Do you want to photograph the night sky? If so, then you need a telescope. But which one should you choose? There are many different types of telescopes on the market today, and it can be confusing for beginners to decide which ones they should purchase. In this blog post we will go over some of the best telescopes for astrophotography, as well as how to select them based on your needs.
Table of Contents
What to Look for in a Telescope for Astrophotography?
Choosing which telescope will work best for astrophotography depends on what exactly you are trying to photograph most often – stars or planets? Do you want something that’s portable and easy to set up wherever there’s dark skies? Or would you rather get an observatory type scope?
The first thing to consider when purchasing a telescope for astrophotography is what you will primarily be using it for. If your main goal is simply to look at the stars and planets, then any old telescope can do the trick. However, if you are interested in photographing them as well, that’s where it becomes more tricky. The type of camera lens or kit that comes with your telescope may not necessarily fit all types of telescopes (specifically those designed strictly for photography).
One other consideration to make before selecting a telescope is magnification power; this refers how far away an object appears from its actual distance in meters. For example, if someone was standing 100 yards away from me I would need about 60x magnification power to see him.
Generally speaking, the more magnification power a telescope has, the better. However, this can be offset by how large the aperture of your lens is as well; if you have two telescopes with different magnifications and not much difference in their aperture size (which refers to how wide a hole they’re letting light through) then it may make sense to go for greater magnification.
Best Telescopes For Astrophotography
Celestron – AstroMaster 70AZ Telescope
The Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ refractor telescope is a powerful yet user-friendly instrument that delivers high-quality views of celestial objects at night and terrestrial targets during the day.
Erect image optics allow for geocelestial viewing, including observing planets in our solar system, nebulae, clusters of stars, galaxies across the sky and more! Great for adults and kids alike. This astronomical tool features a compact yet sturdy frame with an easy to use panning handle with Alt-Az control function.
Weighing just 18 pounds total (less than 10 when not assembled), this essential astronomy accessory is ready for television appearances as well as outdoor adventures! The lens can be removed from its mount so you can view objects up close.
This telescope comes complete with a durable equatorial mount, making tracking objects across the sky an easy task for even amateur sky-gazers. You can’t go wrong when you’re discovering worlds and mysteries from beneath the stars in this powerful yet user-friendly refractor telescope.
Orion 09565 EON 130mm ED Triplet Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
This 130mm, 5.1 inch aperture triplet ED apochromat telescope packs premium optics and features into a price that is unbeatable! This paragon of the telescope world offers huge 3-inch dual-speed Crayford focusers for precise focusing.
The EON’s large aperture provides stunning views of the cosmos in incredibly deep detail. A beautifully constructed refractor telescope, it includes two split-clamp tube rings and a triple-latch hard case for protection during transport and storage.
It’s equipped with 3 inch dual-speed focuser for sharp images or crisp visual observations; has a huge aperture that provides excellent astrophotography capability; comes with a beautifully designed hard case to protect the telescope while in transit. Plus, it looks cool on your desk!
Celestron – 80mm Travel Scope
This compact telescope is a powerful, efficient instrument—ideal for beginners. With its fully-coated glass optics and potent 80mm objective lens, the Celestron Travel Scope will capture breathtaking views of deep sky objects like nebulas, galaxies, and star clusters.
The two included high-quality eyepieces (20mm and 10mm) allow users to look at celestial objects or terrestrial subjects with low to high power magnification. This device also features an easy red laser pointer that can be used for both land and sky viewing in the dark.
In addition to being portable enough to take anywhere you go outdoors on your next camping adventure, this telescope also comes equipped with a custom backpack with padded support so it’s ready for any kind of trip.
Orion 9534 ED80T CF Triplet Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
For beginner astronomers, the Orion 9534 ED80T will provide light gathering power with exceptional resolution thanks to high end extra-low dispersion glass flocking on the corrector lens element surfaces. And best of all, it’s completely portable so you can take it along to just about any destination imaginable when you’re not at home.
It is a telescope whose size is ideal not only for visual use but also astrophotography thanks to its small size and weight coupled with great wide-field apochromatic optics.
The telescope includes robust dual-speed (11:1) 2″ Crayford focuser for smooth autofocus operation, 2″-to-1.25″ stepdown adapter perfect for all of your 1.25” eyepieces and accessories, dovetail finder bracket bases machined from solid aluminum bar stock which provides extra stability as well as a built in bubble level indicator to help you easily set up your tripod without stressing about anything tipping over.
Sky-Watcher Quattro 200P Imaging Newtonian
The Sky-Watcher Quattro 200P Imaging Newtonian was designed for astrophotography. It was made for those who want to capture all the detail in their night sky. Dual-speed focusers help you keep your target point in sharp focus without losing light from the telescope.
This is a hybrid telescope with the ability to supply an incredible amount of light-gathering power for higher magnification. The focal length of 400mm lets you see the detail in even dimmer areas, giving astrophotographers more control over the images they capture. You don’t have to worry about focus either; just turn that dual speed crayford style focuser and you’re ready to go!
You can use this product with a variety of cameras, both full-frame DSLR and APS-C size versions, so that there is no vignetting on either type of camera.
