The Best Gifts for the Astronomer in 2021

Image via Nikon

Written by Stephanie Vermillion

Stephanie Vermillion is a travel and outdoors journalist with work published in National Geographic, Travel & Leisure, CNN Travel, Outside, Mashable, and Conde Nast Traveler. Check out more of her work at 42West.

Few experiences are more inspiring and humbling than stargazing. But as a space enthusiast, you’d like to do more than simply watch the stars. You want to share this astronomy love with the world, whether it’s helping people spot their first planet through a telescope, or capturing astro images to showcase and inspire friends on social media. If you’re looking for astronomy gear to take your passion to the next level — or you know an astronomy enthusiast — you’re in luck. This holiday gift guide for astronomy lovers has everything you need, from telescopes to camera mounts, and more.

The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ lets you use your smartphone to study and evaluate the night sky via an intuitive companion app — like your own at-home astronomy tutor. The StarSense Explorer app pairs your phone with the telescope to locate objects, create lists of celestial sights, and determine exactly what you’re looking at, and much more. The telescope’s ultra-stable altazimuth mount also ensures a sturdy and smooth viewing experience as you scan the sky.

iOptron SkyGuider Pro Camera Mount Full Package

With the SkyGuider Pro Camera Mount, astrophotography has never been so simple. This portable gadget balances even heavy cameras and lenses, with silent tracking and four tracking rates to cover everything from sidereal to sky and landscape. The base of the mount features a bubble level for framing, while the built-in rechargeable power source guarantees you’re charged and ready to go whenever the night sky calls.

iOptron SkyTracker Pro Camera Mount with Polar Scope

This is the ultimate in camera-tracking: the iOptron SkyTracker Pro Camera Mount. This next-generation device, small enough to fit in your palm, features up to 24 hours of battery life with an improved polar scope with adjustable illumination (and up to eight levels of brightness). The SkyTracker Pro comes with four tracking rates, not to mention built-in adjustments for the northern and southern hemispheres. This mount can hold cameras up to 6.6 pounds.

Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ Smartphone App-Enabled Newtonian Reflector Telescope

Celestron is turning the manual telescope world on its head with the new StarSense Explorer, a first-of-its-kind telescope to integrate smartphones for night-sky analysis. This Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ includes patent-pending StarSense Sky Recognition, letting you determine the specifics of what you’re looking at through your telescope. Plus, this app generates a roster of celestial objects in your view, helping you navigate the solar system from the palm of your hand.

Take your love for astronomy on the road with the Celestron Travel Scope 70 DX. This portable and powerful telescope, which includes a full-height tripod and bonus accessories, packs up nicely to fit in a custom backpack. In fact, the whole kit’s just 3.3 pounds. The Travel Scope 70 DX promises great planet and moon views — plus daytime wildlife monitoring.

Celestron NexStar 4 SE Maksutov-Cassegrain Computerized Telescope

The Celestron NexStar 4E doesn’t skimp on stargazing features. This mighty telescope offers a four-inch aperture for ideal light gathering, a database with over 40,000 celestial objects the GoTo mount will help you find, and SkyAlign technology to ensure your telescope aligns swiftly. These are all features that make this ideal for beginners and seasoned astronomers alike. Celestron also made portability a priority with the NexStar 4E. It breaks down into a few lightweight and compact pieces for easy carrying.

See the night sky in a whole new light with the Vaonis STELLINA Observation Station and Hybrid Telescope. This revolutionary gadget delivers a simple stargazing experience, with a catalog of hundreds of objects to pinpoint, including galaxies, star clusters, and the moon. The built-in Sony sensor ensures the device works seamlessly in low light. With stacking technology, you can watch the universe unfold before you. These crisp images and intuitive cosmic-object tracking will help you understand the cosmos in a whole new way. You can also sync STELLINA with up to 20 mobile devices, ensuring you and your loved ones can explore the universe together.

Go deeper with your space knowledge with the Explore Scientific FirstLight 70mm f/10 refractor telescope, which features a sturdy mount, an eyepiece, and red dot viewfinder for seamless locating. You have a number of mounts to choose from, including the more simplified fork-mounted alt-azimuth or the fully immersive GoTo Tracking System. You can also attach your smartphone to capture and share your telescope’s scenes with the world.

Explore Scientific Twilight I Alt-Azimuth Adjustable Head Mount and Tripod

Another can’t-beat astronomy staple for travelers? The Explore Scientific Twilight I Altaz Mount, which is packed with exciting astro features. This mount features geared slow motions and flexible cable controls to ensure smooth altitude and azimuth adjustments. Plus, the mount’s adjustable angle head is lightweight without skimping on quality. This mount works with numerous Explore Scientific telescopes, including the Explore Scientific ED 80, ED 102, and AR 102.

To find more holiday inspiration, check out our full lineup of must-have astronomy gear.