Usually, you don’t hear the words telescope and travel in the same sentence. That’s because telescopes are big and heavy. How can you carry these around with you? Whether you’re an amateur or an experienced photographer, it’s always a good thing to have a portable telescope in your collection! Larger telescopes are perfect for looking at the stars up close. However, they are bulky and usually require too much work to move.

The best portable telescopes allow you to observe the universe from anywhere. Pack one for a camping trip and add a cosmic touch to your adventure. Or, hike up the mountain to get away from light pollution and see the universe more clearly. Whether you decide to use them, the best portable telescopes are made for travel. They are light, easy to assemble, and powerful!

Today, there is no shortage of telescopes on the market. However, not all models are portable enough to stargaze on the go. We’ve collected some of the best telescopes you can take with you. Don’t forget to check out our ultimate guide to buying a portable telescope below to learn more about what you should be looking for.

The ultimate guide to buying a portable telescope

1. Viewfinder range

Telescopes are known to have a minimum field of view due to their high magnification, making it extremely difficult to locate or pinpoint stars or planets. Viewfinders are small spherical optical devices that sit above or on the side of the original telescope and point in the same direction. The viewfinder range has a large field of view and can be entered in the preferred orientation in the manual Settings of the telescope. The viewfinder range has a separate eyepiece, and for the most part, it is also connected to a digital screen, mainly inexpensive models.

2. The coke rate

Focal ratio or F ratio is an important concept in the field of optics, which describes the speed of any lens in optical equipment. For telescopes, the F-ratio, which is a dimensionless quantitative measure of the mass of an all-optical device, can be found by dividing the focal length by the diameter of the aperture. The smaller the F ratio, the larger the aperture, the brighter and sharper the image the telescope produces.

3. The focal length

The focal length of a telescope is defined by the distance between the focal plane forming the image and the center of the objective lens. The focal length number is responsible for describing the magnification of any telescope because it is directly related to magnification.

The focal length also depends on the length of the bulb and is inversely proportional to the field of view of the optical device.

4. The aperture

The most portable aperture can be almost any size in a refractor, usually between 60 mm and 127 mm. In reflectors, 4 “is usually mounted on a desktop, while 6” to 8 “sizes are still considered portable. Some 8-inch models are more portable than others, which most likely comes down to weight and ease of handling.

5. Technical support

Since most people who buy portable telescopes are either beginners or buy them for adventure on the road, it is clear that they need help setting up their telescopes.

Portable telescopes need to be assembled into a functioning device, carefully calibrated, and pointed in the right direction to appreciate mysterious space phenomena. At every step of using a telescope, outside guidance from a professional may be needed to help them understand the micro-techniques of the device at hand.

6. Size/weight

Telescopes are usually large instruments, small and compact, about 10 inches in length, with long tubes that match your standing height. While beginners may find the 40-pound or so device heavy, compared to some of their heavier devices, experienced astronomers are likely to find the same weight as the lightweight device. In this sense, size and weight are rather subjective features.

Traveling with a telescope seems like a complex task, requiring huge equipment and so many accessories. With the help of our guide to the best portable Telescopes, don’t worry about how to travel with binoculars! Most featured portable telescopes include a backpack, making traveling with your telescope and accessories a convenient experience.