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New member of the Celestron NexStar Evolution family

March 25 2024, Stefan Taube

The popular Nexstar Evolution telescopes from Celestron have a new addition: It’s a five inch telescope!

The NexStar Evolution 5 is even more compact and less expensive than the other models in this series. However, it has everything that characterises a NexStar Evolution telescope:

  • High-quality optics in a Schmidt-Cassegrain design. This design is compact, closed and very easy to use. The long focal length is ideal for observing and photographing the moon and planets.
  • The telescope is equipped with motors and computer control (“GoTo”). This means that even beginners can find all attractive celestial objects.
  • The telescope can be controlled with the hand controller or via smartphone and the SkyPortal app from Celestron. To do this, the telescope generates a Wi-Fi signal so that you can connect your smartphone to the telescope.
  • The NexStar-Evolution has an integrated lithium iron phosphate battery (LiFePO4) with a battery life of approx. 10 hours.
  • The telescope can be disassembled into three parts. This makes it easy to transport and fits in any car boot.

You can find the NexStar Evolution 5 and all other models here in the shop.

New entry-level Dobsonian telescope from Omegon

January 28 2024, Benjamin Mirwald

The Omegon-Dobson family has grown. The Advanced X N 152/1200 telescope expands the “Advanced X” series with a high-quality, yet affordable model.

With a mirror diameter of 152 millimeters, it collects enough light to see even distant galaxies. The slim telescope shows its strengths primarily when observing planets and star clusters. The focal length of 1200mm makes it easy to achieve slightly higher magnifications. The included 25 mm eyepiece gives 48x magnification, with additional eyepieces a range of 30x to 240x is usable. We particularly recommend the Premium Flatfield eyepieces as accessories.

Sometimes at high magnifications you can see the flickering of the air, but there are nights with perfect “seeing” – and this telescope is made for them. As a Dobsonian telescope, it consists of two parts and is ready for use in just six steps:

  1. First set up the so-called rocker box (8 kg),
  2. Place the optical tube (9 kg) in the rocker box,
  3. attach springs on sides,
  4. slide in the finder scope,
  5. insert eyepiece.
  6. Don’t forget: remove the lid 😉

 

This only takes a few minutes. So it is possible to simply peek through a few gaps in the clouds every now and then. The good-natured design is also suitable for use all night long – the telescope can easily handle dew or frost.

A Crayford focuser for 1.25″ eyepieces allows you to precisely focus on the celestial object.

Because it is intuitive to use and really robust, the instrument is highly recommended for children aged 10 and over.

Like its larger siblings in the Advanced X series, the N 152/1200 can also be retrofitted with a digital “sky navigation system”, the Omegon Push+ Go system. The 6×30 finder scope is the classic way to find the objects – in combination with good celestial atlases .

Origin: the Smart Telescope from Celestron

January 25 2024, Stefan Taube

The renowned telescope manufacturer Celestron now also offers a Smart Telescope. This is a telescope with a built-in camera and a user-friendly smartphone app:

Celestron Smart Telescope S 152/335 RASA Origin

Compared to other smart telescopes, Origin has special features that you can expect from one of the most innovative manufacturers:

  • At 152 millimeters in diameter, the optics are larger than those of other telescopes of this type. As a result, the resolution is significantly higher, which has a very positive effect on globular clusters, the Moon and planets for example.
  • The optics consist of the patented RASA design. This technology from Celestron allows a particularly fast focal ratio of f/2.2 – in the same exposure time Origin delivers a significantly brighter image than other automated Smart Telescopes. In addition, the closed optics prevent dust, dirt or moisture from accumulsting on the mirror.
  • Origin is equipped with fans for the optics and electronics, a built-in heater for dew protection and a filter drawer.

As Celestron is a manufacturer by and for astronomers, Origin also allows you to use filters and edit the raw images yourself without using the integrated image editing software.

 

Origin is supplied with a mount based on the proven NexStar Evolution design. The single-arm mount is very stable, yet compact. It is equipped with an integrated rechargeable battery that powers the mount, the camera and – if desired – even your smartphone.

With Origin, Celestron is revolutionizing electronically assisted Astronomy, also known as EAA. EAA can not be compared to observing through a Dobsonian or to “classic” astrophotography, yet it offers another approach to Astronomy that is particularly interesting for beginners and city dwellers.

With a new particularly innovative product like Origin, it is not always easy to meet the high demand in a timely manner. Therefore our recommendation: Pre-order your Origin NOW here in our shop. We will deliver it as quickly as possible.

New Sphinx mount from Vixen: SX2WL WiFi

January 25 2024, Stefan Taube

With the SX2WL model, the Japanese manufacturer Vixen is launching a new mount in the Sphinx series.

The SX2WL is the first Sphinx mount to be equipped with a Wireless Unit. It generates a local WLAN so that the mount can be controlled via a smartphone, using the free STAR BOOK Wireless App. This App offers all the functionalities of the previous STARBOOK TEN with manual controls simply via your smartphone. This significantly reduces the power consumption of the mount!

The SX2WL is ideal for mobile astrophotography: It can carry up to 12 kilograms, but weights only 7 kilograms. Due to the design of the Sphinx mounts  the motors act as counterweights and only a light additional counterweight is required.

Like all Sphinx mounts, the SX2WL also impresses with its high quality standards Made In Japan!

You can find more information and the current price here in the shop.

SWAROVSKI AX VISIO 10×32 – FIRST SMART BINOCULARS

January 8 2024, Stefan Rieger

Swarovski AX Visio 10x32

BEYOND SEEING – Swarovski Optik wants to usher in nothing less than a new era of wildlife observation with the launch of the AX VISIO.
The first smart binoculars that allow you to observe nature, identify what you see and share your discoveries.

Swarovski AX Visio 10x32

The AX VISIO combines classic observation with the digital world. The integrated apps allow you to identify over 9000 animal species. Birds, mammals, butterflies and dragonflies are stored in the database – not just on the basis of the picture that was taken on your smartphone. Moreover, the identification result is displayed directly in the visualization. You can also mark landmarks, pass on the binoculars and your companion will be guided to these points by arrows. The integrated compass helps with navigation. Up to 5 mobile devices can be connected to the AX VISIO. This means that your companions can also watch what you are seeing live on their smartphone or tablet. It’s the ideal function for nature hikes.

Swarovski AX Visio 10x32

The optics are based on proven Swarovision technology and show you our nature in brilliant colors with outstanding brightness and sharpness. The 10x magnification allows you to recognize numerous details.

You can already pre-order these top-notch binoculars exclusively in our shop. Delivery will start at the beginning of February.

SEGA: The Planetarium for your home

December 1 2023, Stefan Taube

The special gift idea: Bring the stars into your Christmas home for you and your loved ones. The home planetariums from SEGA are the best choice here!

SEGA offers three models:

All variants have useful features, such as a timer and switchable shooting stars.

You can upgrade any SEGA home planetarium with additional high-quality slides. This means you can always new exciting patterns with Astronomy and other topics.

You can find all SEGA planetariums here in the shop. Additional slides are available under the brand names SEGA Toys, Astrial and Redmark.

Order the new version of the OCAL collimator now!

October 18 2023, Stefan Taube

The OCAL PRO collimator has revolutionised  precision collimation of reflector telescopes since its introduction in 2021! Now you can get an improved version of the collimator: OCAL V3.0 electronic collimator

Transportation and general usage can cause telescopes to lose their collimation. This is because the scopes’ primary and secondary mirrors shift position. The instrument can no longer show off its capabilities. An abundance of collimation accessories help to redress this.

The OCAL V3.0 uses a camera for this. This makes it unbeatably precise.

The OCAL V3.0 has an entirely new design:

  • Inside, it has an in-built, light-sensitive CMOS sensor. This makes collimation easier in poor light conditions.
  • Exposure time is also now only 1/20, compared to previous models.
  • The OCAL V3.0 has a much bigger lens than both of its predecessors.
  • The new OCAL V3.0 can achieve considerably higher resolutions. This makes images clearer, even in critical conditions and improves the precision of the results.
  • The new version comes with different adaptors.

You can find further information, price and purchase options using the following link: OCAL V3.0

Omegon polarscope additional light for Omegon MiniTrack mounts as well as EQ5, LX85, AVX etc.

October 5 2023, Achim Mros

We all know the problem – the black lines and crosshairs on a polarscope reticle can be difficult or impossible to see at night. Like a “Chimney Sweep at Night against a Black Background” (a painting by the German comedian Karl Valentin).
With this high-quality Omegon polarscope light, such problems are a thing of the past. The dimmable lighting unit brightens the polarscope’s field of view slightly, so that the crosshair is visible once again in front of your chosen section of the night sky, without outshining important stars such as, in this case, Polaris.
The Omegon polarscope light is made of high-quality CNC-machined aluminium, so it is not yet another flimsy plastic part. They are produced in the EU, more precisely in Portugal, by NIMAX Portugal.
What is particularly interesting, however, is that this supplementary illumination has a variety of uses. It fits all Omegon MiniTrack LX and Quattro travel mounts with optical polar finderscopes.

Attached to an Omegon MiniTrack polarscope

This device can also be used with mounts that do not have an illuminated polar finderscope unit, for example:

Skywatcher EQ5
Meade LX85
Celestron AVX
MON 2
EXOS II

and with other equatorial mounts with an optical polar finderscope.

Omegon polarscope light on a Skywatcher EQ5 mount

Celestron NATURE DX binoculars now with ED lenses

October 5 2023, Stefan Taube

Binoculars from Celestron’s NATURE DX range are ideal for nature lovers and hikers. They are weatherproof, compact and lightweight – ideal for on the go!

However, the price of these binoculars is perhaps the most impressive thing. Although they have all the features of more expensive brands, they are offered at an exceptionally attractive price. This makes them the ideal companion for all hillwalkers, skywatchers and, in particular, for amateur bird watchers.

The latter benefit especially from the NATURE DX binoculars with ED lenses. The extra-low dispersion lenses provide true colour images at high resolution and contrast – with almost no colour abberations. This is particularly beneficial when observing colourful plumage on bright days.

Binoculars from the NATURE DX range are true all-rounders for all nature lovers!

Higher contrast for comet hunters: C2 Swan Band filter

September 29 2023, Stefan Taube

CS-Band-Filter

German manufacturer, Baader, has produced a new filter for 511 and 514 nanometre spectral lines which is available to fit both available filter thread sizes:

These Swan Band emission lines, which are named after their discoverer, are produced by carbon. They make up the majority of a comet’s gas tail in the visible spectrum. The filter only allows light from these two carbon wavelengths to pass through and blocks the ever-present light pollution. Structures within a comet’s gas tail, therefore, become more pronounced even in good observing conditions.

At the same time, it blocks the 501 nanometre OIII spectral lines. This increases contrast and makes it easier to distinguish comets with gas tails from comets with dust tails.

Both C2 Swan Band filters belong to Baader’s new CMOS-optimised filters: