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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 »

Premium large binocular sets with mount, central gear column and tripod

February 17 2021, Marcus Schenk

One thousand and one. No, we are not talking about the Arabian Nights, rather we are talking about the available selection of suitable binoculars for observation. One thousand and one is approximately the number of binoculars between which you can choose.

Which binoculars fit your tripod? And what connects the two? Just like a telescope lens, astronomical binoculars on their own are like a three-legged horse. You just won’t reach your destination with it. You also need a mount and a tripod. However, the heavier the binoculars, the more difficult it is to make the right decision.

We have six created different sets for you, consisting of Omegon Brightsky binoculars, a massive Neptune fork mount and a stable carbon tripod. If any binocular and tripod combo has ever earned the description of “solid as a rock”, this is it.

Why Brightsky large binoculars are the right choice for astronomers

Brightsky large binoculars come in three different objective aperture sizes, namely 70mm, 80mm and 100mm, and with an eyepiece of either 45 or 90 degrees. Tempered lenses in a sturdy magnesium casing offer clear views of the sky or distant objects in nature. So that your binoculars can also accompany you on every outing throughout the years, they are also waterproof and nitrogen-filled.

Brightsky large binoculars come with two 18mm flat field wide-angle eyepieces for fantastic observations. Other astronomical eyepieces can also be inserted, just like with a telescope.

Das Brightsky Fernglas komplett im Set mit Gabel und Stativ

The Brightsky binoculars set complete with fork mount and tripod

Neptune: the best fork mount in the Galaxy?

The Neptune premium fork mount is a new development for demanding binocular astronomers. Namely for those who have finally had enough of vibrating instruments. This fork mount competently supports large binoculars up to 290mm in width and nine kilograms in weight. Stable profiles and large Teflon bearings provide silky-smooth movement along both axes and make it simple to navigate the skies. We pay particular attention to quality during manufacturing – which is why we have these fork mounts manufactured exclusively in Portugal.

Superior carbon tripod – with central crank column

So that the foundations are also right, the binocular and fork mount combination sits on top of a carbon tripod having 40mm legs. Ultralight construction but uncannily sturdy: this tripod carries up to 50 kilograms in weight. The tripod can be raised to a height of 1.9m and has an additional central crank column. This means you can easily and quickly position your binoculars perfectly for each observer.

Who are the sets suited to?

– For amateur astronomers who want to finally have binoculars which will satisfy them for years

– For observer who don’t want to keep searching and don’t want to have to keep compromising

– For astronomy enthusiasts who want to experience the night sky intensely using both eyes

The set consists of:

– Brightsky large binoculars with 70, 80 or 100mm objective aperture and two 18mm flat field eyepieces

– Neptune fork mount for large binoculars

– Omegon 40mm carbon tripod with central crank column

These premium large binocular sets with mount and tripod let you see how much fun binocular astronomy can be. We also recommend that you look at the binoculars with fork mount at the same time!

Tags: large binoculars
Posted in Sale|New Products, Sale|New Products »

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
Posted in New Products »

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
Posted in New Products »

Declare war on viruses and bacteria!

January 12 2021, Patric Leibig

During the colder seasons, we spend more and more time in enclosed spaces, therefore increasing our risk of contracting viruses.
It only takes a short amount of time for us to lose our ability to assess air quality as we adapt to smells. This increases the importance of counteracting this.

Significantly reduce the risk of infection due to SARS-CoV-2 / Covid19 (Coronaviruses) and other viruses by using ambient air filters with Hepa H13 filter systems and CO2 monitors.

Seben HT-2008 CO2 Monitor

Air filters reduce aerosols in the ambient air.

SARS-CoV-2 / Covid19 and other lower respiratory illnesses are transmitted via aerosols/water droplets, amongst other things. Air purifiers with class H13 HEPA filters can filter these minute particles out of the ambient air and therefore significantly reduce the risk of infection. A combination of regular ventilation and air purifiers with class H13 “High Efficiency Particulate Air Filters” HEPA filters is the best way to reduce the risk of infection in enclosed spaces. H13 HEPA filters remove minute aerosols (<5µm) from the air and improve air quality. CO2 monitors can also be used to support ventilation.

According to estimates, the risk of a person in a room becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 / Covid19 (coronaviruses) due to the presence of a superspreader is reduced sixfold by using air filters with H13 HEPA filter technology.

Monitor and improve the air quality in your office, your flat, the classroom, etc, using the following measures:

Proper and regular ventilation / cross ventilation
CO2 monitors which support your ventilation
Air purifiers / air filters with H13 or H14 “High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter” HEPA filters

Calculating the filter output for your room:

The ambient air filter should be able to filter the entire volume of air in the room at least 2x per hour in order to considerably reduce the concentration of aerosols and particulates. It is easy to work out the filter output you require:

To calculate the volume of your room, and therefore the volume of air, multiple the room’s length x breadth x height. Multiply this result by 2 and you have calculated the filter output in m³/h for your room.

Example:

Length: 5m, width: 4m, height: 2.5m

5m x 4m x 2.5m = 50m³

50m³ x 2 (per h) = 100m³/h

For classrooms / schools or other spaces where groups of people gather, we recommend calculating the air purifier’s output at 5 to 6 times the volume of the room.

Example:

For a room with a volume of 50m³, the air purifier used should have a minimum output of 300m³/h.

Tags: air purifiers, Corona, Covid-19, CO2 monitors, seben, Hepa H13, air filter
Posted in New Products|New Products »

Omegon carbon tripods: The alternative for heavy instruments

January 7 2021, Marcus Schenk

Are you looking for a tripod which can securely hold your large binoculars or your heavy camera equipment? Let’s cut to the chase – a lot of aluminium tripods have problems managing this. Who wants to wait three hours until the binoculars stop swaying, until you can finally see a steady image?

This is why Omegon has launched two new tripods which are heavy instrument carrying pros. Let us introduce you to… the Omegon ProCarbon 32 and the Omegon ProCarbon 40.

The new, ultra-stable Omegon Pro 40mm Carbon

Both tripods perform admirably, even if you mount a 5kg camera or if you use a pair of large 125mm binoculars on them. Ten layers of carbon and CNC aluminium components make these high-quality all-rounders which are a joy to use, even when fully extended. With a load capacity of 20 – 50kg a gentle breeze can even drift past.

We tested the Omegon Pro Carbon 40 using a massive fork mount and the Omegon Brightsky Large Binoculars. With this sturdy tripod as your foundation, it is easy to lose yourself in the starlit sky.

Die Omegon Neptune Montierung auf dem Omegon Carbonstativ

A fork mount and heavy large binoculars: This is an ideal job for the carbon tripod. A stable combination so that you can enjoy viewing without any vibrations.

The advantages at a glance:

– Sturdy tripod with 32 or 40 carbon fibre tripod legs for vibration-free observation and easy transportation
– Confidently supports heavy cameras, spotting scopes and large binoculars
– Steel tips and rubber feet: the correct foothold on any surface
– Large height: look through your binoculars at a comfortable height and wave goodbye to backache
– A tripod for the future which you will not want to part with

Discover more about the stylish and sturdy Omegon ProCarbon 32 and Omegon ProCarbon 40 tripods on our product pages.

Tags: tripod, carbon tripod, Omegon
Posted in New Products »

New in stock: CO2 monitors

November 6 2020, Patric Leibig

These air monitors display the carbon dioxide content in the air.

What is the ideal maximum indoor CO₂ level?
According to the German Federal Environment Agency, indoor air quality is categorised as follows:

Good ambient air quality: < 800ppm
Average ambient air quality: 800 to 1,000ppm
Moderate ambient air quality: 1,000 to 1,400ppm
Poor ambient air quality: > 1,400ppm

Omegon 1200P CO2 Monitor

Regular and proper ventilation…

The German Federal Centre for Health Education and the Robert Koch Institute advise regular ventilation of offices, schools, flats… Indoor spaces in general. Aerosols provide a possible transmission path for Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses. They build up very quickly and disperse themselves in closed indoor spaces. Proper ventilation is important to prevent risk of infection and improve the indoor climate.

Omegon HT-2008 CO2 Monitor

CO₂ monitors help you to monitor ambient air quality and support your regular ventilation. Most devices warn you using a traffic light system or alarm sounds as soon as pre-programmed values are exceeded. This is important as people are generally very good at assessing a room’s air quality upon entry but they quickly lose this assessment ability as they adapt to smells, meaning that any deterioration is no longer noticed. We also tend to close windows too quickly when the temperature falls starkly and it gets colder.

The CO₂ monitors use sensors to measure the air’s CO₂ concentration and show the current carbon dioxide content range using the traffic light display.

These devices use sensors to measure the ambient air’s CO₂ content, the temperature and usually also the humidity and therefore help you to learn how to ventilate properly in order to contain viruses.

You can find a large selection of CO₂ monitors here in our shop.

Tags: Omegon, CO2 monitors, weather stations
Posted in New Products|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: Astrophotography, Deep-Sky, camera mount, refractor, Triplet, Apochromat, telescope
Posted in New Products »

NBX – the new dual nebula filter from IDAS

October 19 2020, Jan Ströher

A new, high quality dual band filter has appeared on the market, in the form of the NBX nebula filter from Japanese company, IDAS. It is especially efficient for nebula photography using fast optics, like the Celestron RASA, for example. Like the existing IDAS (Astro Hutech) nebula filters, the new NBX is of impeccable quality and workmanship.

The IGAD (Ion-Gun Assist Deposition) coating technology which has been specially applied to astronomical filters by the Japanese manufacturer, Astro Hutech, was originally developed for optical communication, where long-term stability (> 25 years) is required in rough field conditions.

IDAS NBX 48mm nebula filter

This leads to filters with robust coatings and durable spectral stability – even at extreme temperatures and humidity levels. This stability is especially important for bandpass curves with steep sides, such as H-alpha, LPS filters and other narrow band filters. Filters with IGAD coatings almost completely eliminate bandpass shifts of +/- 3 or 4nm, which are typical with standard filters.

The NBX is a dual filter which specifically focuses on OIII and H-alpha lines. The NBX‘s transmission curves in the H-alpha and OIII ranges are very clearly illustrated in these two figures:

Transmission curves in H-alpha

Transmission curves in OIII

You can see that the IDAS NBX filter primarily realises its full potential when used with very fast optical systems and astrographs, such as a Celestron RASA, especially fast Newtonian reflectors with f-numbers between f/2 and f/4 and special devices, such as the Officina Stellare Veloce RH 200 Mark II-AT (Riccardi-Honders).

The NGC 281 “Pacman” Nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia

This dramatically increases the contrast within emission nebulae, which predominantly consist of oxygen (OIII) or hydrogen compounds (H-alpha). Additionally, longer exposure times are no longer required, predominantly due to the use of the above-mentioned, extremely fast optics, but also due to the NBX filter’s special contrast effects. The filter is ideal for use with ‘one shot’ colour cameras and monochromatic CMOS cameras. An IR blocking filter is then no longer required. Additionally, the NBX is parfocal with other IDAS LPS nebula filters.

Tags: OIII, Filter, Astrophotography, IDAS, RASA, nebula filter, H-alpha, Astrograph
Posted in New Products »

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.