Reliable, user-friendly optics for casual sky watching. That’s the promise of the bushnell voyager telescope, and it’s a promise that mostly delivers. You don’t need a PhD in astrophysics to enjoy it, which is a huge plus. It’s the kind of scope you can just grab and go.
Whether you’re hoping to spot the Moon’s craters or finally see Saturn’s rings, this telescope aims to make it simple. We took it out on several clear nights to see how it holds up. Here’s what we found, the good and the not-so-good, from a fellow casual stargazer’s perspective.
Product Comparison Table: 9 Best Bushnell Voyager Telescope
| Image | Why We Like This Product | Editor’s Rating | |
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Bushnell Refractor 600x50mm Telescope, Deep Space Viewing Telescope 181561
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9.7 |
Read Review |
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Telescope for Adults & Kids, 70mm Aperture Refractor (15X-150X)…
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9.5 |
Read Review |
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Gskyer Telescope, 70mm Aperture 400mm AZ Mount Astronomical Refracting…
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9.3 |
Read Review |
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Celestron Travel Scope 80 Portable Refractor Telescope – 80mm…
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9.1 |
Read Review |
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Celestron – PowerSeeker 127EQ Telescope – Manual German Equatorial…
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8.8 |
Read Review |
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Celestron Travel Scope 70 Portable Refractor Telescope – 70mm…
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8.6 |
Read Review |
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Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ App-Enabled Telescope – 114mm…
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8.4 |
Read Review |
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Telescope 70mm Aperture 500mm – for Kids & Adults…
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8.2 |
Read Review |
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Telescope 80mm Aperture 600mm – Astronomical Portable Refracting Telescope…
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8.0 |
Read Review |
Quick Review For Top 9 Bushnell Voyager Telescope
Bushnell Refractor 600x50mm Telescope, Deep Space Viewing Telescope 181561
The Bushnell Refractor 600x50mm Telescope, model 181561, is designed for anyone curious about whats beyond our planet. This is a classic refractor telescope, which means it uses lenses to gather light. That design is known for being durable and relatively low-maintenance, since it doesn’t require the regular alignment that some other types do.
Its a solid choice for beginners or those who want a straightforward viewing experience.
With its 50mm objective lens, this telescope pulls in a good amount of light to bring celestial objects into view. The 600mm focal length provides the magnification power needed to see details on the moon, like craters and mountain ranges, with real clarity. You can also use it to view brighter deep-sky objects, such as the rings of Saturn, the bands of Jupiter and its major moons, and star clusters.
For terrestrial viewing during the day, it offers a unique perspective on landscapes and wildlife, though you’ll need to add an optional erecting prism for a correctly oriented image.
Weighing just under 7 pounds and with a compact package size, this telescope is quite portable. You can easily take it to your backyard, on a camping trip, or to a darker site away from city lights for better viewing.
Telescope for Adults & Kids, 70mm Aperture Refractor (15X-150X) Portable Travel Telescope with Phone Adapter & Wireless Remote, Astronomy Beginners Gifts, Black
The Telescope for Adults & Kids, 70mm Aperture Refractor is designed to make your first steps into astronomy straightforward and rewarding. It’s a complete kit that balances capability with simplicity, so you can spend less time figuring out equipment and more time looking at the stars.
Starting with the optics, the 70mm aperture is the key feature here. A larger aperture gathers significantly more light than smaller models, which means brighter and clearer views of celestial objects.
Paired with a 300mm focal length, this setup provides a solid foundation for sharp images. You’ll get a wider field of view to take in expansive starfields, and the extra clarity helps when trying to spot details on the Moon or the rings of Saturn.
The telescope comes with two eyepieces (H20mm and H6mm) and a 3X Barlow lens. Together, these give you a range of magnifications from 15X up to 150X.
The lower powers are perfect for wider views and are easier to use, while the higher magnifications let you zoom in on lunar craters or Jupiter’s moons. It’s a flexible system that grows with your curiosity, making it a genuine tool for both adults and kids who are beginners.
One of the standout features is the included phone adapter and wireless remote. This setup lets you attach your smartphone securely to the eyepiece.
Gskyer Telescope, 70mm Aperture 400mm AZ Mount Astronomical Refracting Telescope for Kids Beginners – Travel Telescope with Carry Bag, Phone Adapter and Wireless Remote.
The Gskyer Telescope, 70mm Aperture 400mm AZ Mount Astronomical Refracting Telescope, is a fantastic entry point into astronomy. It’s designed with beginners and younger users in mind, offering a straightforward setup and clear views to spark a lifelong interest in the night sky.
Its core strength lies in its optics. The 70mm aperture gathers a good amount of light, which is essential for clear viewing.
Combined with the 400mm focal length, the fully coated glass lenses provide bright, sharp images. This means you can expect detailed views of the Moon’s craters, the rings of Saturn, or Jupiter and its major moons. The high transmission coatings not only improve image quality but also protect your eyes during extended viewing sessions.
This telescope comes with versatile magnification options.
You get two eyepieces (typically lower and higher power) to switch between wide views and closer inspection. The included 3x Barlow lens effectively triples the power of each eyepiece, giving you more range from a single set. Finding objects is made simpler with the 5×24 finderscope. Its cross-hair lines help you zero in on your target before looking through the main telescope, saving you alot of time and frustration.
A standout feature for many is the ability to capture what you see.
Celestron Travel Scope 80 Portable Refractor Telescope – 80mm Aperture, Fully-Coated Glass Optics – Includes Tripod, Smartphone Adapter, Backpack & Software – Ideal for Beginners & Travel
The Celestron Travel Scope 80 Portable Refractor Telescope is designed for anyone curious about whats up in the night sky or wanting a closer look at the world around them. Its a complete kit that balances performance with remarkable portability, making it a practical choice for beginners and travelers alike.
At its core is an 80mm aperture objective lens. This larger opening gathers significantly more light than many entry-level models, resulting in brighter and sharper images.
The fully-coated glass optics enhance this further by reducing internal glare and improving contrast. You can expect clear views of lunar craters, the rings of Saturn, Jupiter’s major moons, and detailed daytime landscapes. The telescope comes with two eyepieces: a 20mm for wider views and a 10mm for higher magnification, letting you switch perspectives easily.
Setup is intentionally straightforward.
Theres no tools required; you simply attach the optical tube to the included full-height tripod, insert an eyepiece, and your basically ready to observe. This ease of use means less time fiddling and more time viewing, which is key for keeping new users engaged. The entire system, including the tripod, eyepieces, and accessories, stores securely in the custom padded backpack.
Celestron – PowerSeeker 127EQ Telescope – Manual German Equatorial Telescope for Beginners – Compact and Portable – Bonus Astronomy Software Package – 127mm Aperture
The Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ Telescope is a manual German equatorial telescope designed with the beginner in mind. It combines a substantial optical system with a user-friendly setup, making it a practical choice for anyone starting there journey into astronomy. The core of this telescope is its 127mm aperture Newtonian reflector design. This size of aperture is significant for an entry-level model, as it gathers a generous amount of light.
That light-gathering ability is what allows you to see detailed views of our Moon’s craters, the rings of Saturn, the bands of Jupiter, and brighter deep-sky objects like the Orion Nebula. A key feature of this setup is the manual German Equatorial mount. This type of mount might seem a bit unfamiliar at first, but it’s a fantastic tool for learning the night sky. Once you’ve aligned it with the celestial pole, its slow-motion control rod lets you follow objects smoothly as the Earth rotates.
This means you can keep a planet or star in the eyepiece for extended viewing without constant manual adjustment. It makes finding and tracking celestial targets much more intuitive and steady compared to simpler alt-azimuth mounts. Portability is a major plus for the PowerSeeker 127EQ. Its tube is relatively compact, and the whole assembly is lightweight enough to carry outside in one or two trips.
Celestron Travel Scope 70 Portable Refractor Telescope – 70mm Aperture, Fully-Coated Glass Optics – Includes Tripod, Backpack & Software – Ideal for Beginners & Travel
The Celestron Travel Scope 70 Portable Refractor Telescope is designed for anyone curious about whats in the sky. Its a complete kit that balances capability with remarkable portability, making it a straightforward choice for your first telescope or a reliable companion for trips.
At its core is a 70mm aperture objective lens. This size gathers a significant amount of light, which is crucial for clear viewing.
The fully-coated glass optics enhance this further, providing bright, sharp images. You can expect detailed views of the Moon’s craters, the rings of Saturn, and Jupiter’s moons on a clear night. During the day, it doubles as a powerful spotting scope for landscapes and wildlife, offering versatility many scopes in its class dont.
Ease of use was clearly a priority in its design. You won’t need any tools to assemble it.
The full-height tripod and optical tube attach quickly, meaning you can go from your backpack to observing in just a couple minutes. This simplicity removes the frustration that can sometimes come with other beginner models. Its intuitive enough for kids to use with guidance, but capable enough for adults to enjoy on their own, making it a great shared activity.
The kit includes two eyepieces: a 20mm for wider views and a 10mm for higher magnification.
Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ App-Enabled Telescope – 114mm Newtonian Reflector with Smartphone Dock & StarSense App – iPhone & Android Compatible – Easy-to-Use for Beginners
The Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ App-Enabled Telescope is designed to remove the biggest hurdle for new stargazers: finding things in the night sky. It combines a capable optical tube with a genuinly smart phone app that acts as your personal guide.
At its core is the patented StarSense technology. Unlike a simple star chart, this app uses your phone’s camera to analyze the star patterns above.
It calculates exactly where your telescope is pointed, turning your phone into a sophisticated navigation system. You just dock your phone into the bracket, launch the app, and follow the on-screen arrows. When the target circle turns green, you look through the eyepiece and the object is right there. No prior knowledge is needed, which makes the learning curve almost non-existent.
The app does more than just point.
It generates a live list of “Tonight’s Best” objects visible from your location. It considers what’s up, how bright it is, and your local conditions. You’ll see recommendations for planets, star clusters, and brighter galaxies, helping you make the most of every observing session, whether you’re in the suburbs or under darker skies.
The telescope itself is a 114mm Newtonian reflector. That’s a 4.5-inch aperture, which gathers a significant amount of light for detailed views.
Telescope 70mm Aperture 500mm – for Kids & Adults Astronomical Refracting Telescopes AZ Mount Fully Multi-Coated Optics, with Diagonal Mirror Phone Adapter, Carrying Bag, Wireless Remote Black
The Telescope 70mm Aperture 500mm is designed to bring the wonders of the night sky within reach for curious beginners and families. It’s a refractor telescope, which means it uses lenses to gather light, offering a straightforward and reliable way to start observing. The 70mm aperture is the key here—it’s the width of the main lens that collects light. A larger aperture like this means you’ll see brighter, clearer images of celestial objects compared to smaller, toy-like telescopes.
It really does make a difference in protecting your eyes from strain by providing a bright image. Paired with a 500mm focal length, this setup offers a versatile balance between wide-field views and the ability to zoom in on details.
You get several accessories to maximize your viewing. The telescope comes with two eyepieces: a 25mm for wider views and a 10mm for higher magnification.
There’s also a 3x Barlow lens, which effectively triples the power of each eyepiece, giving you a range of options from sweeping star fields to a closer look at the moon’s craters. A 5×24 finderscope is attached to the main tube, making it much simpler to locate objects in sky before you zoom in. The optics are fully multi-coated, a feature that reduces internal glare and increases light transmission for sharper, more contrast-rich views.
Telescope 80mm Aperture 600mm – Astronomical Portable Refracting Telescope Fully Multi-coated High Transmission Coatings AZ Mount with Tripod Phone Adapter, Wireless Control, Carrying Bag. Easy Set Up
The Telescope 80mm Aperture 600mm is a versatile astronomical refractor designed to bring the night sky within reach. It balances capable optics with genuine portability, making it a practical choice for both beginners and those looking for an easy-to-transport instrument.
At its core is an 80mm objective lens. This aperture is key, as it gathers a significant amount of light, providing brighter and more detailed views of celestial objects compared to smaller scopes.
The 600mm focal length (f/6.7) offers a good balance for viewing both larger sky objects and some planetary detail. A major plus is the fully multi-coated high transmission coatings on all optical glass. This isn’t just a single layer; it’s multiple coatings that minimize light loss and glare, which directly enhances image brightness and contrast for a clearer picture.
The telescope comes with two eyepieces: a 25mm and a 10mm.
These give you 24x and 60x magnification right out of the box. The included 3x Barlow lens is a powerful accessory; it effectively triples the power of each eyepiece, allowing you to zoom in on the moon’s craters at up to 180x magnification. To help you find your target, a 5×24 optical finderscope is attached, making it much simpler to navigate the sky than just using the main tube alone.
Setup is straightforward, with no tools required.
Bushnell Voyager Telescope Buying Guide
Choosing a telescope can feel overwhelming. This guide breaks down teh key aspects to consider, helping you see if the Bushnell Voyager telescope aligns with your stargazing goals. It’s about finding the right tool for your curiosity.
Aperture: Your Light Gathering Power
This is the telescope’s most important spec. Aperture is the diameter of the main lens or mirror, measured in millimeters. A larger aperture, like the 70mm found on many Voyager models, collects more light. Why does this matter? It means you can see fainter objects, like distant galaxies, and get brighter, sharper views of the moon and planets. Think of it as the difference between squinting and having a clear, well-lit view.
Mount Stability: The Foundation of Your View
A wobbly mount can ruin the experience. The Voyager typically uses an alt-azimuth mount, which is intuitive to move up-down and left-right. The real question is: how steady is it? A good mount dampens vibrations quickly, so the image settles fast after you adjust it. If you’re sharing views with family or trying to track a planet, stability is not a luxury—it’s a necessity for enjoyable observing.
Portability and Setup
Will you use it in your backyard or take it to a dark-sky site? A scope that’s too heavy or complicated to setup often ends up in the closet. The Voyager’s design often leans toward being relatively lightweight and quick to assemble. Consider how many pieces you’re willing to handle and how much trunk space you’re willing to give up. The best telescope is the one you’ll actually use.
Included Accessories
What comes in the box? Look for the number and quality of eyepieces, which determine magnification. A finderscope is crucial for aiming at stars. A sturdy tripod is part of the stability equation. Sometimes, the value is in these extras. Check if the package gives you a versatile starting kit or if you’ll need to buy additional pieces right away to get the views you want.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bushnell Voyager Telescope
What can I see with a Bushnell Voyager telescope?
You can see a lot! The moon’s craters are a clear target. You can also spot Jupiter’s moons and Saturn’s rings on a good night. Brighter star clusters and nebulas are visible too. It’s a great scope for starting your skywatching journey.
Is this telescope good for beginners?
Yes, it’s a solid choice for beginners. It’s relatively easy to set up and use. The mount is stable, which helps when you’re trying to find objects. The optics provide clear views to keep you interested as you learn the night sky.
Do I need any extra accessories?
It comes ready to use. You might want a moon filter later, as the full moon can be very bright. A simple star chart or a phone app is the best accessory to help you find things to look at. Extra eyepieces can be nice, but the included ones work fine to start.
How difficult is it to assemble?
Assembly is pretty straightforward. You’ll attach the tripod legs, mount the optical tube, and add the finderscope. The manual walks you through it. Most people have it ready in under 30 minutes for their first time.
Can I use it for daytime viewing?
You can, but be very careful. You must never, ever point it at the sun without a proper solar filter. That can cause instant eye damage. It’s okay for looking at distant landscapes, though. Just remember the image will be upside-down, which is normal for this type of telescope.
What’s the main advantage of this model?
The main advantage is its value. You get a good aperture for the price, which means brighter images. The equatorial mount helps track objects as the Earth rotates. It’s a capable instrument that doesn’t overwhelm you with complexity right out of the box.
Is the mount stable enough?
The mount is decently stable for its class. It’s not as heavy as professional gear, but it minimizes shakes better than many basic tripods. Letting it settle for a second after you adjust it gives you the clearest view. For casual observing, it works well.
In Summary
Set your course for reliable and accessible celestial touring. A good telescope should remove barriers, not create them. It should feel like a trusted guide on your nightly adventures, offering clear views without a complicated setup. That’s teh real goal: making the sky’s wonders feel close and personal.
For a straightforward path to the stars, the bushnell voyager telescope stands out. It provides the dependability you need for consistent viewing. You can spend less time adjusting gear and more time simply looking up. It’s a solid choice for anyone ready to begin there journey, bringing the moon’s craters or Saturn’s rings into sharp, memorable focus from your own backyard.