Telescope deals: save on telescopes from Celestron, Orion, Vaonis & more

Telescope against a starry night
(Image credit: Roman Makhmutov via Getty)

Looking for great telescope deals but aren't sure where to start? If so, then you've come to the right place. We've rounded up all the best telescope deals from our favorite reliable retailers so you don't have to, saving you time and money so you can get stargazing much faster. 

We've included telescopes for every budget and experience level, from beginners all the way up to advanced users, and some of these would even be suitable for kids, too, which would make a great gift this holiday season. If this is going to be your very first telescope, or you're looking to upgrade to a better one, check out our guide on the best telescopes to see which ones might be worth going for — you never know, they might just be on offer.

But how do you know which kind of telescope you want? There are many different types, and to a newbie, all the terminology can be very confusing. There are three main types of telescope: refractor, reflector and catadioptric

Refractor telescopes are a great choice for beginners for their easy setup and wallet-friendly price and are better for looking at objects such as the moon and other planets. 

Reflector telescopes are a good option for amateur astronomers who want to see distant galaxies and nebulas. Reflector telescopes can also be split up into two categories — Newtonian and Dobsonian, but we've kept them together in this guide to make things easier.

Catadioptric telescopes were created to fix many of the issues found in refractor and reflector scopes, like coma and chromatic aberration. These scopes do tend to be pricier, but worth it in our opinion. These can also be split into two different types; Maksutov-Cassegrain and Schmidt-Cassegrain. 

We keep this telescope deals guide updated all year round, so if the telescope you have your eye on isn't on here, keep checking back as it may be on sale in the future. 

Refractor telescopes

Celestron 70mm Travel Scopewas $109.95now $74.99 at Amazon

Celestron 70mm Travel Scope - was $109.95 now $74.99 at Amazon

Designed for beginner astronomers, this travel scope from Celestron would be ideal for adults or kids with an interest in stargazing, or for more seasoned astronomers who want a scope to take with them on the go. It also comes with its own custom backpack to carry everything in.

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZwas $611.95now $359.95 at Adorama

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ - was $611.95 now $359.95 at Adorama

Save a huge 41% on the Celestron StaSense Explorer telescope at Adorama. It's easy to set up and connects to a smartphone app which will display a list of celestial objects that are currently visible.

Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ LT Telescope Kitwas $129.95now $68 at Walmart

Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ LT Telescope Kit - was $129.95 now $68 at Walmart

This Celestron kit from Walmart is almost half-price and includes everything you need to get stargazing in one handy kit. It offers stunning images of the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and brighter deep sky objects like the Orion Nebula, and it also includes a smartphone adapter and Bluetooth remote.

Celestron AstroMaster 90AZwas $319.95now $178 at Walmart

Celestron AstroMaster 90AZ - was $319.95 now $178 at Walmart

Save over $140 on this Celestron AstroMaster 90AZ scope with a powerful 90mm objective lens, two high-quality eyepieces (20mm and 10mm), and also includes a smartphone adapter to take astro images with ease.

Celestron Inspire 100AZ - was $484.44now $399.99 at Amazon

Celestron Inspire 100AZ - was $484.44 now $399.99 at Amazon

This scope scored well in our best telescopes list, and with the largest aperture in Celestron’s Inspire range, the Inspire 100AZ is ideal for new amateur astronomers and comes with everything you need to get started.

Note: If you are considering buying this scope, do shop around — other retailers are offering it cheaper but they were all out of stock.

Vaonis Vespera Observation Station Smart Telescope was $2499.00now $1999.00 at Amazon

Vaonis Vespera Observation Station Smart Telescope - was $2499.00 now $1999.00 at Amazon

Save a huge $500 on this hybrid telescope and camera at Amazon. Released in 2022, this is the little sister to the Stellina, which is featured in our best telescopes guide, so you can be sure this scope will also be of fantastic quality. An incredible choice for deep-sky gazing or astrophotography, but you'll need the budget for it.

Reflector telescopes

Celestron AstroMaster 114EQ Telescopewas $319.95now $224.90 at Amazon

Celestron AstroMaster 114EQ Telescope - was $319.95 now $224.90 at Amazon

Save 30% on this user-friendly and powerful Celestron telescope engineered with a lightweight frame and fully-coated optics to provide crystal-clear, bright images of Saturn, Jupiter, and the Moon, along with deep space objects including brighter galaxies and nebulae.

Celestron - AstroMaster 130EQ -was $349.95now $279.95 with an additional coupon at Amazon

Celestron - AstroMaster 130EQ - was $349.95 now $279.95 with an additional coupon at Amazon

A great, budget-friendly option for astrophotographers, this telescope features a camera adapter that makes it simple to take long exposure images of the night sky. This scope is on our best telescopes list, and there's also an additional coupon to get a further $30 off, making it only $249.95

Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ Telescope - was $219.95now $152.99 at Amazon

Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ Telescope - was $219.95 now $152.99 at Amazon

Save 30% on this Celestron PowerSeeker scope, a great choice for beginners at a wallet-friendly price, complete with an equatorial mount to track celestial objects with ease.

Unistellar eVscope 2 - was $5199now $4299 at Amazon

Unistellar eVscope 2 - was $5199 now $4299 at Amazon

If you have big bucks to spend on your next telescope, you cannot go wrong with the Unistellar eVscope 2, and you can save $900 on Amazon at the moment. We thought this was one of the best telescopes we've ever reviewed — it can do pretty much everything, although, as beautiful as it is (and it really is!), it's way out of budget for most astronomers. 

Orion StarBlast II 4.5 EQ -was $259.99now $199.99 at Walmart

Orion StarBlast II 4.5 EQ - was $259.99 now $199.99 at Walmart

Save $60 at Walmart on this good quality all-round reflector telescope, providing clear views of the moon, planets, and galaxy clusters. It's a great option for keeping the costs down, although beginners may struggle to get the mount set up. This scope ranked very highly in our best telescopes list.

Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes

Celestron NexStar 8SE Telescopewas $1699.99now $1499.99 at Amazon

Celestron NexStar 8SE Telescope - was $1699.99 now $1499.99 at Amazon

Save $200 on the Celestron NexStar 8SE scope, giving an amazing stargazing experience for beginners and experienced observers, and it even tops our best telescopes list. When we reviewed this telescope we loved how bright and sharp the views were, and we think it would make a fantastic scope for beginners with bigger budgets.

Celestron NexStar 6SEwas $1004.03now $949.95 at Amazon

Celestron NexStar 6SE - was $1004.03 now $949.95 at Amazon

If you're wanting a great scope but don't quite have the budget for the 8SE, or don't need as much magnification, why not consider the 6SE which still has excellent reviews at a slightly lower price.

Celestron CGEM II 1100 EdgeHD 11"was $7409.95now $5699 at Adorama

Celestron CGEM II 1100 EdgeHD 11" - was $7409.95 now $5699 at Adorama

Save over $1700 on the Celestron CGEM II 1100 EDGE HD 11" telescope at Adorama, which they claim produces aberration-free images across a wide visual and photographic field of view — perfect for serious astronomers and astrophotographers with a big budget.

Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes

Celestron Astro Fi 102mm Telescope -was £449.99now £419 at Wex

Celestron Astro Fi 102mm Telescope - was £449.99 now £419 at Wex

Save £40 on this Celestron telescope at Wex — it's lightweight and easy to set up, making it a great choice for beginners. When we reviewed this telescope we thought it was a great starter telescope best suited for lunar and planetary observing. It also ranks highly on our best telescopes list.

Celestron NexStar 4SEwas $679now $599 at Amazon

Celestron NexStar 4SE - was $679 now $599 at Amazon

A great mid-range scope for users of all levels, featuring a fully automated GoTo mount to locate and track celestial objects automatically.

Kimberley Lane is a landscape & seascape photographer living in South Wales. Originally using photography as a way to cope with health issues, she aims to portray a feeling of calm and peace through her images. Her work has been featured in a number of national photography magazines. She writes camera reviews and articles for Live Science and Space.com.