The Best Celestron Telescope For Astrophotography For 2024

Sara Ryan By, Sara Ryan
Updated
Best Celestron Telescope For Astrophotography
Best Celestron Telescope For Astrophotography

Our Top Picks

1. Best Overall: Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ Telescope

The Celestron 127EQ Telescope is the perfect tool for aspiring astronomers. With its 127mm Newtonian reflector and German equatorial mount, it provides high-powered, easy-to-use capabilities for discovering the wonders of the night sky. Read Review

2. Runner Up: Celestron AstroMaster 130EQMD Newtonian Telescope

The quick setup requires no tools for assembly, making it easy to set up and use. Its lightweight frame makes it easy to transport, perfect for those who love the night sky but don't want to lug around a cumbersome telescope. Read Review

3. Best Compact: Celestron PowerSeeker 50AZ Telescope

The Celestron PowerSeeker 50AZ Telescope has a slow-motion altitude rod for smooth and accurate pointing. Its 50mm aperture and 300mm focal length give you excellent views of the moon, planets, and distant galaxies. Read Review

4. Best Performance: Celestron NexStar 130SLT Computerized Telescope

The Celestron NexStar 130SLT Computerized Telescope is a powerful yet compact and lightweight telescope perfect for viewing the night sky. With its 130mm aperture, it can gather enough light to see our Solar System and beyond. Read Review

5. Best Convenient: Celestron AstroMaster 114EQ Newtonian Telescope

The Celestron AstroMaster 114EQ Newtonian Telescope is a powerful tool for amateur astronomers. It features a German Equatorial Mount to track sky objects and set circles for pinpoint accuracy easily. Read Review

Astrophotography is an exciting way to explore the night sky, and the best way to capture the beauty of the stars is with a quality telescope. Celestron is one of the world's leading telescope manufacturers, and they have a wide range of models to suit any budget and experience. Whether you are just starting in astrophotography or a seasoned veteran, the best Celestron telescope can help you capture stunning images of the night sky.

Celestron has something to suit your needs, from entry-level models to professional-grade telescopes. This article will look at some of the best Celestron telescopes for astrophotography and how they can help you take your photography to the next level. We will also discuss the features to look for when choosing a telescope and how to get the most out of your Celestron telescope. 

Our team had to focus on researching for hours to get such results for readers. This type of study uses customer star ratings and customer interviews on their product experiences. As a result, We think the best celestron telescope for astrophotography is Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ Telescope. This product's German equatorial mount allows you to easily navigate the sky thanks to its slow-motion altitude rod. We also show the other fantastic alternatives with a complete guide below.

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ Telescope
Our Score:
9.7
Celestron

The Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ is a powerful telescope that is also very simple to operate. The 127mm Newtonian Reflector has sufficient light-gathering capabilities to enable you to view various objects, including planets, the craters on the moon, distant stars, and the Orion Nebula, among other things. Moreover, the German equatorial mount allows you to navigate the sky thanks to its slow-motion altitude rod easily.  

This telescope has large slow-motion control knobs that let you track objects smoothly and without interruptions as they move through the night sky. Since this product has a compact and lightweight design, you may carry it to your preferred dark sky-observing location or camping spot. In addition, with four eyepieces, this product helps you see a diverse assortment of heavenly bodies. Although this product's tripod is a bit flimsy, it is an excellent choice for people.

TOP Choice #2 Celestron AstroMaster 130EQMD Newtonian Telescope
Our Score:
9.5
Celestron

This Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ-MD telescope is an excellent choice for beginners who love astronauts because it is easy to set up. This product has an AstroMaster German Equatorial manual mount with two easy-to-manipulate slow-motion control knobs. These knobs enable precise adjustments to view terrestrial and celestial objects in a high-quality manner. However, it would be best if this product was more lightweight to help you carry it easily.

This telescope comes with two eyepieces: a 20mm eyepiece that offers a magnification of 33x and a 10mm eyepiece that provides a magnification that can go as high as 65x. This enables you to concentrate on things in the distance with extraordinary clarity and sensitivity. In addition, this product has a sturdy tripod because the tripod's legs are made of 1.25-inch steel tubing and provide a stable platform for hours of uninterrupted use.
 

TOP Choice #3 Celestron PowerSeeker 50AZ Telescope
Our Score:
9.4
Celestron

You can obtain clear views of the Moon, the rings of Saturn, and Jupiter's Galilean moons with the help of the 50AZ telescope, which has strong magnification. This product allows you to identify and follow the object's movement by moving the slow-motion altitude rod upward or downward. In addition, the supplied 20mm, 12mm, and 4mm 1.5x image erecting eyepieces have their magnification power multiplied by three when you attach the 3x Barlow lens into the telescope.

The yoke mount and slow-motion rod of the telescope are robust and long-lasting, allowing for accurate and smooth pointing. This product comes with a 5x24 finderscope that can assist you in focusing on the center of objects. Moreover, the tripod comes with an accessory tray that may be used to store various items handily. Initially, you may find it a bit hard to use this telescope, but you will get used to it after several times.

The database that comes with the Celestron NexStar telescope contains more than 40,000 stars, galaxies, nebulae, and other objects. You only need to select a target in the night sky, and the telescope will locate it for you, then follow it as it moves across the sky. In addition, its enormous aperture of 130 millimeters allows it to collect sufficient light to reveal the entire Solar System and beyond.

The telescope is perfect for weekend camping vacations or day journeys to places with night skies. This product has a fully computerized NexStar+ hand control as standard equipment. The electronic hand control gives you the power to automatically slew to any of the more than 4,000 objects it can locate, including more than 600 galaxies, 300 clusters, and hundreds of stunning binary stars. In addition, it comes equipped with a red LED that makes alignment quick and easy. It is a pity that the constellation locator is not very good. 

The primary mirror of this Celestron telescope is 114 millimeters and is completely coated, helping you easily adjust to objects. It combines the two eyepieces and the aperture optics of 114 millimeters, resulting in an incredible magnification. Moreover, the magnification offered by the 20mm eyepiece is 45x, while the 10mm eyepiece provides up to 90x of magnification for viewing objects at close range. Because of this, you can concentrate on faraway objects with remarkable clarity. 

With this telescope, you can enjoy the experience of exploring the galaxy under the guidance of an adult. Images of Saturn, Jupiter, and the Moon, as well as deep space objects such as brighter galaxies and nebulae, are rendered in exquisite detail and brightness thanks to superior materials. In addition, it has an AstroMaster German Equatorial manual mount, which comes with two slow-motion control knobs that let you make precise adjustments so that you can easily track celestial objects as they appear to move across the night sky. Unfortunately, this product doesn't have instructions; hence you must watch instructional videos on Youtube to learn how to use it.

This telescope has a panhandle, allowing easy navigation throughout the sky. Compared to the 50mm model, this refractor telescope's objective lens has a larger aperture and measures 80 millimeters in diameter. This results in clearer and more distinct views, yet the additional weight is negligible. Moreover, the body of this product is designed in the style of a refractor, making it suitable for seeing both terrestrial and celestial objects.

This telescope's images of wildlife, the Moon, and other planets are rendered in stunning clarity using optics made of fully coated glass. The backpack is designed to accommodate the telescope, its tripod, and other convenient transport equipment. This beginner-friendly telescope for astronomy comes with two high-quality eyepieces, one measuring 10mm and the other measuring 20mm, so you may switch between low-power and high-power views. The only drawback of this telescope is that its cellphone mount is a bit difficult to use, but it doesn't affect its overall quality.

7 Celestron NexStar 4SE Telescope
Our Score:
8.9
Celestron

This computerized telescope contains a primary mirror that is four inches in diameter. This primary mirror has sufficient light-gathering capabilities to allow you to examine the best that the Solar System offers, including Saturn's rings, the cloud bands on Jupiter, and the geographic features on the surface of the Moon. When it comes to deep-sky objects, you can see hundreds of pinpoint stars in the Hercules Globular Cluster, the spiral arms of the Whirlpool Galaxy, thanks to a dark-sky spot. 

This telescope has a camera control capability, which helps you to shoot a sequence of timed exposures with the digital single-lens reflex camera from a remote location. In addition, this product can access GPS coordinates if you use SkySync, and you can add the capability for automatic alignment. It has a database of over 40,000 astronomical objects, enabling it to locate and track the objects you want to see automatically. Nonetheless, this telescope's battery may not work for long, so you must replace it to continue using it.

More To Consider

8 Celestron NexStar 8SE Telescope
Our Score:
8.7
Celestron

What to Look For in a best celestron telescope for astrophotography?

Buyers are frequently hesitant to purchase best celestron telescope for astrophotography. Certain factors should be considered while making a significant purchase. Our understanding and expertise with best celestron telescope for astrophotography will assist you in making the right decisions.

Please take the following points into consideration before selecting best celestron telescope for astrophotography:

Portability And Weight

A telescope that is easy to transport and set up takes would be a good choice. You will be less motivated to use your telescope when it is set up and taking too much time.
You'll find it difficult to take a heavy, bulky telescope outside when the temperatures drop. Advanced amateur astronomers build observatories at home to keep their large telescopes up at all times.
Extra-large mounts and telescopes are not recommended for those with health problems or who cannot lift heavy objects. It is better to choose something smaller and lighter. It will be more useful.

Optical Design

There are many optical options for telescopes. These include reflectors and refractors as well as compound telescopes. Each telescope has its strengths and weaknesses. Refractors are my favorite type of telescope from an astrophotography standpoint, but they might not be the best choice for beginners.
Three types of optics are available for consumer telescopes. They will assist you in achieving three different goals. Refractor telescopes make it easy to focus celestial bodies such as the moon and nearby planets using a variety of glass lenses. Refractor telescopes, also known as Newtonian scopes after their inventor Sir Isaac Newton, swap lenses for mirrors. This allows stargazers to see further into space. The versatile compound telescope combines both of these methods with a compact, portable design that puts it right in the middle.

Objective

The objective is the main light-collecting element of a telescope. A larger objective will allow for greater detail and reveal smaller targets. A reflector design makes it possible to have a larger telescope objective for a more affordable price. However, a refractor with the same size would be expensive.

Aperture

This aperture is recognizable by photographers. It controls how much light enters the telescope, just like on a manual camera. The aperture is the diameter of either the primary or lens mirror. A telescope with a larger aperture will draw more light, which can result in deeper views. The most important spec to be aware of is F-ratio. For wide-field observation and photography, low f-ratios such as f/4 and f/5 are best. However, high f-ratios such as f/15 make deep-space objects and nebulae easier to capture and see. Both can be done with midpoint f-ratios.

Mount

There are many types of telescope mounts available. Some even have computerized models that track and follow the movement of the skies. A sturdy Dobsonian or altazimuth mount will make stargazing enjoyable. Telescopes not mounted on a computerized mount should not be moved or adjusted for focus.
An equatorial tracking mounting mount is necessary for astrophotography. The telescope will track objects in night sky when it is properly polar aligned. This will "freeze" an object in space, allowing for long exposure photographs.

Eyepieces

There are many telescope eyepieces on the market. There are many options for magnification and viewing angles. A set of telescope eyepieces allows you to see large areas of the night sky and high magnification views on planets. If taken care of properly, a quality telescope eyepiece will last a lifetime.

FAQs

What telescope should I use for astrophotography?

Celestron telescopes are ideal for astrophotography. Their telescopes feature high-quality optics and advanced features that make it easy to capture stunning images of the night sky. Additionally, Celestron offers a variety of telescope models and accessories to meet your needs.

What type of mount should I use for astrophotography with a Celestron telescope?

Celestron offers a variety of mounts, including equatorial and altazimuth mounts. Equatorial mounts are best for tracking celestial objects, while altazimuth mounts are better suited for wide-field imaging. You should select the mount that best fits your particular astrophotography needs.

What accessories do I need for astrophotography with a Celestron telescope?

In addition to your telescope and mount, you will need a camera and imaging software. You may also want to invest in a focal reducer and/or an autoguider for long exposures. Finally, you may want to use a star tracker for extended imaging sessions.

What is the best imaging software for astrophotography with a Celestron telescope?

There are a variety of software packages available for astrophotography, including SkySafari, AstroPlanner, and PixInsight. Each software package offers different features and capabilities, so you should research each one to determine which is best for your particular needs.

We constantly update the list of best celestron telescope for astrophotography as new data becomes available. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our website regularly.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any queries or concerns with best celestron telescope for astrophotography. If you ask, we'll do our hardest to help you in any way we can!


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About Sara Ryan

Sara Ryan

Sara Ryan is a freelance writer for CampFireHQ and avid diver. She first discovered her love for diving while on vacation in the Caribbean and has been hooked ever since. Sara loves exploring new dive sites and observing the fascinating creatures that live beneath the waves. As a native of Colorado, Sara enjoys spending her free time hiking and camping in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. She also enjoys writing about her adventures in diving and wildlife conservation.

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