Photo: Spencer Lowell

Even a basic telescope can deliver clear views of celestial regulars like Jupiter and its moons. But for NASA-worthy sights of, say, the Crab Nebula, you need serious gear—and serious coin. Enter the Meade MAX 20? telescope. Its optics are coated with nanothin layers of proprietary materials that help guide every cosmic photon into your eye or camera. And the focal plane is almost perfectly flat, so the edges of your shots won’t be too blurry. Press a button and the robotic mount points the 20-inch aperture (astronomers have discovered comets with less) at any of 140,000 preset objects, from galaxy clusters to the ISS. You can even control the 10-foot-high rig—don’t worry, it breaks down for transport—from a laptop or cell phone. So if you’re in the mood for stargazing but not the outdoors, you can monitor things from your sofa. And if you can afford this scope, your sofa must be amazing.