How to see Saturn and Jupiter with a telescope

(Image credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, A. Simon (NASA-GSFC))

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When To Observe Saturn And Jupiter
How To Observe Saturn And Jupiter
My recommendations for telescopes to see Saturn and Jupiter
What about Uranus and Neptune?

Ask anyone interested in the night sky what first got them hooked, and you'll hear the same answer time and again — the sight of Saturn's rings through a telescope. It may play second fiddle, but Jupiter's cloud bands and Great Red Spot through a telescope are almost as spectacular and easily seal the deal. But when are the planets at their best? Read on, or skip to my recommendations for telescopes you can buy to see Saturn and Jupiter where you can also save money on current Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals.

When To Observe Saturn And Jupiter

Late 2025 is the ideal time to examine both gas giant planets with the best beginner telescopes. The best time to observe any outer planet is a month either side of its opposition, when Earth travels between the planet and the sun. At this time, not only is the distance between the planet and Earth the shortest, but the planet appears biggest and brightest in the sky. What's more, a planet at opposition rises in the east during dusk and sets in the west during dawn. Saturn reached opposition on September 21, 2025 and will do so again on October 4, 2026, while Jupiter next reaches opposition on January 10, 2026.

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How To Observe Saturn And Jupiter

If you're wondering what kind of telescope you need to see Saturn and Jupiter, you're halfway to the answer. Although either of the two main types of telescope — refractors and reflectors — can be used, it's refractors that tend to give the sharpest, most contrasty images, particularly if you've got a small budget.

As a bare minimum you'll need at least a 50mm/2-inch aperture refractor and a 25mm eyepiece to see Saturn's rings and Jupiter's cloud bands, but it's worth aiming for an aperture of 102mm/4-inch or even 125mm/5-inch for enough detail to impress. That way, you may see the Cassini Division (a dark gap) in Saturn’s rings and Jupiter's Great Red Spot.

The Celestron Inspire 100AZ, a 4-inch refractor, will do a good job with planets, as will as 5-inch reflector like the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ. For more advanced, higher-budget views, choose pricier catadioptric telescopes — such as Maksutov-Cassegrain and Schmidt-Cassegrain models — which gather more light, have longer focal lengths and support eyepieces offering 150x magnification. A good choice would be the Celestron NexStar 6SE, which will increase magnification and, crucially, detail.

A lot of telescopes are sold purely on the magnification number, with bigger = better in the minds of many buyers. It’s not that simple. Choose a telescope with the largest possible aperture (expressed in inches and millimeters) and a long focal length. That way, it will be able to take eyepieces with a higher magnification (higher power). The focal length of a telescope is the distance from the objective lens to the focal point. To calculate the all-important usable magnification, divide the focal length of the telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece. For example, a telescope with 660mm focal length and a 10mm eyepiece will have a magnification of 66x.

Also read: Best telescopes for seeing planets in 2025

My recommendations for telescopes to see Saturn and Jupiter

This lightweight 70mm achromatic refractor will give you entry-level views of Jupiter’s cloud bands and Saturn’s rings. Its 900mm focal length pairs with the included 20mm and 10mm Kellner eyepieces to deliver 45× and 90× magnification, which is ideal for the moon and enough for a glimpse of the gas giants. In the box is a manual alt-azimuth mount with pan handle and clutch, an adjustable tripod, an erect-image diagonal and a StarPointer red-dot finderscope. It’s simple to set up, though fine aiming lacks precision — keep your expectations modest.

A step-up option for lunar and planetary views, this 100mm achromatic refractor features a 660mm focal length. That pairs with the included 20mm and 10mm Kellner eyepieces to deliver 33× and 66× magnification, which is sufficient for viewing Saturn’s rings, Jupiter’s cloud belts and the moon’s craters. In the box is a manual alt-azimuth mount with panhandle, an adjustable tripod, an erect-image diagonal, a StarPointer Pro red-dot finder and a built-in red light for swapping eyepieces. It also features a clever dust cap that doubles as a smartphone adapter. It’s so easy to set up, though its bearings lack precision, and there’s a touch of purple fringing around bright targets.

This 102mm Maksutov-Cassegrain is built for crisp, high-contrast views of Jupiter’s belts and Saturn’s rings. Its 1325mm focal length pairs with a 25mm Plössl eyepiece to give 55× magnification — add a 2× Barlow lens to reach 110× (with its highest useful magnification around 241× on steady nights). It features a clever GoTo alt-azimuth mount with a SkyAlign hand controller, a sturdy tripod, a red-dot finder and a built-in flip-mirror star diagonal. Setup is quick, though heavy battery use means an external power pack is wise.

Another GoTo telescope that automatically finds and tracks the planets, this compact 102mm Maksutov-Cassegrain gets sharp views of Jupiter’s belts and Saturn’s rings. Its 1325mm focal length pairs with the included 25mm and 10mm eyepieces to deliver 53× and 133× magnification. WiFi-enabled and controlled by the SkyPortal app, it comes with a computerized alt-azimuth single-fork mount, adjustable tripod, red-dot finder and a lens-cap smartphone adapter. Setup takes longer than on budget scopes, but it’s worth the extra time.

If you want something really special, consider this 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain, which excels with planetary detail at high magnifications. With a long 2,032mm focal length, it delivers crisp, bright views of Jupiter’s belts and Saturn’s rings, with its 25mm Plössl eyepiece giving 81× magnification (add a 10mm eyepiece, and you’ll get 203× on steady nights). It uses a GoTo single-fork alt-azimuth mount with a NexStar+ hand controller and a steel tripod with accessory tray, 90° star diagonal and a StarPointer red-dot finder.

Since smart telescopes stack images to reveal them, they tend to have small optics, which means poor planetary views are affected by atmospheric distortion. One exception is the Unistellar Odyssey, a mid-range smart telescope with 320mm focal length that uses 'lucky imaging' for planets, taking lots of images and choosing only the sharpest ones. It's also got Multi-Depth Technology, which automatically adjusts between deep-sky and planetary viewing. At its core is a 4.1-MP sensor that live-stacks images — in this case, small, clean disks of Jupiter and Saturn. In the box is a motorized alt-azimuth mount and a tripod.

A high-end, though heavy option, the Celestron CPC Deluxe 1100HD is an 11-inch EdgeHD Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope built for high-contrast and high magnification. Its monster 2,800mm focal length and StarBright XLT coatings deliver bright, detailed views of Jupiter and Saturn, with astounding detail on the lunar surface. It includes a 23mm Axiom LX eyepiece, which provides 122× magnification, while a 10mm eyepiece is capable of 280× (and much higher magnification on steady nights). It sits on a motorized dual-arm GoTo fork mount and a heavy tripod, with a 2-inch diagonal and 50mm finderscope in the box.

What about Uranus and Neptune?

If your stargazing journey takes you to Jupiter and Saturn, it won't be long until you want to see Uranus and Neptune, too. This is where it gets tricky. The seventh planet, Uranus, is about twice as far from the sun as Saturn and almost four times as far as Jupiter, while the eighth planet, Neptune, is about three times as far as Saturn and almost six times as far as Jupiter. That's why you'll need a 200mm/8-inch aperture telescope to get any kind of view of either; a Barlow lens — an optical device that doubles the magnification possible with existing eyepieces — on a smaller scope will merely show you a slightly larger blurred dot. Since Neptune and Uranus can be difficult to locate in the night sky, a motorized GoTo mount is useful.

Jamie is an experienced science, technology and travel journalist and stargazer who writes about exploring the night sky, solar and lunar eclipses, moon-gazing, astro-travel, astronomy and space exploration. He is the editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com and author of A Stargazing Program For Beginners, and is a senior contributor at Forbes. His special skill is turning tech-babble into plain English.

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