Subscribers, please Login to read now. Don't have a subscription to the best Astronomy gear & news magazine on the planet? Get instant access to this issue with your subscription. |
ScopeTrader July 2025This July, ScopeTrader shines a spotlight on the future of astronomy with our featured story: Space Telescopes for Everyone. Once exclusive to government agencies and massive budgets, space telescopes are on the verge of becoming accessible to advanced amateurs and small research groups. We explore new compact designs, community-backed projects, and how personal orbital observatories may soon change amateur astronomy forever.In gear reviews, we test the budget-friendly GSO F4 6" Newtonian, a widefield imaging telescope under $400. While it delivers surprisingly sharp deep-sky images, its famously weak focuser demands some DIY love. Meanwhile, the much-anticipated William Optics Ultra-Cat 76 Petzval refractor promises zero field distortion, tack-sharp stars, and breathtaking color without a field flattener, arriving just in time for travel season. We're thrilled to introduce our brand-new section: the Starfront Image Expo! Here, we showcase jaw-dropping astrophotos from remote observatory operators around the world. Prepare to be inspired by some of the most breathtaking images you've ever seen. For high-end dreamers, we feature the Astrophysics 110GTX APO, a 110mm f/6 triplet that fuses precision optics with true portability, and the StellaMira 86mm ED Quadruplet, offering premium imaging performance with a built-in flattener and robust design. Our comprehensive breakdown of Guide Scope vs. Off-Axis Guiding helps astrophotographers choose the best tracking solution, while our essay on the real costs of astrophotography reminds us that chasing cosmic beauty isn't cheap but worth every penny. On the tech front, we highlight the benefits of adding luminance layers to sharpen deep-sky images, and explore sub-arcsecond guiding made possible by the ZWO 2600MM Duo camera. The PiFinder v2.2.1 update brings back the beloved Comets menu and fixes key equipment bugs. Hardware fans will love the new MEQ-17 EX Harmonic Drive EQ Mount, offering backlash-free tracking in a compact design, and Celestron's Origin EQ Mode and Autoguiding, which unlock longer exposures and smoother tracking. We also test the Antlia dual band filter, a $390 solution for isolating SII and OIII lines, and the APPSTAR wireless controller for Meade mounts, providing cable-free, modern telescope control. For accessories, the ZWO EAF Pro offers wireless, battery-powered focusing, while R-Sky telescope covers protect your gear in any weather. Finally, the ASCOM Flat Panel Buddy AFP-X simplifies calibration with precise, software-controlled flat frames. Get more issues of ScopeTrader
|
Latest Video
AM7 Mount Replaces CGX-L
Recent Topics
Astronomy Picture of the Day
2026-04-07
IC 4592: The Blue Horsehead Reflection Nebula
Image Credit: Rabeea Alkuwari
Do you see the horse's head? What you are seeing is not the famous Horsehead nebula toward Orion, but rather a fainter nebula that only takes on a familiar form with deeper imaging. The main part of the here-imaged molecular cloud complex is reflection nebula IC 4592. Reflection nebulas are made up of very fine dust that normally appears dark but can look quite blue when reflecting the visible light of energetic nearby stars. In this case, the source of much of the reflected light is a star at the eye of the horse. That star is part of Nu Scorpii, one of the brighter star systems toward the constellation of the Scorpion (Scorpius). A second reflection nebula dubbed IC 4601 is visible surrounding two stars just below the image center. The featured picture was taken from Sawda Natheel in Qatar. Jigsaw Nebula: Astronomy Puzzle of the Day
Featured Stories
Seeing color clearly with color science tools
Thursday, March 26, 2026
_uo0fbvpz.jpg "Galaxies previously unseen discovered with help from physicist")
Galaxies previously unseen discovered with help from physicist
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
ASCOM Platform 7.1 Update 2 Released
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Astro Weather Station by Astro-Smart launches
Thursday, February 5, 2026
Planet and moon image stacking gets easier with LuckyStackWorker 7
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
AstroFiler 1.2 Calibration Automation Update
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
DeepSkyStacker new release focuses on field reliability
Friday, December 12, 2025
Stay Updated
Sign up for our newsletter for the headlines delivered to youSuccessFull SignUp
Get More Astronomy News →