When someone asks me “what telescope should I buy, my budget is “X,” I usually ask questions to try to get a feel for what type of stargazer that person will end up being. Are they interested in just the Moon and planets? Or, are they looking to see galaxies and nebula from darks skies? Do they need something portable? Can they carry a large telescope or do they need something of a more manageable size?

Then, given their answers, I’ll try to match a telescope to their criteria based loosely on the chart below. I’ll also match every telescope against my personal list of minimum requirements, as follows:

What are some tips you can give families that want to enjoy the night sky together?

A lot of people believe you need a telescope to enjoy stargazing. That’s simply not true. You don’t need a telescope and you don’t need binoculars to enjoy stargazing. There is plenty to see with just your eyes.

The most important thing to remember is that you need to get out of the city to experience the splendor of the night sky. At least 30 minutes from the nearest city or big town if you want to see the Milky-Way.

In the days near the full Moon, the Moon is so bright, it outshines most of the stars. If you’re planning a stargazing trip, try to avoid the five days prior and five days after the full Moon.

Look for star parties hosted by your local astronomy club. There are thousands of astronomy meetups across North America each year. At these events, volunteers bring their telescopes and let the general public look through them.