Essential Astronomy Accessories
There are some essential astronomy accessories you need to take your stargazing journey to the next level. But if you just started stargazing, take a few months to familiarize yourself with the constellations, the Moon, and the planets, observing the night sky with your unaided eyes only.
If you’re still enjoying the stargazing hobby and the world of astronomy after a month or two, it’s time to get some astronomy accessories!
There is a wide variety of astronomy tools and instruments available today with precision and quality like never before, so it’s an exciting time to get into astronomy.
Committed Amateur Astronomer
Any committed amateur astronomer will tell you that there is no perfect instrument but rather a collection of astronomy accessories you build up over time, each with unique tradeoffs, qualities, and limitations.
For instance, binoculars are portable and ideal for observing the Moon and meteor showers, and a small refractor telescope will serve you well regarding planetary observations.
While a large and bulky Dobsonian telescope will probably only let you travel a short distance from home, it will offer the most amazing views of Deep Sky Objects, such as galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae.
Stargazing is one of the most accessible and affordable hobbies out there. You can get started without gear, viewing meteor showers, comets, constellations, and the Moon. But the more time you spend looking upward, the deeper into the Universe you want to see.
The Essential Astronomy Accessories you need to take your Stargazing Journey to the Next Level:
There are some essential astronomy accessories you need to take your stargazing journey to the next level. Here is a list of some of the important items to consider.
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Eyepiece Filters
There are several different filters you can buy. Some aim to block specific light wavelengths usually emitted by streetlamps or other terrestrial sources. Additional filters can block specific colors and increase contrast, while a polarized filter can reduce the luminosity of exceptionally bright objects, such as the Moon. Observing Jupiter using different filters will enhance certain bands and make the red spot easier to see.
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Solar Filters
Solar filters fit directly onto the aperture of your telescope, reducing the amount of light that is gathered. There are two types of solar filters.
The first is the optical glass filter, which blocks most of the light from the Sun, providing a safe and comfortable viewing experience.
The second type of filter is a mylar filter, which, as the name suggests, is made of reflective sheets of mylar. While they are usually one-third of the cost of a glass filter, they give the Sun a blue or even a green color.
Almost all consumer telescopes include two basic eyepieces. You’ll want a lower magnification (usually around 25mm) and a higher power one when you want a closer view (around 10mm). It can be tempting to experiment with many eyepieces, filters, and accessories like Barlow lenses, but stick to these essentials when you’re starting—then upgrade to higher quality versions of these same eyepieces.
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Laser Collimator
If you choose a reflector or Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, you must adjust the mirrors’ alignment every few months. You can do this in a few minutes with a laser collimator.
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Finder Scope
Most telescopes come with some seeing a device with a large field of view that helps you point your telescope in the right direction before making a few last adjustments. The traditional answer is a finderscope with crosshairs, which works exactly like a miniature telescope. Other alternatives are red-dot finders and red-circle finders. Most telescopes have a finderscope included in the package. Should you want to upgrade your finderscope, be aware that there are plenty of options.
You can’t explore the night sky without a navigator—and that’s why a finderscope is an absolute must-have. Your telescope probably includes one, but consider upgrading to a red dot finder designed exclusively for astronomy. These accessories will help you locate objects faster, so you can view more in one night.
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Interactive Sky Maps
Before smartphones or computers, the only way to learn the positions of the stars and deep sky objects was by looking at an atlas or a sky map. Nowadays, you can download many interactive sky map apps on your smartphone. The most popular options being SkyView or Stellarium.
These apps are beneficial, as they now have a GPS function that lets you discover what stars are in a given direction by just pointing your phone there. A host of free apps are available to help you locate celestial objects and plan your observing session.
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Flashlights
You’ll need a red flashlight to preserve your night vision during your viewing session and a bright white one to make cleanup a breeze. If you have a computerized telescope, many external power supplies have these flashlights built right in!
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Large towel
Place a large towel underneath your telescope’s tripod legs. It provides a clean, soft surface to catch any accessories you might drop in the dark.
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Binoculars
You get a whole new perspective on the cosmos when you view it through binoculars. Binoculars are also a great way to entertain people while they aren’t looking through the eyepiece!
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Astronomer’s toolkit
Keep a small tool kit handy for on-the-spot adjustments. You’ll need a bubble level (if your telescope doesn’t have one built-in), a screwdriver, and cleaning supplies.
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Creature comforts
Celestial events happen throughout the year. If you’re gearing up for summer stargazing, pack along bug spray. If it’s winter, bring chemical or electronic hand warmers and dress in lots of layers. Don’t forget other creature comforts like your favorite tunes and a midnight snack!
Three Most Common-Asked Questions
Which tool is used to see planets?
You can easily see five planets with your eyes – no tools required! However, the best tool for observing the planets is a telescope. Since planets appear comparatively small in the sky, they need the higher magnification. Only a telescope can provide to see detail on their surfaces.
What is the essential instrument used by astronomers?
It depends on the astronomer and what is being observed! Some astronomers like binoculars because they’re inexpensive, can be used anywhere. And they don’t need to be set up. Others will prefer to use a telescope as they like being able to track down and observe distant, faint objects. Every astronomer wants a red flashlight because it preserves their night vision.
What tools do astronomers use?
Astronomers like tools that allow them to see fainter objects and more detail about them. Larger equipment and filters can do just that, but ideally, it also needs to be lightweight and portable. As with dark skies, far from the lights of a town or a city, are also necessary.
