Telescopes and Tech: How Technology is Shaping the Telescope Industry

The digital revolution has sparked such transformation in our society that no aspect of our lives remains untouched. It should come as no surprise, then, that one of the most physics-based industries would feel the most impact.

From automated movement to enhanced imaging software, telescopes have received a major makeover from technology—and thanks to the upgrades, they deliver more precision than ever. Here are a few advancements that technology has contributed.

Computerized telescopes

Thanks to the incorporation of motorized actuators into the modern telescope, gone are the days of aimlessly searching for a star worth its view or constantly adjusting your scope to track the motion of a celestial body. Now that telescopes may be synchronized to software already possessing a knowledge of many objects’ locations, computerized telescopes can be programmed to hone in to a specific planet or star, and may automatically adjust their position to follow it across the sky. As we’ll see in a moment, Celestron Telescopes deliver on that promise especially well.

Apps and software

Of course, computerized telescopes can only track the motion of a celestial body if the computer to which they’re connected knows the location of the stars. That takes software, and there’s no shortage of such programs to do the job. Some apps like SkySafari can be downloaded onto your smartphone to help you identify the constellations you’re observing, while others like Celestron’s SkyPortal will give detailed information about your view, and can align your telescope towards the object you wish to track—if your telescope is a Celestron, too.

Webcams

Astrophotography in particular has taken a quantum leap due to advancements in technology, and this trend has gone beyond the scientific realm and benefited less experienced photographers too. Webcams have played a huge role in this development, as resolution and magnification capacity have improved greatly. The same laws of optics still apply as a ceiling for imaging constraints, but that ceiling is closer than ever to being reached as webcams deliver increasingly crisp views of the skies. Some of the more popular webcam models for telescope use today include the Orion StarShoot or SVBONY Telescope Camera series, but conventional webcams can be modified to do the job as well.

Imaging

Those who enjoy compiling highly detailed photographs or images of the stars they’ve viewed know firsthand the importance of videography software to help them create a smoother image. There are a number of them available, but the common technological improvement underpinning all imaging software is the increased number of frames able to be taken per second and the ability to stack them more evenly. When coupled with an imaging tool’s ability to edit the video with greater graphical precision, the result for astrophotographers and videographers is the most pristine portrayal of the skies we’ve seen to date.

The sky’s the limit

The digital revolution doesn’t show any signs of slowing down any time soon, and for telescope enthusiasts, that’s a good thing. As telescope technology progresses, novices can look forward to a more facilitated view of stars, planets, nebulae, and comets that previously only veterans were able to enjoy, while webcam and software imaging improvements will help astrophotographers and videographers get the view of the heavens they’ve always dreamed of. With so many benefits from the ever-growing tech industry, the future of telescope technology has never looked brighter.