Rigel is one of the most noticeable stars in the winter sky. With an apparent magnitude of 0.12, it’s the brightest star in the Orion constellation and the seventh brightest in the night sky. Rigel’s distance is approximately 860 light-years away from Earth, but because of its brightness and size, it is easy to spot…
The Dwarf 3 smart telescope is a compact, ultra-portable device that was designed to make astrophotography easy and fun. While this device is in its third iteration, it is the first DwarfLab product I’ve ever used. It combines a small telescope, an astronomy camera, and a computerized mount to track and photograph objects in space….
Stargazing with binoculars is a great way to explore the universe and get familiar with the night sky. They’re affordable, portable, and simple to use, making them a great option for beginners. They also let you start observing the sky right away with minimal setup, whether you’re checking out constellations, planets, or star clusters. In…
This article was updated on October 25, 2024, to include the latest features. The SeeStar S50 is an all-in-one smart telescope that makes astrophotography easy. While its main goal is to deliver electronically assisted views of objects in space, the pictures it takes are pretty darn good. If you thought smart telescopes were just “expensive…
If you have ever tried to hold your phone up to the night sky to take pictures of stars, the Milky Way, or even a full moon, you’ll know that astrophotography with a smartphone has its challenges. While modern smartphones are capable of impressive photos of the stars (the Google Pixel even has an ‘astrophotography…
This article was last updated on December 2nd, 2024. I am often asked for my opinion on the best route to take when it comes to building a deep-sky astrophotography kit for the first time. There are 3 main items you need: a camera, a telescope, and a mount. A popular option for many night…
Remote observatories are facilities that house astrophotography equipment in dark-sky locations. Users can control the telescope remotely via the Internet. This means users can capture images without needing to be on-site. Whether you’re operating your own gear that’s been shipped to the facility or booking time on high-end equipment provided by the observatory, remote…
Key Takeaways The Askar SQA55 uses high-quality optics to produce astrophotography images that are sharp, flat, and well-corrected. It features an innovative design with a variable aperture, similar to a camera lens with a manual focus ring. The small aperture (55mm) and short focal length (264mm) mean it is unsuitable for planetary imaging or photographing…
The North America Nebula (Cataloged as NGC 7000 or Caldwell 20) is a large emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus. The shape of this nebula looks a lot like the continent it was named after and covers an area more than four times the size of the full moon. From the northern regions of Canada…
Have you ever wondered how ordinary people use their DSLR cameras to photograph deep-sky objects in space? Astrophotography is an incredibly challenging yet rewarding hobby. If you have ever looked through a telescope, you probably already know that the vibrant colors and contrast you see in the images do not appear that way in the…
I have been using DeepSkyStacker to get the most out of my astrophotography images since I began shooting through a telescope in 2011. This useful and easy-to-use freeware tool simplifies the pre-processing steps of creating a beautiful deep sky image. The concept of image stacking in astrophotography is simple, by combining multiple images together, the…
I have put together a list of best astrophotography books available today. I own and enjoy most of the astrophotography books on this list, while others are widely recognized resources that I have just not had the time to read it yet. Whether you are a beginner astrophotographer looking for the basics or one with…