Can I take pictures of planets with a beginner telescope?
What you need
For a beginner, the simplest method is afocal photography: hold a smartphone camera up to the eyepiece and take a picture. A phone adapter helps steady the phone. This works best with bright planets and a telescope that tracks, but you can do it without tracking by taking short videos and stacking frames later.
A more advanced but still budget-friendly option is a dedicated planetary camera, such as a color CMOS camera that fits in the eyepiece holder. These start around $100–$200. You will also need a laptop to capture video.
- Smartphone with a phone adapter.
- Or a dedicated planetary camera.
- A telescope with a stable mount.
- Free stacking software like AutoStakkert! or Registax.
How to do it
Planets are tiny and bright, so you need high magnification. Use a Barlow lens to increase power if your telescope is stable. Record a video for 1–2 minutes; the planet's rotation will blur details if you go longer. Then use stacking software to combine the best frames into one sharp image.
Focus carefully and wait for moments of steady air (good seeing). Even a small 70mm refractor can show Jupiter's two main cloud belts and Saturn's rings. Don't expect Hubble-like results, but you can get recognizable images.
- Use high magnification and a Barlow.
- Record short videos, not single photos.
- Stack frames with free software.
- Be patient and wait for steady air.
Common mistakes
- Trying to take single photos instead of videos; stacking many frames gives much better results.
- Using a telescope with a shaky mount, which makes it hard to keep the planet in the frame.
- Expecting large, detailed images; planets will be small even at high magnification.
