DWARFLAB DRACO is a portable 90mm smart telescope built for serious deep-sky imaging without the complexity of a traditional astrophotography rig. Its integrated dual-camera system, built-in guide scope, physical field derotation and automated calibration bring long-exposure imaging, mosaics and multi-night stacking together in one travel-ready instrument.

Choose between two editions: DRACO Standard Edition at the £1,249 early-bird price (usually £1,349), with a built-in solar ND filter, or DRACO SHO Edition at £1,399 (usually £1499), which adds automated S II + O III capture for true SHO data and includes an external magnetic solar filter.

A new kind of observatory—one you can carry

DRACO combines the optics, cameras, tracking system, guiding, filter control and image-processing workflow normally spread across a complete imaging rig. Set it down, choose a target in the DWARFLAB App and let the telescope handle locating, autofocus, calibration, tracking, capture and live stacking.

• 90mm f/3.8 telephoto optical system
• 340mm native focal length and 1,200mm equivalent focal length in astronomy mode
• 1/1.3-inch 50MP telephoto sensor
• 1/1.55-inch 50MP wide-angle camera with an 85.74° diagonal field of view
• Built-in monochrome guide camera
• Up to 300-second single-frame exposures
• Physical sensor rotation to correct field rotation
• 128GB built-in storage and a 10,000mAh battery

A 90mm aperture that reaches deeper

DRACO's 90mm telephoto optics gather the light needed to reveal faint nebula structure, galaxy detail and subtle layers that smaller systems can miss. Its folded, aberration-corrected optical design is engineered to keep stars sharp from the centre towards the edge of the frame, while the fast f/3.8 focal ratio makes efficient use of every clear night.

Two cameras, working as one

The telephoto and wide-angle cameras capture the sky at two scales. Use the telephoto system for detailed deep-sky and Solar System imaging, while the wide-angle camera records sweeping nightscapes, the Milky Way and star trails—and helps you understand the wider sky around your target.

Telephoto astronomy camera

• 1/1.3-inch OV50Q40 sensor
• 50MP native resolution
• 1.2µm native pixels for fine lunar, solar and planetary detail
• 2.4µm equivalent pixels with 2×2 binning for improved low-light performance

Wide-angle camera

• 1/1.55-inch OV50E40 sensor
• 23.3mm equivalent focal length
• 85.74° diagonal, 73.20° horizontal and 58.23° vertical field of view

Long exposures without a traditional equatorial mount

DRACO combines three integrated technologies to keep stars tight during exposures of up to 300 seconds:

• Built-in guiding: the monochrome guide camera monitors star drift and corrects tracking errors in real time.
• Physical field derotation: the imaging sensor rotates with the sky to counter field rotation.
• Precision tracking: fine microstepping and a high-precision drive system reduce vibration and backlash.

Choose your DRACO

Important: both editions share the same telescope, optics, cameras, guiding, tracking and core imaging features. The Standard Edition has an internally switchable solar ND filter. The SHO Edition replaces that built-in ND position with the S II + O III filter, so its supplied external magnetic ND filter must be fitted manually before solar imaging.

Automated capture with full manual control when you want it

Tap a target and DRACO can automatically complete target acquisition, autofocus, calibration, tracking and live stacking. Auto Mode selects suitable settings for the target, while Pro Mode opens manual control of exposure, gain and filters. Exposure times range from 1/10,000 second to 300 seconds.

Built-in flat and bias calibration data work with dark frames captured in real time. Calibration is applied automatically during live stacking to reduce thermal noise, vignetting, dust shadows and read noise.

Advanced imaging modes

• Astro Mosaic: expand the frame by up to 1.8× in width and height for an overall field approximately three times larger.
• Multi-Night Mega Stacking: collect data over several sessions and combine it into a deeper result.
• Frame selection and restacking: inspect captured frames, remove cloud-affected or unstable exposures and stack the best data again.
• Scheduled shooting: set the target, start time and parameters so DRACO can run the session automatically.
• Solar System Mode: centre, focus and track the Sun or Moon with guided app control.

Capture, process and share in the DWARFLAB App

The DWARFLAB App provides target recommendations, a real-time star atlas, AR wide-angle Sky Finder, automatic connection and a unified capture workflow. Stellar Studio adds accessible processing tools including automatic enhancement, noise reduction, star correction, star reduction, star removal, star extraction, star spikes, watermarks and Hubble Palette processing.

Export finished images or work with the underlying data in JPG, PNG, TIFF and FITS formats. PhotonVerse, Star Party, CoStack and CoMosaic add community sharing and collaborative imaging options.

Remote-observatory capability

PhotonLink enables remote control through the DWARFLAB App. DRACO can switch its internal dark-frame cover and built-in filters without on-site intervention, and USB Ethernet support provides a wired option for stable long-term operation. Solar imaging with the SHO Edition still requires its external ND filter to be installed beforehand.

Designed to travel

Despite its observatory-style capability, the DRACO body weighs 5.5kg. Its integrated 10,000mAh battery provides approximately five hours of operation, while the rigid metal frame and all-metal base support stable use in equatorial mode without a separate equatorial mount.

The included aluminium-alloy tripod weighs approximately 480g and uses a fixed opening angle for quick setup. It measures 175mm high when deployed, has a 470mm footprint and folds to approximately 80 × 80 × 268mm.

What's in the box

• DWARFLAB DRACO Smart Telescope
• Aluminium-alloy tripod
• USB-C data cable
• Cleaning cloth
• External magnetic solar ND filter with the SHO Edition

Technical specifications

Specifications and software features are based on current manufacturer information and may be updated before or after release.