Top Telescopes for Astrophotography in 2026: Best Choices Reviewed
Last updated: March 27, 2026
Key Takeaways
Explore the universe through photography - Capture stunning images of celestial bodies with the right telescope.
Choose based on your astrophotography goals - Different telescopes excel at photographing various celestial objects.
Consider budget and experience level - There are excellent options for beginners and advanced astrophotographers alike.
Understand telescope types - Refractors, reflectors, and SCTs serve different purposes in astrophotography.
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Do you know what is more exciting than looking through your telescope’s eyepiece to catch captivating views of celestial bodies in the night sky? Taking pictures of those captivating views and sharing them with others.
Astrophotography, also known as astronomical imaging, is the art of taking photographs of celestial objects, ranging from landscape picture pops to close-ups of distant deep-sky objects.
Some of the best telescopes for astrophotography include the Unistellar eVscope eQuinox smart telescope, Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ Newtonian reflector, and SkyMaster EvoStar 120 APO doublet refractor.
Finding a telescope that not only meets your imaging needs but also aligns with your skill level is essential. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore some of the best telescopes specifically designed for astrophotography. From entry-level options perfect for beginners to advanced models favored by experts, we’ll delve into a range of telescopes that offer the precision and image quality needed to capture the beauty of the night sky.
Our Team’s top picks for the best telescopes for astrophotography
Best telescope for astrophotography for beginners:
Best telescope for moon photography:
Best telescope for galaxy photography:
Best telescope for planet photography:
Best telescopes for all types of astrophotography
Whether your interest lies in deep-sky astrophotography of galaxies and nebulae or taking high-magnification shots of our solar system’s objects, some of the best telescopes to use include:
1. Unistellar eVscope eQuinox smart telescope
Unistellar eVscope eQuinox is a smart digital reflector telescope with amplified vision, auto-field detection, and photography capabilities.
The Unistellar eVscope eQuinox is one of the best astrophotography telescopes, as it is a 4.5-inch, f/4 Newtonian reflector with a camera sensor that tracks and stacks images in real-time to produce the final image. With this smart telescope, you can enjoy the beauty of deep space.
The eQuinox digital telescope features Enhanced Vision technology, which makes it 100x more powerful than a regular scope.Â
The technology allows for live observation of faint objects due to the live accumulation of light received from them. Thus, galaxies, nebulae, and other deep-sky objects become visible, detailed, and colorful.
The telescope also features light pollution reduction, allowing you astounding images of targets even in light-polluted skies.
The telescope features autonomous field detection, a system that helps it instantly recognize objects in its field of view by comparing what it sees with a coordinates database of tens of millions of stars.
Everything works with an app. With a tap of the app, you’ll have access to a catalog of 5,000 objects. The eQuinox telescope will recommend spectacular targets for you and launch you into deep-space observations within minutes.
Also, the eVscope eQuinox is very portable, allowing you to carry it around easily. The telescope is also easy to use. It allows you to enjoy astrophotography without fiddling with camera settings. Â
Pros of the Unistellar eVscope eQuinox telescope
Easy to use
Portable and easy to carry around
Produces amazing 4.8 megapixels imagesÂ
Self-aligning software that helps you locate objects easily
Sky-Watcher EvoStar 120 APO Doublet Refractor is a compact, portable optical tube excellent for astrophotography and visual astronomy.
Not long ago, only advanced astronomers could access astrophotography telescopes like the Sky-Watcher EvoStar 120 APO Doublet refractor.Â
It is a powerful yet versatile telescope that you can use as a budding novice and continue using when you become a seasoned astrophotographer.
The SkyWatcher EvoStar 120 refracting telescope is an excellent choice for visual astronomy and astrophotography. The telescope’s large 120mm aperture increases resolution, giving you sharp images.Â
With the EvoStar 120, lunar and planetary phenomena appear in seemingly 3D-like high definition, and aggregates of stars within galaxies, nebulae, and open clusters appear brilliant.
The scope features a doublet objective, including one synthetic fluorite element that provides excellent color correction for visual and photographic uses. So, you can shoot tack-sharp images with accurate color and minimal aberrations.Â
The scope comes with a 10:1 dual-speed Crayford focus assembly, so finding focus is a breeze regardless of the eyepiece or camera.
It also comes with everything you need. These include a 2” Dielectric Diagonal, two LET eyepieces (5mm ad 25mm), a 1.25” adapter, mounting rings, a dovetail, a finderscope, and a foam-lined aluminum hard case.
Pros of the EvoStar 120 refractor telescopeÂ
Easy to use
Powerful telescope suitable for advanced astronomers
Excellent optical performance
Cons of the EvoStar 120mm refractor telescope
Relatively large
Best beginner telescopes for astrophotography
Interestingly, astrophotography is not only for advanced astronomers. With the right astrophotography equipment, someone new to the hobby can take mesmerizing shots of celestial bodies.
Some of the best beginner telescopes for astrophotography are:
3. Celestron Nexstar 5SE
The Celestron Nexstar 5SE is a computerized telescope that combines 5-ich Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with updated technology and the latest features for an amazing stargazing experience for beginners and advanced astronomers.
The Celestron Nexstar 5SE Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope (SCT) is very popular in visual astronomy and astrophotography camps as it is a user-friendly beginner scope.
It features the StarAlign technology, ensuring you will not have problems aligning your telescope. You simply center any three bright objects in the eyepiece, and NexStar SE will align with the night sky, ready to locate thousands of stars, galaxies, and more.
The telescope also features a fully automated go-to mount, which locates and tracks objects for you. You simply lock onto your chosen object, and the mount will ensure it remains in your field of view, allowing you to focus on imaging.Â
The Celestron NexStar 5SE has a large aperture (5 inches), providing excellent light-gathering ability.Â
The focal ratio of f/10 makes it a fast telescope suited for lunar and planetary astrophotography. NexStar 5SE will impress you with detailed shots of the surface phenomena of the moon and planets of the solar system.
The moon is very approachable, so many people’s astrophotography experience starts with photographing the moon.
Attaching a DSLR camera directly to a telescope is also the most effective system for lunar photography. Some of the best telescopes for lunar photography are:
4. Sky-Watcher Skymax 127 Mak
The Sky-Watcher Skymax 127mm Maksutov Cassegrain telescope is a long focal-length Mak well-suited for shooting the moon and planets.
The Skymax series of Mak optical tubes have matched primary and secondary mirrors that deliver sharp, high-contrast views.Â
With its large aperture of 127mm and long focal length of 1500mm, this Skymax Maksutov Cassegrain telescope delivers better lunar and planetary detail than many other telescopes.
The telescope has a 94% reflectivity rating that drives sharp detail and utilizes a fully-baffled tube, which prevents stray light from interfering with your viewing experience. Â
Also, the telescope mounts to most photographic tripods as it comes with a standard Vixen-style dovetail and a ÂĽ-20 tripod thread under each dovetail bar.
It’s possible to purchase the Skymax 127 Maksutov Cassegrain telescope with a GoTo mount. Having a GoTo mount means you do not have to manually adjust the telescope to track the apparent movement of objects in the sky.Â
The scope effortlessly locates objects in the night sky and automatically tracks them, keeping them in your view all night long.
Pros of Sky-Watcher Skymax 127 Mak
Has a large apertureÂ
Has a long focal length to deliver high-quality optics
Go-to mount to track objects in the sky automatically
The Sky-Watcher Skymax 180mm Mak delivers high-quality images for planetary and lunar astrophotography.
The Sky-Watcher is a large-aperture compound telescope. The telescope is king in terms of optical quality. Its 180mm aperture gives it incredible resolving power for creating crisp pictures.Â
This Sky-Watcher Skymax telescope features a 2,700mm focal length, which is 5 – 7 times longer than other scopes. This increases its magnification to give more details when doing astrophotography.
The scope also features Sky-Watcher’s signature Metallic High-transmission Coatings (MHTC), allowing it to deliver superior contrast and tack-sharp images.Â
The scope also does excellently in eliminating chromatic aberration. So, an outline of unwanted color will not distort your image.
The combination of a large aperture and long focal length makes the Skymax Mak an excellent telescope for planetary and lunar astrophotography.Â
To take detailed photographs of the moon to explore lunar mountains, craters, and other lunar surface features, the Skymax 180mm Mak is the grab-and-go telescope.Â
The scope includes a V-style dovetail, an 8×50 finderscope, and a 2” 90-degree Star diagonal. However, it doesn’t come with eyepieces, a mount, or a tripod. Given its price, you’ll expect it to include these accessories.
Pros of the Skymax 180mm Mak
Large aperture
Very long focal length
Virtually eliminates color fringingÂ
Produce excellent quality images
Cons of the Skymax 180mm Mak
Relatively short on accessoriesÂ
Relatively expensive
Best telescopes for galaxy photography
Short focal length telescopes have many advantages for galaxy photography.
Specifically, the best telescopes for photographing galaxies include:
The Orion 6-inch f/4 Newtonian is loaded with useful features for capturing high-resolution images of deep-sky objects like galaxies.Â
This Orion Newtonian reflector lets you take high-resolution images of deep-sky objects with short exposure times, ensuring outstanding results in less time.
The telescope’s 6-inch parabolic mirror has a 610mm focal length. So, this is a fast f/4 telescope offering a wide-field astrophotography experience.
It features a substantial 63mm minor axis secondary mirror that provides excellent field illumination to CCD and DSLR cameras for efficient astrophotography performance.Â
Also, both primary and secondary mirrors boast 94% reflectivity coatings to ensure better-quality images.
The telescope is well-built. It features an Orion-exclusive steel reinforcement plate under the focuser, which eliminates flexure when heavy cameras and other imaging gear are attached.
This Orion Newtonian reflector is compact and weighs only 12.7 lbs. So, it’s conveniently portable and lightweight, making handling easy. You also will not need to invest in a huge mount to support it.Â
The telescope comes with two heavy-duty hinged tube rings, an 8Ă—50 finderscope, and a dovetail mounting bar.
However, being a fast Newtonian reflector telescope, this Orion telescope suffers comatic aberration. So, a coma corrector is highly recommended to eliminate coma for optimized imaging performance.Â
Pros of the Orion 6-inch f/4 Newtonian reflector
Gives high-resolution results with short exposures
Compact and lightweightÂ
Relatively inexpensive
Cons of the Orion 6-inch f/4 Newtonian
Suffers severe optical distortion (coma)
7. Sky-Watcher Quattro 200P Imaging Newtonian
The Sky-Watcher Quattro 200P Imaging Newtonian is a large aperture 8-inch reflector optical tube specifically designed for astrophotography.
The Sky-Watcher Quattro is a fast f/4 Newtonian reflector telescope that produces a beautiful field of view, excellent for both visual astronomy and astrophotography.Â
The telescope features an oversized secondary mirror capable of illuminating APS-C and full-frame DSLR cameras without vignetting.Â
The mirrors have an aluminum coating producing 94% reflectivity to maximize light transmission. The interior of the optical uses knife-edge baffles to absorb stray lights. All these work to create sharp images.
With its f/4 focal ratio, this astrograph captures greater detail in shorter exposure times. It produces an exposure 6x faster than an f/10 optical tube. This lets you maximize every hour of precious time, giving you more time to photograph the galaxies and other deep-sky objects.
The galaxy astrophotography telescope has many accessories. First is a 2-inch dual-speed Crayford-style focuser, ensuring you never miss focus.
Also included are tube rings, a Vixen-style dovetail, and an 8Ă—50 finderscope. A coma corrector is available separately.Â
This is a highly recommended accessory because the parabolic mirrors of Newtonians produce some aberrations around the edge of the field of view.
The Quattro is also budget-friendly. In fact, it’s one of the most affordable f/4 focal ratio telescopes you’ll find.Â
Pros of the Sky-watcher Quattro Newtonian
Gives high-resolution results with short exposures
Relatively inexpensive
Cons of the Sky-Watcher Quattro Newtonian
Severe optical aberration around the edges of the field of view
Capturing detailed images of planets require serious magnification. Thus, the best telescope for planets photography needs a healthy combination of aperture and focal length.
Specifically, the best telescopes for planetary photography include:
8. Sky-Watcher Startravel 120 EQ3-2
The Sky-Watcher Startravel 120 telescope is a portable f/5 refractor telescope that gives a wide field and high contrast for planetary photography.
The Skytravel 120 EQ3-2 telescope is perfect for anyone looking for a small but powerful scope for astrophotography. The scope uses two-element, fully multi-coated lenses to provide excellent terrestrial viewing, visual astronomy, and astrophotography.Â
Its relatively large 120mm aperture gathers enough light to allow you see more details. With this aperture and a 558mm focal length, the scope “zooms” into planets for a closer look.
The Startravel telescope produces crisp and detailed images at a reasonable price, making it a good first telescope or a traveling telescope for more advanced amateur astronomers.Â
While the Sky-Watcher Startravel telescope is well-suited for lunar and planetary astrophotography, it may be useful for some deep-sky astrophotography.
The telescope comes with two eyepieces (10mm and 2mm) and a Sky-Watcher AZ3 mount that provides slow-motion controls on the vertical and horizontal axes for precise targeting.
11. SVBONY SV550 Telescope
The SVBONY SV550 telescope is an 80mm F6 APO triplet refractor optical tube assembly (OTA) for deep sky astrophotography.
The SVBONY SV550 has an 80mm aperture, giving it a decent 1.45 arc seconds resolving power. In addition, it features triplet apochromatic optics, which reduces edge dispersion to increase image quality significantly (by 15.8%).Â
The APO has multiple light barriers inside the inner wall of the lens barrel and the focusing seat, all designed in the pursuit of extinction.Â
It has a 2.5” focusing base that reduces the vignetting problem when connecting to a full-frame camera. So, the telescope gives bright, high-contrast images, which allow you to explore galaxies and nebulae with better graphic clarity.Â
The SVBONY SV550 telescope comes with a 180mm dovetail plate that is easy to set and makes your scope more stable.Â
The scope also comes with an equatorial mount. This makes it suitable for long-exposure photography, as it effectively tracks a sky object and keeps it in the field of view.
Pros of the SVBONY SV550Â
Creates high-quality images
Impressive build quality
Comes with an equatorial mount for easy tracking
Relatively inexpensive
Cons of the SVBONY SV550
Fairly robust
Best budget-friendly telescope for astrophotographyÂ
You do not have to break the bank to enjoy astrophotography, as many budget-friendly telescopes exist. Some of these are:
12. Celestron Inspire 100AZ
The Celestron Inspire 100AZ refractor is the ultimate budget-friendly telescope to observe and shoot celestial bodies.
The Inspire AZ refractor is Celestron’s best beginner telescope. It is one of the best telescopes for astrophotography when on a tight budget.Â
It is astoundingly powerful for a low-cost telescope. The Inspire AZ refractor has a decent 100mm aperture that lets it gather enough light.Â
The optical tube features fully coated glass optics for maximum light transmission, creating bright, detailed views of all the best celestial objects.
Some color fringing is noticeable, but this is expected for a low-cost telescope.Â
The telescope comes with everything you need to start astronomy immediately. These include two eyepieces (10mm and 20mm), an erect image star diagonal, a red LED flashlight, a finderscope, and an integrated smartphone adapter.Â
The telescope also has a large finderscope, making locating targets in the sky easy. The Inspire 100AZ can help you explore the solar system and beyond. You can observe and capture the moon, Saturn’s rings, and even deep-sky objects like Orion Nebula and Andromeda Galaxy.Â
Using Inspire’s universal smartphone adapter, you can connect any phone to the telescope’s eyepiece and snap incredible images of celestial bodies.Â
Pros of the Celestron Inspire 100AZ
Budget-friendly
Easy to use
Connects to a smartphone to take photographs of celestial bodies
Cons of the Celestron Inspire 100AZ
Better suited for only short-exposure astrophotography
Suffers some aberration
How to choose a telescope for astrophotography? Factors to consider
If you’re enthralled by beautiful pictures of celestial objects and want to try your hand at nighttime photography, you should be careful when buying your telescope.
Factors to consider before buying a telescope for astrophotography include:
Optical Tube Assembly (OTA)
Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) is the telescope’s tube where the optics are housed. The OTA is a standalone telescope tube that does not come with the mount and tripod. Adding an OTA is a great way to gain a new field of view or upgrade your aperture and optics.
Specialized scopes for astrophotography are usually sold independently as OTA without the mount. So, in astrophotography, you have to build your telescope setup. That means buying the OTA, mount, and other needed stuff separately.
There are two types of OTA – refractors and reflectors. Refractors use lenses to capture light, while reflectors use mirrors.Â
Lenses (and mirrors)
A telescope is nothing more than a pair of lenses mounted in a tube. The scopes use lenses (and mirrors) to gather and focus light from the night sky to form images.
In telescopes with lenses, the lens at the front gathers and bends light from sky objects, focusing an image for the smaller lens. The smaller lens then magnifies the image and focuses it for your eyes.
In telescopes that use mirrors (reflecting scopes), a larger mirror at the bottom of the tube gathers and reflects light to the smaller mirror. The small mirror magnifies the image, reflecting the light into the eyepiece.
The light from the second lens (mirror) is what you see when you look through your telescope’s eyepiece.
Powerful telescopes have big objective lenses. The bigger the objective lens (or mirror), the more light the telescope can gather to form brighter images.Â
Also, the surface of the lens (or mirror) has to be extremely smooth. Any flaws in the objective lens/ mirror will change the image.
Magnification
A telescope’s magnification is how much it enlarges a target object. It’s the size of an object observed through a scope’s eyepiece relative to the object’s size when observed with the naked eye.
Distant celestial bodies are very small and dim in the night sky. So, photographing these objects require a powerful telescope that effectively magnifies them.
Comatic aberration
Comatic aberration (or coma) is an aberration in optical systems due to imperfection in the lens or other components of the system.
Being an aberration, comatic aberration causes light to spread out over a region instead of being focused on a single point. This results in off-axis point sources such as stars appearing to have a tail like a comet.
Different schemes to reduce comatic aberration include optical designs like Schmidt Cassegrain telescopes and Maksutov Cassegrains.
Coma is a big issue with reflectors, especially on fast scopes with a short focal ratio (from f/5 down). The faster the scope is, the smaller the “coma-free” area is in the field of view. So with the slower scopes (like f/6 and up), the coma is not a big issue.
Coma correctors have been designed to reduce the problem in Newtonian reflector telescopes. A coma corrector lens is not necessary for visual observations but is a must-have accessory for astrophotography with a fast-reflecting telescope.
The best telescope for astrophotography depends on your specific needs, including budget, experience level, and the type of celestial objects you want to photograph.
Can I use a regular telescope for astrophotography?
While regular telescopes can be used for astrophotography, those specifically designed for imaging will provide better results and advanced features.
What features should I look for in an astrophotography telescope?
Key features include aperture size, mount stability, and compatibility with imaging equipment such as cameras.
Refractors and reflectors are commonly recommended, each offering unique advantages for different types of celestial photography.
Can I use a regular camera for astrophotography?
Yes, but dedicated astrophotography equipment often yields better results due to specialized features and optics.
How much should I spend on a telescope for astrophotography?
Prices can vary widely, but you can find good options starting at a few hundred dollars, depending on your specific needs.
What accessories do I need for astrophotography?
Essential accessories include a sturdy tripod, a camera adapter, and possibly filters to enhance your images.
The best telescope depends on your specific needs, such as the type of celestial objects you wish to photograph and your budget.
Can I use a regular telescope for astrophotography?
While regular telescopes can be used, those specifically designed for astrophotography offer better optics and features.
What features should I look for in a telescope for astrophotography?
Look for features such as mount stability, aperture size, and compatibility with camera equipment.
Is astrophotography suitable for beginners?
Yes, there are beginner-friendly telescopes and resources available that can help you get started in astrophotography.
Is it better to use a refractor or reflector telescope for astrophotography?
Refractors offer sharp images with less maintenance, while reflectors provide larger apertures at a lower cost, making both suitable depending on your preferences.
The best telescope depends on your specific needs, such as the type of celestial objects you wish to photograph and your budget.
Can I use a regular telescope for astrophotography?
While regular telescopes can be used, those specifically designed for astrophotography offer better optics and features.
What features should I look for in a telescope for astrophotography?
Look for features such as mount stability, aperture size, and compatibility with camera equipment.
Is astrophotography suitable for beginners?
Yes, there are beginner-friendly telescopes and resources available that can help you get started in astrophotography.
The best telescope depends on your specific needs, such as the type of celestial objects you wish to photograph and your budget.
Can I use a regular telescope for astrophotography?
While regular telescopes can be used, those specifically designed for astrophotography offer better optics and features.
What features should I look for in a telescope for astrophotography?
Look for features such as mount stability, aperture size, and compatibility with camera equipment.
Is astrophotography suitable for beginners?
Yes, there are beginner-friendly telescopes and resources available that can help you get started in astrophotography.
