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25 portable astronomy news items found

Watusi 150 equatorial fork mount for advanced astronomy

If you have carried a bag of counterweights across a dark field, you know their special brand of gravity. They are reliable in only one way. They always feel heavier by the minute. So when a well executed equatorial fork shows up with carbon fiber arms and no counterweights, that deserves attention from anyone who cares about clean tracking, quick setup, and the kind of...

Delta Pier tripod launches with discount

SouthPolar Obs announces the launch of the DELTA PIER, a pier style tripod engineered for astrophotographers and visual observers who want a compact support platform without sacrificing rigidity. Built in South Korea with a focus on practical design choices, the system brings together a stable pier form factor and the flexibility of a tripod footprint. The result is a f...

Seestar S30 Pro review: Upgrade or not

Anyone else love the classic rock sound of the band Journey? As a musician and singer myself, in my opinion, Steve Perry and his vocals on Don't Stop Believing are just plain incredible, and for a long time they felt untouchable. Then there is Deen Castronovo. Most people know him as Journeys drummer, but fewer have actually heard him sing. The first time you do, it...

Dwarf Mini telescope tutorial for beginners

A new beginner focused tutorial puts a spotlight on an ultra portable smart telescope and shows exactly how a first night can go from setup to a finished deep sky image. The walkthrough, from Astronomy Tips & Reviews with Curtis on Youtube, centers on a straightforward goal. help newcomers understand the device, choose the right mode, connect the app, and colle...

Tiny astrophotography rig built by Cuiv

Astronomy gear keeps leaning toward two virtues that often tug in opposite directions. Portability so you will actually carry it out. Power so your images do not leave you wishing you had brought the big rig. Cuiv, The Lazy Geek set himself a simple challenge. Build the smallest kit he could that still produces images with real scientific and aesthetic weight. The core ...

AM7 mount from ZWO

Oh, the joys of dragging a heavy rig outside… said no astronomer ever. For years, getting into astrophotography came with an unspoken requirement: you didn't just need patience and curiosity - you also needed to be a bit of a bodybuilder. The moment a newcomer realized that their dream hobby involved hauling around 50-pound equatorial heads and s...

Automatic polar alignment for telescopes just got real

Polar alignment is a nuts-and-bolts procedure - an unglamorous but unavoidable step if we want precise tracking of the night sky with our telescopes. There’s nothing particularly elegant or mysterious about it. You’re simply aligning the polar axis (RA) of your mount as accurately as possible with the celestial pole of the planet you’re standing on...E...

Seestar S30 Pro is here and we have astrophotos to share

Anyone else love the classic rock sound of the band Journey? As a musician and singer myself, in my opinion, Steve Perry and his vocals on Don't Stop Believing are just plain incredible, and for a long time they felt untouchable. Then there is Deen Castronovo. Most people know him as Journeys drummer, but fewer have actually heard him sing. The first time you do, it...

Five lies about smart telescopes

In a recent article I wrote, published on the ZWO website, I take a hard, honest look at some of the most persistent myths surrounding smart telescopes - and why those myths no longer hold up. It's a piece I believe anyone interested in modern astronomy should read, whether you're just starting out or you've been under the stars for decades. Not because it&#...

MLAstro SAL-33 harmonic mount setup and safety guide

The MLAstro SAL-33 harmonic drive mount is still new on the scene, arriving in small production batches and just beginning to find its way into the hands of early adopters. Even so, it has already sparked interest among mobile astrophotographers looking for a budget friendly harmonic drive mount that does not feel like a compromise. On paper and in early field use, it c...

DeepSkyStacker new release focuses on field reliability

Ahh - free astronomy software, yes please! While many of us comfortably settle into our subscriptions to Photoshop, PixInsight, TheSkyX, or whatever tool fills that slot in your workflow, it’s genuinely refreshing to see software like DeepSkyStacker remain free. In a hobby where costs have a habit of creeping ever upward, it helps keep the price of ...

Portable astrophotography observatories that elevate night sky imaging

Most astrophotographers know the feeling of setting up in an open yard or at a dark site and immediately negotiating with the environment. A light breeze nudges the telescope just enough to show up in guiding. Dew slowly settles on cables and focusers. A neighbor's porch light flicks on at the exact moment a long exposure begins. None of this is surprising, yet it a...

Star tracker with a strain wave gear in Optron HST MiniTracker

iOptron has introduced a new strain wave gear approach to sky tracking with the HST MiniTracker. Just as jet engines revolutionized aviation by packing far more power into a compact form, strain wave gears have transformed modern astronomy - first in high-end GOTO mounts, and now, finally, in ultra-portable sky trackers as well. The HST MiniTracker is designed with this...

ClearSky ST-17 R harmonic mount

2025 was definitely a year for harmonic drive mounts. With so many choices appearing in quick succession it is easy for a new piece of gear to slip past unnoticed, especially when the big names like ZWO, Sky-Watcher, and iOptron take up most of the space in the conversation. The ClearSky ST-17 R is not trying to compete with those companies directly. Its real compe...

High end refractor telescope sale: APQ fluorite discounts

APQ has adjusted pricing on its line of fluorite polychromat refractors, covering six models with apertures from 100 mm to 200 mm. The series spans compact wide-field instruments to larger refractors built for detailed visual and imaging applications. Each model uses an oil-spaced, multi-lens objective incorporating fluorite and specialized optical glass to support broa...

ASI585MM Air, ASI4400MC Pro and Seestar Binoculars arrive

ZWO has gone and done it again. Just when you think the landscape of astrophotography gear has settled for a moment, they roll in and break down a few more barriers. This time they are coming at us from every angle. On one side a new full frame camera for deep sky imagers who want to stretch their field of view as far as their optics will allow. On another side an ultra...

Telescope Deals Black Friday 2025

This year's astronomy listings bring a wide range of equipment into the Black Friday cycle, with several manufacturers offering targeted reductions across telescopes, smart imaging devices, cameras, and accessories. Rather than focusing on dramatic markdowns, these collections lean toward practical, equipment-focused savings that give buyers the opportunity to upgra...

Retractable LED flat-field panel FlatMaster Neo 120 launches

Automatic flat panels are a must for any serious imaging rig, especially for fully automated remote setups. That’s why the release of the FlatMaster Neo 120 from Pegasus Astro is worth checking out. It’s a retractable flat-field panel designed to improve calibration accuracy, featuring adjustable LED brightness, a retractable lid with customizable angles, bu...

EZT Astro harmonic EQ Alt-Az MEQ-17EX is now available

The South Korean manufacturer EZT Astro has introduced a new dual-mode telescope mount, the MEQ-17EX, a harmonic-drive equatorial and alt-azimuth hybrid designed for serious astrophotographers and observatories seeking compact power and stability. The mount combines harmonic gear technology, dual-axis control, and a minimalist body that weighs just six kilograms, making...

Preorder Dwarf Mini a lightweight powerful smart telescope

The new Dwarf Mini smart telescope from DWARFLAB introduces a compact, lightweight, and feature-rich approach to portable astrophotography. Designed for travelers, backyard observers, and astronomy enthusiasts, it combines imaging, tracking, and on-device processing into a single unit weighing under one kilogram. With a preorder price of $399, the Dwarf Mini aims to mak...

APM Telescopes introduces new products in Germany

The German optics manufacturer APM Telescopes has introduced a series of new products for its German market, covering refractors, astrographs and binoculars. The move reflects the company’s ongoing efforts to broaden its portfolio in precision astronomy and astrophotography equipment. Above photo credit: APM Telescopes New refractor models broaden the range ...

UMi 17X harmonic drive telescope mount from Proxisky

Proxisky has introduced the UMi 17X, a compact German equatorial and Alt Az telescope mount designed for astrophotographers who value both precision and portability. It is built for those long nights under the stars when every arcsecond of tracking matters just as much as every pound of gear you carry. The UMi 17X has a servo driven strain wave gear system, the same ...

Mirrosphere Optics celebrates 20 Years with thin travel telescope

Mirrosphere Optics, a French manufacturer of precision optical instruments, has introduced a lightweight, full-carbon travel telescope to commemorate its 20th anniversary. The company, founded and led by optical engineer François Meyer, has become known for its high-precision mirrors and optical systems used by telescope makers and astronomy enthusiasts throughou...

PiFinder software updates to new version

The PiFinder project has introduced a major upgrade to its open-source astronomical navigation software, releasing a new version that refines accuracy, performance, and overall usability. Built on contributions from its active community, this update continues PiFinder’s mission of providing a precise, independent, and fully open system for telescope users who pref...

Houdini 9 and 30 mm coma-correcting eyepieces are coming

Houdini Telescopes is extending its series of coma-correcting eyepieces with the upcoming Houdini 9 mm and 30 mm models. These additions follow the earlier releases of the Houdini 12 and 20 mm eyepieces and are designed to enhance the versatility of the lineup for amateur and educational astronomers. Both models integrate built-in coma correction, wide fields of view, a...