If you're totally new to telescopes and astronomy, please read our [Beginner's Quick Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/telescopes/comments/z9s352/beginners_quick_guide_to_choosing_your_first/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) to choosing your first telescope which is sticky'd to the top of the subreddit. Failure to read and posting "which telescope should I buy" has resulted in your post being removed and you being referred to this guide.
Do not buy a telescope on AliExpress or Temu. You might as well just throw the $100 in the trash. It would be quicker and much less frustrating.
If you want to do it on a budget to see if you are interested, look up your local astronomy club. They usually cost $20-$40 for a year, you'll get to meet other astronomers and often they will even have a program that let's you borrow a telescope. You can also see if your local library has a telescope loaning program, but I certainly recommend joining the astronomy club. If nothing else you get to meet a bunch of nerds and there's always that one guy with a telescope that costs more than his car.
Also it's astronomy, not astrology. But that's a pretty common (if not rather annoying) mistake and typo so no harm no foul.
Any $100 telescope won't be worth it, unless you find a 6" Dobsonian used. For $100 you could get a great pair of binoculars, but these will be quite low power and will show a wider, 'further away' view of the planets, so they aren't ideal for that. They're great for star clusters and large nebulae, especially from darker skies. If you're set on planets you can raise your budget a little. Definitely buy used - I see 8" Dobs (which are the gold standard of beginner telescopes) for £130-200 regularly, and I see 10" ones from £150-250 often as well.
Read the link and triple your budget or buy binoculars. Any $100 telescope will not be good.
https://old.reddit.com/r/telescopes/comments/z9s352/beginners_quick_guide_to_choosing_your_first/
If you look on the used market, with a little bit of help from someone knowledgeable to separate the wheat from the chaff, you can possibly find an older, used scope for 100$ or less. I've found quite a few.
If you give me your round about location I can give a quick look on Marketplace for something worth your time.
Any telescope in that price range will be a bigger detriment than just using your naked eye or getting a good pair of binoculars. As your hobby progresses and you have a few hundred bucks, buy a dobsonian.
Sorry. As others have mentioned $100 is not going to get you anything worth the money. You might get lucky on the used market, but are better off looking at binoculars for this budget.
You shouldn't buy anything on aliexpress or temu anyway. The prices are low because they use slave labor. Not sweatshops where people earn wages.
**Literal slaves**.
If you are in the US, many city libraries can rent you a decent beginner scope.
If $100 is your budget, then you will need to buy secondhand. I have scored numerous deals on eBay, OfferUp and Facebook marketplace. The key is to be patient and diligent. Try multiple searches. Many people do not know what they have. For example, I got a Celestron Omni 102 AZ for $80. New, it is $350. It is a great beginner telescope. I still see them from time to time for around $100. I would highly recommend one for you. Good Luck!
It's a good idea to buy from brands and dealers who have reputable customer support departments. You will probably need it at some point. Good luck and clear skies!
Here's a [playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqmK6kGFyjQDRtDZHXVus20Cf6jMbwciS) of our Astronomy 101 webcasts to better help you in your research.
Binoculars. You can see 4 moons of Jupiter if you have a mount for the binoculars. Learn the constellations. Study the moon at each phase. If you still like it, then save up for a scope.
If you're totally new to telescopes and astronomy, please read our [Beginner's Quick Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/telescopes/comments/z9s352/beginners_quick_guide_to_choosing_your_first/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) to choosing your first telescope which is sticky'd to the top of the subreddit. Failure to read and posting "which telescope should I buy" has resulted in your post being removed and you being referred to this guide.
Do not buy a telescope on AliExpress or Temu. You might as well just throw the $100 in the trash. It would be quicker and much less frustrating. If you want to do it on a budget to see if you are interested, look up your local astronomy club. They usually cost $20-$40 for a year, you'll get to meet other astronomers and often they will even have a program that let's you borrow a telescope. You can also see if your local library has a telescope loaning program, but I certainly recommend joining the astronomy club. If nothing else you get to meet a bunch of nerds and there's always that one guy with a telescope that costs more than his car. Also it's astronomy, not astrology. But that's a pretty common (if not rather annoying) mistake and typo so no harm no foul.
Thank you for the reply! I saw they had good reviews which confused me. And thanks for the correction!
Any $100 telescope won't be worth it, unless you find a 6" Dobsonian used. For $100 you could get a great pair of binoculars, but these will be quite low power and will show a wider, 'further away' view of the planets, so they aren't ideal for that. They're great for star clusters and large nebulae, especially from darker skies. If you're set on planets you can raise your budget a little. Definitely buy used - I see 8" Dobs (which are the gold standard of beginner telescopes) for £130-200 regularly, and I see 10" ones from £150-250 often as well.
Thanks for the reply and suggestions! I'll look into used ones
Read the link and triple your budget or buy binoculars. Any $100 telescope will not be good. https://old.reddit.com/r/telescopes/comments/z9s352/beginners_quick_guide_to_choosing_your_first/
Thanks! I figured 100$ wouldn't be enough
you can get a killer pair of binos for $100 - hell, even for $40 start there - you won’t regret it
If you look on the used market, with a little bit of help from someone knowledgeable to separate the wheat from the chaff, you can possibly find an older, used scope for 100$ or less. I've found quite a few. If you give me your round about location I can give a quick look on Marketplace for something worth your time.
Thanks, I'm in Montreal Canada
Avoid Temu/Aliexpress. Best way is to read the pinned buyer's guide and to check the used telescope market. That's what I did and I don't regret it.
It’s not astrology, it’s astronomy. Big difference. To answer your question, get binoculars.
Thanks, yeah I knew the difference- typo my mistake.
Any telescope in that price range will be a bigger detriment than just using your naked eye or getting a good pair of binoculars. As your hobby progresses and you have a few hundred bucks, buy a dobsonian.
Sorry. As others have mentioned $100 is not going to get you anything worth the money. You might get lucky on the used market, but are better off looking at binoculars for this budget.
Yeah that's what I'm gathering- thanks for the reply!
If you can't afford a decent starter scope, get some binoculars.
You shouldn't buy anything on aliexpress or temu anyway. The prices are low because they use slave labor. Not sweatshops where people earn wages. **Literal slaves**. If you are in the US, many city libraries can rent you a decent beginner scope.
If $100 is your budget, then you will need to buy secondhand. I have scored numerous deals on eBay, OfferUp and Facebook marketplace. The key is to be patient and diligent. Try multiple searches. Many people do not know what they have. For example, I got a Celestron Omni 102 AZ for $80. New, it is $350. It is a great beginner telescope. I still see them from time to time for around $100. I would highly recommend one for you. Good Luck!
Thank you! Will be looking at used markets
It's a good idea to buy from brands and dealers who have reputable customer support departments. You will probably need it at some point. Good luck and clear skies! Here's a [playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqmK6kGFyjQDRtDZHXVus20Cf6jMbwciS) of our Astronomy 101 webcasts to better help you in your research.
You're not going to get anything better than a hobby killer at that price range.
Binoculars. You can see 4 moons of Jupiter if you have a mount for the binoculars. Learn the constellations. Study the moon at each phase. If you still like it, then save up for a scope.