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The Skywatcher Heritage FlexTube telescope, now available as GTi

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 Teleskop N 150_750 Heritage FlexTube Virtuoso GTi

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.

kywatcher Dobson Teleskop N 150_750 Heritage FlexTube Virtuoso GTi 2

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: telescope, Skywatcher, Dobson
Posted in New Products »

Omegon Advanced 150mm: now with 2″ focuser

June 16 2021, Marcus Schenk

The Omegon Advanced 150/750 EQ-320 telescope is a popular instrument offering an introduction to the exciting hobby of astronomy. With a new, large focuser, you can now even use 2″ eyepieces. For stunning observing and almost limitless views of the cosmos.

Until now, observers using the Advanced 150/750 EQ-320 have only been able to use 1.25” eyepieces and accessories, but with the new 2″ Crayford focuser (patent pending), you will literally grow your horizons. This gives you the freedom to choose the eyepieces and accessories you want to use.

These are advantages the focuser offers:

With the 2″ eyepieces available in our shop, you can reach a larger area of the sky than is possible with 1.25″ eyepieces. For example, you can capture full-size large nebulae or enjoy seemingly never-ending vast fields full of stars. It also makes it easier for you to find objects. In short, a 2″ focuser is a blessing for deep-sky observers who want to experience the skies as if through a panorama window.

What if you complement the standard 1.25″ eyepiece, as supplied, with a 2″ eyepiece? The Omegon SWA 32mm 2″ eyepiece offers a fantastic image and a real wow-effect for deep sky observing.

Smooth mechanics for precise focusing

Such large focusers are quite unusual for a 150mm Newtonian telescope. However, our development department wanted to ensure that even owners of medium and compact telescopes could benefit from wide-angle eyepieces. In contrast to a normal geared focuser, the new 2″ Crayford focuser with ball bearings runs totally free of play. This allows you to focus your object smoothly and with high precision.

The advantages of the Advanced 150/750 EQ-320:

Experience sharp and clear objects: with the parabolic primary mirror
2″ Crayford focuser (patent pending) for 1.25″ and 2″ eyepieces: you can connect additional accessories at any time – even from other manufacturers
Equatorial mount: so that you can precisely track celestial objects
Trouble-free start in the sky: complete telescope with two eyepieces
Find objects easily and successfully with an illuminated LED finder
Immediately recognise stars, planets and nebulae – even if you’re an absolute beginner

The Advanced 150/750 EQ-320 telescope is available with immediate effect with a 2″ focuser.

Tags: telescope, Focuser, Eyepiece, 2" eyepieces
Posted in New Products »

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
Posted in New Products »

The little one with the turbo: the new and fast Omegon Astrographs

March 26 2021, Marcus Schenk

The new Astrographs from Omegon are special telescopes for full-frame cameras, and offer high light-gathering capabilities. With the dizzyingly fast aperture ratio from f/2.8 to f/3.2, you can take astronomy photos with extremely short exposure times.

Pole position on your mount

This telescope doesn’t need to warm up, it’s ready to go immediately for fast astrophotography. The 6-inch and 8-inch astrographs with f/2.8 and f/3.2 are about three times faster than a normal f/5 Newtonian telescope. This means you can take astronomical photos much quicker, and minimise tracking errors.

Short focal length, large field of view

Wide-field astrophotography is gaining ground and has a very large fan base thanks to mounts such as the MiniTrack. But with this telescope, you can go a step further into the detail and capture wide nebulae and create fantastic wide-field images.

Full speed for full-frame

With a 3-inch focuser, the built-in 3-inch corrector and a 90mm secondary mirror, the Omegon Astrograph illuminates a 44mm image circle, making it perfect for using with a full-frame, high-resolution camera. With a working distance of 55mm, you do not need any additional distance adapters for DSLR cameras. With the Omegon Telescope Pro Astrograph N200/640 OTA, you have a screen diagonal of about 3.8 degrees, with a standard full-frame sensor. This makes the California Nebula in Perseus, the Andromeda Galaxy or the area around the Veil Nebula amazing destinations.

Elegant carbon tube

The new astrograph not only looks elegant and high-quality, it actually is. The carbon tube offers you the additional advantage of stable focus, because the material is particularly thermally-stable.

The models are available in the following variants:
Omegon Telescope Pro Astrograph N150/420OTA
Omegon Telescope Pro Astrograph N 200/640 OTA

Do you want to explore new horizons in astrophotography? Then get to know the Omegon Astrograph.

Tags: Omegon, Astrograph, telescope, new products
Posted in New Products »

Set your sights on an even wider range of Omegon Pro Apochromats now

March 24 2021, Marcus Schenk

Omegon’s fleet of Pro Apochromats has been strengthened. The range has been supplemented by equally stylish and powerful refractors that perform far better than ordinary refractors.

Omegon’s new apochromats were developed for ambitious astrophotographers who want to take brilliantly-sharp photographs of the universe. These apochromats deliver superb image sharpness and wonderful contrast across the entire field and will help you take the perfect photo. These instruments are equipped with ED lenses, integrated correctors, CNC tubes and large focusers. All for stunning image sharpness.

Whether it’s a compact 61mm instrument for travel or a 140mm flagship model, you can choose from a range of options to suit your specific mount and needs. You can also choose between doublet, triplet, quadruplet and quintuplet apos, models with two, three, four or even five lenses.

Many instruments can also be ordered with an individual optical test report; a seal of quality for your telescope that also permanently increases its value.

The Andromeda Galaxy

And here is the fleet of telescopes at a glance:

Apo 61/335 ED Doublet OTA #65141

A portable and compact apochromat that’s got it going on: The 61mm apo is small, yet it features a high quality 2.5″ focuser with a 1:10 reduction. Even at this size, it’s all premium quality.

Apo 61/274 ED Doublet OTA #69472

Large optics aren’t always crucial, because there’s no substitute for a dark and crystal-clear sky. But this can sometimes be cumbersome to access with large optics. If you like to travel and shoot large-area objects, you will love the 61/274 ED Doublet.

APO 72/400 Quintuplet ED OTA #65156

Perfect, true-colour images of ultra-sharp stars right to the edges: The 72/400 Quintuplet achieves this with ease. With a total of five lenses, two of which are ED lenses, it offers exceptional contrast with a fully-corrected and flat field of view.

APO 76/342 Triplet ED OTA #69473

This apo will accompany you wherever your journey takes you. Weighing in at just 4 kilograms and only 333 millimetres long, this telescope can also be used with travel and mini mounts. This telescope is a true master of its craft when it comes to wide-field images and targets, such as the Andromeda galaxy. The 76mm triplet also makes an excellent telephoto lens for nature photography.

APO 76/418 Triplet ED OTA #65142

Like the previous apo, this one also delivers an impressive image, but with a slightly longer focal length. Both 76mm units have a 3″ rack and pinion focuser with a 1:10 reduction.

APO 80/500 Triplet ED OTA #60856

An apochromat with a clear and true-colour image, even at very high magnifications. The beautifully-crafted focuser is 2.5″, larger than that of most 80mm telescopes. The advantage: so much illumination that even your full-frame camera will have fun with it.

APO 94/517 Triplet ED OTA #65147

The 94mm aperture allows you to quickly and easily photograph astronomical objects and celestial events. The 94/517 Triplet is superbly-crafted and features two ED elements within the triplet design. This produces a clear and true-colour image of bright stars or the lunar limb. This telescope also cuts a perfect figure for visual observation at high magnifications. Definitely a hot tip for apo lovers.

APO 100/580 Quadruplet ED OTA #60854

This quadruplet apochromat has four lens elements. It offers both superb imaging and a corrected flat field of view. This means that you no longer need to adapt any correctors, because the optics already reveal sharp stars right to the edges. The 3.5″ focuser provides plenty of options for connecting other accessories. This apochromat also fully illuminates the field of view of full-frame cameras.

APO 121/678 Quintuplet ED OTA #65143

With five lenses for stunning images, the 121/678 is not only fast, but also offers outstanding optical performance. What does that mean? A triplet apo lens for true-colour images and an additional two-lens flattener for a flat field. With 60mm field illumination, this telescope is also perfectly suited for very large sensors. An immense backfocus of 145mm and a 4″ focuser offer the possibility to connect heavy cameras and various accessories.

APO 140/910 Triplet ED OTA #65144

A triplet apochromat with two ED lenses at the front and rear of the objective. It provides exceptionally-good colour correction. With a 4″ R&P focuser and 44mm image circle, this telescope is also suitable for full-frame cameras. A premium instrument for anyone who cares about luminous intensity.

Are you an astrophotographer looking for the perfect instrument? You might want to take a closer look at these apochromats.

Tags: Omegon, telescope, apochromats
Posted in New Products »

Experience astrophotography with the Radian Raptor

November 3 2020, Jan Ströher

Under its own brand, Radian, the American telescope retailer OPT is now launching a high-performance, top-quality, and super-portable apochromat with triplet lens design, which has already created a great deal of enthusiastic anticipation among astrophotographers. The Radian Raptor is a light and compact photo machine which, with an aperture ratio of f/4.5, will, above all, ensure amazing deep sky images. With a shorter design and weighing just 1.8kg, the telescope can be attached to photographic tripods and travel mounts such as the Skywatcher Star Adventurer or the iOptron SkyGuide without any problem. This makes it a perfect travel companion that can be easily transported in the padded backpack supplied and fits in any hand luggage.

OPT has thought of everything you might need for successful astrophotography in this triplet apochromat:

A fast aperture ratio of f/4.5 allows short exposure times, ensuring that the Radian Raptor stands out as a fast wide-field device – ideal for images of emission nebulae, galaxies and star clusters.

The use of premium glass, coupled with multi-coated surfaces, results in this triplet apo’s colour-true, high-contrast and very sharp imaging capabilities. An already built-in corrector flattens the entire field of view, shows needle-sharp stars right up to the edges and so makes the use of full-frame sensors a pleasure. In addition, there is no need to purchase an additional flattener or reducer.

With a focal length of just 275mm, you have an ultra-compact telescope for extensive wide-field images: objects such as the Veil Nebula or the Horsehead Nebula in the constellation Orion fit completely into the field of view of a full-frame sensor. Here is an image of the California Nebula captured by the 61mm Radian Raptor:

A solid, rotatable 2.5″ rack and pinion focuser with a high load capacity and the 1:10 fine focusing ensure a stable connection to your camera and precise focusing. The hexagonal tube clamps have differently-threaded holes to attach various accessories and integrated cable channels in the clamps reduce cable clutter. Especially for astrophotography, other equipment such as guidescopes, dew heaters, control modules or remote controls are usually required in addition to the telescope itself. The Radian Raptor is designed by astrophotographers and takes all possible applications into account. The recommended back focus of 55mm can be achieved and precisely adjusted with the adapters included.

Another treat is the inclusion of two bars for attaching to your mount: a 4″ Vixen dovetail bar and a 6.5″ universal Losmandy bar with a correspondingly-wider surface area. Both bars also have threads to attach the Raptor to a photo mount. With these you have compatibility with all mounts/dovetail clamps.

Finally, you get a waterproof and padded backpack to safely store the Radian Raptor, which also offers space for a CMOS camera and other small items.

Experience a new chapter in astrophotography and optimise your equipment with the Radian Raptor**!

(**available from mid-November 2020 from us here at Astroshop!)

Tags: refractor, Triplet, Apochromat, telescope, Astrophotography, Deep-Sky, camera mount
Posted in New Products »

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: Celestron, telescope
Posted in New Products »

Gran Turismo GT 81: the high-end telescope from William Optics!

April 9 2020, Stefan Taube

The Gran Turismo 81 refractor is a triplet apochromat with a lens unit with FPL-53 glass from Ohara, Japan. This combination ensures maximum colour purity and high contrast! The GT81 is therefore a versatile refracting telescope which satisfies every requirement!

Apochromat refractor AP 81/478 Gran Turismo GT 81 from William Optics.

Equipped with an optional diagonal mirror, with this apochromat you can observe the Moon and the planets in high contrast. This fast telescope also enables sustained observing of more difficult deep sky objects: star clusters, galaxies and nebulae. Thanks to needle-sharp star images, resolving and observing globular clusters becomes a particular pleasure.

For astrophotography, we recommend the field flattener and focal length reducer (flattener/reducer) Flat6AIII. With this, the telescope delivers a flat field with the same focal position, even for full-frame cameras. The Bahtinov mask integrated into the telescope body helps with precise focusing.

Using the dovetail plate integrated into the frame, you can equip your Gran Turismo with a finder scope or guiding scope.

The very robust and stable GT81-Apo is ideally suited for mobile astronomy and astro-photography. The tube weight of four kilograms is easily accommodated by medium-sized mounts. Take this apo with you to a dark sky and discover the best objects from the Messier and NGC catalogues. The GT81 from William Optics will be, after the Firstlight, your new favourite telescope!

Tags: telescope, William Optics
Posted in New Products »

Just in time for Christmas – gift sets for star gazers

December 4 2019, Marcus Schenk

Rudolph the red-nosed … bah. Once again Christmas is nearly upon us. Are you still looking for a Christmas present? But haven’t got the patience of a saint to search through telescopes and accessories? Most people have hardly any time for shopping in the so-called tranquil Advent time. Finding the perfect gift is a tough nut to crack, but to be certain you’re not grinding your teeth we have the perfect solution for you!

Our telescope gift sets are perfect for your loved ones. Eyepieces, filters and star maps are all here, and Rudolph and his friends will have them winging their way to you in no time. Take a look at our telescope sets!

Tags: telescope, gift set, gifts
Posted in Sale »

New Starfleet: The Omegon PRO Apochromats for Astrophotographers

November 19 2019, Marcus Schenk

These photos almost look like you were there. As if Captain Kirk was giving me a personal tour of the Pleiades on his command bridge screen on the Enterprise. However, what you see in the pictures below are images taken with the new Omegon PRO apochromats. And we swear, they were all taken from Earth 😉

So on to more beautiful photos.

Omegon’s new doublet, triplet and quadruplet refractors are a real compact Starfleet for astrophotographers who value brilliant and needle-sharp photos of the universe. The lens apertures range from 65mm to 107mm. There’s the right telescope for everybody.

The Omegon Pro APO 60/330 OTA.

Features include: Ohara FPL-53 glass for a true-colour image, CNC tube, hybrid rack and pinion focuser with, ball bearings and 360° rotation, tube clamps, dovetail bar, viewfinder shoe and Vixen-style dovetail bar.

The Pleiades with reflection nebula, APO 71/450 Quadruplet, Canon 6Da, 32×180 seconds, Image: Philipp Keltenich

The Andromeda Galaxy, APO 71/450 Quadruplet, Canon 6Da, 25×240 seconds, Image: Philipp Keltenich

And here is the fleet of telescopes at a glance:

Apo 60/330 Doublet OTA #60852
A small doublet apochromat for travel and for striking panoramic pictures.
Apo 71/450 Quadruplet OTA #60855
For fantastically beautiful, true-colour and flat images right up to the edges of the field of view. Here you don’t have to worry about how to attach a field flattener to your camera, because it’s already built-in. A great flat field apochromat!
Apo 72/400 Doublet OTA #60853
If you like to travel and love shooting large-area objects, you will love this refractor. A clear picture and only 400mm focal length, it captures the Andromeda Galaxy and similar objects.
Apo 80/500 Triplet OTA #60856
An apochromat with a clear and true-colour image, even at very high magnifications. The expertly-crafted 2.5″ focuser is larger than that of most 80mm telescopes. The advantage: so much illumination that even your full-frame camera will have fun with it. By the way, we also stock the carbon version of these apochromats: chic, thermally-stable and even lighter.
Apo 90/600 Triplet OTA #60858
Weighing just 5 kilograms but with a 90mm aperture: this apo refractor is suitable for your mount at home or for travelling under a dark sky. The 2.5″ focuser holds your camera in a stable position all night long.
Apo 107/700 Triplet OTA #60859
Sophisticated three-lens design with Ohara glass for a clear and true-colour image. A 3″ focuser offers you a generously illuminated field of view and an enormous load-bearing capacity – a great advantage for heavy cameras.

Get to know the new Omegon apo fleet better, just click on the links and learn more on our product pages.

Tags: Omegon, Apochromat, telescope
Posted in New Products »