10 Best Telescopes 2025 in Canada

The Celestron NexStar 5SE is a solid choice for both beginners and more experienced stargazers. Its 5-inch aperture allows it to gather plenty of light, which means you’ll see clear views of the moon, planets, and some brighter deep sky objects like nebulae without needing a bulky or expensive telescope. The Schmidt-Cassegrain design keeps it compact and portable enough to take to different locations, and the steel tripod is sturdy but breaks down for easier transport.

One of its standout features is the fully automated GoTo mount with a database of over 40,000 celestial objects. This means the telescope can automatically find and track stars, planets, and other objects, which is great if you’re new to astronomy or don’t want to spend time manually searching the sky. The SkyAlign technology helps you get the telescope set up quickly by aligning it with any three bright objects, so you don’t need prior knowledge of constellations.

It uses a manual focus, which is typical and gives you control over the sharpness of views. The included Plössl eyepieces and the StarPointer finderscope help with locating objects before the telescope zooms in. However, the telescope runs on eight lithium metal batteries, which might be a bit inconvenient if you prefer rechargeable or AC power options. The altazimuth mount and single fork-arm design make assembly straightforward without needing tools, which is good for beginners. The NexStar 5SE balances good optical quality and user-friendly automation in a compact, portable design. While it may not rival much larger telescopes for deep sky viewing, it offers an impressive introduction to astronomy with plenty of room to grow.

The SOLOMARK Polaris 130EQ Newtonian Reflector telescope offers a solid 130mm aperture, which is great for gathering light and viewing faint objects like deep space stars and planets with decent clarity. It uses fully-coated glass optics covered by a carbon fiber layer, enhancing brightness and detail in your observations. The 65cm optical tube is moderately sized, balancing good image quality with manageable bulk.

This telescope’s German Equatorial mount allows precise manual tracking of celestial bodies by adjusting dials and cables, which is ideal for users interested in following planets or the moon’s movement smoothly. A sturdy aluminum alloy tripod with an accessory tray adds stability and convenience. The package includes useful extras like two eyepieces, a 1.5X Barlow lens to zoom in further, a 13% transmission moon filter that reduces glare during lunar viewing, and a smartphone adapter for capturing images.

The telescope weighs about 15 kg and has a relatively large size (about 1 meter tall when set up), which might make it less portable for frequent travel or quick setup in tight spaces. It requires manual focus and manual tracking, so beginners will need some patience to learn the controls and star-hopping skills. This model is well-suited for adult beginners or intermediate amateur astronomers who want a quality reflector telescope with stable mounting and useful accessories, and it is best used from a fixed location rather than as a highly portable option.