Stefan Taube

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New: Explore Scientific observatory tent

August 26 2021, Stefan Taube

At some point it will be possible to have star parties again! Great news for those who have tents! But why not have a tent in which you can pitch your telescope?

Explore Scientific observatory tent

The new Explore Scientific observatory tent is not only designed for star parties, but also ideal for when you want to observe with protection from wind and scattered light. It’s even worth putting it up in your own garden if a period of good weather makes observation possible multiple nights in a row.

During the day, the weather-proof observatory tent protects your telescope from sunlight or sudden changes in the weather.

Weather protection prevents unpleasant surprises

The real star of the show is its sturdy pre–tensioning: Release the holding strap and the whole tent unfolds from its packaging with almost no assistance. To find out more, watch this video on the product page.

Lots of space for your equipment: The observatory tent takes up a surface area of over five square metres. It is divided into two sections. This means one section can be used for the telescope and the other for your equipment.

The observatory tent is also easy to transport. So, you can still have enough space in your car for other important things for the star party.

You can find further information about this innovative product here in our shop.

Tags: Explore Scientific, observatory
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New CMOS-optimised line filters from Baader

July 1 2021, Stefan Taube

The manufacturer Baader presents new filters for astrophotography in the spectral lines H-alpha, OIII and SII.

Narrowband filters for aperture ratios f/10 to f/3.5
f/2 highspeed filters for aperture ratios f/3.4 to f/1.8
Ultra-narrowband filters for aperture ratios f/10 to f/3.5
f/2 ultra-highspeed filters for aperture ratios f/3.4 to f/1.8

The half-width of the narrowband filters is 6.5 nanometres, and for the ultra-narrowband it is as little as 3.5 to 4 nanometres. The f/2 filters are optimised for very fast astrographs such as Celestron’s RASA optics.

All filters are available in standard sizes:

With a line filter, astrophotography of luminous nebulae is possible even under a light-polluted city sky! These filters only allow those wavelenghts of light in which the selected celestial object shines to fall on the camera sensor. All other wavelengths are blocked. This produces high-contrast images of planetary nebulae, supernovae remnants and star-forming regions.

Three types of line filters are used in astrophotography, each of which is transparent to the brightest spectral lines of oxygen, sulphur or hydrogen atoms. Depending on the astronomical object, a single filter may be enough for a spectacular image. Combining three shots, each taken through a line filter, creates an ideal result.

The new generation of Baader CMOS-optimised filters is characterised by, among other things:

Reflex-Blocker™ coatings, for maximum insensitivity to retro-reflection from adjacent auxiliary optics, even under the most adverse conditions.
FWHM on each filter category carefully designed to allow for 1:1:1 exposures, matched for typical CMOS quantum efficiency and S/N ratio.
Blackened edges all around, with filter-lead-side-indicator in the form of a black frontside outer rim, to additionally eliminate any reflections due to light falling onto the edges of a filter.
Each filter is coated individually, with sealed coating edges.
Life-Coat™: Hard coatings to enable a non-aging coating for life – even in the most adverse environments.

You can find all the new filters here in the shop.

Tags: filters, telescope accessoires, Baader
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Build your own OpenAstroTech mount!

June 11 2021, Stefan Taube

A photo mount allows you to track the rotation of the night sky on a camera equipped with a photo lens or a small telescope. This allows for long exposure shots of large areas of the night sky.

The manufacturer OpenAstroTech now offers a very functional, yet particularly inexpensive variant of a photo mount. The OpenAstroTracker is a mount you can build yourself!

Der OpenAstroTracker mit Kamera und optionalem Autoguider

The OpenAstroTracker with camera and optional autoguider

Building the mount yourself is not only fun and educational, you also get a powerful GoTo mount at an extremely low price thanks to the DIY approach!

Some of the features:

GoTo: The mount comes with full, computer-control functionality. The electronics are compatible with commonly used astronomy software.
Suitable for DSLR cameras with a maximum total length of 35cm (camera body with lens). The maximum recommended focal length without autoguider is 200mm.
High-precision stepper motors: GoTo positioning accuracy of approx. 1 arcmin, tracking accuracy of 25 arcsec, guided accuracy of approx. 1 arcsec.

What you will need: A USB power bank able to deliver at least 5V 1A

The OpenAstroTracker is available in different latitude setting versions. We will supply you with a set that allows you to set up the mount for a latitude of either 35° to 45° or 45° to 55°.

The OpenAstroTracker kit

No need to worry: The electronic components are all designed for easy use. No soldering is necessary.

A matching DIY autoguider is also available as an option: OpenAstroGuider V2

Tags: Mount, accessories, OpenAstroTech, photo mount
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Taurus Dobsonian telescope with PushTo

April 15 2021, Stefan Taube

The Polish telescope manufacturer Taurus is offering digital setting circles (DSCs) for upgrading their Dobsonian telescopes. This accessory provides the telescope with constant information about the position of its axes. If you simply connect your smartphone to the telescope, in a planetarium app you can see which area of the sky your telescope is looking at.

Taurus Dobsonian with DSC system

Of course, its inverse application is more interesting: Find an interesting object in the planetarium app and let your smartphone show you how you should move the telescope in order to observe this object through the eyepiece. This approach is also known as PushTo. You can find all PushTo telescopes here in the shop.

Taurus Bluetooth & WiFi PushTo DSC System

The Bluetooth and WiFi DSC system in detail

Your Taurus telescope can be fitted with a DSC at any time. However, we also offer all models with pre-installed DSC here: Taurus Dobson telescopes with PushTo.

Alongside the DSC encoders, Taurus also offers two other upgrade options:

These accessories can also be delivered pre-installed so that you don’t have to get your hands dirty.

In order not to get lost in the extensive selection of Taurus Dobsonians, you can tell which accessories are pre-installed by the product name:

Telescopes with the abbreviation SMH in their name are equipped with secondary mirror heating (SMH).
Telescopes labelled DSC (short for digital setting circles) are compatible with PushTo.
If the product name includes CF, the primary mirror is fitted with a cooling fan.

For example, the Taurus Dobsonian N 504/2150 T500 Professional SMH DSC CF features secondary mirror heating, digital setting circles and a primary mirror cooling fan.

We will gladly help you to select the right Taurus Dobsonian telescope for you. What you also need is a little patience as your Dobsonian is only manufactured when you place your order – they don’t stock mass-produced telescopes.

Tags: Taurus, telescope
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Astronomik MaxFR: Narrow band line filter for fast scopes

March 25 2021, Stefan Taube

The new filters in the MaxFR range are optimised for astrophotography using very fast telescopes, such as the Celestron RASA scopes or the Takahashi Epsilon astrographs.

Astronomik has made these filters available for the three most important spectral lines, namely OIII, H-alpha and SII, each available in half widths of 12 and 6 nanometres.

An H-alpha clip filter for Canon cameras from the MaxFR range

When you observe beneath brightened skies, astrophotography with line filters provides you with the best opportunties to capture successful images. Generally, an H-alpha filter is the first sensible purchase: Using this filter, you can effortlessly capture detailed images, even during the full Moon or beneath heavily brightened skies! It is also the correct filter for all nebulae which emit red light.

The OIII filter significantly increases your options as it enables all green/blue structures to be captured in detailed and high-contrast images. Planetary nebulae and star formation regions are especially rewarding targets!

The SII filter then completes your filter set, and enables you to create the same colour photographs as the Hubble Space Telescope using the three channels!

Which half width is right? In short, the use of 12 nanometre filters is ideal for DSLR cameras and all dark-current-limited cameras. Further suppressing the sky background using a narrower half width does not create more detail with these cameras. The 6 nanometre filters are the right choice for locations with more light pollution and for cameras with extremely low dark current, for example cameras with very good cooling. Especially in very starry regions of the Milky Way, the 6nm filter can also capture weak objects in high-contrast without them becoming lost in the mass of stars.

You can find an overview of all filters in the range here.

Tags: Filter, Astronomik, accessories
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Explore Scientific: Guidescope and finderscope in one

February 9 2021, Stefan Taube

Small telescopes which are mounted parallel to the telescope fulfil two purposes: as a finderscope, they help the observer to navigate the night sky, whilst as a guidescope, they help with the astronomical mount’s precise tracking.

Explore Scientific Guidescope 8x50 Helikal

Explore Scientific 8×50 helical guidescope

The manufacturer, Explore Scientific, has produced two models which superbly meet the requirements for both of these:

Both scopes are equipped with a removable eyepiece. Without this eyepiece, they can be used as a guidescope with a helical focuser. They use a guiding camera with a mating dimension of 1.25”. With the aid of the guide sleeve clips, the guidescope can be aligned to a guide star. The camera keeps this firmly in view and corrects minute mount errors using drive pulses.

Using the eyepiece, small telescopes are converted into high-quality finderscopes, producing images vastly superior to standard finderscopes. The eyepiece is fitted with an illuminated crosshair.

Removable eyepiece

Thanks to this practical solution provided by Explore Scientific an auxiliary telescope is only required for different applications.

Tags: Explore Scientific, Astrophotography, accessories
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New: StarAid Revolution standalone autoguider

January 21 2021, Stefan Taube

Autoguiding is understood to refer to the automatic monitoring of the tracking of astronomical mounts. This monitoring is required for astrophotography in order to keep the targeted object steady on the camera’s sensor.

There are a multitude of cameras available for autoguiding, however they require a laptop or PC and suitable software. Now, standalone solutions are coming out which do not require these supports. The latest innovation in this field is the StarAid Revolution autoguiding camera. Tracking monitoring is extremely simple using this!

StarAid-Kamera-Standalone-Autoguider-Revolution-Revision-B

StarAid Revolution standalone autoguider revision B

Plug & Guide: Connect the camera to your guide scope, connect it to your mount via the guide port, and voila! The camera kicks into action after around 30 seconds and sends corrective impulses to your mount’s motors.

But the StarAid Revolution can do even more: For example, polar alignment, the precise alignment of your mount with the Earth’s rotational axis. It is even possible to control the astronomical camera. An app is available for these additional options and also to monitor the tracking. In order to allow you to connect your smartphone to your autoguider, the StarAid Revolution creates its own WiFi network.

Revolution is a big word. Here, it really does apply!

Tags: Telescope Accessories, Astrophotography, StarAid
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New: Skywatcher Star Adventurer with Wi-Fi

October 16 2020, Stefan Taube

The manufacturer Skywatcher has now equipped its Star Adventurer with Wi-Fi. This means that the popular photographic mount can now be controlled conveniently and most importantly, remotely, using a free app.

The set also includes a polar wedge, a counterweight and an L-bracket.

What hasn’t changed is the proven concept: the Star Adventurer allows the tracking of the night sky with a camera. In this way, long-exposure images of the night sky can be taken without a telescope, simply through the camera lens. Such photographic mounts are enjoying ever-increasing popularity. The Star Adventurer is one of the larger models with a load capacity of five kilograms.

We offer the Star Adventurer as a photographic set with practical accessories, or in the standard configuration . All you need is a photographic tripod and of course a camera. However Skywatcher itself also offers a tripod for the Star Adventurer.

As far as the camera is concerned, we offer a wide range of DSLR cameras which are specially modified for astrophotography.

Tags: Skywatcher, Mount, photographic mount
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Lithium LT – the new power tank from Celestron

August 10 2020, Stefan Taube

With the PowerTank Lithium LT, Celestron is introducing a particularly light battery, which is especially suitable for smaller telescopes.

The power tank can be attached to a tripod leg using the velcro straps included.

Modern telescope electronics react very sensitively to an incorrect voltage. Operating a telescope at too low a voltage can cause the motors to suffer at higher loads and even cause the electronics to fail. The PowerTank Lithium LT uses a built-in voltage regulator to ensure that it continually delivers at least 11.8 volts, until the battery is almost empty and shuts itself down.

Compared to a classic lead-acid battery, the PowerTank Lithium LT is smaller, lighter, more efficient and better for the environment. It offers better performance, a longer life and safer operation than other, cheaper lithium-ion batteries. It also offers automatic shutdown, reverse polarity protection and charge/discharge protection, as well as protection against overvoltage and short circuits.

A smartphone can be charged using the USB output.

We recommend the PowerTank Lithium LT for telescopes from the following series:

By the way: the battery also meets the current FAA regulations for hand luggage – ideal for travelling!

Tags: Celestron, Telescope Accessories, Powertank
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New: StarSense Explorer telescopes from Celeston

June 30 2020, Stefan Taube

The idea of controlling a telescope with a smartphone is nothing new. With the StarSense Explorer range, Celestron brings another option into play, which may be particularly interesting for beginners.

A special feature of the StarSense Explorer telescopes is that a WLAN connection does not need to be established between the telescope and the smartphone. The free StarSense Explorer app orients itself directly to the night sky, via the smartphone camera and a sophisticated mirror system.

Celeston StarSense Explorer DX

Here’s how it works: All you need to do is install the free StarSense Explorer app and insert your smartphone into the special cradle attached to the telescope. The app uses location data from your smartphone to determine the observing location and does not require you to separately enter the current date and time.

The StarSense Explorer app uses a special lost-in-space algorithm (LISA), which is also used for the orientation of satellites. Star patterns recorded by the smartphone camera are compared with the internal database. These calculations are combined with information from the smartphone’s gyroscope and accelerometer. All this leads to a very high degree of precision that no other planetarium app can achieve! So you can move confidently through the night, even with no prior knowledge!

Insert your smartphone, launch the app and you’re ready to start observing.

The StarSense Explorer app will suggest rewarding objects to observe that night at your location. You can also use the planetarium view to pan to interesting objects and identify them.

StarSense Explorer telescopes are supplied with an altazimuth mount so you can move the telescope simply about the altitude and azimuth axes. Two shafts with large grips allow fine adjustment and tracking. The telescopes are not equipped with a motor, but belong to the class of PushTo telescopes.

By the way, of course you can also use your StarSense Explorer telescope without a smartphone, for example, for a quick view of the Moon, which you should be able to find without an electronic helper.

Tags: telescope, Celestron
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