I don't know enough about telescopes to decide which ones might be right for me. How can I educate myself?

Before diving in to the Telescope Buyer's Guide, read the article on choosing a telescope in SkyandTelescope.com's Choosing Your Equipment section. There you'll learn what you need to know to acquire an instrument that can last a lifetime.

How do I use your Telescope Buyer's Guide?

From the Telescope Buyer's Guide front page, search our database of hundreds of instruments by manufacturer, price range, optics type, aperture, and/or Go To availability. In the Manufacturer window, to select multiple manufacturers at the same time, hold down the Ctrl key on a PC or the command (apple) key on a Mac when you click your choices.

Once you've chosen your search variables, press the Submit button. This will send you to an index page listing all the telescopes that meet the criteria you selected. To see more detailed information about a scope, click the MORE link under the short list of specifications.

To enable you to tailor your search further, the box on the upper-right-hand side of the index page retains your most recent search parameters.

What data do you provide for each telescope?

Each entry includes an image of the telescope (or a similar model) as well as the following specifications:

• Manufacturer
• Model
• Price
• Optics type
• Aperture
• Focal length
• f/ratio
• Finder
• Focuser size
• Mount type
• Weight
• Motor drive
• Go To computer
• Supplied eyepieces

What currency are the prices listed in?

All prices are US street prices listed in US dollars. These are subject to change without notice and don't include any applicable shipping fees, taxes, or duties.

Can I display side-by-side comparisons of telescopes with your Telescope Buyer's Guide?

Not yet, but we hope to include this functionality in the future.

Where did you get your information?

Most specifications come from the manufacturers; keep in mind that different retailers may offer different accessories. Some nearly identical telescopes from the same manufacturer are sold under different brand names, and we’ve made no attempt to include all possible variants.

I see a scope I'd like to learn more about. What do I do now?

Once you narrow your choices to a few specific instruments, get in touch with the manufacturers or distributors, or visit their Web sites. For convenience, we offer a list of all Sky Publishing advertisers.

How can I learn whether you've reviewed the scope I'm interested in?

If we've reviewed a telescope that appears in the Buyer's Guide, we'll include a link to the associated article in Sky Publishing's Magazine Archive on ProQuest. Archive subscribers may download reviews without restriction; nonsubscribers may download reviews for $3.95 per article.

Additionally, check our index of S&T Test Reports, which lists every telescope review we've published since 1996 as well as reviews of many accessories, binoculars, and imagers.

What are the criteria for telescopes to be listed in your Buyer's Guide?

With the exception of several high-quality, expensive, small-aperture telescopes and optical tube assemblies (OTAs), we set the lower limit at 3 inches (76 mm). While this aperture is not an automatic indication of quality, scopes this size and larger let you move beyond observing the Moon and planets into the realm of faint nebulae and galaxies. For a telescope to make it into our Buyer's Guide, it also has to be readily available to consumers and supported by its manufacturer. Although some dealers still offer products from out-of-business manufacturer, we have omitted these telescopes from our database. We've also excluded discontinued models. Finally, we've limited this Buyer's Guide to telescopes manufactured by companies that advertise in Sky Publishing magazines.

The telescope I am looking for meets your requirements, but I still can't find it in the Buyer's Guide. Why not?

While we endeavor to keep our database as up-to-date as possible, so many new telescopes are released every year that we sometimes fall behind in updating our tables. If you see something missing, please send an e-mail to producer@SkyandTelescope.com.

I am an advertiser and don't see all of my telescopes listed in your Buyer's Guide. Why not?

While we try to keep our records as complete as possible, sometimes instruments do slip through a crack. If you notice a telescope missing, please send an e-mail to producer@SkyandTelescope.com. When you do, please attach an an image of the telescope (preferably set against a white background) as well as the specifications listed above. Entries are not posted until we have all this information and a photo.

One of the telescope listings in your Buyer's Guide has an error in it. How do I report it?

Please notify us as soon as possible with any errors you find in our data; send e-mail to producer@SkyandTelescope.com. We strive to correct mistakes ASAP.

Can't you just tell me which scope to buy?

The best scope for you is the one you'll use most often, and only you can figure that out based on your budget and interests. We hope this guide will help you select a suitable instrument, and we wish you many clear nights of celestial discovery!