What can I see with a beginner telescope?

The Moon with incredible crater detail, Saturn's rings, Jupiter's cloud bands and four moons, Mars during opposition, the Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy, star clusters, and dozens of deep-sky objects. From dark skies, an 8-inch telescope reveals spiral galaxy arms and planetary nebula colors. Even from city suburbs, the Moon and planets are spectacular.

Why do astronomers say to avoid department store telescopes?

Department store telescopes advertise absurd magnification claims (500x, 675x) that are physically unusable. Their mounts are shaky, their optics are poor, and the included eyepieces are nearly useless. A frustrated first experience with a bad telescope drives people away from astronomy. Spend $200-400 on a proper telescope and the experience will be transformative.

Best Telescopes for Beginners 2026