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 numerous aspects, from its construction and design, to how well it functions as an optical instrument and its performance in the field. Where you place your telescope when observing is dependent upon your unique situation, but if you have a choice, follow these suggestions: One TESS study found that the most intense flares from four red dwarf stars appeared closer to their poles, steering clear of the equatorial plane in which most planets usually orbit. The sample size is small but if further observations support it, it’s good news for possible life on red dwarf planets. Another TESS study analyzed 2,532 flares from 112 red dwarfs and showed that the flares, while stronger than our Sun, weren’t energetic enough to trigger depletion of an Earth-like protective ozone layer on red dwarf planets.

Whether you're keen on stargazing and astrophotography using your smartphone or camera, planning to explore dark sky areas with a compact and portable telescope or wanting to dive deep into astronomy with a large Dobsonian model, we've got you covered no matter what. The Skymax 150's optics are impressive, delivering crisp, distortion-free views. It's a versatile telescope, perfect for capturing images of everything — from planets to distant galaxies and nebulas. It's also user-friendly and easy to accessorize, making it a great choice for astronomers and astrophotographers of all skill levels.As of 2023, we have discovered more than 5,000 planets orbiting other stars in our galaxy. More than half of these exoplanets were spotted by NASA’s first planet-hunting space telescope, Kepler, launched in 2009. While most planets Kepler found were larger and far more massive than Earth, it demonstrated how a dedicated mission can greatly refine our search for life.

A telescope’s aperture is the size or diameter of the main or objective lens. Aperture is the most important feature to consider when buying a telescope. A larger aperture means a brighter image, better details and the ability to see deeper into the sky. 3. How to make a telescope more powerful? How to increase the magnification of a telescope? If ease of use, portability and convenience are high on your requirements, and you like gadgets, then a short focal length refractor of up to 4-inches or catadioptric (Schmidt- or Maksutov-Cassegrain) up to 5-inches on a computerized mount may well fit the bill. Both types of instruments are versatile performers and will show many deep-sky objects and reveal considerable detail on the moon and planets at high magnification. COMPATIBLE WITH ALL iPHONES & MOST ANDROIDTM SMARTPHONES: Mount expands from 2.25″-3.50″ to fit most smartphones, like the NEW iPhone 6 & 6 Plus!We spoke with Christina Williams (NSF’s NOIRLab), Sandro Tacchella (University of Cambridge), and Michael Maseda (University of Wisconsin-Madison) to learn more about the first observation of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field through Webb’s eyes. Try to stay away from sources of light. Turn off your porch lights, and if you are friendly with your neighbors, ask them to turn theirs off as well, and then come share the view through your telescope! If you live in a light polluted location, welcome to the situation faced by millions of amateur astronomers! Take heart that Los Angeles has a very large population of telescope enthusiasts. The point here is to choose the darkest location possible for your situation, and then enjoy the views!

Christina Williams: We proposed to image the Ultra Deep Field using some of Webb’s NIRCam’s medium-band image filters, which allowed us to take images of spectral features more accurately than we could with broadband filters because medium-band filters span a shorter wavelength range. This gives us more sensitivity in measuring colors, which helps us understand the history of star formation and ionization properties of galaxies during the first billion years of the universe, like in the Reionization Era. Measuring the energy that galaxies produced in that time will help us understand how galaxies reionized the universe, reverting it from being neutral gas to once again being an ionized plasma like it was after the big bang. The Maksutov-Cassegrain, also affectionately known as the 'Mak', corrects the optical problem that is experienced by reflectors — an aberration effect called 'coma,' which can make objects look distorted and appear like they have a tail. This effect is reduced or banished with the combined efforts of a spherical mirror and a meniscus lens, the latter of which is 'weakly negative'. The Maksutov is also adept at correcting for chromatic aberration, or color fringing, a distortion that creates an unwanted purple or blue edging around bright night-sky objects.It offers impressive magnification of up to 133x, allowing you to view celestial objects with incredible detail. The included eyepieces are well-suited for observing the moon and planets, revealing beautiful finer details that you don't get with many other scopes. It's sturdy and user-friendly, making it a great choice even for those new to astronomy or don't have much experience. While there are cheaper alternatives available, they often don't match the quality of the Skyline 6-inch.

Unistellar eVscope 2A fantastically designed telescope, brilliant for photographers who want to get into astronomy and have the budget or astronomers who want an all-in-one system that’s simple to use and set up. ★★★★½ Sky-Watcher Skymax 150 PROFor astrophotography, you cannot go wrong with this telescope — it has great quality optics and an excellent build, although not all models come with a tripod.★★★★Despite these few niggles, the SkyWatcher Explorer 130M Motorised Newtonian Reflector Telescope comes extremely well reviewed, with consistently high scores and customers impressed with what's delivered for the reasonable price tag. An excellent option for new stargazers and onwards, this one should whet your appetite for further investigation of the Moon – and beyond! As a follow-up, NASA, MIT and several other institutes launched the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) in 2018. TESS has a more focused mission: to spot Earth-size worlds around some of the nearest and brightest stars so they can be studied by future telescopes. How does TESS find planets around other stars? As you can imagine, pricing is one of the most important factors of any purchasing decision. We can find the perfect product for our needs, that fits the brief in every single way. But if it doesn’t fit our budgets, we simply can’t (or at least shouldn’t) buy it. In short, this Telescope is the perfect way for you to indulge in a little astrological exploration. The stars are yours to explore! The telescope itself is well-constructed and is very easy to use. Its 100mm aperture lets in a significant amount of light, allowing you to observe faint celestial objects like nebulas and galaxies. It also has a long focal length, providing substantial magnification and detailed views of planets and other nearby objects.