The 9 Best Orion Telescopes

If you wanted an Orion SkyQuest XT8, the StarSense Explorer 8-Inch Dobsonian from Celestron is the closest new match: a big mirror on a plain wooden-style base that you nudge by hand. A cradle holds your phone, and the free app reads the stars overhead and draws arrows to each target. Celestron's warranty runs two years. You get a single eyepiece, and the tube and base are bulky enough to take two trips.

The Sky-Watcher Heritage 130 fills the gap the Orion StarBlast 4.5 left behind: a small reflector that sits on a table and swings by hand. Its open tube slides shut for storage, the mirror has the better curved shape used in larger scopes, and it arrives built. Sky-Watcher comes from the same factory group that made most Orion scopes, so it feels familiar. You'll need a sturdy table or crate outside, and the dot finder is basic.

For anyone who wants the telescope to do the finding, the Celestron NexStar 8SE aims itself and then follows each object as the sky turns. After a quick alignment, the hand controller offers more than 40,000 targets. The short orange tube fits in a car trunk. It needs eight AA batteries that aren't in the box or a separate power supply, and its sealed tube needs time outdoors to cool before views sharpen.

Owners of the Orion StarBlast 6 will recognize the idea behind the StarSense Explorer 150mm Tabletop: a six-inch mirror on a low base that you set on a patio table or a car hood. Dock a phone, and the app shows arrows to your target plus a short list of what's worth seeing tonight. It comes with a low-power and a high-power eyepiece. Celestron's matching tripod costs extra, and without it you'll need a steady surface.

Readers who liked the Orion SpaceProbe 130ST should look at the Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ, a reflector on a tilted mount that turns with fine-control knobs. Once the mount is lined up with the North Star, one knob keeps a planet in view as the sky moves. That setup takes practice, and the tripod can shake when you focus at high power. It comes with a pair of eyepieces, a dot finder and Celestron's two-year warranty.

Galaxy hunters with a dark backyard get the most from the StarSense Explorer 10-Inch Dobsonian, Celestron's stand-in for the Orion SkyQuest XT10. A mirror that size gathers enough light to show the shape of brighter galaxies and break star clusters into points. The phone app handles finding, and the base moves smoothly by hand. It's a heavy two-piece load that won't fit every hatchback, so check your storage and car first.

Beginners who keep getting lost among the stars can start cheaply with the StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ, which puts the phone-guided finder on a full-height tripod so nobody needs a table. The app points the way and suggests targets for the night, and the moon's craters and Saturn's rings show well. The light tripod wobbles when you touch the focuser, and the app can be fussy on some phones.

Kids who want the moon tonight and birds in the morning are well served by the Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ, a lens telescope you steer with a handle. Its angled eyepiece holder shows land views right side up, and there's no mirror to align or clean. It's the natural heir to the Orion Observer II 70. The small lens shows planets as tiny disks, and galaxies stay mostly out of reach.

Pack the Celestron Travel Scope 70 for a camping trip: the lens telescope, a photo-style tripod and two eyepieces all fit in the padded backpack that comes with it. It goes together without tools and works for the moon, bright planets and daytime scenery. Think of it as a first scope for a child or a spare for the car. The light tripod shakes in wind, and the view turns soft at high power.