Celestron and Sky-Watcher come from the same company
Synta Technology was founded in Taoyuan, Taiwan, around 1980 by the optical designer David Shen. In 1992 it set up Suzhou Synta Optical in Suzhou, China, to build telescopes, and in 1999 it launched its own brand, Sky-Watcher. In April 2005 SW Technology, a Synta affiliate, bought Celestron, which Synta had already been supplying for more than 15 years. Celestron is still run from Torrance, California, but the two best-selling budget brands in the US come out of the same company.
In an antitrust case decided in 2019, the court described Synta and Ningbo Sunny Electronic, then Meade's owner, as the two largest telescope makers selling into the US. A jury found that Ningbo Sunny and Meade had fixed prices and awarded Orion $16.8 million, trebled to $50.4 million. Orion had settled its claims against Synta before the trial.
Practical effect: Sky-Watcher and Celestron Dobsonians, Newtonians and mounts share many parts and accessories, and Synta-built Orion scopes take Sky-Watcher parts.
Who makes each telescope brand
Brand, the company that builds or owns it, where it is based, its price range, what it is known for, and whether it is still in business. Retailer house brands, such as Apertura, Omegon and TS-Optics, are made to order by Asian factories.
| Brand | Made or owned by | Based in | Price range | Known for | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sky-Watcher | Synta Technology (Taiwan); built at Suzhou Synta Optical, China | Taiwan, China | Budget to mid | Classic and Flextube Dobsonians, Evostar and Esprit refractors, EQ6-R and AZ-GTi mounts | Active |
| Celestron | Owned by Synta since 2005; most products built at Suzhou Synta Optical | US brand, Torrance CA | Budget to high | Schmidt-Cassegrains, EdgeHD, RASA, StarSense Explorer, Origin | Active |
| Acuter | Synta | Taiwan, China | Budget | Spotting scopes and small telescopes | Active |
| GSO | Guan Sheng Optical | Taiwan | Budget to mid | Dobsonians, Ritchey-Chretien and Cassegrain tubes | Active |
| Apertura | High Point Scientific house brand; Dobsonians built by GSO | US seller, Taiwan maker | Budget to mid | AD8, AD10 and AD12 Dobsonians with full accessory kits | Active |
| Explore Scientific | JourneyNorth Inc. (owner since 2014); built by Jinghua Optical Electronics (JOC), China | US brand, Springdale AR | Mid | ED refractors, wide-field eyepieces, FirstLight starter scopes | Active |
| Bresser | Bresser GmbH; Explore Scientific distributes it in the Americas; JOC is a production partner | Germany | Budget to mid | Starter telescopes, binoculars, microscopes | Active |
| Sharpstar | Sharpstar Optics, founded 2000, with more than 10 years of OEM work for other brands | China | Mid to high | Fast astrograph refractors | Active |
| Askar | Sharpstar Optics | China | Mid to high | FRA and SQA quintuplet astrographs, 140 and 185 APO refractors | Active |
| ZWO | ZWO | China | Budget to high | Astronomy cameras, Seestar smart telescopes, FF refractors, AM3 and AM5 mounts | Active |
| Dwarflab | Dwarflab | China | Budget to mid | Dwarf 3, Dwarf Mini and Draco smart telescopes | Active |
| Svbony | Hong Kong Svbony Technology | Hong Kong, China | Budget | Eyepieces, filters, SV503 and SV550 refractors | Active |
| iOptron | iOptron (founded 2007); built in China, partly by the OEM Bosma | US brand, Woburn MA | Budget to high | CEM and HEM mounts, SkyGuider trackers | Active |
| William Optics | William Optics | Taiwan | Mid to high | RedCat, Zenithstar and GT refractors | Active |
| Omegon | House brand of the German retailer Astroshop | Germany | Budget to mid | Starter telescopes, mounts, accessories | Active |
| TS-Optics | House brand of Teleskop-Service | Germany | Budget to high | Refractors, Newtonians, imaging accessories | Active |
| Vixen | Vixen | Japan | Mid to high | Refractors, SXP mounts, binoculars | Active |
| Takahashi | Takahashi | Japan | High | FSQ and FOA refractors, Mewlon Dall-Kirkhams | Active |
| Kowa, Nikon, Canon, Fujinon | Each makes its own | Japan | Mid to high | Binoculars and spotting scopes, including image-stabilized models | Active |
| Tele Vue | Tele Vue Optics | US, New York | High | Ethos, Nagler and Delos eyepieces, NP refractors | Active |
| Astro-Physics | Astro-Physics | US, Illinois | High | Mach2 and 1100 mounts, StarFire refractors | Active |
| PlaneWave | PlaneWave Instruments | US, Michigan | High | CDK astrographs, observatory mounts and telescopes | Active |
| Stellarvue | Stellarvue | US, California | High | Apochromatic refractors | Active |
| Lunt Solar Systems | Lunt Solar Systems | US, Arizona | Mid to high | Hydrogen-alpha solar telescopes | Active |
| DayStar | DayStar Filters | US, Missouri | Mid | Quark hydrogen-alpha eyepiece filters | Active |
| Officina Stellare | Officina Stellare | Italy | High | RiFAst and Veloce astrographs, professional telescopes | Active |
| Vaonis | Vaonis | France | High | Vespera smart telescopes | Active |
| Unistellar | Unistellar | France | High | eQuinox and Odyssey smart telescopes, citizen science network | Active |
| Orion | Optronic Technologies; sold scopes built by Synta, Vixen and Taiwanese makers | US, Watsonville CA | Budget to mid | SkyQuest XT Dobsonians, StarBlast | Closed 2024 |
| Meade | Owned by Ningbo Sunny from 2013, by Orion from 2021 | US, California | Budget to high | LX200 and LX90 Schmidt-Cassegrains, ETX, Autostar go-to | Closed 2024 |
| Coronado | Founded by David Lunt; owned by Meade from 2004 | US, Arizona | Mid to high | PST and SolarMax hydrogen-alpha solar telescopes | Closed 2024 |
Small US workshops also build premium Dobsonians to order, among them Obsession, Teeter and JP Astrocraft. See Dobsonian telescopes.
Meade, Orion and Coronado all closed in 2024
Meade was founded in 1972 and bought Coronado, the solar telescope maker, in 2004. Ningbo Sunny bought Meade in 2013. After the 2019 verdict Meade filed for bankruptcy, and in June 2021 Orion, owned by Optronic Technologies, bought it. On July 9, 2024, Orion stopped operating and laid off its staff; by December 2024 the assets of Meade, Orion and Coronado were listed for auction. High Point Scientific bought the remaining Orion and Meade inventory and sold it off at a discount in 2025.
The telescopes still work. See the owner pages for Meade and Orion.