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 September 2025This month's ScopeTrader invites you on a journey to the southern hemisphere, where writer Mark Johnston explores the legendary observatories of Chile's Atacama Desert. From the windswept domes of La Silla to the cutting-edge instruments at Cerro Tololo, he captures both the technical marvels and the human spirit behind these remote outposts of discovery. It's a story of dark skies, vast landscapes, and the unshakable drive to push deeper into the cosmos.Alongside this feature, we take a close look at some of the most intriguing new gear reshaping amateur astronomy. The Sky Rover 86MA impresses with its full-frame imaging circle and refined mechanics, while the Stellarvue SVX152T shows why large refractors still hold a special place in both visual observing and astrophotography. On the mount front, Dylan O'Donnell reviews the Sky-Watcher 100i Strain, proving that portability doesn't mean compromise, and we put the surprising Teseek 14 strain wave gear mount from AliExpress under the spotlight to see if its bargain price really delivers performance. Elsewhere in the issue, you'll find practical upgrades and clever solutions for the modern sky-watcher. We round up the top ten Seestar accessories that extend battery life and make observing easier, and we share a simple DIY flat panel project that automates calibration frames with inexpensive components. For visual astronomers, the new Hopper e-finder push-to solution blends real-time plate solving with simplicity, creating an effortless way to center deep-sky objects. We also step into the realm of remote and large-scale astronomy. The ZuluAlpha Observatory offers access to Bortle 1 skies and southern wonders like Omega Centauri without ever leaving home, while Starfront's new 24-inch f/3 Newtonian installation in Texas showcases what's possible when big glass meets dark skies. Add in the arrival of the ZWO AM3N harmonic equatorial mount, plus a thoughtful look back at how ZWO transformed amateur astronomy with its cameras and ASIAIR ecosystem, and you'll find this issue brimming with tools, stories, and perspectives that celebrate the ever-expanding frontier of stargazing. 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 →
