Searching for telescopes at Best Buy is a good way to bag a bargain on some astronomy gear as the retailer has plenty of stock and often has sales.
You can find some of the best telescopes from the retailer and Best Buy also offers several telescope deals worth considering. Unfortunately, the volume of deals on telescopes at Best Buy fluctuates through the year, so sometimes it can be hard to discover top discounts. However, we do keep this page updated year-round, so when new deals become available, you'll find them here. We'll also remove any expired discounts
Not ready for a telescope? Read our best binoculars guide More top deals: Telescopes on Amazon See the latest discounts: Telescopes at Walmart
We recommend sticking to names and brands you recognize or that are market leaders. It's also worth noting that if a deal seems too good to be true, it often is. If you want to check out the best deals for specific manufacturers, you'll want to take a look at our Celestron, Sky-Watcher, Meade and Orion telescope deals guides.
There's more helpful buying advice below the deals in this guide, which is worth checking out if you need a pointer or two. If you're looking for budget-friendly options or you're new to astronomy, our guides to the best budget telescopes for under $500, best telescopes for beginners and best telescopes for kids could be worth scrolling through. But, for the best deals on telescopes at Best Buy, read on below.
Best telescope deals at Best Buy November 2024
Buying advice
There are three basic types of telescopes: refractors, reflectors and catadioptrics. Refractors are great for highly magnified views of planets and moons, while reflectors offer better views of deep-sky objects, star clusters and galaxies. Catadioptric telescopes correct some of the visual problems found in these older styles – such as chromatic aberration – but they tend to be a little more expensive.
Reflectors
Reflectors are usually either Newtonian or Dobsonian in design. Newtonian telescopes are good for a wide range of viewing targets and are often useful for astrophotography – however, they require a lot of maintenance and can be complicated to set up, whereas Dobsonians are more straightforward.
Refractors
This type of telescope is ideal for beginners, offering a straight-forward assembly and a lower price point. They do, however, tend to suffer from chromatic aberration, where bright objects appear to have a kind of halo. This doesn't ruin the viewing experience, so don't let this put you off too much.
Catadioptric
Catadioptric telescopes fall into two broad categories: Maksutov-Cassegrain and Schmidt-Cassegrain. Schmidt-Cassegrains traditionally have bigger apertures, while Maksutov-Cassegrains usually have small apertures. As such, the Schmidt-Cassegrain is usually better for astrophotography and for broader views, while the Maksutov-Cassegrain is great for sharp views of planets and moons. Both types often come with a computerized GoTo system, which can work out which way the telescope is pointing and automatically adjust it to align with chosen targets.
Choosing a telescope
With all these variations, it can be tricky to figure out which telescope is best for you. We recommend taking two main things into consideration: personal budget and what you’d prefer to view in the night sky.
Lower budget models will usually be reflector or refractor telescopes, while catadioptrics are more expensive. If you’d prefer high magnification views of planets and moons, go for either a refractor or a Maksutov-Cassegrain design. For views of deep-sky objects, star clusters and galaxies, opt for a reflector or a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. And if you need more detailed guidance, have a look through our piece on the best telescopes, which goes into more detail on all of the above.
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