Do you want to take your stargazing to the next level? Then there are many accessories for telescopes that you can use to complete your equipment. Maybe you dream of getting more detailed pictures of planets or to start photographing space. We will go through the most common and popular accessories for beginners and professionals alike.
Going forward, we will also provide tips regarding the best accessories that we can find.
Eyepieces
The most common telescope accessory is the eyepiece. The eyepiece in particular is the purchase that most people start off with when they acquire new equipment. Usually, one or two eyepieces are included when you buy your telescope, but to really use its potential, you can add a few more.
An eyepiece provides you with magnifications of the starry sky, and without this accessory you cannot see anything. How much magnification you get depends on the focal length of the telescope. The same eyepiece can give you different fields of view depending on the telescope you use. A 10 mm eyepiece in a telescope with a focal length of 700 mm gives you 70 times magnification.
You should never buy an eyepiece that offers more than double magnification, calculated on the diameter of the telescope in millimeters. Otherwise, you will get blurry images. Telescopes with an aperture of 100 mm should therefore have a maximum magnification of 200 times.
Barlow lenses
Barlow lenses also help to magnify the image you see. It is a kind of converter that magnifies the image that the eyepiece shows. The lenses are available in different degrees of magnification.
Astronomical filters
Astronomical filters are another popular addition to telescopes. These are the telescope accessories that enable you to get a better contrast. This way, you can achieve even more detailed images of planets.
You can also supplement with a moon filter if you want to dampen the light intensity. The moon is particularly bright, and with a filter you can, for example, view craters better.
The filters also make it safe for you to view the sky. On many telescopes, it is important to have a solar filter to be able to observe the sun without damaging your eyes.
If you instead want to get a better view of planets, you can try planet filters with different colors. A red filter gives you a perfect contrast for Mars while a green filter is suitable when you want to view Jupiter.
Star charts
Star charts are the optimal accessory for those of you who are not that familiar with the starry sky. The charts will help you navigate among planets and find the stars that are visible to the naked eye. Charts are perfect if you want to learn more about orientation in the sky, and they are also helpful for kids.
Cameras
If you want to start photographing the starry sky and all its planets, then you should definitely get a good camera. Our recommendation is investing in a planetary camera. It is a telescope accessory you will not regret.
Astrophotography is really fun, and you can snap very detailed pictures. The kind of equipment you need depends on your ambitions. For planets, you can use a regular camera. If, on the other hand, you want to photograph galaxies and nebulae, more advanced equipment is required.