The 10 Best Travel Telescope For Astrophotography Of 2024, Researched By Us

Katie Finn By, Katie Finn
Updated
Best Travel Telescope For Astrophotography
Best Travel Telescope For Astrophotography

Our Top Picks

1. Best Overall: Gskyer Travel Telescope

Featuring high-quality optics and a durable design, this telescope offers an impressive magnification of up to 900x, making it perfect for both beginner stargazers and experienced astronomers. The adjustable tripod makes it easy to find the perfect angle and the 3 included eyepieces provide a range of viewing options. Read Review

2. Best Bang For The Buck: HEXEUM Travel Telescope

With its excellent quality optics and optimum magnification, you can explore the night sky in stunning detail. This telescope is lightweight, portable and convenient, so you can take it anywhere. Setup is quick and easy, so you'll be ready to stargaze in no time! Read Review

3. Best Easy Setup: Telescope 130EQ Telescopes for Adults Astronomy

Featuring a large aperture 130mm telescope and fully-coated glass optics, this telescope offers an incredible optical system performance and German Equatorial Mount for easy alignment. With its sturdy and lightweight frame structure, you can take your Telescope 130EQ anywhere with its stable tripod. G Read Review

4. Best Display: Sarblue Maksutov-Cassegrain Travel Telescope for Astrophotography

This powerful telescope is designed to provide stunning views of the moon, stars, and planets while remaining portable enough to take everywhere you go. Perfect for astronomy education or leisurely stargazing, this Mak-Cass design features a full-size tripod, finderscope and other accessories for clear viewing. Read Review

5. Best Choice: SVBONY SV48P Telescope for Deep Sky Astrophotography

This telescope is designed for deep sky astrophotography, featuring a light input and wider field of view that allows you to capture more stars in your photos. The double speed focuser, focusing mount with metal interface and fully multil coated lens provide you with an optimal viewing experience. Read Review

If you’re an avid astronomer, astrophotographer, or just a stargazing enthusiast, then you know the importance of having the right telescope for your adventures. With the vast array of telescopes on the market, it can be difficult to determine which one is the best for your needs. Fortunately, there are some great options out there when it comes to travel telescopes for astrophotography.

From lightweight and portable models to powerful and precise ones, there’s something for everyone. Not to mention, these telescopes offer great value for money and can be used for many purposes. Whether you’re looking for a telescope to take with you on your trips or one that’s powerful enough to capture stunning images of the night sky, the best travel telescope for astrophotography is just a few clicks away.

Our team had to focus on researching and sifting through 17 hours to get such results for readers. These studies are based on customer star reviews and interviews about their feelings when using the product. As result, We believe the best travel telescope for astrophotography is Gskyer Travel Telescope. High-quality optics and an adjustable tripod make it easy to explore the night sky in clear detail.  However, it is not the only thing on our list. You can consider the HEXEUM Travel Telescope if you are undecided. If you're looking for additional options and more in-depth advice, you may check out the following buying guide & FAQs.

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 Gskyer Travel Telescope
Our Score:
9.9
Gskyer

【Easy to Operate】No tools are required for reflecting telescope even for the novice, quick and easy to focus

【Adjustable Tripod】This telescope allows for many different viewing positions with a adjustable aluminum tripod. The height of aluminum tripod can be adjusted from about 31.5-inch to 49-inch

【High Quality Optics】600mm(f/6.7) focal length and 90mm aperture, fully coated optics glass lens with high transmission coatings creates stunning images and protect your eyes.

【What You Get】AZ90600 telescope with 3 eyepieces, our 12-month worry-free support and friendly customer service.

【High Magnification】Come with three replaceable eyepieces(24X, 60X,120X) and one 3x Barlow lens. 3x Barlow lens trebles the magnifying power of each eyepiece

TOP Choice #2 HEXEUM Travel Telescope
Our Score:
9.7
HEXEUM

Optimum Magnification: Our telescope for kids and adults is quipped with two replaceable excellent-quality eyepieces (25mm and 10mm) for 24X and 60X magnification. 3x Barlow lens trebles the magnifying power of each eyepiece. magnificate moon up to 72 or 180 times. Also with 5x24 finder scope makes locating objects easy.

Portable And Convenient: Comes with a phone adapter and an adjustable aluminum tripod. Wireless remote control and carrying bag make it easier for you portable and capture amazing images.

Easy To Set Up: In order to save your time. Even for novices, no tools are required to set up the telescope. quick and easy to focus. Truly realize a no-tool-set telescope.

Satisfaction Quality: lifetime maintenance. If you have any questions about the product and service, please feel free to contact us, we will do our best to help you in 24 hours!

Excellent Quality Optics: This telescope is 600mm(f/6.7) focal length and 80mm aperture, 80mm aperture to capture more light picture and multi-fully high transmission coated all-optical lens enhance image brightness and clarity. 18

TOP Choice #3 Telescope 130EQ Telescopes for Adults Astronomy
Our Score:
9.6
SOLOMARK

【Stable Tripod】The telescope comes with a high-quality large diameter adjustable aluminum alloy tripod. Extra a tray is attached for storing small temporary attachment. The tripod stable structure stable enable you to Locate celestial objects smoothly and accurately.

【High Quality Optics】The telescope adopts a sturdy and light fram structure, the carbon fiber was covering on the telescope surface, sophisticated technology. Objective lens features fully-coated glass optics, it can improve the optical system performance of astronomical telescopes, help you observe brighter, more detailed planets.

【German Equatorial Mount】German Equatorial with dial and fine-turned control cables. Adjust rod to desired position, then easily secure by tightening knob. Precise positioning and fast tracking of celestial bodies make your observation more stable. You can enjoy the amazing process of manual tracking of the moon and planets.

【130mm Large Aperture】Large aperture 130mm telescope, high resolution, good light collecting ability, imaging brighter, more suitable for the observation of deep space celestial objective.

【Multiple Accessories】Come with 2 High-quality Eyepieces, a 1.5X Erecting Barlow Lens, a 1.25" 13% Transmission Moon Filter, a Cellphone Adapter. The telescope contains all the accessories you need to observe. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us, we will do our best to help you in 24 hours.

【Portable Travel Telescope】 Maksutov features a folded way of light which make it more powerful than a traditional telescope of similar size, which keeping it in a small tube. Mak60 telescope has 750mm focal length, but the tube length is only 200mm. It's easy to pack the compact and lightweight telescope in any backpack and take it for travel.

【Great for Education】 Do you wonder how a telescope works? This beginner telescope will show you the secrets. It has a detachable lid on the top of the telescope tube which reveals its internal structure, and with the help of some tools, you could even see how light travels inside!

【Accessories】 This telescope is upgraded from the first version mak60 with a full-size tripod and finderscope. It also comes with 20mm quality eyepiece which brings 37.5X magnification, a universal phone mount to attach your phone and do simple astrophotography. Despite the plastic tube, the optics are high quality.

【Might Mak】Mak-cass design brings several benefits which distinguishes the telescope from others. Foremost, it largely reduces aberrations and renders crisp and clear views. Plus its quality fully multi-coated optical components. Make terrestrial objects look more vivid and vibrant, and celestial objects magnificent.

【Satisfaction】 The maksutov telescope is sure to impress with its lovely look and great viewing capacity for any beginners. It's easy to set up with no tools needed. And we offer one-year hassel free warranty and 24 hour in time customer service & professional technical support.

360 degrees rotation; convenient for photographic composition and visual observation; loosen the screw; the focus can be rotated 360 degrees; you can achieve astronomical shooting

90 mm aperture; 500mm focal length; compared with 70mm and 80mm; 90mm telescope has more light input and a wider field of view; observe the moon and deep space; which is very suitable for astronomy beginners

Fully multil green coated lens; fitted with achromatic glass for good edge-to-edge viewing; fully multi green coated lens maximize light transmission eliminating false color

Double speed focuser; the 2 inches rotatable double speed focuser; gear ratio of 1:10; precise adjustability for smooth operation

The focusing mount with metal interface has higher interface accuracy; guarantees the parallelism of the optical axis; and enhances the observation experience

【Great Telescope for Kids& Beginners!】 The telescope meets all the needs of astronomy beginners, the adults & kids’ astronomical journey begins from here! Equipped with 3X Barlow len and two eyepieces, H20mm and H6mm, you can get magnification of 15X to 150X. This is a great telescope for adults astronomy beginners.Whether it's viewing planets and stars, our telescope is the best helper for adults & kids.

【Wireless Control】This telescope set includes one smartphone adapter and one Wireless camera remote. Just install your mobile phone on the phone adapter, connect to the the eyepieces of the telescope. These help you explore the nature of the world easily through the screen and you can take some amazing images.

【Reliable Service Team】You can get unlimited technical support from our customer service and online expert team. Regardless of any questions, please contact us.

【70mm Large Aperture】The telescope equipped with 70mm aperture and 300mm focal length, which provide more lights and clearer images, even beginners can get clear images. The bigger the aperture, the bigger the field of vision, and the clearer the image.

Easy to assemble& dismount】 We have a full set of paper and video Installation Guidelines. Don't worry about any installation problems. Even for first-time users, kids&beginners can install it themselves without any tools. It is a great telescope for 8-12 kids and it’s a great astronomy gift to send them.

Compact and portable: This telescope for adults and kids to be used together is compact, lightweight, and portable. Take the telescope to your favorite campsite or dark sky observing site, or simply the backyard. Optical Coatings: Aluminum

Perfect entry-level telescope: The Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ is an easy-to-use and powerful telescope. The PowerSeeker series is designed to give the new telescope user the perfect combination of quality, value, features, and power

Multiple accessories: The Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ Telescope comes with 2 eyepieces (20mm and 4mm), plus a 3x Barlow lens to triple the power of each. Users can also download BONUS Starry Night Astronomy Software Package

Unbeatable and customer support: Buy with confidence from the telescope brand, based in California since 1960. You’ll also receive a 2-year and unlimited access to technical support from our team of US-based experts

Manual German equatorial mount: Navigate the sky with our Newtonian Reflector telescope. It features a German Equatorial mount with a slow-motion altitude rod for smooth and accurate pointing. Adjust rod to desired position, then easily secure by tightening cross knob

Come with adjustable tripod , it allows for any viewing position. Great gifts refractor telescope for kids 8-12, 5-7.

No-tools quick set up and easy find your objects, perfect telescope for kids and astronomy beginners and it’s good gift to send your children.

Includes two 1.25" eyepieces (K25mm & K10mm) which you can enjoy the magnification from 51X to 128X, And 5X24 Finder Scope can made the starscope telescope locate objects faster.

70mm telescope excels at daytime birding use as well as viewing wildlife, scenery and casual nighttime observing of the Moon

360mm focal length and 70mm aperture, fully coated optical glass with high transmission coatings telescope which creates crisp images with increased brightness and clarity.

80 mm refractor telescope with fully coated glass optics and a lightweight frame.

Observe in no time with a quick and easy, no-tool setup. / Adjustable height tripod.

Accessories include: two eyepieces (20 mm and 10 mm), erect image star diagonal, finderscope, and a smartphone adapter.

Custom backpack included to store your telescope and accessories comfortably.

Pan handle Alt-Az control with clutch for smooth and accurate pointing.

Unleash the power of your smartphone to take you on a guided tour of the night sky—no telescope experience required.

StarSense Explorer app automatically generates a list of objects currently visible. View planets, brighter nebulae and galaxies, star clusters, and double stars from the city. Or take your telescope to darker skies to view faint, deep sky objects.

114mm (4.5”) Newtonian reflector with highly reflective coatings and enough light gathering ability to view all the best celestial objects.

Manual altazimuth mount with altitude slow motion adjustment with a sliding rod makes it easy to follow the on-screen arrows to your desired target. When the bullseye turns green, it’s ready to view in the telescope’s eyepiece.

Award-winning and patented StarSense sky recognition technology uses your smartphone to analyze star patterns overhead and calculate its position in real time.

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

Please follow the bellow points before selecting the best travel telescope for astrophotography:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

FAQs

What is a travel telescope?

A travel telescope is a compact telescope designed for easy transport and quick setup. It is typically made of lightweight materials and designed to provide clear images of distant astronomical objects with minimal setup time.

What are the benefits of using a travel telescope?

A travel telescope offers the ability to take your astronomy hobby on the go. It is lightweight and easy to transport, so you can take it to your favorite viewing spot, or even take it on a camping trip. It also allows for quick setup and take-down, so you can spend more time viewing and less time setting up.

What should I consider when buying a travel telescope for astrophotography?

When buying a travel telescope for astrophotography, you should consider your budget, experience level, and what you want to capture. Additionally, it is important to ensure that the telescope is lightweight and easy to transport. Look for telescopes with adjustable mounts, adjustable eyepieces, and other features that will make it easier to take pictures with.

What accessories do I need for astrophotography?

In addition to a telescope, you will need a few other accessories for astrophotography. These include a camera adapter, an equatorial mount, a tracking device, a camera, and a computer. You may also want to consider other accessories such as a dew shield, a barlow lens, and an autoguider.

How do I choose the right eyepiece for astrophotography?

Choosing the right eyepiece for astrophotography depends on your telescope, the type of photography you plan to do, and your budget. Low-power eyepieces with short focal lengths are best for wide-field photography, while higher-power eyepieces with longer focal lengths are best for capturing more distant objects. If you are on a budget, consider purchasing a zoom eyepiece, which allows you to adjust the magnification without having to purchase multiple eyepieces.

In general, it's difficult to say who creates the best travel telescope for astrophotography since each firm has unique qualities, features, and pricing points that set them apart from the competition. We only suggest products from the most outstanding manufacturers on our site, so you can rest assured about their quality.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require assistance with your problems. Wish you a happy shopping!


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About Katie Finn

Katie Finn

Katie Finn is a freelance writer who loves to explore the world and go camping. She's also an editor for CampfireHQ, where she enjoys writing about wildlife and camping tips. She also has a passion for reading and learning new things, which she often incorporates into her writing.

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