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Astronomy shirts: with these the stars look good on you.

April 3 2020, Marcus Schenk

Fashion and astronomy: do they go together? Amateur astronomers have always liked to show other people what excites them. You don’t even have to be inspired by nerds like Sheldon Cooper. Astro fans can do it alone. Do you love the Universe? Show it off with Omegon’s space shirts!

These black T-shirts are made of quality cotton and are comfortable to wear all day long. An elaborately-produced digital print ensures a stable motif and long-lasting fresh colours. Available in sizes M, L, XL, 2XL and 3XL and in regular or unisex fit. The T-shirts are designed and printed in the EU.

Milky-Way

The Milky Way – our home. When you take a look at this shirt, you can immediately visualise where our solar system is located: on the edge of the Orion Arm in our galaxy.

The Milky Way shirt with the position of our solar system.

Star chart

A view of the starry sky: where is the Big Dipper, where is the Summer Triangle? You will find it immediately on this star chart.

Star chart T-shirt: The starry sky all day long.

Solar system

Our planets! How far away are they, how long does it take to orbit the Sun and how many moons does Jupiter have again? This T-shirt not only looks great, it is also very informative. A wearable infographic of the solar system.

The T-shirt with lots of information about the planets.

4. The Dobsonian observer

Go on the look-out again, and enjoy observing galaxies and nebulae with your Dobsonian telescope. All you need is a telescope and the canopy of stars. A really special feeling.

The T-shirt for Dobsonian observers.

Meteor shower

A forest in darkness and shooting stars in the sky. A T-shirt for astronomers and anyone who wants to be a little closer to the stars.

Omegon T-shirt meteor shower

6. Astrophotography

A notebook, power and a telescope: who wouldn’t think that this is about astrophotographers. After all, the most beautiful images of the Universe are thanks to them. For anyone who likes to collect and capture photons with their telescope, this T-shirt is the garment of choice.

Our astrophotography T-shirt.

So which T-shirt will you wear at the next get-together with your astro-friends?

Tags: Omegon, T-Shirt
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Radiant LED finder: Now with an exclusive bonus to help find objects more easily

February 21 2020, Marcus Schenk

It should be easy, but sometimes it really is exasperating. How am I supposed to find a galaxy, a nebula in the sky, when there are hardly any reference points?

The solution: the Radiant finder. With three circles in divisions of a half, two and four degrees, you use a two-dimensional search device; this offers an invaluable advantage over a simple LED finder with a projected dot. Indeed, astronomers who started with point-finders have often needed years to develop the necessary system or routine so that they could find something easily.

The idea of easily finding objects differs fundamentally from actual practice, but why is this?

Well, because at the beginning, you still need some practice to transfer that which you see on the star chart to the sky. For example, how do I find the famous Owl Nebula M97? How can I visualise that in the sky?

Now there is a helpful solution to this: The Radiant Special Lineal
This makes it easier to find objects in the sky. You just place the transparent tool onto your star atlas and you can then find out how far, and in which directions, you need to move the circles in the sky. For example, place the centre of the circle on the lower-right star, Merak in the Big Dipper. Point roughly towards the 3.6 mag bright star, x UMa, and move Merak to the edge of the outer circle – M97 will already be in the centre. You can then do the same with your telescope in the evening.

It is like painting by numbers in the sky!

BONUS: Exclusively for Radiant purchasers
From now on, when you purchase a Radiant finder, you will also be given the special lineal with Radiant circles. This helpful tool is not available separately, you can only get it as a free bonus when you buy a Radiant finder.

Would you like to be able to find objects more easily? You can find the Radiant Finder with an Astro Lineal here!

Tags: Omegon, Telescope Accessories, Radiant, LED finder, red dot finder
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Star Theater Pro: Bring the stars into your living room!

January 10 2020, Marcus Schenk

Admittedly, it is nice when we can stand outside under the starry night sky and gaze at countless real stars in the countryside away from the cities.

But what if that just isn’t possible? Perhaps clouds are moving across the sky like an infinitely long caravan, whilst the weather is only beautiful above them. Or the city is masking the stars with its own light – so that even the people of Alpha Centauri can see something of Berlin. Oh dear! Astronomy and space fans will need something to comfort them in such circumstances.

That means it’s time for the Omegon Star Theater Pro.

Space from the comfort of your couch

You can bring the night sky down into your living room and easily project it onto the wall or the ceiling. You observe your own little universe in complete darkness. Or you can view the planets just like from a spaceship and pay a visit to the Helix nebula. You could almost believe that you were really floating in the Universe while lying on your couch – perhaps with a blanket and some soft ‘space music’ playing.

So the night sky looks particularly realistic

Additionally-available discs can be inserted to project the Milky Way and an actual night sky onto the ceiling. We recommend the impressively beautiful image on the Milky Way slide. This disc gives you a very realistic impression.

This slide provides an impressive viewing experience

Sleeping under the firmament with no mosquitos or cold

The Star Theater Pro lets you relax after a hard day’s work and imagine yourself in the Universe. That is why our customers like to use it as a compact mood lighting or night light with a 30- or 60-minute timer that can be used to gently lull you to sleep.

How about making it a Christmas present for a good astronomy friend or your children this year? They will thank you with a sparkle in their eyes.

The Omegon Star Theater Pro has all these advantages:

– compact home planetarium that relaxes you and shows you the stars from your couch.

– powerful lighting: the stars projected onto the ceiling are so bright that you can even make out the dimmer ones.

– perfect for falling asleep to – switches off automatically after 30 or 60 minutes if desired.

– freely adjustable projection distance of the night sky up to 7.5 meters.

– rotation of the night sky – makes the night sky look even more interesting.

– a journey into the Universe – the optionally-available star slides let you travel to Saturn, to the Lagoon nebula or even far out to the galaxies.

– attractively designed gift packaging.

The Star Theater Pro home planetarium is a superb gift for anyone who wants to while away some time under the stars. And what are you giving away this year? Perhaps the entire Universe!

Tags: Omegon, Planetarium
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Omegon DigiStar: The easy way to make small things really big.

January 7 2020, Achim Mros

With 4.3″ LCD display

This digital reflected-light microscope offers really good observing possibilities. The ease of use and the fascinating observation results are absolutely amazing. The tiniest subjects such as minerals, minute creatures, electronic assemblies, coins and much more are reproduced, highly magnified, on the 4.3″ display. Here you get a device that offers lots of fun for a very reasonable price.

Images can be saved onto an optional SD card and processed on a PC. Even short demo videos are possible. The aluminium stand is of high quality and neatly finished. The actual microscope head with LCD display is raised and lowered using the rack and pinion drive. The closer you lower the LCD head to the sample, the higher the magnification. You can adjust the focus using the control dial under the display. A full magnification of 200x can be achieved manually in this way. If that’s still not enough, you can digitally increase this in two steps up to 600x by using the two arrow keys under the display. The eight super-bright LEDs ensure that the sample is perfectly illuminated. Of course, the brightness is infinitely adjustable.

The built-in battery is charged using a power supply plug. The microscope can therefore be used outdoors for many hours, far away from any power source.

Tags: LCD microscope, Omegon, Microscope
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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
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Omegon MiniTrack LX3: get ready for liftoff with heavenly photos of the starry sky

November 15 2019, Marcus Schenk

A photo of the starry sky that looks exactly how it would look on a clear night in the mountains or in the desert: this is a dream you can now fulfil with the new MiniTrack LX3. The new mini-mount ensures you are well-prepared and is now even more powerful than its predecessor, the MiniTrack LX2.

The new MiniTrack LX3 mount

It is much easier than you think to take a fantastic photo of the starry sky. You don’t even have to be an experienced astrophotographer. In a dark location, align the mount to the north celestial pole, attach your camera, wind up the mechanism and start your recording. With the MiniTrack LX3, anyone can conjure up a beautiful photo of the starry sky – almost as easy as boiling an egg

Until now you’ve almost certainly been aware of the MiniTrack LX2: a fully mechanical small mount that you can attach to any commercially available camera tripod and which is so compact that it fits into any luggage. The new version, the MiniTrack LX3, has been revised yet again and is now better than ever. Sky&Telescope magazine awarded the MiniTrack the “Hot Product Award” and the users of the MiniTrack are also certain: you can not only take beautiful photos. With the MiniTrack LX3, the starry sky presents itself as if it were on the catwalk.

What has changed?

More load-bearing capacity: now you can attach a camera up to 3kg in weight.
New Teflon bush for even smoother movement.
Adjustable suspension system: you can slow down or speed up tracking, making it more precise and the stars rounder.
CNC body: more stable and even more finely finished.
An optical polar finder is already included. This allows more precise polar alignment of the MiniTrack LX3 – and you can expose your photo for longer.

Let yourself be inspired by the Omegon MiniTrack LX3 and learn more about the compact travel mount here.

Tags: Omegon, Minitrack
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Comet 46P/Wirtanen: How to See the Christmas Comet

December 5 2018, Marcus Schenk

After quite a while, we are finally going to get another visitor…. from SPACE! The comet 46P/Wirtanen will approach Earth, becoming brighter and brighter, and will be visible to the naked eye. But, a look through binoculars or telescope truly allows you to take in the comet’s beauty. The best time to see the comet is between the beginning of December and the 25th of December.

This photo was taken with a Celestron Teleskop Astrograph S 203/400 RASA 800 OTA. © Michael Jäger. Thanks to Celestron, who made the photo available to us.

A Comet with the Naked Eye?

46P/Wirtanen is a short-period comet which takes 5.5 years to come back around for another visit. This December, however, is a special visit, since the comet will appear especially bright in the night sky. If all goes as planned, Wirtanen’s brightness could reach the 3rd class and be easily visible to the naked eye, or better yet with a pair of binos.

If you haven’t yet seen a comet, then now is the right time! A bright comet is one of the most enjoyable experiences in Astronomy.

Why will the comet be 160,000 times brighter?

So, what is so special about it? Only every few years, we have the pleasure of seeing a comet with the naked eye. The last occurrence was 2014/15, when comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2) was visible to the naked eye for a short while at the end of the year.

Wirtanen has always been a weak comet. But this year, we get a nice year-end present: excellent positioning. As a result of a course correction, after a close encounter with the gas giant Jupiter, the comet’s orbit around the sun is now significantly closer to our star. At the same time, the Earth is much closer to the comet’s orbit, making it appear brighter. As a comparison: when discovered, 46P/Wirtanen was at a brightness of 16 mag. When it passes by Earth, it will appear 160,000 times bright at 3 mag.

When and where can we see it?

Wirtanen will be visible in the evening sky throughout December. On the 12th of December, it will reach its closest position to the Sun and on the 16th its closest position to the Earth at only 11 million km, roughly 30 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon. Exactly at the point, in the evening of the 16th, the comet will reach its brightest point from Earth’s perspective, the so called perigee between the Pleiades and the Hyades.

The biggest obstacle will be the Moon spoiling the party and obscuring our view of the night sky and Wirtanen. In the early morning hours, after the Moon sets, you will be able to catch a bit of the comet before it disappears below the horizon.

Find yourself a dark place

But wait, didn’t we say that the comet should be visible to the unaided eye? Stars of a similar magnitude will also be visible, even when the Moon is bright in the sky. Yes, but the magnitude of the comet is spread across a surface – the comet’s coma of roughly 0.5°. As a comparison: that means the entire diameter of the Moon. To get the best view, you should try to find a dark sport, away from man-made light, and wait until the Moon is out of the way.

Have a look first right after dusk. At the beginning of December, the comet will hug the horizon, but climb higher and higher in the sky with each day. On the 10th of December, it will arrive at the head of the Cetus or whale constellation and makes its way to Taurus.

From the 24th onward, you will be able to see the comet before the Moon rises in the sky. 46P/Wirtanen will then be found close to the star Capella in the constellation Auriga. The early evening hours will give you the best chance of seeing it. In the following days, the Moon will rise later and lunar-free periods will grow longer.

Better yet, get yourself some binoculars or a telescope

With binos or a telescope, the comet will appear much more impressive. Take the time to check out the large green coma and if you have a telescope, even the little tail. By the way: an excellent thing to have on hand is a pair of Omegon Wide-field Binoculars.

Take the chance now and check out, what some are calling “the Christmas Comet”. Clear skies and have fun!

Tags: Omegon, Binocular, Comet
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5 Simple Ways to See and Photograph the Lunar Eclipse and the Opposition of Mars

July 13 2018, Marcus Schenk

Attention all lovers of nature, amateur astronomers and night owls: the night of the 27th of July, 2018 will be totally different. In this particular night, we will experience the Opposition of Mars and a rare Total Lunar Eclipse in Europe! It is sure to be a midnight Summer dream, in the middle of warm temperatures and mystical experiences.

In this article, you will learn about, that which you can use to observe and photograph the Total Lunar Eclipse and Mars.

Another interesting point: currently, there are a number of other planets to see. Now is the perfect opportunity to jump into Astronomy. You will be rewarded with a fireworks show of planets. Mars, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn are waiting for you to rediscover them!

As the night slowly falls, the Moon will rise in the southeast. Our satellite will look unusual and simultaneously fascinating. Almost completely eclipsed, it will rise higher and higher. The “blood Moon”, which evoked fears and superstitions of death and destruction in earlier times, will be visible for us to witness with our knowledge and science in a relaxing manner and with a smile.

The highlight of this year: at a length of 1 hour and 44 minutes of totality, we will get to enjoy the longest Lunar Eclipse of the century! More information about this event is available below.

Now you can read on to learn about the 5 ways and effective products, to observe the Moon and the Planets. Let’s go!

1. Discover the Sky with Binoculars

The lunar eclipse is visible with the naked eye, but with a pair of binoculars, the Moon in the Earth’s shadow becomes an especially intense experience. For an great observation, we recommend the Omegon Binoculars Nightstar 20×80. These binos are a great alternative to a telescope or as an entry into Astronomy. They are bright and something that you can always carry with you. Just point the binos to the sky or mount them on a tripod. Then you will see the Moon in all its glory and innumerable craters. It is amazing with both eyes, as if you were there. But there is more. You can can even view Jupiter and its moons as well as starclusters, such as the Pleiades or the Andromeda Galaxy.

The Omegon Binoculars 20×80

2. Getting closer with a telescope

Much like a mega zoom into the cosmos: A telescope allows you to see real detail. Observe the entire Moon, singular lunar craters, Jupiter, or Saturn with its massive system of rings. However you want. The possibilities are endless! With a greater magnification, only available with telescopes, you will be able to see Mars for the planet that it is and not just the red “star” in the night sky. The Omegon AC 70/700 AZ-2 is the most budget-friendly entry point. With a 70mm aperture, it collects 100 times more light than the naked eye. The eyepieces enable a 35x and 70x magnification, or in combination with a barlow lense up to 140x. More details and more resolution is available in the Omegon AC 90/1000 EQ-2. The telescope is our tip for entry into lunar and planetary observing. With a 90mm aperture, you will be able to see many details, such as the cloud bands on Jupiter or the polar caps on Mars.

The Omegon AC 90/1000 EQ-2 – Recommendation for entry into Astronomy

3. The simplest way to your own astrophotos

A photo of the lunar eclipse? It’s possible with the simplest tools.

With a telescope, the path to your own photos is just a small step. The best camera for such a task is right in your pocket: your smartphone! Pick up a Smartphone adapter, which will keep your phone perfectly positioned above the eyepiece. We also offer the more budget-friendly Omegon Smartphone Adapter, which demands a bit of finesse or the Omegon Easypic Universal. This smartphone adapter is a self-centering and easy-to-use device. It only takes one minute and you will already have taken your own lunar photo.

Omegon Easypic Universal Smartphone adapter

4. The right eyepiece is decisive, when it comes to details

With eyepieces, you often must separate the wheat from the chaff. An eyepiece is essentially an extended arm of the telescope’s optic and you should put a lot of stock into selection, just as you would with a telescope itself. A good tip would be to replace old or standard eyepieces with high quality ones, which can provide you with a significantly better image. Excellent crispness and great contrast can be found in the Omegon LE Planetry Eyepieces for all 1,25“. The customer reviews range from “just fantastic” to “you cannot believe it”.

The Family of Omegon LE Planetary Eyepieces

5. Color filters for better contrast

Much like a chain, the planets of Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars will appear to us in a line, and all after darkness has fallen, during the most comfortable time of year. The constellation of planets is so rare, that now is the time to jump into astronomy. Amateurs can easily pinpoint the planets and see details of each. Polar caps and other structures on Mars, or the big red dot on Jupiter become more visible with the appropriate color filters. Placed into the eyepiece, filters can lead to an epiphany for any motivated observer. The Omegon Color filter set features the most important ones for all planets. Other contrast filters or our Lunar Filter are also a helpful inclusion to your collection.

Color filter set with 6 color filters

Other information about the Total Lunar Eclipse and the Mars Opposition is available here:

Infographic: Total Lunar Eclipse on the 27th of June 2018

Mars Opposition 2018: How to Observe Mars and its Details

Tags: telescope, Telescope Accessories, Eyepiece, Binocular, Lunar Eclipse, Opposition of Mars, Omegon, Filter, Smartphone-Adapter
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ScopeDome: Educational observatory for a Romanian secondary school

May 22 2018, Marcus Schenk

Virgin forests, vast landscapes and fantastic views. And right in the middle of it: a brand-new observatory for a school. Our latest dome project takes us to Romania to the town of Baia Mare.

This mining town is situated in the north of Romania on the edge of the East Carpathian Mountains. To find out why this observatory is so special to us, read this article.

The dream project: Observatories

Astroshop along with ScopeDome GmbH built a 3-m observatory upon a secondary school. This school is to serve as an example, considering school observatories are rare in the country. Romania is still comparably poor, and schools don’t usually have money for this kind of project.

But this is what we’re particularly proud of: Our Romanian colleague, Raul, took part personally in this observatory, was a supporter and one of the sponsors. The project finally became a reality.

3-m ScopeDome on the roof

The dome is placed on the school building perfectly framed on an observation platform. The panoramic view is amazing. The observatory will be operational soon and will easily enable the school pupils to become familiar with astronomy. Laying, hopefully, the foundation for a life-long fascination with the Universe.

The internal workings of the observatory

While a few observers are already focused on the night sky, the tour then goes into the dome. The highlight: A Celestron C8 with a Skywatcher EQ-8 mount on a column. The project was initiated by Prof. Lucian Stoyan. The observatory is now ready, and the pupils are looking forward to interesting observation sessions and exciting astronomy projects. They are, however, also looking to the near future: Next year, the Celestron C8 will be exchanged for a 14-inch RC telescope. Another dream that is about to come true.

The city of Baia Mare

Baia Mare is in northern Romania – a place of 124,000 inhabitants on the edge of the Eastern Carpathian Mountains. Many official buildings have been renovated, but there are many old and crumbling buildings. Surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, Baia Mare is considered one of the most picturesque places in Romania.

PS: Do you have such a dream, too? An observatory with a fixed telescope – which means astronomy at any time, and on the fly. Manual or fully automatic with remote control: We can make your dreams become reality, too. Simply contact us and, we’ll be pleased to have a chat with you.

Tags: Omegon, ScopeDome, Observatories
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Only for a short time! 30% Discount on Talron Binoculars

April 15 2018, Marcus Schenk

Spring is around the corner! What is better than seeing nature come back to life? Whether a flutter between the branches, sparkling water in a stream, or a curious glanz into the stars: with the Omegon Talron HD binoculars, you experience nature at its clearest.

The design is stylish. Just as chic is the open bridge: helping the light binoculars perfectly handy – something you will always want with you. And all that at an excellent price.

Save now 30% on the purchase of a set of Tarlon HD binoculars.

Huge discount on the entire series! Choose between 6 different sets with 8x or 10x magnification and 26mm, 34 mm or 42mm aperture.

The Highlights at a glance

Crisp optics – for brilliant images up to the very edge
Nitrogen filled: enjoy a spot-free look, even with the highest humidity
Ideal for any weather: water-tight and rubber shielded for a safe grip
Open bridge: sits perfectly in your hand
Short distances, around 2.5 – 3.5 meters: observe even butterflies and birds at close proximity

Make your Spring a special experience with the Omegon Talron Binoculars. Get your hands on a pair right now and take advantage of the heavy discount!

The offer is valid until 31.08.2018.

Tags: Talron, Binocular, Omegon
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