Astroshop was in Paisley, Scotland, to construct a 3-Meter ScopeDome Observatory.
Reaching the property was a challenge. Several pieces of the observatory had to be carried across the adjacent golf course.
The observatory was one of the few that the team mounted onto a wooden base. The column for the telescope was, of course, installed separate from the base.
We are happy to present you with a small selection of articles, which we recently have added to our catalog!
New Camera from Astrel Instruments
With its optional touchscreen color screen, Astrel’s new camera can be used as a stand-alone solution for aspiring astro-photographers. You have the possibilities of an astronomical CCD camera, but do not need a PC or laptop alongside your telescope! The filter wheel is even integrated into the camera housing.
The ALccd-QHY Camera 5P-II Mono offers amazing resolution with its 2.2 µm pixels.
We are continuously expanding our selection of Alccd-QHY cameras. Especially popular are the sensitive and small models from QHY, which are not only great for imaging the Moon and planets, but also for autoguiding with off-axis guiders or guide scopes.
Reasonably priced large Bino for astronomy and nature watching.
See better with two eyes! Great for astronomy! These spherically corrected dual-lense gap Semi APO Bino offers you an extremely high contrast. Each set comes with a pair of eyepieces with 18 mm focal length.
With DuoScope you can attach a second optic to the counterweight bar.
Counterweights are dead weight, so mount a second optic onto the bar, for example to use for autoguiding or a second camera with a large field of view. The Spanish manufacturer Lunatico created its prism clamp oder bracket. Both solutions allow for precision when aligning the second scope. Lastly, the DuoScope Camera Mount allows you to do the same with a camera
Your new power hub!
PegasusAstro came up with an interesting solution for observatories and other stationary telescopes. With the Ultimate Powerbox, you no longer have to worry about power your mount, camera, heated dew cap and other electrical equipment. You can finally get the cable spaghetti under control. Accompanying the Powerbox, you will find an environmental sensor in the box, which keeps track of temperature and humidity.
The big moment inches ever closer. On the 21st of August, 2017 millions of people in the USA will witness a total solar eclipse. The event of the decade will soon be upon us! Do you have everything for the “Great American Eclipse”? Or are a couple things missing from your toolkit? Check out our list below of necessary and useful products.
Experience the eclipse in the simplest of ways, with Omegon SunSafe Solar Eclipse Glasses. The glasses give you the ability to safely and comfortably look at the Sun.
Omegon’s Solar Eclipse glasses allow you to safely view the elcipse.
• Orange, natural image of the Sun
• Optimal for solar observations, including viewing sunspots and eclipses
• Completely Safe: SunSafe material certified according to ISO guidelines
• One size fits all
• Harmful sun rays blocked by a factor of 100,000
• Optical density – at least ND5
Price: one set $2.90 (£ 2.90), 5 pack $9.90 (£ 8.90)
Omegon Solar Eclipse Glasses
Alternatively, Baader offers Solar Eclipse Glasses – Solar Viewer AstroSolar® Silver/Gold. The glasses provide 100% safety and the Sun will appear blue/white.
Baader Solar Eclipse Glasses with AstroSolar film
Price: $3.50 (£ 3.90), set $29.00 (£ 25.90)
See Baader Solar Eclipse Glasses
Warning: These glasses are to be exclusively used for visual observations. Do not use them in combination with an optical instrument.
A classic for fans of solar observation is the Astrosolar Solar Filter film. Being somewhat of an art and craft situation, users can build their own filter frame. The advantage is the cheap price and variety of sizes available. Most buy the small 20cm x 29cm or the large 50cm x 100cm.
In the special case for astrophotographers, a photo film with the optical density of 3.8 affords the user the possibility of using short exposure times. Put simply, this filter allows only 0.016% of light through – perfectly fine for photography, but still too much for the naked eye. For visual observations, you should consider adding a ND 2.0 Filter or simply using a film made for visual purposes.
Baader Solar Eclipse Glasses with AstroSolar film
Warning: Always place the film in front of the optics and not behind.
Price: 20x29cm $ 25.00(£ 22.90), 50x100cm $ 75.00 (£ 67.00)
See Baader Astrosolar Solor Filter Film
The manufacturer Baader has come up with an elegant solution for telescopes: the ASTF Sonnenfilter. This filter is suitable for telescopes from 70mm to 290mm diameter. Three centering pins affix the filter inside or outside of the tube. An overview, which filter best suites your telescope, is available here: Filter Finder Tool.
ASTF Filter mounted on a Schmidt-Cassergrain Telescope
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 80mm Article-Nr.: 46632
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 100mm Article-Nr.: 46633
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 120mm Article-Nr.: 46634
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 140mm Article-Nr.: 46635
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 160mm Article-Nr.: 46636
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 180mm Article-Nr.: 46637
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 200mm Article-Nr.: 46638
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 240mm Article-Nr.: 46639
Baader AstroSolar Telescope Solar Filter ASTF 280mm Article-Nr.: 46640
Even with binoculars, a solar eclipse can have quite an fantastic effect. The best thing is that a smaller pair of binoculars easily fit into a suitcase. Our special binocular filters are flat on one side, allowing your binoculars to remain fully functional. Available for 40mm to 110mm.
Baader ASBF Filter for Binoculars and Cameras
Baader ASBF Filter for Binoculars and Cameras
By the way: These filters are great for camera lenses.
Baader AstroSolar Binocular Solar Filter ASBF 50mm Article-Nr.: 46641
Baader AstroSolar Binocular Solar Filter ASBF 60mm Article-Nr.: 46642
Baader AstroSolar Binocular Solar Filter ASBF 70mm Article-Nr.: 46665
Baader AstroSolar Binocular Solar Filter ASBF 80mm Article-Nr.: 46667
Baader AstroSolar Binocular Solar Filter ASBF 100mm Article-Nr.: 46668
Many have already heard. Aside from solar filters, solar prisms are also available. However, are they a true alternative? Most definitely – if your goal is detail solar observation – but only for refractors up to 150mm (no reflector telescopes)
In comparison to a lens filter, the Herschel Wedge offers a clear, contrast-rich image of the sun. Advanced solar observers swear on it. With a Herschel Wedge, you will see the finest details, whether a granulation or structures surrounding a sunspot.
A Herschel Wedge creates a wonderfully contrast-rich image of the Sun.
Tip: While observing with a Herschel Wedge, a ND 3.0 and a variable gray filter are requisite.
APM 1.25″ solar prism / Herschel wedge Article-Nr.: 18916
Baader OD 3,0 ND Filter 1,25“ Article-Nr.: 10885
Omegon Variabler Gray filter 1,25″ Article-Nr.: 7399
Baader Cool-Ceramic Safety Herschel prism V visual, 2″ Article-Nr.: 16816
Images of a solar eclipse in H-Alpha are unusual and create a lot of attention. Photos of partial phases with protuberances and spots and flares are simply appealing to the eye. The Quark Solar Filter from Daystar transforms your refractor into a bonafide solar telescope that shows you the sun in H-Alpha light. Now would be the best opportunity to turn a dream into reality.
QUARK Protuberance Filter: Transform your refractor into an H-Alpha telescope.
DayStar Solar Filter QUARK H-Alpha, Protuberance Article-Nr.: 44774
DayStar Solar Filter Combo QUARK H-Alpha, Chromosphere Article-Nr.: 48679
Imaged with the Omegon ED80 Apo and a Daystar Quark, Photo: Carlos Malagón
For those traveling by plane probably need to limit their baggage. The nice thing about the eclipse is that you don’t need a large instrument. A small Apochromat and a compact mount will suffice.
Tracking, Autoguiding or Time Lapse are all a possibility.
The iOptron Mount SkyTracker Pro is popular on astro-trips and weighs only 1.1kg.
The mounts available range from a mechanical AZ Mini Mount to the heavy duty Cube Mount with a Go-to System:
iOptron Mount SkyTracker Pro Article-Nr.: 51870
Skywatcher Mount Star Adventurer, Set Article-Nr.: 45119
Omegon Mount AZ-Baby Article-Nr.: 49753
Omegon Tripod ball-head Pro OM20 Article-Nr.: 33149
Omegon Pro carbon-fibre tripod Article Mount-Nr.: 33146
A clear-as-day and basic entry into the topic can be found in the book Your Guide to the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse, Springer Verlag.
PS: Be sure to get what you need for the solar eclipse today, to ensure that your trip is an unforgetable experience.
Something impressive will move in front of the Sun and obscure our star. The Sun’s rays will disappear, shadows will change, the temperature will drop and the stars will shine brightly in the middle of the day. A wind will come up and the animal would will be strangely still.
Earlier peoples felt fear. The Chinese thought a giant dragon swallowed the Sun. Only with a roar and bellowing was the dragon forced to spit the Sun out again. Indeed, the idea is eerie, not knowing what exactly is going on… of course, was the event we call a solar eclipse.
Solar Eclipse fans have long known: on August 21st, 2017, a total solar eclipse will take place from coast to coast across the USA. A once in a lifetime experience, which many people are longing for.
All the important info and numbers, as well as what a solar eclipse looks like, can be found below in this article.
The total solar eclipse will stretch from the Pacific, across North America, to the Atlantic. Most interesting will be the population centers, because the eclipse’s path will traverse not only desolate deserts, but also cities and towns. Across the American continent, the thin path of totality at a width of 115 km or 71.5 miles will stretch across 14 U.S. states. On the day of the 21st of August, millions of people will experience the eclipse first hand, lasting a total of 2 minutes and 40 seconds.
The partial phases of the eclipse will be visible north and south of the path of totality throughout the entirety of the USA. Partiality will stretch north through Canada and south through Mexico as well as northern South America.
Of special note: The Americans have already termed this solar eclipse the “Great American Eclipse”.
© NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
An interesting coincidence: the Sun is around 400 times larger than the Moon, but is also 400 times further away from the Earth than the Moon. That means, the Moon and Sun appear to have the same diameter in the sky. Such a lucky coincidence, since it makes a solar eclipse possible in the first place, allowing the Moon to completely obscure the Moon. Were the Moon a bit smaller or further from the Earth, we would never have the pleasure of witnessing a total solar eclipse. The result would be a ring of fire eclipse, although that is a story for another time.
As the New Moon moves in front of the Sun’s disk and covers it, a shadow will fall onto a slim are of the Earth and darkens the stretch of land. This region then experiences a total solar eclipse! On the outside of this region, the Sun will only be partially eclipsed, meaning the Moon will only cover part of the Sun.
A solar eclipse can only occur, while the Moon is in the “new” phase, as the Sun and Moon find themselves in a nodal point.
Of course, we have a New Moon every month, but not a solar eclipse. Why? The Moon actually orbits the Earth at 5° degree deviation from the ecliptic. Most often the New Moon moves past, above or below, the Sun, resulting in no eclipse.
However, returning to the dragon swallowing the Sun. The point of intersection, where the Moon and ecliptic cross. When the New Moon and Sun by chance meet at this point of intersection, the Moon no longer moves past the sun, but obscures it. The then becomes black and the corona majestically lights up behind it.
Then a very long, round but sharp moving shadow falls upon the Earth, which can be a maximum of 273 km or 170 miles wide. The totality, meaning the complete covering of the Sun, can last a maximum of 7.5 minutes. Most of the time, we don’t get to experience such ideal circumstances. In the case of the USA, the shadow is only 115 km or 71.5 miles and last a total 2 minutes and 40 seconds.
The path of the eclipse will pass across the middle of the USA. More precisely, through the states of Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The beginning will take place in Oregon. At 10:16 AM PDT (Pacific Daylight Time), the first people will witness the total phase. In the Oregonian capital of Salem, the eclipse will last a maximum of 1 minute and 58 seconds.
From there, it will proceed to Idaho and then Wyoming – the Cowboy State. In Casper, the event will occur at 11:43 AM MDT and will last 2 minutes and 27 seconds. The weather there August is very often clear and sunny. The further one travels east from there, the higher the chance of cloud cover. In Kentucky, the length of totality will reach its height at 2 minutes and 40 seconds. At 2:42 EDT, the shadow of the eclipse will reach South Carolina. After that, the shadow will jet off over the Atlantic towards Africa and Europe.
“Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, www.EclipseWise.com”
The core shadow will race across the American continent at a speed of 4,260 kmh or 2,647 mph, which is approximately double the speed of a modern day fighter jet. Altogether, the shadow will traverse more than 4,000 km or 2,500 miles of North America over a period of 1.5 hours, totaling about three hours of eclipse, from first to last contact.
Perhaps, you have already long had plans to travel to a specific spot in the USA and witness the total eclipse. Supposedly, the number of people experiencing the eclipse will reach around 7.4 million people. What is of utmost importance is to protect your eyes!
Never look directly at the Sun without protection! Solar Eclipse glasses are a must, to adequately protect your eyes. Should you decide to travel to a spot in the USA to see the eclipse, we recommend Omegon’s certified Solar Eclipse Glasses.
Similarly, a solar filter is also must for a telescope. A large selection of filters are available here.
If you cannot follow this event at location, you can access NASA’s live stream.
Interesting Links:
Solar Eclipse Site NASA: https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov
Astroshop was in Bad Liebenwerda, Germany, to construct a 4 meter ScopeDome observatory.
The building’s stature provided an excellent view of the horizon.
The 4 meter ScopeDome observatory found a home at a private building at the Reiss GmbH headquarters.
The primary instrument was mounted onto a stable concrete pillar, which reaches beyond the height of the building and is anchored into the ground.
If you are contemplating traveling to the USA for the Total Solar Eclipse on August 21st, check out Wyoming Stargazing, a non-profit organization aspiring to “educate and inspire through Wyoming’s extraordinary skies”.
The organization, based in Jackson, Wyoming, was founded by local Jackson resident, Dr. Samuel Singer, as a way to further stoke the interest of exploring “the extraordinary in the ordinary”. Indeed, the night sky may seem just ordinary to many people, but from the standpoint just above beautiful Jackson, peering beyond our own world offers a glimpse of what was, is and will be awe-inspiring, while offering a large dose of perspective to our every day lives. We are but a small part of the Universe – a fact that makes our world, teeming with life, all the more special and amazing. To learn more about what Wyoming Stargazing stands for and aspires to achieve, check out their website here.
Wyoming Stargazing is holding a two-day, pre-eclipse event on the summit of Snow King, just above Jackson. If you are interested in participating or simply making yourself wise to the events in the area, click the image above.
For basic info about the solar eclipse, as well as a map of the eclipse’s path across the United States, see Wyoming Stargazing’s 2017 Solar Eclipse page. The organization has also started a Solar Eclipse blog, entitled “100 Days until Totality Blog“, offering history, tid-bids and interesting facts about past eclipses, and of course the upcoming eclipse in two month’s time.
If you happen to be in the neighborhood, stop by Jackson! Come for the sights! Stay for big wonderful Wyoming!
Astroshop was in Polen, to construct a ScopeDome observatory for the city of Koszalin. The city observatory was the result of a citizen initiative.
The 5.5 meter ScopeDome observatory houses a 16 inch GSO RC on a EQ 8.
After finishing construction, the second phase started to install the primary instruments, as well as other equipment.
The Observatory is regularly visited and provides astronomy enthusiasts a welcome and well-known point of contact in Koszalin and the broader region.
Work on the dome and continued use has been well documented on the organisation’s Facebook page.
The astronomical calendar for the next three months: our newest infographic “Astronomy Highlights in Summer Summer 2017” shows you everything at a glance that you can expect to see in the night sky from June to August.
June
3 June – Venus at Its Greatest Western Elongation
For those early birds, as special treat: Venus. The second brightest object in the night sky, after the Moon, will reach its greatest western elongation from the Sun at 46°. With a telescope, you should even be able to recognize it as a partially illuminated disk.
5 June – Shadow Games on Jupiter
Jupiter stood in opposition to the Sun in April. Yet, even now, the planet is easy to see and will reach 40″ disk diameter. From early evening, there will be quite the shadow game on Jupiter, as its two large moons Europa and Io transcend the gas giant. No matter what, it will be a fantastic opportunity for photos.
5 June – Comet C/2015 V2 Johnson
This comet has recently become a real highlight among amateur astronomers. C/2015 V2 Johnson was discovered 3 November 2015 and can be found at the moment in the constellation Boötes close to the star Arcturus. With a magnitude of just under 7 mag and a circumpolar position, it is quite a showcase, remaining visible the entire night. Pull out your telescope and look for the comet. It’s well worth it!
Current coordinations can be found at the following website: https://theskylive.com/c2015v2-info
9 June – Smaller Moon
An especially small Moon will be visible tonight. Our satellite will have a distance of 405,000 km from Earth. If you want to remember the difference in the Moon’s size, right now is the time to capture an image!
10 June – Lunar Meeting with Saturn
Quite a sight tonight between the Moon and Saturn. During the evening, turn yourself to the southeast as the Moon rises. Just above it, to the right, the shining, yellow Saturn. The two will appear approximately 9° apart.
15 June – Saturn in Opposition
On the 15th of June, Saturn, the lord of a thousand rings, will stand in opposition to the Sun. Visible the entire night throughout June, our second largest planet will rise just as dusk approaches. The planet’s rings will be open at a maximum of 26°, allowing us to see considerable detail. Unfortunately, the planet’s position will also be pretty low, resulting in a possible disturbance to observation. Nevertheless, Saturn is a fascinating object!
20 June – Lunar Meeting with Venus
This morning will be especially nice, as long as the weather plays along! At dawn, you will be able to look to East to see a pencil-thin crescent Moon at only 4° above the morning star.
27 June – Lunar Meeting with Regulus
Something always enjoyable – a small but waxing crescent Moon just above the horizon. Even more beautiful still is when the Moon makes a stop at a bright star. Today the Moon pays a visit to the feet of the constellation Leo and Regulus.
July
1 July – Lunar Meeting with Jupiter
Tonight, the Moon will slowly push past Jupiter, pay a distant visit at 5°. While we enjoy the Summer evening, a sporadic glance to the southwest is well worth it!
4 July – The Golden Handle 5PM – 10 PM CET
The Golden Handle on the Moon… sounds like a myth, yet is something you can really discover – a ring of light, which appears just barely on an unilluminated area of the Moon’s surface. It always appears, when the waxing Moon is illuminated at 83%. At the Mare Imbrium, the bay Sinus Iridum plays a part. This bay is surrounded by the chain of mountains from the Jura range. While the valley remains in darkness, the Sun shines on the mountain peaks and the Golden Handle shows itself on the Moon.
10 July – Pluto in Opposition
Eleven years ago, our friend Pluto was still a planet. Then it received the biggest demotion yet. Now Pluto is considered a dwarf planet and the mnemonic device to remember the solar system is now: “My very enthusiastic mother just served us noodles”. Nevertheless, Pluto is quite a nice planet to observe, when not difficult to find. A star map and a big telescope are a must to observe the 14.2 mag planet.
14 July – Occultation of X Aqr
The Moon does not stand still in the sky, of course, so the occasional occultation occurs (say that five times fast). The star disappears from one second to another, even though you already see it coming, it is always a surprising phenomenon. On the 14th of July, the Moon will pass through Aquarius and occult X Aqr at around 1:43 AM CET. Of greatest interest will certainly be seeing the star reappear on the unilluminated side of the Moon at 2:56 AM CET.
20 July – Lunar Meeting with Venus and Aldebaran
A constellation of many celestial objects is quite a sight for observers. On the 20th of July, it will be worth it to play the early bird and get out of bed a 4 or 5 AM, to have a look to the East. Over the horizon, the waxing Moon along with Venus and the star Aldebaran will form a beautiful triangle.
25 July – Lunar Meeting with Merkur und Regulus
Yet another great lunar sight, best suited for those with a great view of the horizon, as a young crescent Moon meets with the star Regulus at 9 PM CET, while the planet Mercury sits only one degree away.
August
2 August – Lunar Meeting with Saturn
In June, Saturn stood at opposition to the Sun. Now it is easy to find in the evening sky. The Moon joins Saturn on the second of the month.
7 August – Partial Lunar Eclipse
The only partial lunar eclipse will reach only a coverage of 25%. In addition, it will only be visible in central Europe during its last phase. The Moon will push into the shadow of the Earth at around 7:23 PM CET. Only at around 8:45 CET, will the Moon appear in central Europe, as dusk has not yet really set in, really allowing Europeans to only experience the exit of the Moon from the Earth’s shadow.
11 August – Perseiden
Every year, we are happy to witness the most beautiful meteor show of the year in the Perseids. In the morning hours of the 11th of August, the meteor show will reach its maximum. Around 100 falling stars will appear per hour, coming down with an unbelievable speed of 216,000 km/h. The Moon, sitting high in the sky during the whole night, may cause a bit of a disturbance. We have Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle to thank for the meteor shower, as we move through its orbit around the sun, in which it left parts of itself. So every year, as the Earth crosses this orbit in August, where the comet crosses, the Perseids shoot through our night sky.
16 August – Lunar Meeting with Aldebaran
Around 2 AM CET, the Moon will rise over the horizon. Just above it, you will see the main star of the constellation Taurus – Aldebaran.
21 August – USA: Total Solar Eclipse
The Great American Eclipse! Saddle up cowboys, because on the 21st of August, the USA will experience a solar eclipse with the zone of totality spanning 115 km wide from the Pacific coast through the USA, all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. Totality will last 2 minutes and 40 seconds.
30 August – Lunar Meeting with Saturn
The Moon and Saturn will stand in the southern night sky at only 3° apart.
If you would like to share our infographic on your blog, you can use the following code to embed it on your website:
Wir wünschen Ihnen viel Freude an der Himmelsbeobachtung!
Astroshop was in Adendorf, Lower Saxony, to construct a 3 meter ScopeDome observatory under some special conditions.
Follow the process below of the observatory’s construction. The images speak for themselves.
The observatory found a new home atop a private residence with a considerably steep roof.
The observatory will house an SC Optic Telescope with a 10″ diameter.
The special feature of this observatory is the use of two towers stacked on top each other, allowing the observatory to reach a height tall enough to clear the roof.
Not only at home, we also plan to spring clean our warehouse before Easter! So we are slashing prices on more than 300 articles! Check out our Bargain Bin or have a look at the special offers in one of our other awesome range of products:
Every article is new and not “scratch and dent”. Our plan is to give you the chance to pick up some real bargains and make space for new products!
The sale is only valid until the 21st of April and only while supplies last!
