A Newtonian telescope is a type of telescope invented by Isaac Newton that uses a primary and secondary mirror to show you what’s in space. A quick note about Newtonian telescopes is that they’re not too complicated to build and have an open-frame design. However, they generally have to be adjusted pretty frequently as the open-frame structure makes them more subject to winds.

The ABSDBS Newton telescope uses the two-mirror method of Newtonian telescopes to identify and enlarge items in the sky. It uses a comparatively large 8-inch mirror, which allows for a larger visualization area for the telescope as more light can be reflected.

The frame of this telescope comprises over 30 3D printed parts, which the designer notes that they printed in ABS, hence the first three letters in the name of the telescope. Some other hardware used were 8-mm aluminum tubes, screws, bearings, and more. Luckily, there’s an assembly video for the ABSDBS telescope, so making it shouldn’t be too hard.

• Core components: Aluminum rods, primary 8-inch mirror, 2-inch secondary mirror, focuser, bearings, screws
• Printing hardware: The designer’s hardware isn’t listed, but recorded Makers posted great prints made on consumer-grade machines, such as an Ender 3, Anet A8, and Prusa i3.
• Price: $40-100
• Who designed it: Fatalik
• Where to find it: Thingiverse

Next, this telescope is another of the Newtonian variety, with a 4-inch mirror as its centerpiece. The telescope, as you can see in the image above, is pretty massive. It’s equipped with a Raspberry Pi board, which powers the Pi camera that the telescope uses to actually detect objects in space.

The frame of this telescope is made up of over 10 3D printed components that can all be printed in a 200 x 200 mm build volume, so don’t worry if you don’t have a super large build plate. The other hardware used includes some screws, springs, the secondary mirror, tube pipes, and more.

As you might expect, assembling this telescope will be a little difficult, and, unfortunately, there isn’t a clear guide to follow. The same goes for the electronic configuration (the Pi board). So, just be prepared for some experimentation if you want to attempt this one!

• Core components: Raspberry Pi, Raspberry Pi camera, 4-inch mirror, tube pipes, springs, secondary mirror, screws
• Printing hardware: The designer listed that they printed the pieces on an Ultimaker 2 without a raft and varying infill densities.
• Price: $70-150
• Who designed it: Greyman633
• Where to find it: Thingiverse

If you’re new to making telescopes, as we expect most people are, then the OpenAstroTracker is a great option for you. The telescope uses a digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR) with some other hardware to detect objects in space and reposition itself automatically.

It’s worth noting that this project is completely open-source, so all hardware, software, and other elements of the telescope are publicly available. The frame of the OpenAstroTracker is made up of around 12 3D printed parts, and the parts that make the telescope functional are a DSLR camera, two stepper motors, two ESP boards, a 5V power supply, and some other pieces. To make the build process easier, the developers of this telescope also sell kits for all the hardware needed for the device, though the kits were sold out at the time of writing so you might need to source your own materials.

And if you’re wondering why motors are used on the OpenAstroTracker, it’s because the telescope is automated. Moreover, the telescope runs GoTo software so it can re-orient itself to focus on specific objects (e.g. stars) when instructed to.

• Core components: ESP32, ESP8266, aluminum extrusions, DSLR camera, bearings, stepper motors, screws, USB cable
• Printing hardware: While the creator of this project didn’t list the printer they used, some makers listed that they used machines such as an Ender 3 V2, Tronxy X5S, and more.
• Price: ~$220
• Who designed it: openastrotech
• Where to find it: Thingiverse, OpenAstroTech

PiKon is a DIY telescope project that’s great for beginners because of its relatively simple design and easy-to-build structure. In addition, almost all of the necessary parts are available for purchase on PiKon’s page, except for the Rasberry Pi and camera.

Plenty of people have made this telescope, so if you were to have trouble there are a lot of people who could help you. There’s even a Dropbox with all of the necessary files and instructions on how to set up all of the electronics. You can also watch a one-minute assembly timelapse on YouTube of someone setting up their PiKon telescope kit, and the project page also has a whole list of other videos if you want to see more.

The parts can be printed at 20% infill and should be printed out of a strong material such as ABS, if possible. Overall, for a pretty low price point, the PiKon is an excellent entry-level project. You can also learn more about it in our article all about this telescope.

• Core components: Raspberry Pi, mirrors, ventilation tube, camera
• Printing hardware: The designer didn’t mention what printing hardware they used, but recorded Thingiverse makers have printed the printable parts with an Ender 3 as well as a MakerBot Replicator 2X, both in ABS and PLA.
• Price: ~$280
• Who designed it: Mark Wrigley
• Where to find it: PiKon, Thingiverse, Cults

The Ultrascope telescope is made by the Open Space Agency and can be recreated for just over $300. This project is entirely DIY, and you can find the print files on their website, along with a list of the other components you’ll need, such as an Arduino shield, a smartphone, and some acrylic.

Their project page also offers some instructions on how to build it. They recommend you have around 2.2 kilograms of PLA or ABS filament, and some of the parts will require a laser cutter to manufacture.

The 3D printed parts were printed on an Ultimaker 2 and sliced using Cura, and there are a lot of printing tips, troubleshooting, and some post-processing ideas on the project page. You can also watch the feature video for the Ultrascope on YouTube that gives some extra detail about the telescope.

Overall, this project seems to offer a great amount of assistance so it should be relatively easy to make. The other necessary components listed are pretty easy to find in most places if you don’t already have them.

• Core components: Arduino shield, laser-cut acrylic, smartphone
• Printing hardware: The printable parts were printed with an Ultimaker and a MakerBot Replicator, though any low-cost 3D printer should work.
• Price: ~$310
• Who designed it: Open Space Agency
• Where to find it: Open Space Agency

One clever maker has created an excellent Newtonian telescope with an equally amazing name: Newton to See Here. The telescope uses a fair number of different components, including many 3D printed parts, concave mirror cells, thumb screws, and other hardware.

As seen in the image above, the telescope’s frame is similar to a truss bridge. Assembly is obviously a little difficult given that the entire project is DIY, but the creator of the telescope has created a helpful Instructables page to guide you through the process.

• Core components: 6-inch primary mirror, 2-inch secondary mirror, thumb screws, focuser, carbon fiber tubes, screws
• Printing hardware: While the designer didn’t mention what specific machine they used, they stated that the largest print is 240 x 240 mm, so you’ll need a relatively large 3D printer (or to use a printing service for the larger parts).
• Price: $300-450
• Who designed it: rfiol
• Where to find it: BigBigSpace, Instructables

TelescopePrime is a DIY, semi-professional telescope that offers impressive functionality for an affordable price. This telescope relies on a Rasberry Pi, a camera, a mirror, and a touch display to control the functions of the telescope.

The purpose of the 17 printed parts is mainly to hold the camera and the mirror in position. The designer built the telescope with several parts that are all listed on the project page, but also states that you should feel free to experiment with your own hardware. If you do as the project page says, the total printing time is about 156 hours.

The original body of the telescope was 3D printed with PLA on the Flashforge Dreamer printer, and the files are available to download on their website. With a cost of around only $400, this telescope offers you the chance to learn how it works and to see as far as the moon!

• Core components: Raspberry Pi 3B+, TFT touch display, 20-cm parabolic mirror, camera
• Printing hardware: A Flashforger Dreamer was used to print the telescope’s body in Orbi-Tech PLA.
• Price: ~$400
• Who designed it: Aleksy Chwedczuk and Jakub Bochiński
• Where to find it: TelescopePrime

Different telescopes can vary in many ways, but one of the most significant differences is the size of their mirror. The 8″ GOTO telescope uses an 8-inch mirror, an 8-MP Raspberry Pi camera module, a handful of 3D printed parts, and some other electronics to see into the stars.

The name of this telescope refers to the GPS module onboard the telescope, which uses GoTo tracking abilities to function better. Additionally, the telescope has a stepper motor, an OnStep Guidance control device, and an STM32 microcontroller that makes all the electronic parts work together to track stars and other space objects.

The frame of this telescope is mainly comprised of aluminum extrusions that are connected with 3D printed parts. The creator’s Instructables page should make assembling all the pieces pretty straightforward, but this telescope also involves more complex electronic configurations. For this reason, we suggest only attempting this project if you have some experience working with microcontrollers, stepper motors, and possibly telescope software.

• Core components: Raspberry Pi, 8-MP Raspberry Pi camera, ESP8226, 8-inch primary mirror, STM32, stepper motor, GPS module, aluminum extrusions, aluminum tube, screws
• Printing hardware: The creator of this telescope mentioned that they printed most of the parts on an E3D ToolChanger, but some were also made on a Creality CR-10 5S with an upgraded hot end.
• Price: ~$450
• Who designed it: Greg_The_Maker
• Where to find it: Instructables

Love telescopes but don’t need to stare into space? These bonus designs are telescope models that are display pieces rather than actual scientific tools:

• James Webb: This telescope was made as a mini display version of the popular James Webb space telescope that launched at the end of 2021. This 3D printable model is foldable, just like the real deal, but $10 billion cheaper.
• Hubble: The Hubble space telescope was another big NASA telescope project, launched in 1990 and currently sitting at just 340 miles above Earth. This 3D printable version of the Hubble telescope was made for the 25th anniversary of the telescope. The model is made of six 3D printable parts, which fit together very snugly, according to the designer.
• Chandra X-Ray Observatory: The Chandra X-Ray Observatory is a telescope created by NASA in 1999, meant to detect X-ray emissions from hot areas of the universe. You can 3D print a mini version of the telescope that’s comprised of five 3D printable pieces.