Derek Chen has been shooting deep-sky objects for 18 years and reviewing gear for the last 9. He maintains a small rental fleet of mounted telescopes and runs weekend imaging sessions for new astrophotographers.
Areas of expertise:
- Telescope and mount selection
- Astrophotography workflows
- Software for image stacking and processing
- Gear value at every price point
Favorite beat: Finding the one weird trick that turns a $500 scope into a $2,000 scope's worst nightmare.
Disclosure: Derek is a hobbyist, not a professional astronomer or engineer. His gear opinions come from personal experience owning and using the equipment he reviews, plus informal feedback from the broader astrophotography community.
Articles by Derek Chen
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- Best Telescope Mount Under $2,000 in 2026: Harmonic vs GEM vs Center-Balance · 2026-06-10
- The Astrophotography Backpack: Three Complete Beginner Setups (Under $500 / $1,500 / $5,000) · 2026-06-09
- Binoculars for Stargazing: The Best First Astronomy Tool · 2026-06-05
- The 8-inch Dobsonian: Why It's Still the Best Beginner Telescope in 2026 · 2026-06-05
- Smart Telescopes in 2026: The All-in-One Revolution · 2026-06-05
- Best Beginner Telescopes of 2026: A Buyer's Guide · 2026-06-02
- Four planets, one sky: Saturn Venus Jupiter Mars all visible Thursday night — here is how to see each · 2026-08-20
- What to read about space this week: while the world was watching the doubleheader · 2026-08-16
- When 4 tonnes of Falcon 9 metal hit the moon, scientists paid attention — here's why · 2026-08-14
- Perseid peak tonight with a six-planet alignment before sunrise — here's your two-window night · 2026-08-13
- The Milky Way core is at peak — and the full Moon is trying to spoil it · 2026-07-30
- 20 nights until the Perseids peak — and why tonight's bright Moon is actually useful · 2026-07-23
- Best space events to see tonight: Delta Aquariids, Venus, and a bright ISS pass · 2026-07-16
- Orbital Daily Tracker: A Starlink 'space jellyfish' over Florida, and what to watch this week · 2026-07-09