On the hunt for a cheap telescope deal? If you're in the US, you should make a beeline for Walmart, where you can pick up an excellent beginner-friendly telescope from leading brand Celestron for an absolute bargain price. Right now the Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ LT Refractor Telescope Kit for just $78 rather than the usual $129.95.
Shopping from the UK? You're in luck too: head to Amazon, where the AstroMaster 70AZ is now £104.95 – that's a 19% price drop.
This beginner-friendly scope punches above its price tag even at full price, and with over $50 off, it'd make an excellent holiday gift for anyone hoping to get into astronomy. It's amongst the best telescopes for beginners, by our reckoning.
The Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ is designed to be easy to use, with no-tool setup and intuitive and smooth controls for accurate pointing. It'll provide you with clear images of the Moon, the rings of Saturn, the Orion Nebula and more, but it can also be used for nature-spotting during the day. There's also a smartphone adapter and Bluetooth remote to let you capture images and video.
Intermediate or confident astronomers should consult our general best telescope guide for some more advanced alternatives, but for keen beginners, this is an excellent starter scope.