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Astronomy Astrophotography Autoguiding Telescopes

Autoguiding for Deep-Sky Astrophotography

For long exposure astrophotography of Deep-Sky Objects, autoguiding is a must. Read our guide to learn what Autoguiding is, and why you need to do it.

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Telescopes

How to Collimate a Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope

This article is a step-by-step guide on how to collimate a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (SCT). Like any other reflecting telescope, SCTs are vulnerable to shocks and drops causing it to go out of alignment. Therefore, collimating a SCT ensures its optimal performance. Continue reading to learn about the collimation process. Setting up for Collimation First, you […]

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Telescopes

How to Collimate a Newtonian Reflector Telescope

Collimation determines the alignment of all components in a telescope in order to transfer light into its best focus. Newtonian Reflector Telescopes are likely to go out of alignment if they are bumped around too much or from gradual wear and tear. However, they can be re-aligned via collimation. Follow these steps on how to […]

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Telescopes

How to Clean a Telescope

Telescopes are notoriously susceptible to dirt, dust and smudges and can hinder its ability to produce crisp images. So regularly cleaning and maintaining a telescope is of utmost importance as it will facilitate the longevity of the optics. This article will cover the basics on how to clean a telescope. Firstly, avoid touching the lenses […]

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Telescopes

How to Store and Maintain a Telescope – Guide

Just like with any tool or object used to perform certain tasks, telescopes need to be cleaned, maintained and stored away properly. If you’re a seasoned astronomer or just a novice enthusiast, you know that such a sophisticated device is not a toy. You will need to store and maintain your telescope to keep it […]

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Astronomy Reviews Telescope Accessories

Optolong L-Ultimate Filter Review

Read our review of the Optolong L-Ultimate Filter – a 2-inch Filter designed for Colour CMOS Astronomy Cameras that makes light-polluted, narrowband astrophotography a breeze.

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Astronomy Telescope Accessories

Introduction to the saxon Push Guide Smartphone Adapter

Learning the night sky has never been easier!

Read our introduction to the saxon Push Guide Smartphone Adapter and discover the night sky.

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Astronomy Guides infographics Telescopes

Problems finding focus with a DSLR

How I used the right type of Barlow to focus a DSLR on a small Newtonian telescope.

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Binoculars Guides Telescopes

Top 10 telescopes for 2019

Bill, Optics Central’s astrophotography specialist – and general all-round enthusiast – gives his opinion of the top 10 telescopes for 2019. See what he thinks! My boss asked me to come up with a list of the top 10 telescopes for 2019. It’s a big ask, as they’re all so different, and have such a […]

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Astronomy Experiments Guides

Astrophotography Filters part 3: Putting it all together

This is part 3 of my series on astrophotography with filters. Last time I explained how the human eye sees in colour, using three different types of cone cells. We use one type for sensing red light, one for green light and one for blue light. The different channels are then recombined in our brains […]