YOU CAN 3D PRINT A TELESCOPE THAT SHOWS YOU THE MOONS OF JUPITER
A 114mm Newtonian reflector whose entire structure is 3D printed, capable of resolving Jupiter's moons and Saturn's rings for under 150 dollars.
by Maff
ScienceWorkshop
- difficulty
- ●●●○○
- time
- a weekend-plus
- license
- CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
- repo
- repo FINISHED0 stars
●●●○○ · a weekend-plus · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · 0 stars · repo FINISHED
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- 3D printer + filament — printable parts — files are in the repo
Partner
COMPAREE VERDICT
The Hadley is one of the most built astronomy projects on Printables because it solves the right problem: everything that is fiddly to make by hand is printed, and everything that should not be printed is bought off the shelf. The tube is metal stock, the mirrors are a standard spherical set that performs like a parabola at this focal ratio, and the mount is your problem. What you print is the structure — tube rings, mirror cell, spider, focuser, finder mount — and every file is oriented so it needs no supports. Assembly is straightforward if you have built anything before: prints, screws, glue, then collimation with the adjustment screws. The single thing most likely to go wrong is collimation itself — aligning two mirrors to a shared optical axis is not hard, but it is precise, and if you have never done it you will spend an evening learning. The optics will show you the four Galilean moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn, which is exactly what the designer claims. The project costs under 150 dollars if you already own a 3D printer, but that figure assumes you solve the mount cheaply. If you want a proper equatorial mount, double it. The design has dozens of community remixes for different mirror sizes, focusers, and mounting solutions, which means the core files are proven. This is for someone who wants to build a working telescope, not someone who wants to grind their own optics or machine aluminium tube rings. If that describes you, this is one of the best-documented paths to a real instrument.
IN THE REPO
NOT IN THE REPO
- —All STL files are present, oriented for support-free printing, with colour-coded filenames for a two-tone build.
- —The bill of materials lists the mirror set (114mm spherical primary), tube stock (aluminium or steel), screws, and adhesive.
- —Assembly instructions are provided as a PDF with diagrams; collimation procedure is documented.
- —The tube itself is not printed — it is standard metal tubing cut to length.
- —No mount is included; builders use tripods, simple wood mounts, or beanbags.
- —Licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — non-commercial use only, derivatives must share alike and credit the designer.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Partner · KickstarterHeyGears G1: 10M+ colors and transparent parts in one print, plus UV printing on flat objects. Figures, parts and labels — no painting.
Videos
Hadley telescope build video (Advay Invents)
No official build video from the designer. Community builds exist — the reel credits Advay Invents for build footage — but no single canonical walkthrough.
Gallery
Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the assembly PDF on the Printables page to understand what you are printing and what you are buying. (The bill of materials is in the PDF; mirror sets are widely available from telescope suppliers.)
- 2.Print the parts in two colours using the filename prefixes as a guide. All files are oriented for support-free printing.(Print time is 40–50 hours. Check layer adhesion on the tube rings — those parts carry the weight of the optics.)
- 3.Cut the tube stock to the length specified in the instructions and assemble the printed components with screws and adhesive.(Tube outer diameter is typically 120mm; the designer's files assume standard aluminium or steel tube from a hardware supplier.)
- 4.Install the mirrors and collimate the optics using the adjustment screws on the secondary holder and primary cell.(If you have never collimated a Newtonian before, allow an evening. The included collimation cap STL helps, or buy a commercial laser collimator.)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
KNOWN ISSUES
- The licence is CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, which prohibits commercial use. You cannot sell assembled scopes or prints without violating the terms.
- No mount is included. A stable tripod, a simple wood alt-az mount, or even a beanbag works for casual observing, but planetary imaging or long exposure needs a tracking mount, which is a separate project or purchase.
- Collimation is mandatory and precise. If the mirrors are not aligned, the image will be soft or distorted no matter how good the optics are. Budget time to learn it.
- The tube is metal stock, not printed. Confirm the outer diameter matches the ring files (typically 120mm) before ordering or cutting.
- The spherical primary only works as a parabola at this specific focal ratio (f/7.9). Do not substitute a different mirror size without recalculating the optics.
- Print quality on the tube rings matters — those parts hold the optics, and layer adhesion failures can mean a dropped mirror. Print them slowly with good bed adhesion.
Can I print the mirrors?
No. The mirrors are bought as a standard spherical set — 114mm primary and matching secondary. The design relies on the spherical mirror behaving as a parabola at this focal ratio, which only works with real glass optics.
What mount should I use?
The designer does not include one. Community solutions range from simple wood alt-az mounts to clamping tripods to beanbags for casual observing. For planetary imaging or tracking, you need a separate equatorial mount, which is a different project or a purchase.
How hard is collimation?
Not hard, but precise. If you have never aligned mirrors before, allow an evening. The included collimation cap STL helps, or buy a laser collimator. Once collimated, the scope holds alignment unless you disassemble it or knock the adjustment screws.
What can I actually see with this?
The four Galilean moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, lunar craters, and brighter deep-sky objects like the Orion Nebula. It is a 114mm aperture at f/7.9, which is enough for casual planetary and lunar observing but not for faint galaxies or high-magnification planetary imaging.
Can I scale it up for a bigger mirror?
The community has already done that — dozens of remixes on Printables adapt the design for different mirror sizes and focal lengths. Check the remixes section before starting if you want a different aperture.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
The designer's figure is under $150, but that assumes you solve the mount cheaply — a proper equatorial mount doubles it. What would you mount yours on?
Maff
Maff designed the Hadley as a support-free, easy-assembly telescope that anyone with a 3D printer could build. The design has become one of the most remixed astronomy projects on Printables, with community adaptations for different mirror sizes, focusers, and mounts.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM7d agoedited
Practical notes from our verification: the project lives on Printables, not GitHub, so there is no repo star count or commit history to track — the files were uploaded as a model bundle with an assembly PDF. The licence is CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, which means you cannot sell prints or assembled scopes. The reel credits Advay Invents for build footage, but there is no official video from the designer — the good walkthroughs are community-made. The single biggest decision is not the print settings, it is the mount: a beanbag works for casual lunar observing, but planetary imaging needs tracking, which is a separate build or purchase.