While there aren’t many Black Friday Sky-Watcher telescope deals just yet, we’re scouring the internet every day to check for savings and discounts. Below, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite models – and while they’re not discounted, they are displayed next to the lowest price we can find online.
Established in 1999, Sky-Watcher is a popular, market-leading company that produces some of the world’s best telescopes. The brand has a wide range of instruments to suit all budgets and levels of skywatching — whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced observer.
There have been widespread shortages across the optics industry this year, which has affected production times of telescopes. Stock levels are quite low on some popular models, which is why we’re not seeing as many Black Friday telescopes deals as we have in previous years.
This isn’t the case for all companies. You can currently find some great Black Friday Celestron deals on telescopes and binoculars. However, discounts from names like Meade and Orion are few and far between. As such, our current advice is to snap up any discounts you do see immediately – and don’t hold your breath for big savings on top-tier models.
While it’s tricky to find a big discount on a high-end telescope right now, that’s not the case for the best binoculars. We’re actually seeing some really great binoculars deals from respected names like Bushnell and Nikon. While binoculars don’t quite have the same viewing power as telescopes, they still offer a clear, immersive view of the night sky. Plus, they’re portable and tend to be cheaper.
However, if it’s definitely a Sky-watcher telescope you want, read on to discover our recommendations.
Which Sky-Watcher telescope should you buy?
That depends on your level of skywatching experience and your budget: two important things to think about before you begin your search. Whatever those are, Sky-Watcher has a wide range to choose from.
Beginners are advised to go for a portable easy-to-assemble telescope at an introductory price of less than or around $100, such as the Sky-Watcher Mercury 607 refractor or the Sky-Watcher Astrolux 76 reflector, while seasoned astronomers are well placed to make a serious investment. If you’re in the latter position, then we recommend the Sky-Watcher Skyliner-250PX or Sky-Watcher Skyliner-200P, depending on your budget.
If the telescope isn’t for your use and your kids have been bugging you for one, then the Sky-Watcher Heritage 76 and Sky-Watcher Infinity 76P are the perfect choices since they require very little maintenance, are easy to use and are small enough to store in a cupboard. What’s more, their robust build exudes quality for a basic build, offering years of usage and for very little investment — an excellent combination for parents, who suspect that skywatching might be a passing phase.
The Sky-Watcher telescope models we have introduced so far are perfect for views of the solar system, with notable targets being the craters and seas of the moon and small but bright sights of Jupiter and Saturn. They will also provide good observations of bright deep-sky objects such as the Orion Nebula in the constellation of Orion (the Hunter) and the stunning Pleiades star cluster in Taurus (the Bull).
Those keen on a substantial step up in quality and closer views of targets will need to consider increasing their budget for a larger objective lens or aperture — that is the “light-gathering” ability of a telescope. For magnified views of the planets, galaxies and nebulas, the Sky-Watcher Skyhawk-114, Sky-Watcher Explorer-200P and Sky-Watcher Skyliner-400P FlexTube Parabolic Dobsonian are certainly worth a look.
With an increase in budget, comes an improvement in the type of technology that has become prevalent in telescope manufacturing: computerized, or GoTo, mounts. At the touch of a button, these revolutionary instruments are able to slew to your chosen target without needing to use sky maps to find your way around the night sky. They’re not aimed at any particular level of astronomer and are often used by beginners and seasoned skywatchers alike, particularly since they also offer a quick and easy align process and take the hassle out of manual calibration.
In terms of computerized telescopes, the Sky-Watcher Explorer-130PS AZ-Gti WiFi, Sky-Watcher Skyliner-200P FlexTube SynScan GoTo, Sky-Watcher Evostar-120 (EQ3 PRO) SynScan GoTo, Sky-Watcher Heritage-90P Virtuoso and Sky-Watcher Startravel-102 (AZ) SynScan GoTo are all excellent choices. Deciding on which one is best for you will largely depend on your budget, whether you’re a keen solar system observer, want to bring those faint deep-sky galaxies and nebulas into sharper focus or are hunting for a bit of an all-arounder.
