Best Telescope Eyepiece for Viewing Planets [Buyers Guide]

If you are looking to view the planets, then your Telescope Eyepiece will be essential. It will be the predominant factor in what you can observe, how you observe it, and in how much detail. The difficulty is, that knowing what eyepiece is best for you can be quite a challenge. There are a lot of different brands and terminology to understand. There are also other things to consider like what you want to observe, your telescope, and your budget. This buying guide will help you identify the best eyepieces that you can use to view planets. By the end, you will know exactly what to look for and what eyepiece is going to be best.

Best Telescope Eyepiece for Viewing Planets

Kits

Individual Eyepieces

Eyepiece Sets Details

Celestron Eyepiece and Filter Kit – 14 Piece Telescope Accessory Set

Summary: The Celestron 14 Piece Telescope Eyepiece and Filter Kit is a complete set from one of the best and reputable manufacturers for Astronomy Equipment. This is one of the most practicable and economical ways of purchasing eyepieces; buying them all together and being able to store them all in one place. It’s great for taking with you and storing away. Within the Durable Hard-Sided Carrying Case, you will find 5 Plossl eyepieces that range in mm. Starting with 6mm and ranging all the way through to a 32mm eyepiece. These are all fully multi-coated for maximum contrast and resolution. Plossl glass lenses are considered the gold standard for planetary viewing because they use less glass and thus provide a greater field of view. This comprehensive set includes all the eyepieces you will need to observe all of the planets, and in varying degrees of detail. At the upper end of the eyepieces, the 32mm offers a low power, wide-field view, whilst at the other end, the 8 mm & 6 mm eyepieces will give high magnifications which is ideal for observing the Moon and planets. Beyond just the 5 eyepieces, you are getting 2x Barlow Lenses, 6 colored filters, and a Moon filter. These filters will help to bring out certain details on each planet’s surface or its cloud structure. This is a complete set and one whereby you can purchase all the eyepieces you need for your telescope in one go.

Pros

• Five superior grade Plossl eyepieces, all fully multi-coated providing you with maximum contrast and resolution
• 2x Barlow Lenses Included to Double your Magnification
• Kit saves you over $700.00 than purchasing items on their own
• The colored filters are perfect for bringing out various details on a planet’s surface or in its cloud structure. A Moon filter blocks some of the Moon’s bright glare, allowing you to see more detail.
• Sturdy Metal Case; Extra room to include more of your own accessories.

• Eyepieces and Filters only work on a 1.25″ Telescope

Orion 08890 1.25-Inch Premium Telescope Accessory Kit 

Summary: The Orion Telescope Accessory Kit is another compelling and comprehensive set by another notable manufacturer. In the Foam-Lined Durable Hard-Sided Carrying Case, you will find 5 Sirius Plossl multi-coated eyepieces that begin with 6.3mm and scale all the way up to 40mm. This gives a great range of magnifications to observe the planets and the Moon. Similar to the Celestron Kit above, you also benefit from 2x Barlow lenses and 6 eyepiece filters – 5 of them are color planetary filters and the other is a 13% transmission neutral-density Moon filter. This is an excellent way to enhance the clarity of your views and reveal surface detail that would not be possible otherwise. This is an equally impressive kit but comes in at a slightly higher price point than the Celestron Kit. This is partly due to the extra quality of the Barlow lens in the Orion Kit so if this is a piece that you are serious about using, you should opt for this kit.

• Five superior grade Plossl eyepieces, all fully multi-coated providing you with maximum contrast and resolution
• Highest Quality 2x Barlow Lenses Included to Double your Magnification
• Kit saves you over $700.00 than purchasing items on their own
• The colored filters are perfect for bringing out various details on a planet’s surface or in its cloud structure. A Moon filter blocks some of the Moon’s bright glare, allowing you to see more detail.
• Sturdy Metal Case; Extra room to include more of your own accessories.

• No guide or instructions for how to use included in the Case.

Gosky Astronomical Telescope Accessory Kit 

The Gosky Astronomical Telescope Accessory Kit is an entry-level set and is far more limited in terms of the number of items you get included. This is not to say that the quality is inferior, but it is more limited in terms of application. You get three multi-coated Plossl eyepieces starting at 6mm, increasing to 12.5mm, and finishing up at 20mm. Whilst this provides the sufficient magnification you need to observe the planets, you will not be able to get the level of detail that the Celestron or Orion kits can provide (their maximum eyepieces are 32mm and 40mm respectively). Nonetheless, the accessories included in this kit are of great quality and you will be able to observe planetary and lunar details as well as being able to observe the more distant star clusters and deep-sky objects. You also get 2x Barlow lenses for additional magnification, a Moon Filter to reduce the glare and glow of the Moon for easier observation, and 3 color filters to highlight the features of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. This is an ideal starting kit for those on a limited budget, or who do not believe they need extra eyepieces (particularly above 20mm)

• Budget-Friendly & Affordable whilst retaining Quality
• All filters, eyepieces and Barlow come with dust caps, dust plugs, and cases.
• Barlow Lens comes with a prime focus T-adapter for attaching a DSLR camera.

• Barlow Lenses not compatible with all telescopes (e.g. Celestron Nexstar 130SLT)

Individual Eyepieces Details

If you do not want to necessarily purchase a kit and are looking for an individual eyepiece, then there are some great options. The following are some of the best available on the market today:

Meade Instruments (8 to 24-Millimeter) Zoom Eyepiece

It works very well across a variety of branded telescopes, so in summary, this is an eyepiece very worthy of your consideration.

• 8-24mm Eyepiece; easily manipulated with Zooming technology
• Long eye relief, rubber coating folds down making this suitable for glass wearing astronomers
• 1 Year Warranty

• No Carry Case Included

Summary: The Celestron Omni Series is a collection of versatile and powerful eyepieces. Whilst each eyepiece provides you with a set amount of mm (unlike Meade Instruments above), they are of quality design and versatility. They have several layers of high-transmission coating which means you will obtain crisp, sharp images.  An eyepiece from the Omni Series consists of a 4-element Plossl optical design and rubber eyecups to give you extra comfort.  Plus you have the ability to leave them up or fold them down when wearing eyeglasses. The barrels are made of strong aluminum matte (and can accept filters), and the lens edges are blackened to prevent internal reflections. This prevents any glare from ruining your observations. For observing Planets it is recommended to get an eyepiece that is either 4mm, 9mm or 12mm

• 50º apparent field of view, perfect for the Moon, planets, and a plethora of deep-sky objects
• Superior design and quality; finished with multiple layers of high-transmission coatings for clear, sharp images.
• Long eye relief, rubber coating folds down making this suitable for glass wearing astronomers

• Purchasing several eyepieces individually can become costly.

Summary: It works very well across a variety of branded telescopes, so in summary, this is an eyepiece very worthy of your consideration.

• Zooming Functionality means changing the magnification is effortless and simple.
• Fantastic Quality; High Contrast and Clear Views
• 8-24mm Eyepiece; Clickstop makes it easy to select an mm and manipulate
• Fits easily into nearly every Telescope
• Great Eye Relief; Three different eyecups to utilize
• Travel Pouch Included

• May require refocusing after making larger zoom changes in focal length.

FAQs

What Do Colored Filters Do?

Colored eyepiece filters provide the ability to see additional and advanced planetary features. Each color provides a different view as seen below:

Yellow

• Improves the contrast of lunar features and the crescent of Venus Enables you to see dark features of the Martian landscape and improves views of cloud detail around Mars and its atmosphere Ensures you can see the cloud belts and polar regions of Jupiter

Orange

• Provides contrast to lunar features
• Improves visibility of edge surface detail on Mars
• Enhances the contrast of the cloud belts, festoons, and the red spot on Jupiter
• Enables you to see the belts and poles of Saturn

Red

• Improves Martian surface details
• Helps you identify the cloud regions on Jupiter and Saturn
• Contrasts Mercury against the sky so you can interpret it better
• Enhances cloud definition on Venus

Green

• Enhances the contrast of blue and red structures on Jupiter
• Enables you to see the ‘melt line detail’ around Martian polar caps
• Improves views of cloud belts on Saturn

Blue

• Improves your ability to observe details of cloud belts and the Red Spot on Jupiter
• Shows lunar surface details
• Provides contrast to cloud features on Venus

Related Guides:

• 10mm vs 20mm Eyepiece [What’s The Difference?]
• Celestron Luminos Review [Eyepiece Series Buyers Guide]