Best Telescope For Astrophotography

Astrophotography is the art of capturing still images of space: specifically, of astronomical objects and celestial occurrences. 

This form of astronomical photography is a great way to enhance your photography skillset and portfolio while learning more about and appreciating the beauty of the incredible galaxy around us!

The first thing you’ll need in order to take professional-quality photographs of space is a good telescope. Using the right telescope for astrophotography will help you to obtain a clear image of the celestial object or event you want to photograph.

An astrophotography telescope will be able to connect to your camera, allowing you to capture the perfect image. 

Best Telescope for Astrophotography Buying Guide

We hope that our reviews of the best telescopes for astrophotography have inspired you to invest in the best telescoping equipment for your astrophotography projects!

But if you’re still having trouble navigating all the different functions and components of the telescopes we’ve showcased, don’t worry: our buyer’s guide will go into more detail on the most important features and point you in the right direction. 

Telescopic Type 

The first thing you’ll need to decide on before buying your astrophotography telescope is what kind of telescope you want. 

If you’ve been paying close attention, you may have noticed that we’ve been referring to the telescopes featured in our review section as either ‘reflecting’ or ‘refracting’. 

Now, reflector and refractor telescopes have different optical and functional capabilities, so it’s important to understand the differences between the two so that you can make an informed and calculated decision as to which telescopic type will work best for your astrophotography endeavors. 

First and foremost, the internal construction of a refractor telescope is built around lenses, while a reflector telescope relies on the use of mirrors for its optics. Whereas refractor telescopes work simply by directing light that hits the lens through to the eyepiece, a reflector telescope involves a couple of extra steps. 

Instead of the light passing straight through to the eyepiece once it has entered the optical tube, a pair of mirrors inside the reflector telescope reflect the light beam twice within the tube.

These mirrors accumulate the light and direct it towards the eyepiece in a way that ensures a brighter, clearer image (in theory). 

From this explanation, you might be thinking that a reflector telescope is undoubtedly the superior telescopic type, but it’s not quite as simple as that. There are several advantages and drawbacks to each type of telescope. 

Although reflector telescopes are typically able to produce brighter and clearer images, on average, than refractor telescopes, refractors do have the upper hand in several areas. 

For one thing, because reflector telescopes rely on large mirrors to boost their optical quality, they tend to be bigger and more cumbersome to work with than refractor telescopes.

This means that reflector telescopes, despite the boost in brightness and clarify that they may offer, are often not easily portable and might be more difficult to manipulate. 

Another thing to consider is that, because reflector telescopes don’t use lenses, the optical tube of a reflector telescope is essentially open during use.

This means that the mirrors inside are frequently exposed to all kinds of tiny debris, including dust. Accumulation of debris inside a reflector telescope can impact the reflective quality of the mirrors and, in turn, negatively affect the quality of your photographs. 

Therefore, reflector telescopes require much more maintenance in the way of cleaning than refractor telescopes. They are also likely to need collimating (the realignment of the mirrors) for consistent optics. 

Refractor telescopes, on the other hand, may not produce images of the same brightness as reflector telescopes, but they definitely hold their own in other areas.

For instance, a refractor telescope with multiple lenses has the ability to produce extremely clear and detailed images without the need for internal cleaning or collimation. Additionally, they tend to be much more portable, but they are often more expensive. 

So, ultimately, the decision between a reflector and refractor telescope will come down to whether you will be prioritizing bright images and affordable prices or sharpness, portability, and ease of maintenance. 

Optics 

Once you’ve established what kind of telescope you want for your astrophotography endeavors, you’ll need to start thinking about what kind of optics you’re looking for. 

The main terms you’ll need to familiarize yourself with in this regard are ‘aperture’, ‘focal length’, and ‘focal ratio’. 

Aperture refers to the size of a telescope’s opening and is usually measured in millimeters. The larger the opening, the more light will be able to enter the telescope’s optical tube, and the brighter and clearer your image is likely to be.

A good aperture for beginners who perhaps want to try out astrophotography without paying for a telescope with very high-quality optics is 70mm. This is the lower end of the aperture scale that will still provide decent visibility.

Higher quality telescopes, however, can have apertures up to and over 300mm. 

The focal length of a telescope is essentially a fancy term for the telescope’s length. Essentially, the longer the distance between the objective lens of the telescope and the surface on which the image is created, the larger your image will appear.

So, if you want to take close-up photographs of celestial events or objects, you will need a higher focal length. A focal length of about 400mm is a good starting point for beginners, but for larger, higher-quality images, you may need to shell out a little more for a telescope with a focal length of closer to 1000mm. 

A telescope’s focal ratio basically brings the aperture and focal length of a telescope together into a single rating which measures the speed and magnification of the telescope.

The focal ratio is calculated by dividing a telescope’s focal length by its aperture. Things can get a little complicated here, but the important thing to remember is that a lower focal ratio (eg. f/4) will allow for a wider field of visibility, but the image won’t be as magnified as with higher focal ratios (eg. f/10) which provide close-up images within a smaller field of vision. 

Eyepieces and Lenses 

The optics built into your astrophotography telescope aren’t the only things that will dictate the quality of your images. It’s also worth taking note of what kinds of eyepieces and lenses are included with your telescope. 

Lenses and eyepieces are responsible for magnification, so these little accessories will help you to produce detailed, close-up photographs of the night sky. Often, telescopes with lower apertures and focal lengths can be significantly improved y the use of high-quality eyepieces and lenses.

As far as eyepieces are concerned, the smaller the measurement of the eyepiece in millimeters, the greater the magnification will be. So, a 6mm eyepiece will magnify your image twice as much as a 12mm eyepiece. 

Barlow lenses are also great additions to refractor telescopes. These lenses will effectively increase your telescope’s focal length for an extra boost of magnification.

Therefore, if you have a telescope with a lower focal length, a Barlow lens (often included) can help to rectify any magnification issues you may be having. 

Mounts and Tripods 

It’s all very well having a powerful telescope with high-quality optics, eyepieces, and lenses, but without the right tripod and mount, you’ll probably find it quite difficult to take good photographs. 

A telescope tripod’s job is to keep your telescope steady in the correct position, while a mount is what will allow you to move and rotate your telescope to track moving targets. 

Ideally, a tripod should be stable, durable, and adjustable so that you can adjust the angle and positioning of your telescope easily. We recommend an aluminum or stainless steel tripod that can be adjusted and, if possible, folded for easy transport. 

The 2 main types of telescope mounts are equatorial and altazimuth mounts. Equatorial mounts are especially useful for taking photographs or moving celestial objects because they keep one axis parallel to the Earth’s rotational axis at all times, so it can follow a moving object without needing to be adjusted. 

If you don’t anticipate doing a lot of moving target photography, however, a simple altazimuth mount may be the best choice for you. These mounts are typically much less expensive, intuitive, and generally simpler to work with.