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New Starquest Telescope from Skywatcher

October 30 2019, Stefan Taube

Skywatcher’s new Starquest telescopes combine small optics with a lightweight equatorial mount in a new design. A lightweight aluminium tripod with a storage shelf is also included, the perfect telescope for easy transportation and a quick view of the sky.

Skywatcher Newton 130/650 Starquest EQ

The high-quality Starquest mount contains a worm gear with 122 teeth on each axis. This ensures high stability and sensitive manual tracking with the easy-to-use flexible shafts – even beginners can easily cope.

The correct telescope to choose from depends on your preferred application:

The refractor AC 102/500 shows large sections of the sky. Large objects such as nebulae, open star clusters or comets can be observed with it.
The Maksutov MC 102/1300 is particularly compact. Despite its small size, this telescope has a very long focal length. It allows high levels of magnification, and is a real specialist for the Moon and planets – but also planetary nebulae and double stars can easily be observed with the Maksutov. With this selection of potential objects and the rear-facing lens position, the Maksutov is ideal for the balcony observatory in light-polluted cities. Another advantage is the closed optical tube: the mirror cannot become contaminated.
The Newton 130/650 telescope is the best compromise. It has the widest aperture and therefore collects most light. Even faint nebulae can still be identified. The Newton telescope is also particularly inexpensive due to its design. However the relatively long tube has the greatest lever effect on the mount.

More information and all the models can be found here in Astroshop.

Tags: Starquest, Skywatcher, telescope
Posted in New Products »

Celestron RASA Astrographs: Telescopes for Astrophotography

September 20 2019, Stefan Taube

The RASA range of telescopes were developed specifically and exclusively for astrophotography. They are very fast; with a focal length of f/2 they take pictures twenty times faster than a Schmidt-Cassegrain lens at f/10! Because of this a tracking control is not required, and generally fewer demands are placed on the mount!

The RASA 1100 model with a 279 millimetre aperture has already been on the market for some time, and Celestron is now also offering a smaller version, the RASA 800, with a 203 millimetre aperture.

Celestron Astrograph S 203/400 RASA 800

This optical system is also within reach of smaller budgets with the RASA 800, particularly since it can be used with a smaller mount. The illustration above shows the RASA 800 with the AVX mount. This astrograph is optimised for astrophotography cameras with a 22 millimetre field diagonal. The larger RASA 1100 is the better choice for those who prefer to use a DLSR for their photography.

The abbreviation RASA stands for the developers’ names: Rowe-Ackermann-Schmidt-Astrograph. It is basically a normal, routinely-produced Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain instrument; that is with a spherical primary mirror in front of which is a corrector plate invented by Bernhard Schmidt. Instead of using a secondary mirror to direct the light path towards the Cassegrain focus at the end of the telescope, the camera sensor is incorporated in the prime focus. A corrector assembly comprising four lenses made of especially high-quality glass ensures optimal illumination.

The RASA telescope from Celestron

As the term astrograph implies, RASA telescopes are designed exclusively for photography. There is no option to use an eyepiece. But if you are an amateur astronomer who specialises in astrophotography, you will not see this as a disadvantage, instead you will quickly learn to appreciate the advantages of the RASA telescopes.

Tags: Celestron, telescope, RASA
Posted in New Products »

Improved Version of the Dobson LightBridge by Meade

February 7 2019, Stefan Taube

No other telescope produces the natural experience of the night sky as directly as a Dobson. Completely without a camera or any other electronic deflection – armed only with an infra-red lamp and star chart – discover nebulae, star clusters and galaxies.

Apart from good weather, two things are necessary to enjoy observation: As large a telescope as possible and a dark night sky. A Dobson is a reflector telescope with a relatively simple base. So, for your money, you’ll get a telescope that is bigger than others. The problem with the dark sky is, however, more difficult to solve. The Dobson telescope should fit in a car so you can drive to a good location for observing.

A large telescope that fits in a car is a contradiction in itself. This is resolved by the Dobson wire-mesh tube:

This Dobson in the LightBridge series can be taken apart without tools.

As the figure shows, the telescope can be taken apart into relatively small parts. From left to right, you can see the rocker box, the mirror case, the tube rods and the carrier ring with the secondary mirror. On location, the truss tube Dobson can be built in a few minutes without any tools.

The manufacturer, Meade, was one of the first, with the Dobson telescopes in the LightBridge series to use this form of construction and at a price that is affordable for amateur astronomers. We can now offer the improved version, the LightBridge Plus.

Meade Dobson Teleskop N 254/1270 LightBridge Plus

Meade Dobson Telescope N 254/1270 LightBridge Plus

The new LightBridge Plus has an improved rocker box. It is somewhat lighter, has notched carry handles, a pre-installed eyepiece tray and a friction brake for the height axis. The box can be taken apart without tools so it can be easily transported. Meade now fits these telescopes with an improved eyepiece holder that has a fine-adjustment knob for precision focusing and comes with a high-quality 2-inch eyepiece with a 26-mm focal length.

As with the previous version, the LightBridge Plus has a main mirror fan for faster alignment of the mirror with the ambient temperature. As expected, the optics are fully adjustable. Thanks to the fast aperture ratio, the tube is relatively short and the viewing height at the zenith is not too high.

If you’ve always wanted a telescope with a large aperture, but just didn’t know how you’d carry it around, a LightBridge Plus is a very good choice at a fair price!

Tags: LightBridge, Dobson, telescope, MEADE
Posted in New Products »

Is a Dobsonian telescope right for me? | with product recommendations

December 30 2018, Marcus Schenk

A simple Dobsonian or a GoTo telescope? – a question whose answer you first have to decide on. You should also choose your telescope based on what you would like to observe or experience in the night sky.

Did you know that there is also a system with something like ‘a bit of GoTo’?

But how do you find out if a Dobsonian telescope is right for you? In Part 1 of this post, we’ve put together a few questions to help you find your preferences.

Following on, in part 2, there are product recommendations for three different telescope series, with you can use to explore the night sky.

Part 1

Are you an observer for whom a Dobsonian telescope is suitable? Or do you need a telescope with an equatorial mount? Decide which using the following questions:

1. Do you only want to observe or also to take photos?

There are two types of observing: the visual and photographic. Which do you prefer? If you are a visual observer, then a Dobsonian would probably be the right choice.

1 Yes I want to observe visually.
2 I do not know yet, maybe both.
3 Taking photos is more important to me than observing visually.

2. What do you value more? – the optics or the mechanics and electronics?

Dobsonian telescopes consist of a wooden box with plain bearings, called a ‘Rockerbox’, and a Newtonian mirror OTA. A clear emphasis here is placed on a larger OTA diameter. The mechanics remain simple. The advantage – you get a large aperture telescope for relatively little outlay, with which you can observe a lot.

1 I put more emphasis on a great optics for a low price.
2 I cannot commit myself, maybe both.
3 I am a fan of complex mechanics that controls my telescope via slow motions and worm gears.

3. Quick assembly or precise alignment?

Dobsonian telescopes consist of only two parts. The advantage – just two parts can be quickly transported and reassembled at the observing site. They are often much quicker to put together than a telescope with a tripod, equatorial mount, several counterweights and the OTA itself. You do not have to align a Dobsonian telescope to the celestial north pole, you are tracking in both axes’ directions.

1 I want to set up my telescope quickly, I can’t be bothered with all the complexity of assembling and observing with an equatorial set up.
2 I would like to have GoTo, but only if the setup does not take too long.
3 I’d rather spend more time putting the system together and precisely aligning it.

4. Do you prefer observing the Moon and planets, or observing galaxies?

A medium to large Newtonian telescope is of course also suitable for planetary observing. But the strengths of a large mirror lie in its greater light-gathering power. This makes many Dobsonian telescopes suitable for observing nebulae and galaxies. Bu if you are more interested in the Moon and planets, then a refractor telescope would be the better choice.

1 I want to observe nebulae and galaxies.
2 I want to observe nebulae and galaxies, but how am I supposed to find them?
3 I am interested in the Moon and the planets, but there is so much light pollution where I live that I cannot observe galaxies very well. An automated telescope would have to find them.

5. Exploring the night sky with a star map or using a GoTo system?

Dobsonian telescopes are almost always manually controlled instruments. In other words, there is no GoTo system here that slews to objects at the push of a button. You have to guide the telescope purely manually to the object of your choice with the help of a star map and then track it manually. But what is the advantage of that? Quite simply – the night sky will eventually become your familiar hunting ground that you know like the back of your hand. You’ll become a real expert at finding deep sky objects. And you will develop a feeling for tracking objects. The other thing is that it’s a lot of fun, and every time you find an object there is that little thrill of achievement.

1 Of course, I want to find the objects myself using a Dobsonian telescope.
2 I’m afraid that I’m not so good at orienting myself.
3 I’m not really interested in star hopping – there are GoTo telescopes for finding astronomical objects.

6. Naturally experiencing the night sky using only a little technology?

Observers repeatedly report that they can enjoy a natural experience to the maximum with a Dobsonian telescope. There is no complicated technology here that needs to be made to work. No, naturally experiencing the night sky without any motor noise is the most important thing.

1 I want to visibly experience the night sky in a clear simple and natural way.
2 I would like to be able to to add a little technology if I want.
3 No, this manual control idea is not for me. State-of-the-art technology and GoTo systems would be my first choice.

Your answers

If you answered most questions with a 1, then you are definitely a ‘Dobsonau’. You should immediately buy a Dobsonian telescope – perhaps one of the three examples detailed below?

If you’ve answered most questions with a 2, then you’d like to observe with a Dobsonian, but GoTo systems also tempt you. The Onmegon Push+ Telescope with object navigator (see below) would be the way to go.

If you answered most questions with a 3, then you’d better use a GoTo system. Here, we have a large selection.

Part 2

We have three Dobsonian telescopes in our program: the Omegon Advanced X Dobsonian telescope for beginners, the Omegon ProDob for intermediates and experts and the Omegon Push+ with push-to-technology.

Omegon Advanced X Dobsonian telescope – for getting into deep sky observing

These telescopes are a great way to start visual deep sky observing. Explore star clusters, hydrogen nebulae, planetary nebulae, and even galaxies with their spiral arms. With a 200mm lens aperture, this telescope will show you hundreds of interesting objects. If you want even more light, you can also use the Omegon Advanced X N 254/1200 or a real ‘light cannon’, the Omegon Advanced X N 304/1500. Of course, ‘excursions’ to the Moon and the planets are also possible.

If you do not want to spend a lot of money, but are looking for a great value-for-money telescope, then an Omegon Advanced X is the instrument for you.

The Omegon ProDob – deluxe Dobsonian with an excellent friction system

ProDob Dobson telescopes come with a particularly good 2″ Crayford focuser and a deluxe friction system. Once an object is centred in the eyepiece, tracking is even more accurate and precise – even at very high magnifications. There is no juddering or anything (as with instruments with Teflon bearings), as when slewing the telescope it almost floats to the next object. The reason for this is a ball-bearing system in the elevation axis and roller-bearings in azimuth. And also, the friction level can be set to your needs. High magnifications are also possible with a Dobsonian.

The ProDob from Omegon comes in a range of apertures:
– ProDob N203/1200 with 8“ diameter
– ProDob N254/1200 with 10“ diameter
– ProDob N304/1500 with 12“ diameter
– ProDob N406/1850 with 16“ diameter

Omgeon Push+ – control a Dobsonian telescope using your smartphone

With the Omegon Push+ Dobsonian, you can travel to the planets, nebulae and galaxies in the universe whenever you wish. You do not even need to be very knowledgeable about the night sky, because the telescope guides you using a push-to-system to any object you wish to observe. All you need is an Android smartphone and the SkySafari 4.0 app.

The Omegon Push+ and Push+ Mini telescopes bridge the gap between a purely manual Dobsonian and a GoTo telescope. So to speak: ‘A bit of Goto’, so to speak – as the Push+ can still be slewed manually, as is common with Dobsonian telescopes, but also using your smartphone and built-in fine-step encoder in the telescope,

The high-resolution encoders allow the system to take you to any astronomical object you desire. Your smartphone functions as a display screen and at the same time orients you in the night sky. A crosshair shows you the position of your telescope in real time. You can decide, at any time, whether you want to use the push-to-system or prefer to control the telescope completely manually – it’s nice to have the choice!

The Omegon Push+ is available with a 200mm (8″) OTA or as a Push+ Mini with a 150mm (6″) OTA:

– Omegon Push+ mini N 150/750 Pro Dobsonian telescope
– Omegon Push+ mini N 150/750 Dobsonian telescope
– Omegon Push+ mini N 150/750 Skywatcher Dobsonian telescope

Tags: Dobson, telescope
Posted in New Products »

Now Available: New Meade Telescopes of the Series LX65 and LX85

December 6 2018, Stefan Taube

The almighty has crossed the pond: the brand-new Meade telescopes of the Series LX65 and LX85.

Meade LX65 Maksutov

The Meade Maksutov Telescope MC 127/1900 UHTC LX65 GoTo is immediately available and thanks to its high focal length is excellent for lunar and planetary observations. The optics capture enough light, that even far-off objects show details, such as star clusters.

As with every LX65, this telescope features an azimuthal single-arm mount, which is light, easy to disassemble and even has an integrated battery compartment. The AudioStar Handheld Controller makes it a breeze for beginners to find their way around the sky, while the database features more than 30,000 objects. Conclusion: An excellent telescope for beginners or planet specialists, who are looking for a transportable telescope.

The LX85 Series has just arrived with several models. These telescopes are delivered with the new LX85 mount. As compared to the LX65, the LX85 series features a parallactic mount. This sort of build features an axel which is parallel to the Earth’s axis, a trick which prevents the celestial objects from drifting in the telescope. Such a feature is extremely important for longer exposures in Astrophotography. The LX85 is an inexpensive mid-sized mount, which also has an AudioStar controller.

Meade LX85 Newton

The Meade Teleskop N 150/750 LX85 GoTo is available now. Equipped with a Newton-style telescope with a 150 mm diameter, it features a parabolic mirror with 750 mm focal length. The combination of 150/750 is very popular and can be found in nearly every telescope brand. The mirror is big enough to be able to observe faint galaxies under a dark sky. The quick focal ratio of f/5 makes it great for photography.

The LX85 is also available as a Newton Telescope with 200mm Mirror. For purely visual observations, it is a great choice, while a 150 mm Newton telescope would be less ideal for astrophotography, since stability is so important in taking photos.

For friends of lens-based telescopes, we offer Achromats, namely the Meade Telescope AC 120/700 LX85 GoTo and the Astrograph AP 70/350 Series 6000 LX85 GoTo. Last but not least, we also offer something special for astrophotography, which is also available without a mount: Meade AP 70/350 Series 6000 Astrograph OTA.

The New Astrograph from Meade

This very interesting set-up for astrophotographers even received the Hot Product 2018 Award from Sky & Telescope!

Since we are on the subject of photography, we would like to share two camera tips from Meade: Have a look at version 4 of the legendary Deep Sky Imager. The cooled cameras can be used universally. The price-worthy LPI-G Cameras meanwhile are real planetary specials and perfect for beginners.

LPI-G Camera on a Meade Apo

The LPI-G-Kameras can also arrive just in time for the holidays!

Tags: MEADE, telescope
Posted in New Products »

High-value Telescope with Many Possibilities: 150-Mm Newton with New EQM-35 Mount by Skywatcher

September 14 2018, Marcus Schenk

Are you looking for a decently priced telescope to start out in astronomy that will not only impress you right from the start, but that will offer opportunities for many years? A Newton telescope on a mount with computer control is an excellent choice!

We are offering you the N 150/750 PDS Explorer BD EQM-35 PRO SynScan GoTo telescope by Skywatcher at the moment for only €998 – a complete system for astronomy for less than one thousand euros!

This mirror telescope, based on an idea by Isaac Newton, is an especially good value for the telescope structure. The main mirror, with a diameter of 150 mm, gathers enough light for visual observation. The relatively short focal length of 750 mm ensures that the tube is short. This means the telescope is easy to carry under a dark sky. The small focal length is also good for photography. The N 150/750 PDS Explorer piece of optical equipment for astrophotography is perfect, for example, for a high-quality eyepiece holder with reduction.

The computer-controlled EQM-35 mount by Skywatcher is a new and improved version of the classic EQ-3 with a higher load capacity. The special highlight of the EQM-35 is the removable declination axis:

This means you can use the EQM-35 with a telescope or as a photo mount with a SRL camera.

You can, of course, connect the same camera to the telescope. With this telescope, you can encapsulate the world of low-light, small objects astrophotografically, such as planetary nebulae and globular clusters. If you take off the telescope and disassemble the declination axis, you can make atmospheric wide-angle shots of the night sky with a photo lens.

In addition to purely visual observation with an eyepiece, these two photographic uses offer almost unlimited possibilities – and we haven’t even talked about photographing the moon and planets with a planetary camera. This telescope doesn’t restrict the ways in which you can experience your hobby of astronomy!

You can find more information here!

Tags: Skywatcher, telescope
Posted in New Products »

The new Gran Turismo 81 Apochromatic Refractor by William Optics

August 24 2018, Stefan Taube

William Optics, the specialist for high-quality lens telescopes, is bringing a very interesting “photo machine” to the market with the Gran Turismo GT 81. This refractor features a travel telescope forma-factor, so it’s still easy to handle – a real dream for astrophotographers!

The GT 81 is fitted with a three-element lens that ensures high colour correction and ultra-sharp depiction. In addition to the usual high-quality workmanship of William Optics, the equipment of this apochromatic refractor is worth looking at: A high-quality eyepiece holder, pre-mounted guide scope rings and a prism rail. A special highlight is the patented focus mask that is also included in the scope of delivery.

We are offering a matching guidescope and a field flattener with this telescope. With the Gran Turismo 81 by William Optics, you’ll be receiving a high-quality piece of optical equipment for life-long fun with astrophotography!

Tags: William Optics, telescope
Posted in New Products »

New: Star Discovery telescopes by Skywatcher with a smartphone app

June 25 2018, Stefan Taube

An increasing number of telescopes can be controlled with a smartphone. The advantages are obvious: Smartphones offer, with their colour display, touchscreen and GPS mobile, more possibilities and are more intuitive to operate than a classic hand-held controller. The app can be kept constantly up-to-date and the telescope can be controlled wirelessly.

So, the manufacturer, Skywatcher, now offers its azimutal one-arm mount, Star Discovery, without a hand-held controller only. Instead, a Wi-Fi module is included, with which the smartphone can be linked. The telescope can then be controlled with the free SynScan app.

At the moment, Skywatcher is offering the Star Discovery mount with two telescope optics. We can recommend in particular the Star Discovery P1 50i:

The 150/750-Newton optic of this telescope has proven to be valuable for beginners and can be used in many variants. With a mirror diameter of 150 mm, objects from the Deep Sky guide can be viewed, but it is also a pleasure to observe the Moon and the planets with this telescope! Thanks to the relatively small focal length of 750 mm, the telescope is still very compact and transportable.

Those who prefer to observe with a classic telescopic lens should get hold of a Star Discovery 90i. Thanks to its deep eyepiece, it is especially suitable for children.

Both optics can be removed from the mount by way of a handy screw to they can be transported. The Star Discovery has a classic prism rail connector thanks to which almost any small telescope optic weighing up to five kilogrammes can be secured. The mount is also an attractive option if you already have a telescope.

Take another look in the App Store for the SynScan app. You can get the right telescope from us.

Tags: Skywatcher, telescope
Posted in New Products »

New Skywatcher Apochromatic Refractor: EvoStar ED 72 DS Pro

March 29 2018, Stefan Taube

The telescopic lens tubes in the EvoStar series by Skywatcher have been greatly appreciated telescopes for years for both beginners and advanced users.

With the EvoStar 72, the Skywatcher now offers a dual-lens ED apochromatic refractor at a good price: You can purchase the EvoStar 72 ED DS Pro OTA for just €349.00!

The very decently priced EvoStar 72, thanks to its short design, is the ideal instrument for travel, but more than that, it’s great for constellation astrophotography. You only need a small parallactic mount with a load capacity of 5 kg.

The apochromatic refractor has a double lens made from particularly tough ED glass. High-quality glass by Schott is used for the crown glass element. Every glass-air surface of this optical item is fitted with a metallic anti-reflective coat to achieve high maximum light transmission of 99.5 %! The optical construction of this apochromatic refractor considerably reduces chromatic aberrations and creates a much sharper image!

The apochromatic refractor comes with a carry case and a sensitive eyepiece holder with 1:11 reduction. For visual observation, you will also need a zenith mirror and eyepieces. You can find these in the “Recommended accessories” section for EvoStar 72.

We will be pleased to advise you personally!

Tags: Skywatcher, telescope
Posted in New Products »

New Explore Scientific Dobson with 20-inch mirror!

March 6 2018, Stefan Taube

With the Ultra Light series, Explore Scientific is offering telescopes with the Dobson construction that can be taken apart easily for transportation. This means you can travel to dark observation sites with Dobson telescopes. For an unimpeded look into the night sky!

The latest model in the series has a 20-inch mirror: Dobson N 500/1800 Ultra Light telescope.

It’s no longer quite so ultra-light. There needs to be two of you to set it up at the observation site. But apart from that, it can be taken apart into practical parts just like the smaller models.

Other features of the Dobson N 500/1800 Ultra Light Hexafoc telescope: