The best smart telescopes for beginners and dark desert skies

• Best for most people: DWARF 3, $549 [1]. It weighs about 1.35 kg, takes up to 60 s exposures, is IP54 dust and dew resistant, and DWARFLAB rates it for -20°C to 45°C. That high-temperature rating is the best of the three for desert summers [1].
• Best for Milky Way and wide-field shots: ZWO Seestar S30 Pro, $699 [2]. It has two 8.3 MP cameras (a telephoto and a 63° wide), 128 GB of storage, and a Milky Way mode that only this model has [2].
• Cheapest way in: DWARF mini, $419 [3]. It's the budget choice. It weighs 840 g and has a smaller 2 MP sensor [3].

A smart telescope is a small camera, lens and motorized mount in one box. You pick a target in a phone app, it finds the target, tracks it, and stacks short exposures into an image while you watch [1][2]. On r/AskAstrophotography, commenters stress that it's a screen-based imager, not something you put your eye to [6]. If you want to see Saturn's rings with your own eye, buy a regular telescope instead.

DWARF 3: First-timers who want one box that handles nebulae, the moon and the sun (a solar filter is included [1]) and can tolerate heat and dust. Skip it if wide Milky Way landscapes are your main goal. Alternative: the Seestar S30 Pro. Full page: DWARF 3.

Seestar S30 Pro: People who want wide sky shots, 4K video, and FITS files to edit later [2]. Skip it if you shoot mostly in summer heat, because ZWO recommends staying under 40°C [2], or if you won't buy the mount that unlocks 60 s exposures [2]. Alternative: the DWARF 3. Full page: Seestar S30 Pro.

DWARF mini: A gift, or a cheap trial run for someone who isn't sure they'll stick with it. Skip it if you want the cleanest deep-sky images, since its sensor is the smallest here [3]. Alternative: the DWARF 3. Full page: DWARF mini.

Dark skies are the whole point. The Seestar FAQ says Milky Way imaging needs dark skies and that results depend on conditions on site [2]. Light pollution drops off fast once you're out in the desert.

Heat. Summer nights in the low desert can stay warm well after dark. The DWARF 3's listed 45°C ceiling gives you more room than the Seestar's recommended 40°C [1][2]. Don't leave either one in a closed car during the day.

Dust and dew. IP54 means the DWARF 3 is rated against dust and splashes [1]. The Seestar has no IP rating, but it does have a heater that keeps dew off the lens [2]. Cap both when you pack up, and keep them in a bag on the drive in.

Wind and tripods. All three are light, and wind shakes long exposures. The DWARF 3 doesn't come with a tripod, which DWARFLAB sells for $89 [1]. The Seestar's 60 s exposures need ZWO's TH10 mount [2].

Flying in. ZWO says the S30 Pro's 22 Wh battery meets air-travel rules for carry-on, and suggests checking with your airline [2].

• A Cloudy Nights reviewer found the DWARF 3 easy to use and says it needs a couple of minutes to calibrate after it finds a target [7].
• A DWARF 3 owner says connecting sometimes takes a second try [8].
• A first-week DWARF 3 owner shooting 60 s subs in equatorial mode says they're impressed [9].
• An owner of both Seestars says they reach for the S50 in galaxy season and the S30 Pro in nebula season [10].
• A Seestar S30 Pro buyer said it sometimes missed its target until they recalibrated the compass and restarted [2].
• New DWARF mini owners say the moon looked soft at first. The fix was to switch to telephoto, autofocus and track [11].