What kind of telescope should I use for astrophotography?

I am a photographer and I would like to turn my camera skyward. Is there one type of telescope that would be better than another for photographing?

There are a couple of considerations when using a telescope for photography. The most important is the ability to track the sky. The earth turns, and so the sky appears to turn (this makes the stars appear to rise and set). You want a telescope with a Right Ascension drive, preferably a motorized one. You also have to make sure you can get an adapter for your camera to attach it to the telescope. There are many ways to take astrophotographs. Look at the Sky & Telescope web page for more help. They have in depth descriptions of techniques, hardware, etc.

March 1999, Dave Kornreich (more by Dave Kornreich) (Like this Answer)

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