The Meade Telescope was first created in 1972 with the idea of designing telescopes and accessories that everyone, from beginners on up could use to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the skies. In 1977, the company designed and manufactured its first two “in-house” models-reflecting telescopes and offered them to the public. When the orders poured in, they quickly became aware that they had not made enough and all orders were put on back-order. The company offered the eager Meade telescope customers a refund in a hand-written note explaining the situation. Since that time, they have remained one of the top telescope manufacturing companies in the world.

If you are a beginner, you may be wary of purchasing your first telescope. The prices range from under fifty dollars to the thousands. A good beginning telescope like the Meade telescope will have all of the basic functions and be easy to operate even for the most inexperience astronomer. The most basic telescope in the Meade family is the Meade DS-2130ATS, which is a reflective telescope (uses mirrors to gather light and reflect images) and it offers very good clarity and detail.

The NG/NGS Series offers a reflective Meade telescope with computer capabilities and a manual mount that makes it easy to move and adjust. Another beginning level telescope is the AZ series. These are refractor telescopes (use curved glass lenses to collect light and images for viewing) that are great not only for deep space viewing, but also for terrain on the earth. The final series in the Meade Telescope family is the EQ series. These telescopes have large apertures for the best quality viewing. Aperture is the most important factor in how well a telescope can collect and display images.

You can find 12 different series in the Meade Telescope line of beginner and specialty scopes. They also have kits for those who want to personalize their scope for their needs. For instance if you would like to view earth terrain, or if you are interested in space photography there are kits that you can order with all of the Meade telescope equipment you will need in the kit. They have special lenses and other accessories like mounts, stands, and so on and so on. They make it very easy to get into the astronomy hobby at any price level. Check out the reviews and their site to make the most informed choice.