A small telescope is generally considered to be a telescope with an aperture of less than approximately 1.0 to 1.5 meters.

Small telescopes dominate astronomical research in the fields of asteroid and comet discovery and observation, variable star photometry, and supernova and nova discovery, and colorimetry and polarimetery of the solar system's planets.

Because of their limited light gathering capability, small telescopes are not well suited to spectroscopy.

Almost all amateur astronomer's telescopes are small telescopes.