5 Best Telescopes for City Viewing (Reviews Updated 2024)

Telescopes can open up a new world of discovery in the night sky, even from a city. City viewing poses unique challenges like light pollution and limited space. Despite these hurdles, there are telescopes designed to enhance your urban stargazing experience.

When choosing a telescope for city use, consider its aperture size, portability, and ease of use. Telescopes with larger apertures are better at gathering light, making them ideal for city conditions where artificial lights can obstruct your view. Portability matters if you plan to move your telescope to different locations. Features like smartphone compatibility and automatic tracking can also make things much simpler.

A well-chosen telescope can greatly improve your stargazing experience in a city. With the right tools, you can see celestial bodies more clearly and with greater detail. Now, let’s explore the best telescopes for city viewing to help you find the perfect one for your needs.

Best Telescopes for City Viewing

Explore the top telescopes designed specifically for city environments. These picks will help you get the best view despite light pollution and urban challenges.

Want to learn more?

Here are our city viewing telescope reviews.

1. Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ

This telescope is an excellent choice for beginners looking to explore the night sky with ease and precision.

Pros

• Easy to set up and use
• Uses smartphone for accurate navigation
• Great for city and darker skies

Cons

• Tripod could be more stable
• Eyepieces are plastic
• Not suitable for very young children without supervision

The Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ combines modern smartphone technology with traditional telescoping, making it beginner-friendly. Its patented StarSense technology ensures precise navigation of celestial objects, even in city conditions.

The telescope is quick to assemble and the app is straightforward, providing a list of visible celestial bodies. For urban stargazing, this is a huge advantage, eliminating the need for complicated star charts.

One drawback is the less robust tripod, which may require extra care. Despite this, the ability of the telescope to capture bright nebulae and planets makes it a worthy companion for any amateur astronomer.

2. CELESTRON StarSense Explorer DX 130

Great choice for city stargazers due to its smartphone integration and ease of use.

Pros

• Allows smartphone integration for real-time sky analysis
• Simple setup procedure ideal for beginners
• High-quality optics for clear views of celestial objects

Cons

• Requires a compatible smartphone
• Heavier than some other beginner telescopes
• Limited use in very light-polluted areas

The CELESTRON StarSense Explorer DX 130 leverages your smartphone to provide a guided tour of the night sky. This makes it accessible for beginners with its user-friendly StarSense app, eliminating the need for complex star charts.

Patented StarSense technology helps pinpoint the location of stars and planets with precision. You’ll appreciate this if you’re navigating the night sky from a city with significant light pollution.

The telescope is built with a robust 130mm Newtonian reflector. This ensures bright and clear images of the moon, planets, and certain star clusters. Be aware that it’s slightly on the heavier side, making transportation a little cumbersome, but it’s still manageable.

3. Celestron Travel Scope 70DX

This telescope is a great choice for beginners who want a portable and easy-to-use option for city viewing.

Pros

• Easy to carry with included backpack
• Smartphone adapter for easy photo capture
• Quality optics for clear images

Cons

• Tripod can be unstable
• Limited power compared to more expensive models
• May require additional accessories for best experience

The Celestron Travel Scope 70DX is a lightweight and portable refractor telescope. Its 70mm objective lens allows more light to enter, providing sharp and bright views. Using the included smartphone adapter, you can easily capture images.

This telescope is user-friendly with simple controls, making it perfect for beginners. It comes with two eyepieces, allowing for both low and high-power viewing. With the added Bluetooth shutter release, you won’t disturb your phone’s placement while taking photos.

Despite the unstable tripod, the Celestron Travel Scope 70DX still offers great value. It is ideal for both daytime nature observations and night-time stargazing. This telescope is versatile and easy to transport, making it an excellent choice for city stargazers.

4. HEXEUM Telescope for Adults & Beginners

Perfect for city stargazing, this HEXEUM telescope offers top-notch optics and ease of use.

Pros

• Comes with two high-quality eyepieces and a 3x Barlow lens
• Lightweight and portable with an adjustable aluminum tripod
• Quick and easy setup, no tools required

Cons

• Tripod can feel a bit unstable on uneven surfaces
• Manual focus might require some getting used to
• Limited magnification options for advanced astronomers

This telescope is suitable for both kids and adults, offering 24x and 60x magnification. The 80mm aperture and fully multi-coated optics provide bright and clear images. The 5×24 finder scope makes it easier to locate objects in the night sky.

It comes with a phone adapter, wireless remote, and a carrying bag, making it very portable. The setup is straightforward, even for beginners. If you have any quality issues, the company promises to address them swiftly.

If you’re in a city where light pollution is an issue, this telescope will help you explore the sky with ease. For its price, it delivers solid performance and user-friendly features.

5. EACONN 80mm Aperture Refractor Telescope

Ideal for beginners, this telescope offers great value with its compact design and clear optics.

Pros

• Captures bright and clear images
• Easy to adjust and position
• Comes with all necessary accessories

Cons

• May be too large for some users
• Requires proper handling to avoid damage
• Instructions could be clearer

This EACONN telescope features an 80mm aperture, which allows you to capture bright and clear images. With fully coated optics, you get high light transmission and reduced reflection, making city stargazing enjoyable.

The rough adjustment and positioning gimbal make it easy to find and track celestial objects. The telescope’s portability, thanks to a carrying case and adjustable tripod, is perfect for quick setup and breakdown.

Accessories like two eyepieces, a finder scope, and a smartphone adapter enhance your viewing experience. However, detailed instructions are advised to avoid mishandling. The telescope’s size might be larger than you expect but offers great functionality.

City Viewing Telescope Buying Guide

When shopping for a telescope, first consider the aperture. The aperture is the diameter of the telescope’s main lens or mirror. For city viewing, choose an aperture of at least 4-6 inches to gather enough light to see faint objects.

Next, think about magnification. High magnification is not always better. It’s more important to have a sharp and clear image. Telescopes come with eyepieces that determine magnification. Look for telescopes that offer eyepieces with at least 50x per inch of aperture.

Portability is essential, especially if you plan to carry your telescope to different locations. Some telescopes are lightweight and easy to transport. Consider how much weight you can handle and how easy it is to set up the telescope.

Consider the mount next. There are two main types: Altazimuth and Equatorial. Altazimuth mounts are simpler and easier to use. Equatorial mounts are better for tracking stars and planets because they align with the Earth’s rotation.

Look at the optical quality. High-quality optics reduce problems like chromatic aberrations. This ensures cleaner, crisper views. Ensure the telescope uses coated glass lenses to reduce glare and reflections.

Budget can heavily influence your choice. Decide how much you’re willing to spend and stick to it. Remember that sometimes you might need extra accessories like additional eyepieces or filters, which can add to the total cost.

Pay attention to user reviews and ratings. Read what other buyers have experienced with the telescope. This often gives you a realistic idea of any pros and cons.

Here’s a simple checklist that can guide your purchase:

• Aperture size
• Magnification power
• Portability
• Type of mount
• Optical quality
• Budget
• Reviews and ratings

Research thoroughly and consider which features matter most to you to find the best telescope for your city viewing needs.