About Skies & Scopes

Welcome to Skies & Scopes. A website and community focussed on astrophotography and astronomy.

Our Mission

Our mission is to help you to take amazing night sky pictures and spend quality time stargazing.

Astrophotography and Astronomy can be difficult, especially for a beginner. The equipment is expensive, and there is so much to learn in terms of putting it all together.

At Skies & Scopes, we’re on a mission to simplify the vast world of astronomy and astrophotography. We’ve seen too many enthusiasts get lost in complex advice or invest in gear that doesn’t suit their needs.

Our goal is to ensure that everyone, regardless of their background or budget, can enjoy the night sky and capture its beauty.

We do this by providing:

• Skill-based tutorials: Our detailed tutorials teach you the skills you need to produce amazing pictures of the night sky or stargaze with a telescope.
• In-depth equipment guides: All our buying guides are based on unique, objective research, with the input of external experts. We strive to recommend the right gear for different budgets and levels of expertise.
• Interviews and case studies: We showcase the work of some of the best astrophotographers in the world so that we can learn from them and stay up-to-date with trends in terms of techniques, gear, and software.

In 2023, we released our free Astrophotography Planner Chrome extension. This tells you the upcoming new moon dates and allows you to set reminders so you can be sure you won’t miss those dark skies!

Who We Are

Behind Skies & Scopes is a dedicated team of enthusiasts and experts, each contributing their unique expertise and perspective.

We’re a blend of researchers, writers, and astrophotographers, each at different levels of expertise and areas of focus.

We collaborate with some of the best astrophotographers and amateur astronomy experts from around the world to create the best subject matter on these topics.

What Sets Us Apart and Why You Can Trust Us

We are committed to being the best source of reviews and comparison information for amateur astronomy and astrophotography equipment.

We pride ourselves on our unique research approach and our commitment to unbiased recommendations, uninfluenced by external partnerships or affiliations.

We have a number of editorial commitments that enable us to achieve this:

1. All our buying guides are based on unique, objective research, rather than just individual opinion or anecdotes.
2. We publish reviews of an individual product only if we have the product in our hands and can provide genuine opinions and comments.
3. All product recommendations are made without the consideration of affiliate relationships, sponsorships, or partnerships to ensure they are completely unbiased.

We frequently showcase the best astrophotographers in the world to understand how they do what they do so well and utilize their expertise in reviewing our content.

Our Ethical Commitment

Beyond exploring the stars, we’re deeply committed to our planet and its inhabitants:

1. We champion sustainable practices, advocating for the use of existing or second-hand gear and raising awareness about light pollution’s impact on our environment and wildlife.
2. Our digital operations are eco-conscious, and as an online platform, our carbon footprint is extremely low.
3. We always treat readers, followers, employees, partners, and other stakeholders with respect and tolerance. Astronomy and astrophotography are hobbies loved around the world regardless of their background.

How We Make Money

All Skies & Scopes content is provided free of charge and is reader-supported in that we make money through affiliate commissions.

This means that if people click links on our website we may be compensated by a third-party retailer. This doesn’t cost the user anything extra, and it’s a simple way to help us fund our operations.

This helps us produce more content and stay ad-free, which we want to do for the sake of our readers’ experience.

Connect With Us

You can engage with us further by signing up for our newsletter, following our social media channels, or simply dropping us a message. You can do all of these things via our contact page.

We welcome feedback and are always open to ideas for collaboration or suggestions on how we can improve.

What To Do Now?

We run an email newsletter that features exclusive weekly interviews, monthly industry news, and more – subscribe here.

Or go straight to checking out some of our best content:

1. Astronomy Photographer of the Year: Gear Analysis
2. Best Cameras for Astrophotography
3. Most Powerful Telescope You Can Buy