There are many different types of telescopes available for those interested in exploring the night sky. The three main types of telescopes are refracting telescopes, reflecting telescopes, and catadioptric telescopes, with many variations and hybrid designs for each type.
A Dobsonian telescope with a healthy aperture is great for enjoying real-time views of the brighter objects in the sky, while a refractor telescope is best used with a camera attached, to photograph faint deep-sky objects.
The main goal of any astronomical telescope is to gather light. Therefore, the two most important factors when choosing a telescope will be your desired focal length (magnification) and aperture (how bright the object will appear).
These two factors will create a unique viewing experience based on the type of experience you are looking for (i.e. visual vs astrophotography).
In this Askar N160 review, I’ll share my experience using this compact, ultra-fast Newtonian reflector for backyard astrophotography. With a 160mm aperture and an f/3.4 focal ratio with its included coma corrector, it promises plenty of light-gathering power without a massive setup. I spent about two months testing the N160 before sharing my first impressions,…
I have spent a lot of time testing the different Seestar models, and the S50 Pro feels like the first one aimed just as much at experienced astrophotographers as at complete beginners. It keeps the approachable, all-in-one experience that made the original Seestar S50 so popular, but adds a much larger 4K imaging sensor, a…
Last updated: June 29, 2026. If you find this helpful and buy through my links, I may receive a small commission. The Askar SQA130 is the largest telescope in Askar’s SQA (super quintuplet astrograph) series, and one I was especially excited to test. As a refractor fan, getting to test one with a healthy 130mm…
If you’ve been researching telescopes lately, you’ve probably noticed something: a lot of people are skipping the classic eyepiece route and jumping straight into smart telescopes. Smart telescopes can find targets for you, track them, and build a bright, detailed image on your phone or tablet using live stacking (a technique that steadily improves the…
I recently took on a fun backyard challenge: photographing the Fox Face Nebula (NGC 1788) using the William Optics UltraCat 76. It’s not a target you hear about very often, and that’s exactly what drew me to it. While Orion is packed with famous, high-contrast objects, this one tends to fly under the radar, especially…
Last Updated September 28, 2025 I recently assembled a budget astrophotography rig to capture deep-sky objects in my backyard. While I knew this system would be very capable, I was astonished by the quality of the pictures I took with it. Astrophotography (and photography in general) can be an expensive hobby, with high-end equipment often…
Last updated: October 23, 2025. If you find this helpful and buy through my links, I may receive a small commission. If you’ve been looking at entry-level refractor telescopes for astrophotography and wondering whether it’s worth stepping up to a triplet APO, the SVBONY SV550 deserves a close look. Available in both 80mm and 122mm…
Sky-Watcher has added a dedicated Hydrogen-alpha (Hα) solar telescope to their lineup, and if you’ve never seen the Sun in H-alpha before, you’re in for a treat. Unlike basic white light filters, H-alpha lets you dive into the details on the surface of our star. Things like solar prominences, active sunspot regions, and plasma filaments…
Last updated: October 23, 2025. If you find this helpful and buy through my links, I may receive a small commission. The Apertura CarbonStar 200 is an 8-inch f/4 Newtonian reflector built with astrophotography in mind. While there are many reflectors available in this size, the CarbonStar 200 stands out with some clever upgrades. I’ve…
If you’re in the market for a high-performance astrograph with full-frame capabilities and a premium build, the Askar SQA106 is definitely worth a closer look. This impressive quintuplet refractor features a 509mm focal length at f/4.8 and is designed to produce flat, color-accurate images without the need for additional flattening or backfocus adjustments. In this…
I recently tested the William Optics RedCat 91 APO refractor. This is the fourth RedCat I’ve used in the RedCat series—five if you count the two versions of the RedCat 51 (version 1 and version 3). With a healthy aperture, fast optics, and a super flat Peztval design, the William Optics RedCat 91 has a…
The SVBONY SV555 is a variable aperture prime focus lens/telescope designed for wide-field astrophotography. Many of you have been requesting a review of an SVBONY telescope for years, and today, I’m excited to share my thoughts on this one. The SV555 Petzval lens is an interesting option in the competitive market of wide-field refractor telescopes,…