PiKon Telescope — A 3D Printed Telescope Powered by Raspberry Pi
🔭 Proving that telescopes don't have to cost tens of thousands of dollars
This article introduces the PiKon Telescope — an open-source project from the University of Sheffield that uses 3D printing + Raspberry Pi to build a working telescope for under $100.
What is the PiKon Telescope?
Created in 2014 by Mark Wrigley for the University of Sheffield's Festival of the Mind, the goal was simple: prove that affordable, disruptive tech like 3D printing and Raspberry Pi can produce real scientific instruments.
How It Works
PiKon uses a Newtonian reflecting telescope design, but removes the secondary mirror and eyepiece lens — replacing them with a Raspberry Pi camera placed directly at prime focus.
The path:
- Light enters the tube
- Bounces off a 4.5" (113mm) concave primary mirror at the bottom
- Lands directly on the Pi camera sensor — no eyepiece needed
Key Specs
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Mirror size | 4.5" (113mm) |
| Focal length | ~600-800mm |
| Camera | Raspberry Pi HQ Camera (Sony IMX477R, 12.3MP) |
| Magnification | ~160x |
| Field of view | ~¼ degree (half the Moon) |
What You Need
3D Printed Parts (free .stl files):
- Mirror mount
- Camera holder ("spider")
- Focus knob
- Tripod mount
- Raspberry Pi case
Download from Instructables or Wikifactory — both free.
Electronics:
- Any Raspberry Pi with camera port
- Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera (IMX477R, 12.3MP)
- C-mount or 3D printed adapter to hold the camera
Optics:
- 4.5" Newtonian primary mirror
- 150mm diameter PVC pipe for the tube
Hardware:
- Assorted nuts, bolts, springs
- Any standard tripod
What Can You Photograph?
The Moon — looks great. 12.3MP resolution shows real surface detail.
Galaxies & Nebulae — starts getting tricky because:
- Pi camera sensor has noticeable noise
- Light pollution eats your signal
- You need Exposure Stacking — shoot many frames, stack and average them
Pro Tip: Exposure Stacking
- Shoot the same target 10-50+ frames
- Stack them in software (average the pixels)
- Noise cancels out, signal builds up
Free tools: DeepSkyStacker or Siril
Why PiKon Rocks
✅ Cheap — build it in one night
✅ Open source — modify anything
✅ Portable — print the parts separate, assemble anywhere
✅ Educational — you really understand how optics work
What's New in 2026
The latest PiKon versions support the Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera (Sony IMX477R) natively, with 3D printed adapters readily available. 12.3MP means your Moon shots are sharper than ever.
Community members have even added motorized tracking — the telescope automatically follows the sky, enabling longer deep-sky exposures without drift.
Resources
Wrap Up
PiKon is one of the best examples of how open technology democratizes science. If you have a 3D Printer and a Raspberry Pi at home, you can build a working telescope tonight 🚀
