Telescopes at Best Buy: Deals in stock 2024

We've rounded up the best early Black Friday deals on telescopes at Best Buy so if you're looking for a bargain ahead of the annual sales event, you could find it below.

Best Buy stocks an array of telescopes including some of the best telescopes on the market and fortunately, you can scope out some pretty good telescope deals there too. This page is updated throughout the year and during Black Friday too. We'll add new telescope deals we find and remove expired offers but, as discounts fluctuate through the year, it's worth checking back over Black Friday if you don't find something suitable today.

Below the offers on this page, we've included some handy buying advice, which we recommend you check out if you need a pointer or two. Telescopes range in price from brilliant budget telescopes for under $500 to the top-end models that can cost thousands. If you're looking to take your first steps into astronomy or encourage a budding stargazer, our guides to the best telescopes for beginners and best telescopes for kids will point you in the right direction.

When looking for Black Friday telescope deals and scrolling through the offers at Best Buy, it's important to stick to manufacturers you recognize or are market leaders as you can't vouch for lesser-known names. It's also worth remembering that if a deal seems too good to be true, it often is. If you want to take a look at what discounts are out there for specific manufacturers, take a look at our Celestron, Sky-Watcher, Meade and Orion telescope deals guides. But, for the best Black Friday deals for telescopes at Best Buy, read on below. 

Best telescope deals at Best Buy November 2024

was $1,599 now $1,299 at Best Buy

Save $300 on the Celestron NexStar 8SE. It sits at the top of our guide for best telescopes for seeing planets and features in our best telescopes guide. It features a an eight-inch aperture, a database of 40,000 plus targets that can be located and tracked automatically and now it's cheaper than it was during Prime Day.

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was $2,849 now $2,399 at Best Buy

Save $450 on the Celestron NexStar 9.25 telescope sits in our best telescopes guide as the best premium model out there. It features a high quality design, it's easy to set up and offers premium-quality views with no defects. It has a sizable 235mm aperture and comes with accessories to boost your experience too.

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was $939 now $799 at Best Buy

Save $140 on an excellent computerized telescope, the Celestron NexStar 5SE. We rate Celestron's Nexstar range and numerous models feature in a range of our guides. You get a sizable 125mm aperture, 1250mm focal length and it comes with software. It is able to locate and track night sky targets giving you an easy and fun skywatching experience. It also comes with a tripod, an eyepiece and a two-year warranty. 

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was $1,099 now $899 at Best Buy

Save $200 on a high-quality, no-nonsense computerized telescope that offers stunning views and is well suited to those who want a hassle-free stargazing experience. Check out our full Celestron NexStar 6SE review, we rate it very highly.

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was $479.95 now $429.99 at Best Buy

This Newtonian reflector telescope has $50 knocked off its previous price. The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ features in our guide for best budget telescopes and in fact, we rate it as the best overall for under $500.

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was $239.95 now $199.99 at Best Buy

Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ Was $239.95 Now: $199.99
Another Newtonian reflector, this telescope is currently discounted by nearly $40. It works with the StarSense app and has a simple alt-azimuth mount, making it ideal for beginners. It has a 114mm aperture and comes with two eyepieces and a tripod. 

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was $679 now $579.99 at Best Buy

Celestron NexStar 4SE was $679 now $579.99.

Save $100 on this computerized telescope that's easy-to-use and offers clear views of night sky targets. It has a 4-inch aperture so plenty of light passes through and it features a fully automated GOTO mount with a database of over 40,000 celestial objects that the telescope can locate and track for you. It features in our best telescopes guide too. 

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was $149.99 now $139.99 at Best Buy

Save $10 on a reflector telescope from National Geographic that features a 114mm aperture and a 500mm focal length. You also get two eyepieces, panhandle control, a smartphone adaptor, a full-sized tripod, a red dot viewfinder and downloadable astronomy software for your money.

Note: This isn't a big saving but it is considerably cheaper than when it has previously been on sale. 

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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. 

Black Friday is here on November 29 and we're already seeing a range of telescope deals worth considering.

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.