Under $200 for the best budget telescope we recommend!

Celestron are one of the biggest names when it comes to telescopes, and now with this great offer from Amazon this Black Friday weekend, you can save $78 on one of our best budget telescopes that is ideal for beginners.

You can get the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ telescope on sale right now at Amazon for $182.

We rank it as one of the best budget telescopes under $300, but for this weekend, it is even cheaper, coming in under $200. In our Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ review, our expert, Jamie Carter, highlighted that this telescope is good for entry-level astronomy, allowing you to observe the moon and planets. While it doesn’t have the optics to manage impressive views of the nebulas and galaxies, for example, this telescope would suit beginners looking for a budget-conscious option to get started with astronomy. We think it’d make an ideal Christmas gift, too.

Jamie has years of experience in writing about all things space and optics, being a keen stargazer. His focus is on writing about the night sky, solar and lunar eclipses, moongazing and astronomy. He is also an editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com and the author of A Stargazing Program For Beginners.

Image 1 of 4

The Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ is 30% of this Black Friday weekend.(Image credit: Jamie Carter)(Image credit: Jamie Carter)(Image credit: Jamie Carter)(Image credit: Jamie Carter)

If you’re looking to get into astronomy but you’re not sure where to start, the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114 AZ is a solid purchase. Being our best budget telescope under $300, you can now get one of the best budget telescopes for less than $200!

Not only is this telescope simple to set up, but the use of the StarSense app makes it easy for beginners to use their smartphone to track night sky targets with the StarSense app. In our review of the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ, our expert was impressed with how well this worked. He was also impressed with the detail captured when viewing the planets, such as the rings of Saturn.

Key features: 114mm aperture, 2x Barlow lens, 25mm and 100mm eyepieces, aluminum tripod, StarSense Explorer app.

Product launched: January 2020

Price history: We’ve only seen this telescope cheaper once this year, back in February, where it was being sold for $175. Therefore, this is a great Black Friday deal that shouldn’t be missed.

Price comparison: Amazon: $182 | Walmart: $240 | Best Buy: $240

Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!

Reviews consensus: We gave this telescope three out of five stars in our review when comparing it to higher-end models. However, when considering its suitability to beginners, this telescope is impressive, especially for its even cheaper price point over Black Friday weekend.

Space: ★★★

Featured in guides: Best budget telescopes, best telescopes for seeing the planets

✅ Buy it if: You are a beginner to astronomy, looking for a budget-conscious choice for backyard stargazing.

❌ Don’t buy it if: You want to view deep space objects — the optics and aperture of this telescope won’t suffice.

Check out our other guides to the best telescopes, binoculars, cameras, star projectors, drones, lego and much more.