Summer is one of the best times of year to spend a night beneath the stars. Warm evenings and late sunsets make it the ideal time for astrotourism for both newcomers and experienced skywatchers — and in 2026 the calendar is packed with celestial highlights. There’s a returning comet, Venus dazzling in the west after sunset, a solar eclipse adding an unforgettable daytime spectacle on Aug. 12 and, just hours later, the annual Perseid meteor shower peaking under dark on Aug. 12-13, producing dozens of shooting stars per hour.
Whether you’re heading to a dark-sky park for the Perseids, traveling to the path of totality in Europe or simply planning to spend more evenings exploring the night sky, having the right equipment can make a difference. The most important possession is always patience, but there are some items that can help you see more, such as binoculars and telescopes, some all-new stargazing-centric camping gear makes things more comfortable. Here are seven accessories that will help you get more from this summer’s biggest astronomical events.
1. Sky View XL Stargazing Tent
When to use: Perseid meteor shower
If you’re planning to stay out long after the solar eclipse on Aug. 12 for the Perseid meteor shower overnight, a stargazing tent can completely transform the experience. The Sky View XL Stargazing Tent features an ultra-fine mesh roof that genuinely seems to disappear once darkness falls, creating an uninterrupted, panoramic view of the night sky that’s incredibly immersive. It’s ideal for watching meteors, tracing the Milky Way overhead and even enjoying long astrophotography sessions without being bothered by insects. One of its cleverest features is the quick-access internal rainfly, which can be deployed from inside the tent if the weather changes, allowing you to sleep under the stars without worrying about a late-night shower. The Buena Vista, Colorado-based company has recently improved weatherproofing by reinforcing and sealing the floor seams, making the latest models more resistant to heavy rain. Spacious, rugged and almost indestructible, it’s best suited to car camping, backyard observing and introducing families to astronomy rather than lightweight backpacking.
2. American Paper Optics Eclipser HD Solar Glasses
When to use: Aug. 12 solar eclipse
If you’re anywhere in the northeast U.S., Canada or Europe on Aug. 12, certified solar eclipse glasses are essential — never use ordinary sunglasses, which are dangerous for viewing the sun. The American Paper Optics Eclipser HD Solar Glasses are among the best available, replacing disposable cardboard frames with durable plastic frames that can be worn like regular sunglasses. Their scratch-resistant black polymer lenses block 100% of harmful ultraviolet and infrared radiation and 99.999% of visible sunlight while producing a sharp, orange-tinted view of the sun. Hailing from Bartlett, Tennessee, all American Paper Optics eclipse glasses are certified to the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard and carry CE certification. These are designed to withstand repeated use and, as such, they come with a protective sleeve to help prevent scratches between eclipses.
3. Celestron EclipSmart 10×42 Solar Binoculars
When to use: Aug. 12 solar eclipse
Eclipse glasses provide a safe overview of the eclipse, but solar binoculars reveal a wealth of detail that’s otherwise invisible. The Celestron EclipSmart 10×42 Solar Binoculars feature permanently attached, ISO-certified solar filters, allowing you to safely watch the moon’s silhouette creep across the sun while revealing sunspots, active regions and the intricate shape of the partial phases. Their fixed filters eliminate the risk of accidentally viewing the sun unfiltered, making them an excellent choice for first-time eclipse observers. Get them well before eclipse day and practice finding and focusing on the sun, since aiming solar binoculars is harder than it looks.
4. ZWO Seestar S30 Pro Eclipse Edition
When to use: Aug. 12 solar eclipse, Comet 10P/Tempel 2, the Perseid meteor shower and the Milky Way
If you want more than smartphone snapshots, a smart telescope is one of the best astronomy investments you can make this summer. The ZWO Seestar S30 Pro Eclipse Edition includes a solar filter for safely imaging the partial phases of a solar eclipse, and it automatically locates and tracks the sun (and if you’re in the path of totality in Greenland, Iceland or Spain, you can remove the filter to photograph the corona during totality). After dark, its wide-field camera is ideal for capturing the Milky Way, star trails and wide nightscapes, while its main lens can image deep-sky objects, including Comet 10P/Tempel 2. Weighing just 1.65kg (3.6lb) and controlled entirely from a smartphone, it’s compact enough to travel anywhere. The limited-edition black finish, gold detailing and eclipse branding won’t improve its optics, but they do make it a fitting companion for a once-in-a-lifetime eclipse expedition.
5. Nemo Stargaze EVO-X reclining camp chair
When to use: Perseid meteor shower
On Aug. 12-13, many eclipse chasers will spend 12 hours or more outdoors, arriving before first contact and staying until after the Perseids peak after midnight. With that kind of schedule, a reclining chair quickly becomes indispensable. The Nemo Stargaze EVO-X features a suspended seat that gently reclines and rocks, with a padded headrest that makes hours of looking overhead far more comfortable. Dover, New Hampshire-based Nemo also includes practical storage pockets and a durable steel frame. Although its comfort depends somewhat on your height and body shape, it’s one of the best chairs available for meteor watching, relaxed binocular observing and long nights beneath the summer sky.
6. Sky-Watcher Evostar 100ED
When to use: Venus at dichotomy, Saturn’s rings and Comet 10P/Tempel 2
Venus reaches its striking half-lit phase, known as dichotomy, on Aug. 12, making it one of the season’s most rewarding telescopic targets as it reduces to a crescent and gets brighter as it moves closer to Earth. A high-quality 100mm refractor, such as the Sky-Watcher Evostar 100ED, reveals the planet’s crisp, half-illuminated disk with excellent contrast and minimal false color. It also excels on the moon, bringing craters and mountain ranges into sharp relief, while providing impressive views of Saturn’s rings, which are now in full view after sunset. Under dark skies, the telescope is equally capable of showing both brighter deep-sky objects and Comet 10P/Tempel 2, which appears as a small, diffuse glow with hints of a tail. Unlike reflector telescopes, an ED refractor requires virtually no maintenance, cools quickly and is ready to deliver sharp, high-contrast views within minutes.
7. Unistellar Envision Smart Binoculars
When to use: Comet 10P/Tempel 2, the Milky Way and learning the night sky
Binoculars remain the best first step into astronomy, and the Unistellar Envision takes the classic 10×50 design in an entirely new direction. Combining Nikon-designed optics with augmented reality, they identify stars, constellations, planets and deep-sky objects as you observe, helping you learn the night sky in real time. They’re ideal for finding Comet 10P/Tempel 2, exploring the Milky Way and identifying constellations without constantly referring to an app or star chart. A clever Target Lock Sharing feature lets one observer center an object and then guide someone else to exactly the same view, making it perfect for sharing the sky with family and friends. Marseille, France-based Unistellar hopes to put them on general sale in 2027, but you can sign up now to reserve a place in the queue and be notified when the next production batch becomes available.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
