth 20-60x60AE Angled Spotting Scope adds to your outdoor enjoyment.
At a very affordable price, Emarth is offering the best portable telescope for the outdoorsy. To add to your convenience, there come also a carry bag, a tripod, a lens cap and of course, a user manual.
Along with its portable design, you’ll love this scope for the color, contrast and resolution of its lenses.
You can use it in any weather, under any viewing condition. It is water as well as fog-resistant. It is covered with shock-absorbing rubber. The scope has a dimension of 350 mm x 100 mm x 75mm and it weighs 640 grams.
Why Should You Consider Purchasing This Portable Telescope?
It is the best portable telescope if you intend to zoom at a target. The 60 mm objective lens having an intelligent lens focusing mechanism and 20 to 60 times magnification makes that possible.
All the glass components are duly coated so that you can enjoy the noise-free view. This high transmission coating is then backed up by BK-7 prism to further enhance the clarity of view.
It is suitable for all age groups and every expertise level. However, if you wear glasses, take them off when you view through this scope.
- To shooters and hunters, this telescope offers a wide coverage, 150 yards or more.
- The telescope is lightweight. It can easily accompany you on any of your outdoor adventures.
- Along with the product warranty, the manufacturer is offering a 30-days money-back guarantee.
- The tripod is not of very decent quality.
- The 1-year warranty is somewhat limited compared to the warranty period of other portable telescopes available on the market.
- This particular model includes only 45-degree angled eyepiece, neither straight eyepiece nor 90-degree eyepiece. So, you have to continuously tilt and adjust the tripod to get the best view.
4. Celestron 21035 70mm Travel Scope
I am now talking about an award-winning telescope. Yes, in 2014, this Celestron telescope received 50 Campfires Magazine’s, ‘Gear of the Year” award.
Given the crisp viewing quality and handy design, you can’t go wrong with this 70 mm Travel Scope.
When it comes to quality and affordability, Celestron Travel Scope is the best portable telescope out on the market.
Offering optimal optical performance, this is your lifelong companion for terrestrial and astronomical observations.
Why is it a Recommend Telescope for Outdoors?
Obviously, you would like to take it along when out for hunting, camping or hiking. Not to worry! It is portable and surprisingly lightweight. The padded backpack supplied with the scope adds to your carrying convenience.
In addition to the telescope, the package includes a tripod, 2 eyepieces (20 mm and 10 mm) and a 45-degree prism. There is also “The Sky X” software to get the pictures transferred from your scope to your PC.
- For daytime viewing e.g. bird watching, there is the 20 mm eyepiece offering 20 times magnification; the complementary 10 mm eyepiece is ideal to explore the night sky, offering 40 times magnification.
- Because of the coated glass optical elements, you’ll never feel any hindrance in viewing.
- It can also be used as a spotting scope for maximum 500 yards gun range.
- If you are interested in detailed views, this is probably not the best portable telescope. With this, you can have decent views of Saturn, Jupiter etc. but to view the ring of Saturn, the stripes of Jupiter or similar, you need a Barlow lens.
- When you fix it on the aluminum tripod supplied with the scope, it becomes very unstable.
- Some of the components of the scope are made up of low quality plastic materials.
5. Orion 10013 GoScope 80mm TableTop Refractor Telescope
GoScope takes you to the moon and beyond. It is the best portable telescope to gaze into deep-sky objects like Andromeda Galaxy, Orion Nebula, star clusters e.g. Beehive and Pleiades, planets like Jupiter, Mars, Venus and of course, into the moon.
For aspiring stargazers, this tiny telescope with big performance would just be the ideal.
It has a stable design thanks to the sturdy tabletop base mount.
You can easily fix it on a tripod for better height.
Assembling it takes only a few minutes.
If you are an experienced astronomer, this is the perfect grab-and-go scope to accompany you in your nature outings.
Why Did We Include This in Our Portable Telescope Review?
If you are using 60 mm refractor scope, now it is the time to change. An 80 mm aperture scope gathers 70% more light thereby offering you clear and crisp views.
Use the EZ Finder II red-dot website to locate a distant object accurately. Then use either 10 mm or 20 mm eyepiece, supplied with the telescope, to get the best possible pictures.
Don’t get misguided by its size! The 80 mm objective lens with 350mm focal length (f/4.3), assure you a great view from any observing site.
Because of its relatively large diameter, you get to see more objects in the night sky compared to the 60 mm or 70 mm lenses. The eyepieces, supplied with it, offer magnification, sometimes to 35 times to better view the solar system.
- The telescope is small in size and light in weight. You can easily carry it to all possible outdoor venues.
- It is extremely easy to assemble as well to handle. It can be the right gift for an inquisitive kid.
- It can also be used for terrestrial viewing.
- Though not totally incompatible, this scope is not the best portable telescope for viewing Mars. It appears only as a small red dot.
- The accessories supplied with the scope are not always sufficient. You may need to buy appropriate Barlow lens separately for the best experience.
6. Gosky 70mm AZ Astronomy Portable Telescope
If you’d like to explore the beauty of the distant world in the most affordable way, I know the best portable telescope for that.
Gosky 70 mm telescope is equally suitable for kids, students, travellers and aspiring astronomers.
Fit equally for terrestrial and astronomical observations, this telescope lets you take both pictures and videos. Thanks to the smartphone adaptor that sharing with friends is a matter of a few seconds.
It is portable, durable and easy to set up anywhere, indoor or outdoor.
It has a dimension of 13.4 inches x 16.5 inches x 6.5 inches and it weighs 6.5 lbs.
What Makes This The Most Affordable Portable Telescope?
Besides the telescope, the package further includes two eyepieces (10 mm and 25 mm), a 45-degree prism, a Barlow lens and a tripod.
The carrying bag accommodates all these components well and makes it convenient for you to carry everything outdoors. The two eyepieces and the Barlow lens work together to allow you a varying degree of magnification.
- The scope comes with a 365-days limited warranty.
- Unlike its other competitors, the scope includes a smartphone eyepiece adapter.
- The telescope is created maintaining environmental standards.
- Some users have a complaint that during assembly, all the parts supplied with the telescope don’t fit together.
- The tripod could have been of better quality.
Conclusion
You definitely have your own preferences and criteria of deciding the telescope most suitable for you. I hope after knowing the positive and negative aspects of each telescope and their individual highlights, you can now make an informed decision.
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I like it when people get together and share opinions. Great site, stick with it!
Thank you very much
So now we come to my favorite question: what is the best magnification for a monocular for portraits?