{"id":36393,"date":"2022-09-08T10:51:49","date_gmt":"2022-09-08T10:51:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=111590"},"modified":"2022-09-08T11:07:13","modified_gmt":"2022-09-08T11:07:13","slug":"best-smartphone-adapters-for-telescopes-2022","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/best-smartphone-adapters-for-telescopes-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Best smartphone adapters for telescopes, 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Iain Todd\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 08 September 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Have you ever wanted to photograph the Moon, planets, stars and other objects you see through your telescope on your smartphone?<\/p>\n

Many of us are bound to have tried it at some point. There you are, refractor pointed at the Moon, gazing in wonder as the terminator<\/a> emphasises the glorious structures of lunar craters and mountains.<\/p>\n

You\u2019d love to be able to capture what you\u2019re seeing, but all you have is the smartphone in your pocket.<\/p>\n

\u201cSurely,\u201d you think, \u201cit\u2019d be easy enough to hold my phone\u2019s camera lens up to the eyepiece and capture an image\u201d.<\/p>\n

This technique is known as \u2018eyepiece projection\u2019 or \u2018afocal imaging\u2019, and requires a steady hand indeed.<\/p>\n

As anyone who\u2019s tried it will testify, it\u2019s incredibly difficult to get right.<\/p>\n

This is where a smartphone telescope adaptor comes in.<\/p>\n

For more advice, read our guides to the best smartphone astrophotography gadgets<\/a> and how to photograph the night sky with your smartphone<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Read our pick of the best smartphone zoom lenses<\/a> and best smartphone tripods<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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Schroter\u2019s Valley by Julie Straayer, Albany Creek, Australia. Equipment: Skywatcher 150 Pro Maksutov, kywatcher AZEQ 5 mount, Starguider 12mm eyepiece, Orion Steadypix EZ smartphone adapter, Sony Xperia Z3 smartphone<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

A smartphone telescope adaptor is a device that holds your phone in position on the eyepiece, enabling the camera lens to get a good view of whatever your telescope happens to be pointed at.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve got it set up, all you need to do is make sure you get a good capture of your chosen target!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Image of a quasar (circled) 3c 273 (two billion Ly) using a Stargate 500, 26mm eyepiece, NexYZ and iPhone 7+<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

What to look for in a smartphone telescope adapter<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

In order for afocal imaging with a smartphone telescope adapter to work, the phone\u2019s camera lens must be firmly supported in the same position your eye is when you\u2019re visually observing.<\/span><\/p>\n

This can mean it\u2019s worth spending a bit of money on a decent adaptor, as you\u2019ll need something sturdy that holds your phone well in place.<\/p>\n

Also, check that the adapter you\u2019re buying actually supports your make and model of smartphone.<\/p>\n

But you should also think about how often you\u2019re likely to be getting a new smartphone in future.<\/p>\n

If you change your phone often, you may want an adapter that can suit different shapes and sizes.<\/p>\n

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Andrew Birbeck, north Norfolk. Equipment: Andrew Birbeck, north Norfolk. Equipment: Samsung Galaxy phone, Celestron Nexstar 5SE, Celestron NexYZ smartphone adapter<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Below we\u2019ve picked out a selection of some of the best smartphone telescope adapters available to buy online.<\/p>\n

Some telescope kits even come with their own smartphone adapter, so if you\u2019re entirely new to astronomy and think you might want to capture what you see, these are a good option.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve listed some telescopes like this below too.<\/p>\n

7 of the best smartphone telescope adapters<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Celestron NexYZ 3-Axis Universal Smartphone Adapter<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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