SMART TELESCOPE DWARF II

In recent years smart telescopes have become available. These are electronic devices, not resembling the optical tubes we associate with astronomy. They do not have the wide aperture or quality of optics that traditional telescopes possess, yet have benefits which make astrophotography much simpler. It is not necessary to know exactly the position of the south celestial pole to track the sky, or the location of any deep sky objects to photograph them. The computers which operate the telescopes store a record of the entire sky's stars enabling them to use plate solving to find any spot and track it as the Earth turns. Although not a replacement for a dedicated astrophotography rig, they provide quick pictures for anyone interested in taking photos without needing to learn how to navigate the night sky.
The following five photographs were taken with a Dwarf II smart telescope in the Summer of 2025.

The Dumbbell Nebula on the left was the first planetary nebula discovered. On the right is the Swan Nebula, easily recognised by the bright swan-shaped cloud of dust.

Following is the great nebula of Orion, with the running man below. On the right is the Carina nebula, another region of star formation.

The Large Magellanic Cloud is full of nebulae and star clusters. This strip through the cloud shows the Tarantula Nebula at lower right, and various clusters.