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Stefan Taube
Posts composed by Stefan Taube
Blog Archives
May 12 2022, Stefan Taube
A Herschel wedge, also known as a Herschel prism, is a special device for observing the Sun. It has many advantages over an objective filter, but can only be used with lens telescopes (refractors).
The manufacturer APM offers a new model with excellent features at a reasonable price: the APM Herschel wedge 2″ with Fast-Lock.
This Herschel wedge from APM is equipped with a ceramic light trap, an integrated ND3 filter and a replaceable polarising filter. All filters are of course multi-coated! Image brightness can be adjusted by rotating the polarising filter. This means that the Herschel wedge can be used for both visual and photographic purposes!
The APM Herschel wedge is equipped with a quick release (Fast-Lock) eyepiece adapter and an adapter for 1.25″ eyepieces and camera connectors.
Using a Herschel prism for solar observing is not only safer, but also qualitatively better than a foil filter. The resulting image is sharp and rich in contrast and can therefore be enlarged to a higher degree.
The Herschel wedge can only be used on refractors with an aperture of up to 150mm.
Tags: APM, telescope accessoires, Sun, solar observation, solar filters
Posted in New Products
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May 5 2022, Stefan Taube
The trend towards astrophotography with small but high-quality refractors is continuing. These lightweight apos do not need an expensive mount, are easy to transport and provide fantastic images of wide areas of the night sky.
With the new Evolux series, Skywatcher offers two new models in this segment:
Compact and proficient: the Skywatcher Apochromatic Refractor AP 62/400 Evolux 62ED
Evolux telescopes are perfect wide-field instruments and are therefore ideal for observing and photographing large areas of the night sky. The doublet lens consists of a combination of optical glass, including a low-dispersion ED glass element, which provides sharp images of stars with high contrast and no visible chromatic aberration.
All lens elements are coated with Skywatcher’s sophisticated metallic high-transmission coating (MHTC™), one of the highest quality multilayer coatings in its class, which allows up to 99.5% light transmission.
Evolux telescopes are supplied in a foam-lined aluminium case and are equipped with a 2.4″ dual-speed rack and pinion focuser, together with a tube clamp with a Vixen-style prism rail. The dew shield can be retracted for easy transportation.
The appropriate field flattener should be used for photography: Flattener 0.9x Evolux-62ED and Flattener 0.9x Evolux-82ED. These optical aids ensure sharp star images even at the edges of the field of view and reduce the focal length, so that the Evolux becomes a fast and corrected telescope for astrophotography.
Tags: telescope, Skywatcher
Posted in New Products
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March 22 2022, Stefan Taube
Eyepieces from the Explore Scientific: 82° Series offer a large 82° visual field with a good view and exceptional manufacturing quality. They are waterproof and filled with argon gas. This prevents dust infiltration and internal lens fogging, as well as guaranteeing a high level of reliability. An excellent long-term investment!
We offer all models in this series with the following focal lengths and barrel diameters:
A major advantage of these eyepieces is the exceptionally high image definition, which is clearly noticeable even when observing planets and the Moon.
Further advantages of the 82° Series:
- Large pupillary distance for comfortable viewing, even for spectacles wearers!
- High edge definition even on fast telescopes
- Patented EMD tempering for maximum contrast
- Carefully blackened lens edges to avoid reflections
- Eyepieces from this series are parfocal
- Stainless steel barrel with conical safety groove
- Dust cap and carry bag included
All Series 82° eyepieces can be found here in our shop.
Tags: Explore Scientific, eyepieces
Posted in New Products
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October 28 2021, Stefan Taube
A few years ago, the Japanese manufacturer Vixen launched the Polarie, the first tracking unit for cameras that can fit in every photographer’s bag. The tracking device, also called a star tracker, compensates for the celestial rotation. With it, a camera remains aligned with a section of the night sky for many minutes, and can gather light from faint stars, the Milky Way and cosmic nebulae.
Vixen now offers a new version of its successful star tracker mount, the Polarie U Star Tracker.
Polarie U star tracker mount with camera and optional ball head
Compared to the classic Polarie, the new Polarie U is significantly lighter whilst at the same time having a higher load-bearing capacity. The distance between the two bearings supporting the rotating shaft is approximately four times that of its predecessor. This has led to a higher load-bearing capacity despite a 20% weight reduction. It can carry 2.5kg for wide-field astrophotography using lenses with a short focal length. The optional mounting accessories comprising a prism rail and counterweight can be used to increase the load capacity to 6.5kg, so that the star tracker mount can also carry cameras with large lenses.
In addition, the Polarie U creates its own WLAN. You can connect your smartphone to the mount and control it using a free app. With a suitable cable release from the Polarie U accessory selection, you can also control the camera itself via the app, for example to set a series of exposures. This is not only convenient, but also very useful thanks to the hands-free operation.
The Polarie U can of course also be converted for use in the southern hemisphere. The lightweight mount is therefore ideal for your next expedition south of the equator.
Tags: Vixen, Mount, Astrophotography, accessories
Posted in New Products
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October 7 2021, Stefan Taube
The Baader SunDancer II sun filter transforms smaller refractors quickly and simply into telescopes for solar observation using H-alpha spectral lines. In this wavelength, you can see the Sun’s chromosphere with dark filaments, bright radiation bursts and spectacular solar prominences!
Baader SunDancer II H-alpha 2″/1.25″ solar filter
Simply position the SunDancer II between the diagonal mirror and the eyepiece and connect it to a power source. The filter is then automatically brought to the optimal operating temperature so that no adjustments are required during longer observations.
The SunDancer II can be safely used on refracting telescopes with apertures up to 80 millimetres. An additional energy rejection filter is only required in front of the telescope for objective apertures upwards of 80 millimetres; alternatively, the telescope can be dimmed using an optional 80mm screen in front of the lens.
Telescopes with secondary mirrors, such as Newtonian, Maksutov or SCTs, always require an additional energy rejection filter, regardless of their size.
The complete solar disc can be seen in telescopes with apertures of up to 600mm.
The T2 thread beneath the eyepiece clamp facilitates easy adaptation for larger cameras:
SunDancer II with DSLR camera
A power supply unit is included. For mobile observation, a powerbank can also be used.
You can find further information on this particularly high-quality H-alpha filter for the eyepiece side here in our shop.
Tags: accessories, Baader, Filter
Posted in New Products
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September 22 2021, Stefan Taube
The Heritage FlexTube telescope is a much-loved Dobsonian with a table-top tripod. Its very compact mount is easier to transport due to a collapsible upper part – it doesn’t get more compact!
The manufacturer Skywatcher now offers this handy Dobsonian with computerised controls: the Heritage FlexTube Virtuoso GTi telescope
Skywatcher Dobson N 150/750 Heritage FlexTube Virtuoso GTi telescope
The Virtuoso GTi’s mount hones in on selected objects and follows their path across the sky, so that they are always visible in the eyepiece.
The mount also has its own WiFi to which your smartphone can connect. Using the free SynScan app for iOS and Android, you can then set up and control your mount. Once the app is installed on your smartphone, you no longer need an internet connection to control the mount.
Manual controls are also not required and are therefore not included.
The motorised version of the Dobsonian is also very compact and easy to transport.
As with the non-motorised version, the Virtuoso GTi telescope also uses tried and tested 150/750 Newtonian optics. This 6-incher with a convenient aperture ratio reveals faint nebulae in the night sky, such as the famous Orion Nebula, the Messier 13 globular cluster or the Andromeda Galaxy, 2.5 million light years away.
By the way, you can also mount the Heritage FlexTube Virtuoso GTi on a camera tripod or an astronomical tripod with a photo thread, such as the Skywatcher tripod with 3/8″ mounting bolt.
Tags: Skywatcher, Dobson, telescope
Posted in New Products
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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
Posted in New Products
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July 1 2021, Stefan Taube
The manufacturer Baader presents new filters for astrophotography in the spectral lines H-alpha, OIII and SII.
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: telescope accessoires, Baader, filters
Posted in New Products|New Products
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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!
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
Posted in New Products|New Products
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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.
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: telescope, Taurus
Posted in New Products
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