Ready for the Night skies and wonders it will unfold. Image credits: Self
Quite often I am asked, "How much does it cost to be in this hobby of astrophotography". The questions may vary in their tone and intent but they all finally come down to this particular point - COST. Another related one I often encounter is 'What is the best telescope?' to either get started with OR have one for a long time.
Learning about the the night skies visually is in fact an excellent way to get started. Call it Skywatching, Star hopping, or what you will, it is all about looking at the star constellations, identifying them, and recognizing the names attributed to them in local cultures, conventional astronomy, etc. I started with mine decades ago, when my Dad took me out to show the Saptarishi (Big Dipper), and Orion belt, watch the Grahanams (eclipses), create pin-hole cameras, DIY telescopes with lenses and tubes, explain the night skies, and sharing legends from the Puranas. All that involved $0 cost and lots of bonding time, something more precious than anything else.
For visual observations, a good pair of astronomy binoculars (10x50 to 20x80) or a small beginner telescope can reveal bright Messier objects, planets, and constellations. While a pair of binoculars can range anywhere between ($30 - $100) some decent beginner scopes can come for way less than one may think, somewhere in the range of $100-$200. These can include Newtonian reflectors compact Galilean type refractors or even some tabletop Dobsonians. There are even some Cassegrain reflector models that start in the sub $200 range though they tend to average higher. Once you start adding accessories like smartphone adapters, filters, and eyepieces, very soon you find yourself getting sucked into the black hole of this money-guzzling, yet amazing hobby.
If you ask an amateur hobbyist who has been in this area for a while, you will find that both of these questions are 'loaded', and come with a lot of 'it depends ...' 'well ...' 'but...' etc. Even a good salesperson in this field might probably start the same way. Yet for those wanting a number and a model, without all the crucial caveats, that number would be $5000 to even $10,000. That would include the scope, the tracker mount, and the imaging system a.k.a camera and accessories.
Not included in this are the countless hours you spend watching all those amazing YouTube video tutorials online and countless groups on Social Media that selflessly share their nuggets of knowledge with you. Be careful sharing this new-found optimism :).Your friends and family might occasionally get a bit bored OR miffed when you start ghosting them at parties or running home errands.
Yes! Astrophotography can seem daunting when you hear such price tags of $5,000, or even more, for a basic starter kit. But don't let these numbers deter you! The hobby can be explored at many budget levels, depending on your goals.
Getting started isn’t that costly BUT upgrading is!
Yet again, anyone can get started with astrophotography with just a point-and-click camera and a tripod. Even a smartphone has come a long way. Don’t be surprised to find mind-blowing images of the Milky Way OR Andromeda galaxy taken with just a smartphone and a tripod. If you are the one having that DSLR camera you haven’t touched in a while, it’s probably time to dust it off and grab your tripod. Get ready to do a bit more detailed imaging of some brighter objects like the Orion Nebula. Before you realize it, you are already knee-deep into astrophotography, probably even more. Objects like the mineral Moon, our Milky Way, Andromeda Galaxy, and Orion Nebula might soon be a part of your album! The results can sometimes surprise you, pleasantly of course, and will also allow you to learn techniques in image stacking, image pre-processing, and doing the final edits. There are many open-source software that present themselves with varying levels of learning curves. How one can go about doing this is a separate topic. So the big numbers in costs that I mentioned right at the outset can wait, while you can get started with gear that you probably have already..
Image: Image revealing the mineral features of the Moon. A simple DSLR on a tripod is enough to create this type of image. This is my image taken using an AT60mm ED refractor attached to my Canon DSLR camera. Image acquisition, processing, and final editing form the final part of this process. Published in SkyandTelescope
As for ‘which telescope is the best’ or ‘ideal’, such a question calls for a separate discussion that can even extend to a few sessions. However, remember that the main rule is that the cost of the scope itself forms only a part of the entire rig. It would be roughly 1/3rd to 1/4th of your budget. Today many good scopes can range anywhere between $500 to $2000. The same goes for the mounts for telescopes too. Remember that no astrophotography is complete without a good tracking mount. This setup allows you to track your celestial object as it makes its way through the night skies. Mounts can be of different types. Most basic ones are simple and are driven by a motor drive OR advanced ones that slew your set up right to the target and track it accurately. Costs typically range in between $200 - $1000. The latter are called GoTo mounts. Of late there are also some advanced mounts based on Harmonic drives. Such mounts obviate the need for counterweights to a great extent and yet present themselves as very lightweight. The prices of such mounts can go well above $2000.
Most often it is good to have a couple of scopes. One is typically for DSO imaging (Deep Sky Objects) and the other for Lunar and Planetary imaging. These are mainly classified and recognized by the f-ratios they offer. Lower f-ratios are best suited for DSOs while those with higher (f-ratio > 10-11) are ideal for observing details of Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars. I know of recovering telescope addicts who have a garage full of telescopes, but that calls for a separate light-hearted discussion :D. Cooling, guiding, and other accessories also add to costs. A Quad-band pass filter alone can cost up to that of a simple beginner telescope. As to why that is needed! You need to check up on something called light pollution of the night skies - a loaded topic that affects our planet's health too. So it's shockingly easy to keep buying accessories as your upgrading of skills progresses.
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| Manually slewing my rig to the celestial target |
While these mid-level scopes are excellent for many targets, some choose to invest $2000-$5000 on semi-pro setups that can reach dim nebulae and galaxies. The latest in the market is all about EAA - Electronically Assisted Astronomy. No Eyepieces! Just automated devices with varying levels of optics. A bit distracting for old-timers in the hobby who also wish to see through the scope with their eyepieces. Even a total novice can get started with just one click and the device starts imaging your desired target, and even takes you on a night sky tour. There are models for every budget ranging from $500 to $5000 and probably more. Astrophotography can become an expensive obsession over time. But by starting small and focusing on skills rather than gear, the universe can be explored at many budget levels. Passion and patience are the most important ingredients.
Gaganam Gaganakaram - For the expanse of the universe can be only compared to itself alone
