The Best Telescope for Astrophotography in 2024

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what it would be like to capture all those twinkling stars, bright planets, and maybe even a faraway galaxy? Well, with the right telescope, you can! Astrophotography is when you take pictures of things in space, and it's super cool. But you need a special kind of telescope to do it. In this article, I'll tell you about some of the best telescopes for capturing awesome pictures of the night sky. I'll also share some important things to think about when choosing a telescope, so you can pick the best one for you.

Best 8 Telescopes for Astrophotography

1. Telescope SV503 by SVBONY

2. Guide Scope 50mm by Sky Watcher

3. Telescope HEXEUM

4. Cassegrain Telescope Maksutov

5. Telescope by Gskyer

6. Computerised Telescope by Celestron

7. Telescope ToyerBee

8. Viper Monocular Telescope by Roxant

Top 8 Telescopes for Astrophotography

1. Telescope SV503 by SVBONY

• Aperture: 80mm
• Focal Length: 560mm
• Focal Ratio: f/7
• Optical Design: Apochromatic Refractor
• Mount Compatibility: Vixen-style dovetail
• Weight: 3.3 kg
• Included Accessories: 2-inch dual-speed focuser, carry case

The Telescope SV503 by SVBONY is really great if you want to take bright, clear pictures of the moon, stars, and maybe even faraway galaxies. It has an 80mm aperture, which is the part that collects light. This means it can see really faint objects in space.?

The f/7 focal ratio helps balance how bright and sharp your pictures are. This telescope also comes with a special focuser that helps you get your picture just right. Plus, it’s not too heavy, so you can take it with you when you go stargazing. It even comes with a carry case to make traveling easier!

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2. Guide Scope 50mm by Sky-Watcher

• Aperture: 50mm
• Focal Length: 162mm
• Focal Ratio: f/3.2
• Optical Design: Achromatic Refractor
• Weight: 1.5 kg
• Included Accessories: Mounting rings, dovetail bar, helical focuser

The Guide Scope 50mm by Sky-Watcher is perfect for helping you keep your telescope pointed at the right spot in the sky when you’re taking long-exposure pictures. It’s like having a little helper that makes sure your telescope stays steady and doesn’t make your stars look like they’re streaking across the sky. With its 50mm aperture and a focal ratio of f/3.2, it gives you a wide view to easily find and track stars. This guide scope is light and comes with everything you need to attach it to your bigger telescope.

3. Telescope HEXEUM

• Aperture: 80mm
• Focal Length: 400mm
• Focal Ratio: f/5
• Optical Design: Refractor
• Mount Compatibility: Alt-Azimuth Mount
• Weight: 2.7 kg
• Included Accessories: 25mm and 10mm eyepieces, smartphone adapter, tripod

The Telescope HEXEUM is a fantastic choice if you’re just starting out with astrophotography. It has an 80mm aperture, which lets in lots of light so you can see bright stars and other cool space stuff. The 400mm focal length gives you a nice wide view of the sky, and with an f/5 focal ratio, your pictures will look amazing. What’s really cool is that it comes with a smartphone adapter, so you can easily take pictures with your phone. It also comes with a tripod and different eyepieces to help you see things up close or far away.

4. Cassegrain Telescope Maksutov

• Aperture: 127mm
• Focal Length: 1500mm
• Focal Ratio: f/12
• Optical Design: Maksutov-Cassegrain
• Mount Compatibility: EQ mount
• Weight: 4.5 kg
• Included Accessories: 2 eyepieces, star diagonal, red dot finder

The Cassegrain Telescope Maksutov is super powerful, even though it’s small and easy to carry around. It has a big 127mm aperture, which means it can see really far into space. The 1500mm focal length makes things like planets and the moon look huge in your pictures. Because it has a long f/12 focal ratio, your photos will be super sharp. This telescope is great for people who want to take detailed pictures of things like craters on the moon or the rings of Saturn. It’s also easy to take with you wherever you go, so you can always be ready to capture the night sky.

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5. Telescope by Gskyer

• Aperture: 70mm
• Focal Length: 400mm
• Focal Ratio: f/5.7
• Optical Design: Refractor
• Mount Compatibility: Alt-Azimuth Mount
• Weight: 2.5 kg
• Included Accessories: Adjustable tripod, 3 eyepieces, Barlow lens, smartphone adapter

The Telescope by Gskyer is perfect for beginners who are just learning how to take pictures of the night sky. It has a 70mm aperture and a 400mm focal length, which means it can see lots of cool things in space and take great pictures of them. The f/5.7 focal ratio is good for capturing bright images, so you can take photos of the moon or maybe even some planets. It comes with three different eyepieces, a Barlow lens to make things look bigger, and a smartphone adapter so you can take pictures right on your phone.

6. Computerised Telescope by Celestron

• Aperture: 130mm
• Focal Length: 650mm
• Focal Ratio: f/5
• Optical Design: Newtonian reflector
• Mount Compatibility: Motorized Alt-Azimuth Mount
• Weight: 11 kg
• Included Accessories: Hand controller, 25mm and 10mm eyepieces, red dot finder

The Computerised Telescope by Celestron is like having a high-tech tool for taking pictures of space. It has a big 130mm aperture, so it can collect a lot of light, making your pictures bright and detailed. The 650mm focal length and f/5 focal ratio help you capture amazing images of everything from stars to distant galaxies. What’s really awesome about this telescope is that it’s computerized. This means it can automatically find and track objects in the sky for you, which is super helpful if you’re still learning your way around the stars.

7. Telescope ToyerBee

• Aperture: 70mm
• Focal Length: 300mm
• Focal Ratio: f/4.3
• Optical Design: Refractor
• Mount Compatibility: Alt-Azimuth Mount
• Weight: 1.6 kg
• Included Accessories: Tripod, two eyepieces, Barlow lens, wireless remote

The Telescope ToyerBee is another great choice for beginners or younger stargazers. It’s small and lightweight, which makes it easy to take outside for a quick look at the stars. With a 70mm aperture and 300mm focal length, it can see lots of cool things like the moon and some of the planets. The f/4.3 focal ratio gives you wide, bright images, perfect for starting out in astrophotography. Plus, it comes with a wireless remote, so you can take pictures without even touching the telescope, which helps keep your images steady and clear.

8. Viper Monocular Telescope by Roxant

• Aperture: 50mm
• Magnification: 10x
• Optical Design: Monocular Refractor
• Weight: 320g
• Included Accessories: Carrying case, neck strap, lens cleaning cloth

The Viper Monocular Telescope by Roxant is a super portable option for when you want to quickly check out the night sky. It’s really small and light, so you can easily carry it around with you. Even though it’s small, it has a 50mm aperture, which means you can still see some of the brighter objects in the sky, like the moon. It’s not as powerful as the bigger telescopes, but it’s perfect if you just want to take a quick look or snap a fast picture of something cool in space.

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Why Aperture and Focal Length Matter

• Why Aperture is Important: The aperture of a telescope is like its eye—it’s the part that collects light. The bigger the aperture, the more light it can collect, which is super important for seeing faint objects in space. When you want to take pictures of things like faraway galaxies or nebulae, you need as much light as possible, so a telescope with a big aperture is really helpful. A bigger aperture also means you can see more details, which makes your pictures look even cooler and more professional.
• Understanding Focal Length: Focal length is how long the telescope’s tube is. The longer the focal length, the bigger things will look in your telescope. This is great if you want to take close-up pictures of planets or craters on the moon. But if you want to take pictures of big star fields or large nebulae, a shorter focal length might be better because it gives you a wider view. So, choosing the right focal length depends on what you want to see and photograph the most.
• Balancing Aperture and Focal Length: Sometimes, you have to find a balance between aperture and focal length. A telescope with a big aperture and long focal length will give you amazing close-up pictures, but it might be heavier and harder to move around. A smaller, lighter telescope with a shorter focal length might be easier to use and carry, but it won’t see as far. So, think about what’s most important to you when choosing your telescope.

Why the Mount is Super Important

• Types of Telescope Mounts: There are different types of mounts you can use with your telescope. An alt-azimuth mount is the simplest kind, and it lets you move your telescope up and down and left and right. This kind of mount helps your telescope follow the stars as they move across the sky, which is super important for taking long-exposure photos.
• Motorized and GoTo Mounts: Some mounts have motors that move the telescope for you. These are called motorized mounts, and they’re really cool because they can keep your telescope pointed at a star or planet without you having to move it yourself. Even cooler are GoTo mounts, which can find and track objects in the sky automatically. These mounts are super helpful if you’re still learning where everything is in the night sky because they do the hard work for you.
• Keeping Your Telescope Steady: When you’re taking pictures of the night sky, even the tiniest movement can make your pictures look blurry. That’s why it’s super important to have a mount that’s really stable. Some mounts even come with special pads or feet that help keep everything steady, so you can take clear, sharp photos without any shakes or wobbles.

Why Optics Quality is a Big Deal

• Lens and Mirror Coatings: The lenses and mirrors in your telescope are what help you see things in space, so it’s really important that they’re good quality. Some telescopes have special coatings on their lenses or mirrors that help more light get through and reduce reflections. This makes your pictures brighter and clearer, which is exactly what you want when you’re taking pictures of stars and planets.
• Apochromatic vs. Achromatic Lenses: Not all lenses are the same. Some lenses, called achromatic lenses, are good at focusing most colors of light, but sometimes they make stars look like they have little colored halos around them. Apochromatic lenses are better because they focus all colors of light perfectly, so your stars look sharp and true to color. If you really want your pictures to look amazing, it’s worth getting a telescope with apochromatic lenses.
• Keeping Your Telescope in Alignment: For your telescope to work its best, everything inside it needs to be lined up just right. This is called collimation, and it’s especially important for telescopes with mirrors like reflectors. If the mirrors aren’t lined up correctly, your pictures might look blurry or out of focus. Some telescopes need to be collimated regularly, while others stay in alignment on their own. Knowing how to keep your telescope aligned is a big part of getting great pictures.

Conclusion

Choosing the right telescope for astrophotography can be a big decision, but it’s also really exciting! The telescopes I talked about in this article are all great for capturing amazing pictures of the night sky. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re already a star photographer, there’s a telescope here that’s perfect for you. Remember to think about things like aperture, focal length, mount type, and optics quality when making your choice. With the right telescope, you’ll be able to take stunning photos of the stars, planets, and beyond!

FAQs

Q1: What’s the best telescope for beginners who want to take pictures of space?

If you’re new to astrophotography, the Telescope by Gskyer or the Telescope ToyerBee are awesome choices. They’re easy to use, affordable, and come with everything you need to start taking cool pictures of the night sky right away.

Q2: Why is the mount so important for taking pictures of space?

The mount is super important because it keeps your telescope steady and helps it follow the stars as they move across the sky. If you want to take clear, sharp pictures, you need a mount that’s really stable. Motorized and GoTo mounts are especially good for this because they can track objects automatically.

Q3: Can I use my regular camera with a telescope?

Yes, you can use your regular DSLR or mirrorless camera with most telescopes, but you’ll need special adapters like T-rings to attach it. Make sure your camera is compatible with the telescope before you buy any adapters.

Q4: Do I really need a computerised GoTo system?

You don’t need a computerised GoTo system, but it’s super helpful, especially if you’re still learning where everything is in the night sky. A GoTo system can automatically find and track objects for you, which makes astrophotography a lot easier and more fun!