Gazing at the stars in the middle of the night is a wonderful experience that helps you relax while you feel the freedom of wandering among the stars. But, of course, this process is not that simple, you need the right equipment to do so.
To have a pleasant experience you will need a monocular telescope that has a high enough magnification power (For example, a magnification power of 50x results in the viewing of the object 50 times closer, practically the magnification power is the value with which the objects is “brought closer”.
Depending on which level we want to see the stars (amateur/professional) we need to consider what kind of monocular we need.
Obviously, a professional monocular telescope can cost quite a fortune, and if you want to watch stars just for fun you may not want to spend that much on a professional monocular telescope and you may be satisfied with one with a lower magnification power (as you may not want to take a peek close enough to study the stars).
Best Monocular for Stargazing of 2020
What to consider when you buy your monocular telescope?
Magnification power
Depending on how close you want to see the stars you can choose a monocular with a magnification power between 10x and 150x maybe even higher.
Watching stars with a monocular that has a magnification power of 10x won’t be such a big difference compared with the naked eye as you are watching objects that are light-years away (closest star to Earth being Proxima Centauri star, about 4.24 light-years away), taking this into consideration no one will think that a low magnification power will help that much so you may want to look at monoculars with magnification power higher than 100x, but that is up to you.
Eyepieces and focal lengths:
An eyepiece works similar to a magnifying glass. After the image is formed by the objective lens, the eyepiece lens magnifies the image and redirects it to your eye. The focal length of a lens basically determines how “zoomed in” the object you focus on will be.
For example, an eyepiece with a focal length of 25mm will provide a larger image of an object than an eyepiece with a focal length of 15mm. Most of the monocular telescopes that are designed for stargazing will have more eyepieces that can be changed according to the needs.
Cost
Most of the monocular telescopes for amateurs won’t cost as much as the professional ones but you still have to be careful to get what you paid for (not to end up with “kids toys”). Professional monocular telescopes for stargazing can cost quite a fortune (up to thousands of dollars).
If you are willing to pay that much for a monocular telescope, then you already know what you are looking for and you may want to skip this top, but if you are still not sure which one to get or you are still thinking if it’s really worthy to pay that much you can see below our recommendations for the best quality-price balanced monocular telescopes for stargazing.
That being said, let’s jump to our recommendation for stargazing monocular telescopes.
1. Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ Monocular Telescope
This user-friendly monocular telescope is one of the best choices among beginners. Celestron AstroMaster is a powerful monocular telescope that has fully-coated glass optics and a durable and sturdy framework. This monocular telescope is also suitable for kids.
Specs:
- Focal Length: 1000mm
- Focal Ratio: f/8.7
- Aperture: 114mm
- Magnification: 50x / 100x
- Optical Design: Newtonian Reflector
- Limiting Magnitude: 12.8
- Lowest Magnification: 16x
- Highest Magnification: 269x
- Size: 35 x 19 x 12 (inches)
- Weight: 26.5 pounds
Pros:
- Easy to use due to its user friendly concept. Suitable for beginners.
- Two years warranty and unlimited access to technical support.
- It doesn’t need tools for assembly.
- Pack includes two eyepieces (20mm and 10mm), travel tripod and a red dot finder scope.
- Great quality.
Cons:
- Finding a backpack in which can fit may be a challenge.
- It is weighting quite a lot for a beginner monocular telescope.
- Quite pricey for a beginner telescope.
2. TELMU Monocular Telescope
Telmu monocular telescope is a good choice among beginners regarding the age, due to its adjustable tripod it can be a good fit for both kids and adults and it can even be considered a “family monocular telescope”.
Telmu provides a monocular telescope pretty light than can be easily carried around and even provides a backpack to do that.
Specs:
- Focal Length: 400mm
- Focal Ratio: f/5.7
- Aperture: 70mm
- Magnification: 16x / 67x
- Optical Design: Refractor
- Limiting Magnitude: 11.6
- Lowest Magnification: 16x
- Highest Magnification: 67x
- Size: 18 x 11.5 x 6.4 (inches)
- Weight: 5.3 pounds
Pros:
- Suitable for beginners of all ages.
- Adjustable tripod, can be easily used by both kids and adults.
- It doesn’t need tools for assembly.
- Pack includes two eyepieces (K6mm and K25mm), finder scope, diagonal mirror, phone adapter, backpack and manual.
- Pretty light design concept.
- Really good quality and price.
Cons:
- There is a low chance that the phone adapter may not be suitable for some phones.
- Tripod may be a little shaky.
3. Celestron Travel Scope Monocular Telescope
Celestron Travel Scope monocular telescope is an easy to use monocular telescope that can be a perfect gift for kids and adults. Falling in love with this product won’t be that hard due to its quality – price balance. It also includes an astronomy software that can be a great help for beginners.
Celestron Travel Scope monocular telescope is powerful enough to see the rings of Saturn and the craters on the moon.
Specs:
- Focal Length: 400mm
- Focal Ratio: f/5.7
- Aperture: 70mm
- Magnification: 20x / 40x
- Optical Design: Refractor
- Limiting Magnitude: 11.7
- Lowest Magnification: 10x
- Highest Magnification: 165x
- Size: 18 x 14 x 7 (inches)
- Weight: 4.2 pounds (assembled)
Pros:
- Compact and easy to carry around with the provided backpack.
- Two years warranty and unlimited access to technical support.
- Easy to assemble, not requiring tools.
- Pack includes two eyepieces (20mm and 10mm), finder scope, backpack and astronomy software.
- Adjustable tripod.
- Very light, weighing just 4.2 pounds assembled
- Compared to other monocular telescopes for beginners, this one can be considered really cheap
Cons:
- Based on customers reviews, the tripod is not sturdy enough when is fully extended.
4. Gskyer AZ70400 Monocular Telescope
Using Gskyer AZ70400, you certainly will have unforgettable experiences across the sky. Its user friendly concept makes it easy to use for beginners. Gskyer AZ70400 is a cost effective choice among new starters as a first monocular telescope with a high caliber, using 3x Barlow lens makes it easy to look at moon and stars.
The fun doesn’t stop just at looking, using the wireless camera remote you can also take pictures to share your experience with others.
Specs:
- Focal Length: 400mm
- Focal Ratio: f/5.7
- Aperture: 70mm
- Magnification: 16x / 40x
- Optical Design: Refractor
- Limiting Magnitude: 12.5
- Lowest Magnification: 16x
- Highest Magnification: 120x
- Size: 24.8 x 8.4 x 4.9 (inches)
- Weight: 5.8 pounds
Pros:
- Compact and easy to carry around with the provided backpack.
- Easy to take photos due to the wireless camera remote.
- Easy to assemble, not requiring tools.
- Pack includes two eyepieces (10mm and 25mm), finder scope, aluminum alloy tripod, Barlow Lens (3x), Phone mount and remote, accessory tray, carry bag and manual.
- Adjustable aluminum tripod.
- Great quality product.
Cons:
- May be a bit heavier than similar sized monocular telescopes.
- Fairly expensive for a monocular telescope limited at highest magnification power of 120x.
5. SOLOMARK Monocular Telescope for Kids
If you are a parent that is already absorbed by the beauty of the sky, you may want to pass your hobby to your kid.
Finding a monocular telescope suitable for kids is not that easy as most of the monocular telescopes are designed for adults or both adults and kids, but SOLOMARK comes with a monocular telescope special designed for kids and offers them the possibility to admire and understand the universe around us.
Specs:
- Focal Length: 400mm
- Focal Ratio: f/5.7
- Aperture: 70mm
- Magnification: 20x / 40x
- Optical Design: Refractor
- Limiting Magnitude: 12.5
- Lowest Magnification: 20x
- Highest Magnification: 175x
- Size: 17.2 x 11.3 x 5.7 (inches)
- Weight: 5.0 pounds
Pros:
- Compact and easy to carry around with the provided backpack.
- Suitable for kids and children.
- Easy to assemble, not requiring tools.
- Pack includes two eyepieces (K9mm and K20mm), smartphone adapter, finder scope with crosshair lines, adjustable aluminum tripod, specially designed kids backpack.
Cons:
- Might be a bit difficult to use for an adult.
- Smartphone adapter may not be compatible with some smartphones.
- Higher magnification power may be needed.
6. Levenhuk Skyline Monocular Telescope
This monocular telescope takes the passion to the next level. With Levenhuk Skyline monocular telescope you are one step closer to getting images similar to the ones that require professional equipment that can cost thousands of dollars.
But this advantage comes with a price, you may find difficulties getting used to Levenhuk Skyline as it is not an user friendly monocular telescope. This monocular telescope is fully multi-coated and can reach a magnification power up to 230x.
Specs:
- Focal Length: 1000mm
- Focal Ratio: f/8.8
- Aperture: 114mm
- Magnification: 40x / 120x
- Optical Design: Newtonian reflector
- Limiting Magnitude: 12.2
- Lowest Magnification: 40x
- Highest Magnification: 230x
- Size: 32 x 15 x 10 (inches)
- Weight: 20.0 pounds
Pros:
- Great quality – price ratio.
- Excellent magnification power that allows you to see planets and features of the moon’s surface.
- Pack includes two eyepieces (10mm and 25mm), equatorial mount EQ1, aluminum tripod, 2x Barlow lens and user manual.
Cons:
- Not suitable for kids.
- Its weight makes it difficult to carry it around.
- Finding a backpack in which it can fit may be difficult.
- Assembly process may be quite difficult.
7. Orion StarBlast II Monocular Telescope
Orion StarBlast II surpasses the capabilities of beginner monocular telescopes, therefore you may want to try it if you are not a complete beginner. As a beginner, you may experience difficulties from setting it up to actually using it.
On the other hand, if you already know how to use it, you will experience amazing sights. The MoonMap provided will act as a guide for you and will let you experience sights of the moon you never experienced before.
Specs:
- Focal Length: 450mm
- Focal Ratio: f/4.0
- Aperture: 114mm
- Magnification: 18x / 45x
- Optical Design: Reflector
- Limiting Magnitude: 12.9
- Lowest Magnification: 16x
- Highest Magnification: 228x
- Size: 32 x 18 x 8 (inches)
- Weight: 20.7 pounds
Pros:
- Top notch quality.
- Allows you to see features of the moon surface, galaxies and star clusters.
- Pack includes two eyepieces (10mm and 25mm), equatorial mount EQ1, tripod, EZ Finder II reflex sight and MoonMap.
- Adjustable height tripod.
- Based on users reviews, it is suitable for children.
Cons:
- Might be troublesome to carry around due to its weight.
- Finding a backpack in which it can fit may be difficult.
- Assembly process may be quite difficult.
8. Meade Infinity 102mm Monocular Telescope
Meade Infinity is a perfect choice for a family monocular telescope, it is suitable for children and beginners, easy to set up and also comes with astronomical software and instructional DVD.
Its three eyepieces make it really flexible as it can be easily used with different magnification powers not only for stargazing but It can also be used for sightseeing and bird watching.
Specs:
- Focal Length: 600mm
- Focal Ratio: f/5.9
- Aperture: 102mm
- Magnification: 23x / 66x / 95x
- Optical Design: Achromatic Refractor
- Limiting Magnitude: 13.2
- Lowest Magnification: 15x
- Highest Magnification: 204x
- Size: 53 x 34 x 34 (inches)
- Weight: 20 pounds
Pros:
- Does not lack in terms of quality.
- Pack includes three eyepieces (6.3mm, 9mm and 26mm), Altazimuth mount with panhandle and slow-motion control, tripod, red dot finder scope and astronomical software and instructional DVD.
- Easy to assemble and use.
- Suitable for children.
Cons:
- Might be a bit difficult to adjust.
- Tripod may not be adjusted to the desired size.
- Quite heavy and requires more space than monocular telescopes with similar specs.
- Pretty expensive for a beginner monocular telescope.