Black Friday 2024 is here! We have selected the best Black Friday Telescope Deals, as well as for cameras and other astrophotography and astronomy gear.
The links below to go multiple retailers so you can find the best deal for you!
Best Black Friday Telescope Deals
Beginners telescopes:
- Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ – Brilliant, budget smartphone interactive telescope that’s perfect for beginners (29% off)
- Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ – As above, but with higher power (24% off)
- Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102 AZ – Slightly lighter and less bulky than the above model (11% off)
- Celestron Travel Scope 80 – Budget pick for those who want to spend less and have something very portable (includes smartphone photography adapter) (14% off)
- Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTI 150P – Collapsible tabletop GoTo dobsonian. Great for beginners and for those with less space at home (6% off)
- Celestron NexStar 4SE – Affordable GOTO package – possibly the most popular telescope of all time (15% off)
- Celestron NexStar 5SE – as above but more powerful (15% off)
- Celestron NexStar 6SE – as above but more powerful still (18% off)
- Celestron NexStar 8SE – the most powerful in this range and extremely popular (19% off)
- Sky-Watcher Flextube 200 8-inch Dobsonian – Big power and great value but fairly bulky (15% off)
Advanced/powerful telescopes:
- Celestron NexStar Evolution 8 EdgeHD – Advanced astrophotography-specialized telescope (15% off)
- Celestron NexStar Evolution Telescope 9.25 – Premium telescope for those who want the best and most powerful (16% off)
- Celestron CPC 1100 – Awesome 11-inch aperture in a compact package (15% off)
- Celestron CPC 925 – Slightly smaller (and cheaper) version of the above with 9.25-inch aperture (15% off)
- Sky-Watcher GOTO 12-inch Collapsible Dobsonian – One of the most powerful telescopes you can buy (19% off)
Best Black Friday Smart Telescope deals
- Unistellar Odyssey Pro – The best new smart telescope in 2024 and perfect for beginners (20% off)
- Unistellar Odyssey – Also new in 2024. The same as the above but without the eyepiece (and cheaper because of it) (20% off)
- ZWO Seestar S50 – One of the best budget smart telescopes around. Small but very effective (10% off)
- Vaonis Hestia – Not technically a smart telescope, but a great, lightweight device for doing astrophotography with your smartphone (25% off)
- Unistellar Evscope 2 – Higher spec smart telescope with eyepiece, but slightly harder to use than the Odyssey Pro (requires collimation) (20% off)
- Unistellar Equinox 2 – Like the above but without the eyepiece (and, again, cheaper because of it) (20% off)
Best Black Friday Camera deals
The best cameras for astrophotography:
- Sony A7 IV – Our recommendation as the best camera for astrophotography in 2024 (16% off)
- Sony A7R V – Top-of-the-line premium, high-resolution Sony mirrorless camera (15% off)
- Sony A7S III – High-sensitivity premium mirrorless (9% off)
- Nikon Z6 II – Great value mirrorless and one of our top recommended cameras (25% off)
- Nikon Z6 III – 2024 update on this great camera featuring Starlight View Mode (8% off)
- Nikon Z7 II – Premium, higher resolution alternative to the Z6 II (33% off)
- Canon EOS R8 – Great value full-frame mirrorless (20% off)
- Canon EOS RP – The cheapest full-frame modern mirrorless available (10%)
- Canon EOS R6 Mark II – Our pick as the best Canon for astrophotography (24% off)
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV – Classic, professional-level heavyweight DSLR (24% off)
Best Black Friday Lens deals
Some great Sony lenses for astrophotography:
- Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM – For Sony E mount (7% off)
- Sigma 35mm F1.4 – For Sony E mount (30% off)
- Rokinon AF 12mm F2.0 – For Sony E mount (29% off)
- Rokinon 14mm F2.8 – For Sony E mount (24% off)
- Rokinon 135mm F1.8 – For Sony E mount (36% off)
For Nikon cameras:
- Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 – For Nikon F mount (11% off)
- Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art – For Nikon F mount (24% off)
- Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 Series II – For Nikon F mount (5% off)
- Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 – For Nikon Z mount (21% off)
For Canon cameras:
- Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 Series II – For Canon EF mount (47% off)
- Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 – for Canon RF mount (19% off)
- Canon 16mm F2.8 – For Canon RF mount (18% off)
Best Black Friday Astronomy Binocular Deals
- Celestron SkyMaster 20×80 – Great value option suitable for most (24% off)
- Celestron SkyMaster Pro 20×80 – Premium upgrade pick (23% off)
- Celestron SkyMaster Pro ED 15×70 – Brand new 2024 premium version (19% off)
- Celestron SkyMaster Pro ED 7×50 – Premium handheld model (15% off)
- Celestron SkyMaster 25×100 – The most powerful astronomy binoculars (22% off)
- Celestron SkyMaster 25×70 – Good value option for a first pair (15% off)
Other Astrophotography Black Friday Deals
Star Trackers:
- Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i Star Tracker – The best star tracker for Milky Way photography (19% off)
- Sky Watcher Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTI Mount Kit (16% off)
Telescope mounts:
- Sky Watcher EQ6-R Pro – The greatest astrophotography mount of all time (16% off)
- Celestron AVX – Ultra-popular GOTO mount (15% off)
- Sky-Watcher AZ-GTI – Popular budget mount (16% off)
Tripods:
- Celestron Regal Tripod (15% off)
- Celestron Heavy Duty Alt-Azimuth Tripod (8% off)
- Manfrotto Xtra 3-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod (40% off)
- Sirui Compact Traveler 5C Carbon Fiber Tripod (10% off)
- K&F Concept 68″ Carbon Fiber Camera Tripod (18% off)
Read on for more detail on each of these items.
What Telescope to Buy?
We recommend here:
- A number of Celestron telescopes – in my option they are the most reliable and trustworthy telescope manufacturer and you can be sure that what you buy will be worth the money and accesible for users of any level
- Larger Dobsonians from Sky-Watcher – these provide good value for the price, but you need to be aware of how physically big they are and so only suit those with enough space to use and store them
- Smart telescopes from Unistellar
I would not recommend being tempted by no-name brands on Amazon or elsewhere that promise a lot but seem to good to be true.
Here is more detail on some of these selected models.
Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ
This is a great Black Friday Day telescope deal for beginners looking for a first telescope.
How the StarSense Explorer technology works is that you attach your smartphone and it works with the telescope to show you what you are looking at.
This makes it extremely easy to find things in the night sky and takes away one of the common sources of frustration with new telescope owners.
There are a number of great models in the Starsense explorer range that all feature this technology. They vary in power (as indicated by the aperture measurement) and physical size.
We have an overview of all the models here: Best Celestron StarSense Explorer Telescope? 11 Models Compared.
This models features a powerful 130mm (5-inch) aperture to give you amazing views of the planets and more.
130mm Newtonian Reflector Smartphone App-Enabled Telescope
- Smartphone-interactive telescope that automatically generates a list of objects currently visible above you on any night, including planets, nebulae, galaxies, star clusters and double stars.
- Follow the on-screen arrows to your desired target. When the bullseye turns green, it’s ready to view in the telescope’s eyepiece.
- Great for beginners and families
Celestron NexStar 8SE
This is a computerized telescope from Celestron’s extremely popular NexStar range.
With this, you will be able to take advantage of GoTo technology to automatically locate planets, stars and other objects at a press of a button from the database of 40,000 objects.
It is great for a beginner astronomer or just for someone keen to spend more time viewing and less time hunting those objects in space.
This is the most powerful option in the Nexstar SE range. The 8SE has a huge 8-inch aperture which gives it advanced capacity for the views it will provide.
Also on sale are the smaller packages:
These feature the same technology but are less powerful. However, the upside is that they are cheaper and still great, so provide great options for those with different budgets.
Celestron's most popular advanced GOTO telescope package
- Powerful 8-inch aperture
- Easy-to-use computerized mount finds objects for you to view at the press of a button
- All you need in one package, with telescope, mount, and tripod
- Price is kept down by the inclusion of the less-sturdy mount
- No built-in WIFI
Celestron NexStar Evolution 9.25
If you want the upgrade from the the NexStar 8SE, then the even more powerful Evolution 9.25 is for you.
It has a huge 9.25-inch aperture and comes with a better mount.
It is fully computerized/GOTO and so is suitable for a beginner to just set up and go from home.
9.25-inch Aperture GOTO Premium Telescope Package
- Compact, portable Schmidt Cassegrain telescope with StarBright XLT optical coatings and Fastar compatibility
- Large 9.25-inch Aperture for great light gathering capacity
- Control wirelessly from your smartphone or tablet
- Premium computerized mount with high-performance worm gears and motors for improved tracking accuracy
Celestron Travel Scope 80
Celestron is one of the best telescope manufacturers and so you can be confident in any of the options we have selected here.
This is a great family telescope. Whilst it is sold as a travel telescope and works brilliantly for that, it is also great to have at home and use in the backyard.
It’s sturdy, easy to use, and packs up nice and small for easy storage.
Included is all you need, like a backpack, tripod, a smartphone adapter for photography, and all necessary accessories like eyepieces.
Portable travel telescope package
- All in one package including backpack, tripod and smartphone photography adapter
- Easily set up with no tools and neatly packs up into the supplied backpack
- 80mm aperture for great views
Sky-Watcher Classic 8-inch Dobsonian
This telescope provides huge power (aperture) at a very low price.
The downside is it’s size – like all dobsonians it is big, bulky and heavy, and this one is not collapsible. It is also a manual model, without GOTO.
It therefore suits someone with the space at home to store and the time to operate without the assistance of a computerized mount.
8-inch Aperture Classic Dobsonian Telescope
- Large aperture gives a bright, bold viewing experience at a fraction of other optical designs
- Comes complete with all accessories
Sky-Watcher GOTO 12-inch Collapsible Dobsonian
This is approaching the maximum power that you can get in a home telescope – 12-inch aperture.
Unlike the above model, it is fully-computerized and is collapsible for easier storage (it is still big though).
The downside is that you have to pay for this with a higher price.
Sky-Watcher Flextube 300 SynScan 12-inch Computerized Dobsonian Telescope
- Huge 12-inch Aperture - one of the most powerful telescopes you can buy to use at home
- Fully GOTO/Computerized - automatically find and track planets, galaxies and any other astronomical object from a database of over 40,000
- Collapsible design makes it easier to store and transport
Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTI 150P Collapsible Tabletop GoTo Dobsonian
Lastly, this is another great option for beginners. It is much smaller and is designed to be used on a tabletop or similar surface and therefore suits those with less space at home.
It is also fully-GOTO.
The downside is the much-reduced power and viewing capacity compared to the models above.
Collapsible Tabletop GoTo Dobsonian Telescope
- 6-inch aperture for great views
- Fully GOTO Computerized base
- Convenient collapsible tabletop design
What You Need To Know When Buying a Telescope
If you are not sure what to look for in a telescope, our advice is to consider these five things:
- Brand: Go for a trusted manufacturer like Celestron or Sky-Watcher (or Unistellar, Vaonis, ZWO or Dwarflab for smart telescopes). These have a history of leading the market for telescopes, providing good customer support, and having a big customer base who can support you through ‘how-to’ videos on YouTube, etc.
- Aperture: This is the key measurement of how powerful a telescope is. The higher this is the better, but also the more expensive it will be.
- Mount: In general, alt-azimuth and dobsonian mounts are the best for astronomy, as they are simple and easy to operate by hand and point where you want to look. Equatorial mounts are better for astrophotography, but are more difficult to operate and fairly cumbersome.
- GOTO: GOTO/Computerized mounts use software to scan the skies above you and then locate and track what you want to view. Smart Telescopes add in-built cameras to this. This makes it easier but they are also more expensive and need a power source. This loses some of the simplicity of a grab-and-go telescope you can take into the backyard with little effort or planning.
- Size and weight: Think about what suits you with regard to where you will use and store it. For example, some big aperture dobsonians are brilliant and provide great value for the price, but they are very big and heavy. You need to consider if you have the space at home or whether something more compact is better for you, with a trade-off of either higher cost or lower power.
If you want to understand more, check out some of our guides:
You can also search for the best Black Friday telescope deals from these trusted astronomy retailers:
- Agena Astro
- High Point Scientific
- Astroshop (Europe)
Which Smart Telescope to Buy?
Unistellar Odyssey Pro
This – in my opinion – is the best smart telescope you can buy right now.
It is one of only two smart telescopes (along with the Evscope 2 below) that has an eyepiece.
This is a cool feature as it makes it feel much more real to be looking through the telescope rather than just on your phone, but it also makes the telescope significantly more expensive.
Watch my video review here:
Its sister model – the Unistellar Odyssey – is exactly the same apart from it doesn’t have the eyepiece and is cheaper.
It requires absolutely no experience with telescopes to operate as you literally just have to turn it on and follow a few instructions.
Premium Smart Telescope - Brand new in 2024
- Easy to use and perfect for complete beginners
- Features eyepiece for live viewing of the night sky
- Portable with a compact size and light weight
- Lower spec than premium alternatives
- Premium price
Unistellar eVscope 2
The Unistellar eVscope 2 is a more premium option.
It is similar to the Odyssey Pro above in that it has an eyepiece, but with an improved high-resolution sensor and higher aperture telescope.
It also has a sister model – the Unistellar Equinox 2 – that is also exactly the same but without the eyepiece and is cheaper.
Premium Smart Telescope with Eyepiece
- Eyepiece allows realtime viewing
- Control with your smartphone via app
- Join Citizen Astronomy networks and help detect near-earth asteroids
- May need occasional adjustment (collimation)
If you are interested in a smart telescope, then read our comparison guide here or check out our video below outlining how to pick the best model for you in Q4 2024:
Which Astronomy Binoculars to Buy?
The Celestron SkyMaster 20×80 are the best astronomy binoculars for beginners and have a perfect balance of performance to price.
Binoculars for Astronomy from Celestron
- 80mm aperture and 20x magnification for a great viewing experience
- Easy to use for astronomy beginners
- Great value for the price
- Need to be used with a tripod for the best experience
- 80mm aperture is mid-range, so don't have viewing expectations too high
You can watch my review of these binoculars here:
The Celestron SkyMaster Pro 20×80 binoculars are very similar but with upgraded optics and so are a good option if you have the extra money to spend:
Premium 20x80 Giant Astronomy Binoculars
- Large objective lenses, BaK-4 prisms, and fully multi-coated optics utilizing Celestron’s proprietary XLT coatings
- Every lens surface is coated multiple times with Celestron's unique XLT coatings to improve color and contrast and maximize brightness. You'll enjoy brighter and sharper images, even when lighting conditions are dim.
- A rubber-armored, polycarbonate housing protects your binoculars from damage and stands up to the toughest weather conditions. They're also fully waterproof and nitrogen purged to prevent internal fogging of the lenses.
What You Need to Know When Buying Astronomy Binoculars
Binoculars are defined by two measurements that are usually stated in the model name:
- The first number is the magnification which indicates how close you will be zooming in. For example, a 10X model means you are viewing ten times closer. High magnification obviously means you get closer to what you are viewing, this is generally good but can be a hindrance if you are using it by hand, where it will exaggerate shakiness, or if the aperture is not high enough, where you will just be magnifying unclear views.
- The second number indicated the aperture which is the size of the lenses in millimeters and determines how good they are for gathering light. This is always the higher the better, but they will also be more expensive as this gets higher.
For a full overview, see here our guide to the Best Astronomy Binoculars or watch the video below:
What Camera to Buy?
These cameras are all great and well-proven for astrophotography. We have selected the best available to suit different budgets:
The Nikon Z6 II is our recommendation for one of the best cameras for astrophotography:
Full frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera
- Great new mirrorless from Nikon
- Proven astrophotography performance
- Mid-range price
- Lower resolution than the Z7 II
The Nikon Z7 II is the premium, higher resolution alternative:
Full Frame Interchangeable-Lens Mirrorless Camera
- Full-frame sensor
- 45.7 MP resolution
- Premium all-round camera that is proven for astrophotography
The Sony A7 IV is a great value mirrorless that is one of our top recommended astrophotography cameras:
Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera
- 33 Megapixel resolution
- Top-of-the-range premium camera for all photography
- Expensive
For bigger budgets the ultra-high resolution Sony A7R V is also on sale:
Full-Frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera
- Top Sony model
- 61.0 MP full-frame sensor
- High performing for astrophotography
- Premium Price
Finally, the Canon EOS RP is a great budget option for someone looking for the cheapest full-frame mirrorless camera:
Full Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera
- Lightest, smallest full-frame EOS camera
- High image quality with 26.2 Megapixel Full-frame CMOS Sensor
- Cheapest full frame mirrorless camera on the market
What You Need To Know When Buying a Camera for Astrophotography
For astrophotography, you want a Sony, Canon, or Nikon model with a full-frame sensor.
See the Best Cameras for Night Sky Photography or watch the video below:
Other Black Friday Astrophotography Deals
The Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i Star Tracker enables much longer exposures and is the best star tracker around:
Motorized Star Tracker Equatorial Mount for Astrophotography
- Perfect for capturing the Milky Way and other astronomical objects
- Smartphone controlled using free app
- Deluxe equatorial base helps position at the perfect angle for polar alignment
- Can be used with any photographic tripod
Telescope Black Friday FAQs
When is Black Friday 2024?
Black Friday falls on the day after Thanksgiving. In 2024, it will take place on Friday 29 November.
Amazon’s Black Friday sales week starts from 21 November 2024.
When is Cyber Monday 2024?
Cyber Monday 2024 will take place on Monday 2 December.
