The $5,000 Telescope That's Closing the Gap With Hubble!? 🤯

Is the Askar SQA130 the best amateur telescope in the world for astrophotography? In this review I take this $5,000 quintuplet petzval astrograph head to head with the Hubble Space Telescope from my light polluted Bortle 6.8 back garden, capturing the North America Nebula, Bode and Cigar Galaxy trio, Iris Nebula, Rosette Nebula, Elephant Trunk Nebula, and a 62 megapixel Veil Nebula supernova remnant that may just be the best astrophotography image I've ever captured. Paired with the ZWO ASI6200MM Pro full frame cooled camera and Antlia 2.5nm SHO narrowband filters, this setup is rewriting what's possible from a backyard. If you're researching the Askar SQA130 vs Hubble, comparing high end imaging telescopes, or hunting for the best deep sky astrograph of 2026, this is the review for you. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 🔭 GEAR USED IN THIS VIDEO ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ✦ Askar SQA130 Quintuplet Petzval Astrograph USA ➜ https://agenaastro.com/askar-telescop... International ➜ https://www.sharpstar-optics.com/Prod... ✦ ZWO AM7 Strain Wave Equatorial Mount ➜ https://agenaastro.com/zwo-am7-strain... ✦ ZWO ASI6200MM Pro Full Frame Cooled Camera ➜ https://agenaastro.com/zwo-asi6200mm-... ✦ Antlia SHO 2.5nm Ultra Narrowband Filter Set ➜ https://agenaastro.com/antlia-sho-s-i... (As an affiliate I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the channel.) ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 📖 42 WONDERS OF OUR NIGHT SKY (THE BOOK) ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ The book of my biggest YouTube series is here. 140 pages of stunning deep sky objects, practical stargazing tips, fun facts, puzzles, games, and side by side comparisons through three different telescope setups. ✦ Standard Edition (worldwide on Amazon) ➜ https://amzn.to/4sj8FP8 ✦ Collector's Bundle (UK only, signed on my website) ➜ https://www.damonscotting.com/shop ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ❤️ SUPPORT THE CHANNEL ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ✦ Patreon (full resolution downloads of every image, including the 62MP Veil Nebula) ➜   / thisisastronomical   ✦ Buy Me a Coffee ➜ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/damonsco... ✦ YouTube Memberships ➜    / @damonscotting   ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 🌍 FOLLOW ME ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ✦ YouTube (Astronomical) ➜    / @damonscotting   ✦ YouTube (The Telescope Man, deeper gear deep dives) ➜    / @thetelescopeman   ✦ TikTok ➜   / damonscotting   ✦ Instagram ➜   / thisisastronomical   ✦ Website ➜ https://www.damonscotting.com ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ⏱️ CHAPTERS ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 00:00 The best amateur telescope in the world? 00:30 Why this Askar SQA130 setup is so powerful 01:30 First light: North America Nebula 02:00 The galactic trio (Bode, Cigar and Hamburger Galaxies) 03:30 Iris Nebula 04:00 Rosette Nebula 04:30 Elephant Trunk Nebula 05:00 My best image ever: the Veil Nebula 06:30 Comparing the Askar SQA130 to Hubble 07:30 How close are amateurs really getting to Hubble? ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Thanks for watching. I'm Damon Scotting and this was Astronomical. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ #AskarSQA130 #Astrophotography #Telescope #DeepSkyImaging #Astronomy #VeilNebula #HubbleSpaceTelescope #ZWOASI6200 #AntliaFilters #BackyardAstronomy #TelescopeReview #Astrograph