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Archive for October 2017

New: Improvement to the Orion-Dobsons and the Skywatcher EQ-5, new QHY camera and apos by William Optics!

October 27 2017, Stefan Taube

We would like to present to you a small selection of items that we included in the range recently:

1.Orion Dobson telescope N 254/1200 SkyQuest XT10 PLUSOrion XT10 PLUS

Dobson telescopes with 10-inch aperture by Orion are, of course, nothing new. Orion now offers its 10-inch in an improved PLUS version.

New features:

  • Friction brake for the height axis. This enables the use of heavy eyepieces.
  • Filters for observing the sun in safety.
  • Crayford focuser with reduction for fine focusing.
  • 2″ wide-angle eyepiece and Barlow lens
  • Eyepiece tray

With the XT10 PLUS you will receive an easy-to-use telescope with small improvements for even better performance and more fun during your observation sessions!

There is also an 8-inch Dobson by Orion in this improved version: XT8 PLUS.

 

2. Skywatcher mount AZ-EQ-5-GT SynScan GoTo

The AZ-EQ-5 mount by Skywatcher is actually not new. You will receive this mount immediately with a classic tripod as you known it with other mounts. Until now, Skywatcher delivered the mount with a column where the tripod legs didn’t fit right under the mount. This tripod was very compact for carrying, but not as sturdy as the classic tripod.

The AZ-EQ-5 mount is a real all-purpose mount that can take up to 15 kg: It is very light to carry and can be operated in either equatorial or azimuthal position, so for either astrophotography or for simple observation.

The mount is, thanks to the toothed belt drive, relatively light and fitted with the latest version of the SynScan computer control system.

 

3. William Optics apochromatic refractor AP 61/360 ZenithStar 61

Are there any astrophotographers who don’t dream of an apo by William Optics? With the ZenithStar series you will receive a lens telescope in William-Optics quality at a fair price!

The small optics with an aperture ratio of f/5.9 weigh less than 1.5 kg and can be combined with a photo mount. You will receive a light, compact system for travel with which you will achieve amazing wide-angle shots of nebula regions of the Milky way – all that’s missing is the suitable flattener and a DSLR camera.

 

4. ALccd-QHY camera 9c Colour

Alccd-QHY-9c

We are constantly extending our range of cameras by ALccd-QHY. We have recently added the the 9c Colour camera. It has a Kodak KAF-8300 sensor: 8.9 megapixels with a 22.5 mm diagonal and 5.4 µm pixels.

The most important information;

  • The chip is fitted with microlenses.
  • The active cooling with a larger fan cools down the camera to 50 °C under the ambient temperature.
  • The 32 MB SDRAM buffer ensures a quiet transfer of the images.

This camera meets the high requirements of advanced astrophotographers.

Compact and smart: The new mount AZ-GTi from Skywatcher

October 20 2017, Stefan Taube

Astronomy with a smartphone:

It all began with telescopes of the series Nexstar Evolution: Celestron equipped this series with WIFI, so that they can be controlled via mobile units by using the SkyPortal app.

The graphic user interface offers many possibilities and can be intuitively controlled. The omission of a hand controller is another benefit of controlling the system via an app. This way one needs only a limited amount of equipment.

Now available: The new AZ-GTi from Skywatcher:

The mount AZ-GTi GoTo WiFi from Skywatcher is completely new. It carries telescopes with a weight of up to 5 kilogrammes, which can be directed to almost 10,000 sky objects via a smartphone using the SynScan app.

AZ-GTi

With this GoTo control even beginners will easily find their way around the sky. The mount not only swings the telescope to the desired object, but also keeps on tracking, keeping the object in the eyepiece, despite the earth’s rotation.

The mount AZ-GTi is an azimuthal mount, which, in contrast to an equatorial mounting does not permit astrophotography with longer exposure times. However, azimuthal mounts are smaller, lighter and ready more quickly for use than equatorial mounts.

Skywatcher AZ-GTi telescopes:

Skywatcher currently offers the AZ-GTi in three sets. The most inexpensive set is the Explorer-130PS AZ-GTi. Here you can obtain the mount with a Newton telescope and an aperture of 130 millimetres. The combination is not only more reasonable in price, but also has the biggest mirror optics and thus the highest light gathering capacity.

The combination with the 127mm Maksutov is also very interesting: SkyMax-127 AZ-GTi GoTo WiFi. Despite its high focal length, the Maksutov still has a short tube and, as a closed system, is almost indestructible.

An app for the mobile unit offers more possibilities than a hand controller, and the smartphone is always close at hand. Controlling the system via smartphone makes sense especially for small mounts.

Reactions to the International Astronomy Show 2017 – Stoneleigh, UK

October 18 2017, Joshua Taboga

Astroshop.co.uk took part in the International Astronomy Show 2017 (IAS) in Stoneleigh, UK.  We chatted with everyone from beginner to expert, and even had the pleasure of having school kids, future scientists and all-around smart people, attend the show!  Here are a few pictures from our time at IAS.  We will see you there again next year!

 

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On Friday, we were all set up and ready to go!  Universe2go, beginner telescopes, as well as smartphone adapters were available.

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Eyepieces and filters were in abundance.  Telescopes for the hobbyists and hardcore astronomers were also featured.

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The school-aged young adults were especially astounded by Universe2go.  The ooos, ahhhs, and whoas could be heard throughout the hall.

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Future astronomers in the making…  Thanks to STEM and schools in the area.

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When not attending interesting lectures, attendees spent time perusing our latest assortment of quality astronomy equipment.

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Photos taken of the sun in H-Alpha light with the filter QUARK and the new ToupTek camera.

October 13 2017, Stefan Taube

Our Spanish Colleague Carlos Malagon has a clear view of our day star almost every day. He sent us this image of the sun he had taken with the new camera EP3CMOS02300KMC from ToupTek:

H-Alpha-Sonne

The image shows the chromosphere of the sun: This is a part of the sun’s atmosphere above the photosphere, appearing in light with a wavelength of 656 nanometres. This wavelength is also referred to as H-Alpha. It represents a certain excitement condition of the hydrogen atoms in the sun’s atmosphere. At the edge of the sun you see a very nice protuberance.

Besides the camera from ToupTek Carlos Malagon used the H-Alpha filter QUARK from DayStar and the Omegon Pro Apo 80/500 on the mount SkyWatcher Star Adventurer.

This small mount is ideal for travelling. It carries a camera with small optics and tracks it parallel to the rotation of the sky. The Star Adventurer can be screwed on any photo tripod. For this purpose, Carlos Malagon used the Omegon aluminium tripod Titania 500. The photo below shows the complete equipment.

Carlos_Ausrüstung

By the way: Since the sun filter QUARK can simply be inserted into the eyepiece holder between camera and telescope, it can also be quickly removed. The easy to handle equipment can then be simply used to take photos of the night sky.

New telescopes from Omegon: On the right track with Advanced X and ProDob Dobson

October 6 2017, Stefan Taube

The new Omegon telescopes are impressive instruments for any visual stargazer. With the Advanced X and ProDob Dobsonian telescopes, gazing at planets, nebulae and galaxies becomes a lot of fun. Just as with other equipment? No. Because these telescopes are in many ways a lot better than other Dobson telescopes.

Both new series are equipped with a particularly good mirror with up to 94% reflection for bright images. And with a fan which allows you to start observing even earlier.

The Dobson telescopes from Omegon consist of only two parts. Even if you have a stressful day and little time, these telescopes will provide you with many pleasant stargazing hours. Because set up only takes a few minutes, you can start stargazing almost instantaneously. And all this for a lower price than comparable models on an equatorial mount.

Omegon now offers two new Dobson series – in excellent workmanship.

Omegon Dobson telescope Advanced X

A fast telescope for easy observation of planets, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies. Excellent workmanship, consisting of only two parts and very easy to operate. Suitable for any Astro beginner, because no axes need to be aligned. A simple principle: Set up and watch.

  • Teflon pads in height and azimuth axis
  • Primary mirror with 94% mirror coating
  • Primary mirror fan
  • 2” Crayford focuser
  • 8×50 finderOmegon Dobson Teleskop Advanced X

Omegon Dobson telescope ProDob

To make sure that you always stay on track when observing!

Omegon Pro Dobson telescopes for successful stargazing nights.

The new friction system makes the exact alignment and tracking of sky objects an even simpler task. The axes run in needle bearings in azimuth and ball bearings in the height axis, instead of Teflon pads.

This allows even lighter navigation of the telescope and extremely soft following of your movements. Keep celestial objects in your field of view, even with high magnification. An unbeatable advantage! For this purpose the range of high-quality accessories includes: e.g. the Omegon SWA 32mm eyepiece. It is of a much better quality than many other eyepieces, which are normally part of the scope of delivery of other telescopes. Our customers’ reviews: “Super!”, “Simply high-class.” or “[…] just perfect and good”.

 

  • Friction system: ultra-soft and precise movement
  • Needle bearings: soft and exact movement in azimuth – even with just one finger
  • Primary mirror with 94% mirror coating
  • Primary mirror fan: quicker cooling, ready faster for stargazing
  • Red dot finder Deluxe, premium eyepiece 2” SWA 32mmOmegon Dobson Teleskop ProDob

No matter whether you’re a beginner or an advanced stargazer: With an Omegon Dobson under the dark sky, you will experience everything the universe has to offer. If you are looking for a telescope for visual observations you should buy a Omegon Advanced X or ProDob telescope.