Best Illuminated Telescope Eyepieces of 2025

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Illuminated telescope eyepieces are a popular choice among stargazers and astronomers. These eyepieces are designed to enhance the viewing experience by providing a bright and clear image of celestial objects. The illumination feature is especially useful when observing in low light conditions, allowing for easier focusing and tracking of objects. Some models even come with adjustable brightness settings to suit different viewing preferences. With a variety of options available on the market, including those with different magnification levels and field of view, illuminated telescope eyepieces are a must-have accessory for any stargazing enthusiast.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Illuminated Telescope Eyepieces
SVBONY Reticle Eyepiece 1.25 inches Illuminated Eyepiece 12.5mm Double-line Crosshair LED Illuminator 40 Degree FOV 4 Elements Design Telescope Accessory Guide Star
The SVBONY Illuminated Reticle Eyepiece is a 12.5mm Plossl eyepiece with a red LED illuminated double line crosshair reticle. This feature is ideal for measuring double star angular separations, position angles, planetary diameters, and lunar crater diameters. The brightness of the dual crosshair reticle can be steplessly adjusted by rotating the switch on the side of the eyepiece. The multi-coated 4-elements Plossl design provides excellent color correction and sharpness, as well as excellent light transmission and sharp imaging on faint stars. The eyepiece also offers a wider view angle and bright high contrast views with a 40-degree apparent field of view and 11mm comfortable eye relief. The SVBONY Illuminated Reticle Eyepiece is a great accessory for any standard 1.25" telescope filters and other astronomical devices and makes for a great Halloween, birthday, or Christmas gift.
SVBONY SV152 Reticle Eyepiece
The SVBONY Reticle Eyepiece is a 1.25-inch crosshair eyepiece designed for astrophotography. It features an illuminated crosshair that is precisely located in the center of the eyepiece field of view, making it easier to track the guide and acquire and center target objects. The eyepiece has a wide 70-degree apparent field of view and comfortable 16mm eye relief, allowing for a comfortable viewing experience. The brightness of the crosshair is adjustable, which can extend the life of the illuminator. The eyepiece is compatible with all 1.25-inch standard equipment and has a threaded extinction inside the eyepiece that suppresses the reflection of internal stray light, providing a bright high-contrast view.
Astromania Illuminated Reticle Plossl Telescope Eyepiece
The Astromania Reticle Eyepiece is a high-quality telescope eyepiece with an adjustable image and reticle focus and adjustable LED illumination. It has a bright high-contrast view with a 40-degree apparent field of view and 11mm eye relief. The reticle eyepiece comes with a dual crosshair, providing a clean view to observe your target. It is excellent for accurate polar and go-to alignment and centering guide stars for astrophotography. The separate dioptre adjuster allows you to bring both the star and crosshairs into focus simultaneously, making it convenient for users. The steplessly adjustable knob on the side of the eyepiece makes it easy to use. The filter thread provided makes it more versatile for users.
Astromania 12.5mm Illuminated Eyepiece
The Astromania Illuminated Eyepiece enhances your stargazing experience with its adjustable image and reticle focus. You can easily fine-tune both the star and crosshairs for precise viewing, ensuring that you never miss a detail. The adjustable LED illumination allows you to set the brightness to your liking, making it easier to observe in various lighting conditions. With a comfortable 11 mm eye relief and a wide 40-degree field of view, you can enjoy bright, high-contrast images without straining your eyes. This eyepiece is perfect for accurate polar alignment and astrophotography, helping you capture stunning celestial images.
Astromania 12mm Illuminated Eyepiece
The Astromania Illuminated Eyepiece is designed to enhance your astrophotography experience. With its illuminated double crosshairs, tracking guide stars becomes much easier, ensuring your astrophotos are perfectly guided. The adjustable red LED light allows you to see the crosshairs clearly, even in low light conditions. Additionally, the 12 mm magnification provides the precision needed for accurate guiding. This versatile eyepiece is not just for astrophotos; it can also help you align mounts and locate double stars with ease. With the right tools, you can achieve stunning results in your stargazing endeavors.
SVBONY 1.25" Illuminated Reticle Eyepiece Bundle
The SVBONY Illuminated Eyepiece offers a 12.5mm Plossl design with a red LED illuminated crosshair reticle, making it ideal for measuring distances between double stars and assessing planetary sizes. You can easily adjust the brightness of the dual crosshairs with a simple side switch, allowing for perfect visibility in various lighting conditions. Additionally, the 40mm Plossl eyepiece features a four-element design that provides a wide 40° field of view, enhancing your experience while observing broad lunar landscapes and star clusters. Its fully multi-coated lenses ensure that colors remain true, enhancing the details of planets like Jupiter and Saturn.
Astromania 9mm Illuminated Eyepiece
The Astromania 9mm Eyepiece is designed to enhance your astrophotography experience. Its illuminated double crosshairs make it easier for you to track guide stars, ensuring your photos are perfectly aligned. You can adjust the brightness of the red LED light to suit your needs, providing optimal visibility. The separate dioptre adjuster helps you focus on both the star and the crosshairs, giving you greater precision. With a magnification that's ideal for detailed guiding, this eyepiece also features multi-coated lenses for a clear view. Whether you're aligning mounts or locating double stars, this versatile accessory is a must-have.
SVBONY SV152 Crosshair Eyepiece Bundle
The SVBONY Crosshair Eyepiece is designed to enhance your astrophotography experience. Its illuminated crosshairs are centrally positioned, allowing you to accurately track celestial objects with ease. With a generous 70-degree apparent field of view and comfortable 16mm eye relief, you can quickly locate and center your targets without losing sight of them. The brightness is adjustable, letting you conserve battery life while still achieving optimal illumination. Additionally, the included SV224 dovetail base ensures compatibility with various finderscopes, making assembly straightforward and user-friendly.
ALSTAR 12.5mm Reticle Eyepiece
The ALSTAR 12.5mm Reticle Eyepiece is a high-quality telescope eyepiece designed for perfectly guided astrophotos. With its dual crosshair reticle and adjustable LED illumination, you can easily observe your target with a clean view. The focal length of 12.5mm provides bright and high-contrast views, while the 40-degree apparent field of view and 11mm eye relief ensure comfortable viewing. This eyepiece is excellent for accurate polar and go-to alignment, making it ideal for astrophotography. The adjustable image and reticle focus, along with the separate dioptre adjuster, allow you to bring both the star and the crosshairs into focus simultaneously. The ALSTAR Reticle Eyepiece also features a filter thread for added convenience.
SVBONY SV197 Collimating Cheshire Eyepiece Bundle
The SVBONY Collimating Eyepiece Bundle is perfect for users of Newtonian and SCT reflector telescopes, allowing you to align your optical systems with precision. The unique peephole feature lets you directly observe the calibration results, ensuring accurate adjustments. Additionally, the included SV152 crosshair eyepiece is designed for guiding astrophotos, making it easier for you to track celestial objects with its illuminated center. With a wide 70-degree field of view and comfortable eye relief, you can enjoy a hassle-free experience while focusing on your targets.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are illuminated eyepieces for?
An illuminated reticle eyepiece is virtually indispensable for serious astronomy observing and astrophotography. The Agena 20mm illuminated reticle Plossl eyepiece boasts a double line crosshair laser etched into optical glass that extends from edge to edge.
2. What is illuminated reticle eyepiece?
An eyepiece with an illuminated reticle (crosshair or grid) has many uses for the astronomer. It's a necessity for long-exposure astrophotography, where it is used in conjunction with a guide scope or off-axis guider to hold a guide star in a fixed position, to prevent star trailing on the film.
3. Which eyepiece is best for viewing planets?
The focal length of the telescope is 900mm, so to achieve the maximum useful magnification, then a 4.5mm eyepiece would be ideal. One of the best parts about planetary viewing or imaging is that since the objects are so bright, you can do it just about anywhere regardless of light pollution.
4. What is a telescope reticle?
Reticle eyepieces are essential for anyone interested in astronomy. These eyepieces attach to a finderscope or off-axis guider in order to center your telescope on your desired celestial object or guide star. Reticle eyepieces have also been around for nearly as long as telescopes themselves.
During our illuminated telescope eyepiece research, we found 16 illuminated telescope eyepiece products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 3,873 customer reviews through our big data system to write the illuminated telescope eyepieces list. We found that most customers choose illuminated telescope eyepieces with an average price of $51.66.
The illuminated telescope eyepieces are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of illuminated telescope eyepieces, including SVBONY, Astromania, A ALSTAR. The seller of top 1 product has received honest feedback from 582 consumers with an average rating of 4.9.

Alan Eaton is a seasoned writer whose expertise is in anything related to electronics, such as headphones, monitoring equipment, computer, and so on, built over a 15-year career in the technology industry. Working in the trade during his youth, he accumulated a great deal of knowledge about machinery.