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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

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-LX85-150mm

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.

Meade-APO-Sky

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.

 

Meade-LPI-G-Blog

LPI-G Camera on a Meade Apo

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

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!

Infographic: Astronomy highlights in Winter 2018/2019

December 4 2018, Marcus Schenk

The new 3-month night sky calendar at a glance. The astronomical infographic ’Highlights of the Winter Sky 2018/2019’ shows you what will be happening in the night sky. Descriptions of the individual events are below:

05.12. The Moon near Mercury
Early in the morning, the Moon can be observed near Mercury. They are separated by about only 7 degrees – making them suitable for observing with a pair of wide-angle binoculars.

07.12. Mars near Neptune
A fantastic spectacle – a very close encounter between Mars and Neptune. Only about 4 arcminutes away from Neptune, Mars passes north of Neptune from around 18:00. You will need a pair of binoculars or, even better, a telescope to observe them.

13./14.12. Geminids
If the night sky is clear in the evening, then it is best to observe facing south, as the ‘Geminids’ meteor shower will seem to come from the constellation of the ‘twins’ – more precisely, from a point two degrees above the star Pollux. Between 21:00 and 6:00 is the best time to observe. With around 120 meteors per hour, the Geminids is one of the most intense showers. However, the full Moon will diminish the view this year. Even so, you really shouldn’t miss this event.

15.12. Moon near Mars
The 42% illuminated and waxing moon can be observed near Mars today, separated by a distance of about 5 degrees.

16.12. Comet 46P/Wirtanen
The December Comet – finally, we have a bright comet again, which can be observed with binoculars and small telescopes. Comet 46P/Wirtanen reaches its closest proximity to the Earth on the 16th and can be observed near the Pleiades (M45) open star cluster at only 3 degrees away. A beautiful ‘constellation‘ through binoculars. Wirtanen is a rare comet, which could attain a strong brightness and hence become an impressive object for beginners. If everything progresses well, it could reach a brightness of up to magnitude 4 by the end of the year and so even become visible to the naked eye. Without the disturbing presence of the Moon, the comet can be found easily in the evening sky after Christmas.

28.12. Hebe in opposition
The asteroid 6 HEBE comes into opposition on December 28, attaining a brightness of about magnitude 8.5. It can best be seen around midnight in the constellation of Monoceros or in the constellation of Orion. You will need a mid-size telescope to observe it. Its current position can be found at any time, by using the Stellarium planetarium program for example.

01.01. Planet chain Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Mercury
Just in time for New Year’s Eve, the New Year welcomes us with a pretty chain of planets. In the morning sky just before sunrise, you can see, from the top right to the bottom left to the horizon: the Moon, a bright Venus, Jupiter and even a shy Mercury close to the horizon. Tip: A great opportunity to take a beautiful photo.

04.01. Quardrantids
The next meteor shower is here – the Quadrantids. This shower comes from the constellation of Bootes, with the number of meteors observed across the sky potentially reaching a maximum of 120 per hour. Observing in the early morning will give you the best chance of successful observing.

05.01. Comet Wirtanen circumpolar
The Christmas Comet will also delight us in the new year – while the comet was only seen in the evening or in the morning sky before, it has now become circumpolar, wandering through the constellation of the Ursus Major. You can now observe it over the entire night.

06.01. Venus at greatest western elongation
The best view of Venus is now here. The ‘morning star’ shines brightly (magnitude -4.5). At 47 degrees angular separation, it is at greatest western elongation and can be seen half illuminated. The planet will first peep over the horizon at about 4:30 CET, and can be observed for about three hours before disappearing in the sunlight.

12.01. Moon near Mars
From dusk on, you can observe the Moon in the south with Mars above it. They are separated by about 7 degrees.

15.01. μ Cet occulted by the Moon (evening)
The Moon will occult the 4.1 mag star μ Cet in the very early evening. The Moon approaches the star with its dark side and finally occults it at 17:44 CET. An occultation from the Moon’s dark side is always fascinating to observe – it appears as though the star has suddenly been ‘switched off’. It will take almost an hour for the star to then reappear on the illuminated side of the Moon.

21.01. Total lunar eclipse
Everyone probably still remembers the Total Lunar Eclipse in 2018, when the Moon offered us a summer spectacle at a still-comfortable time of night. This time around the show is on the 21st of January, at a rather unfavourable time with temperatures that are too cold to be considered ‘T-shirt weather’.

Entry into the penumbra: 3:36 CET

Entry into the umbra: 4:33 CET

Beginning of totality: 5:40 CET

End of totality: 6:43 CET

Exits umbra: 7:50 CET

Exits penumbra: 8:48 CET

22.01. Venus near Jupiter
Jupiter and Venus can be observed together before sunrise. We can observe both planets shining in the southeast at a separation of only about 2 degrees. Venus is at magnitude -4.3, with Jupiter significantly weaker at magnitude -1.9. They provide a beautiful sight through binoculars, where you can admire them both in the same field of view.

31.01. Moon near Jupiter and Venus
On January 22nd the Moon joins the two planets, inserting itself in the middle between Venus and Jupiter.

02.02. Moon near Saturn (occulting in Germany and Austria)
The Moon is a waning ‘sickle’ and only 6% illuminated, so it is not visible until early in the morning. At 6.30 CET both astronomical bodies can be seen close to the horizon. The Moon can be seen to actually occult Saturn in both Germany and Austria – the ringed planet disappears behind the illuminated crescent moon at 6:37 CET, reappearing an hour later at the dark, north-eastern edge.

10.02. Moon near Mars
You can observe the crescent Moon and Mars together this evening in the same field of view in binoculars having a field of view of at least 7 degrees.

13.02. Mars near Uranus
Tonight, Mars will be less than 1.5 degrees away from the distant gas giant Uranus. The difference in brightness is significant – the red planet shines brightly at magnitude 1, whereas Uranus is only at a dim magnitude 5.8. Both objects can be observed using binoculars or a telescope. But it is definitely worthwhile – you can even see them together in the same field of view in a low magnification, wide-angle eyepiece.

27.02. Mercury at greatest eastern elongation (and half-full)
Because Mercury orbits so fast and so close to the Sun we cannot always observe it. But now Mercury is once again at a greater angular distance – of 18°- from the Sun. It’s not a huge separation, but it allows us to observe it for sufficient time during its half-full phase. Mercury can now be seen in the evening sky shortly after sunset. Be sure to wait until the sun has completely set before observing through any optics. You will then find Mercury just above the western horizon.

PDF here.

New: Celestron Powertank Lithium Pro

November 29 2018, Stefan Taube

 The Celestron Lithium Powertank has quickly proven itself and is already used as a power supply for countless astronomical telescopes. Celestron has now also packed two LiFePO4 elements into one battery to give twice the power with its Lithium Pro Powertank!

Celestron Lithium Pro 1

Some special features:

  • Up to 17 hours of power for your telescope!
  • Multiple devices can be powered simultaneously.
  • Socket for vehicle power plug (cigarette lighter cable). This cable is included with most telescopic mounts as an accessory.
  • High shelf life – unlike other power tanks, this battery does not need to be used regularly in order to maintain its performance.
  • Long operating life – up to 2,000 charging cycles, which only take about 3 hours.

Like its little brother, the larger Powertank also employs Celestron’s well thought-out design – it can be attached to the tripod with the loop and Velcro fastener provided. The torch has a red light function and the lid with the connections can be closed to protect against dust and moisture.

Celestron Lithium Pro 3

Thanks to its cigarette lighter connection, the Lithium Pro Powertank can be used with almost any mount. A powerful portable power supply such as this is highly recommended for slightly larger mounts, such as the Celestron CGX or the Skywatcher EQ6-R.

Celestron Lithium Pro 2

LPI-G: Planetary cameras and autoguiders from Meade

November 27 2018, Stefan Taube

 The abbreviation LPI-G stands for Lunar and Planetary Imager & Guider. These cameras from Meade are ideal for astrophotography involving the Sun, Moon and planets. Even small telescopes can safely carry these lightweight cameras. They plug into the telescope like an eyepiece and are connected to the laptop via USB.

Meade-LPI-G-LifeStyle1

Delivery includes Meade SkyCapture software – this allows intuitive operation and use of other programs via the ASCOM interface. The ST-4 socket means the cameras can also be used perfectly well as auto-guiders – that is, for the tracking control of your mount.

The standard version of the LPI-G series has a 1.2 megapixel sensor. The LPI-G Advanced camera offers a wider dynamic range, a 6.3 MP sensor and a high 59 fps frame rate. It has a USB 3.0 port to allow it to handle this data stream,.

The reasonably priced standard version is eminently suitable for beginners who would like to first get some experience. The Advanced model goes way beyond this and allows an intensive experience with planetary astrophotography to develop over many years.

Both versions are available as black-and-white or colour cameras. The black-and-white cameras have the advantage of higher sensitivity and resolution. The cost of colour imaging is higher as you will also need the appropriate colour filters and a filter wheel.

All the models available in the LPI-G series can be found here in the Astroshop.

Omegon Panorama II 100° [Product Test]: The Experts Unveil Their Thoughts

October 31 2018, Marcus Schenk

Escape Earth!  If you have ever peered through a 100° eyepiece, you know the feeling of observing the cosmos without limits.  It’s as if you can find yourself a bit closer to the Universe.
The experience of such a feeling, to observe in such a way, has been made possible with our new  100° Panorama II Eyepieces. For any observer of course remains the question: What performance do these eyepieces offer?

The UK Magazine Sky at Night tested the Omegon Panorama 100° Eyepieces.  To our pleasure, they left an excellent impression!

Produkttest Omegon Panorama Okulare

The Panorama II 100° Eyepiece

Sky at Night: “Eyes even wider open”

In the May 2018 issue, the Astronomy magazine Sky at Night wrote extensively, how well the Panoramas have proven themselves in practice and awarded them with 4 out of 5 stars, with the addition of a hearty recommendation!

Two noteworthy quotes:

[… these Omegon Panorama II eyepieces will open up a whole new observing experience.]

[We enjoyed some wonderful views of the Moon and one clear night coincided with the appearance of the Lunar X and Lunar V that stood out stunningly using all four eyepieces.]

 

Auszeichnung Omegon Panorama

Read the entire article – free download – about the Omgon Panorama II Eyepieces.

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!

 

N 150 750 EQM-35

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:

 


EQmM-35

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!

Infographic: Astronomy Highlights in Autumn 2018

August 31 2018, Marcus Schenk

Autumn brings cooler weather after the baking summer and we can look forward to long, starry nights once more. The night sky has some highlights for us, which we should definitely observe, even in the months of September, October and November.

Our new astronomical infographic ‘Astronomy highlights in autumn 2018’ provides a quick graphical overview – which will keep you up-to-date and in the know about what’s happening in the night sky.

The following text provides details about the various astronomical events we can look forward to.

 

September

01.09 Aurigids

The Aurigids is a fast meteor shower, with speeds of around 65 km/s. It originates from comet C/1911 Kiess. Around six meteors per hour are visible at shower’s maximum on September 1. The radiant, the region of sky where the meteors appear to come from, lies in the constellation of Auriga below the star Capella.

07.09. Neptune at opposition

The distant planet Neptune is once again at opposition to the Sun on the September 7. Make use of this opportunity to observe it. Neptune is a gas giant and is the outermost planet in the solar system. The light from Neptune, which is 4.5 billion kilometres away from the Earth, needs 4 hours and 10 minutes to reach us. You can find Neptune using binoculars – about halfway between the stars φ (phi) Aqr and λ (lambda) Aqr in the constellation of Aquarius. It appears as a greenish disc when observed in a telescope at 200-250 magnification.

08.09. Moon near Mercury

In the morning we experience a golden rising of Moon and Mercury. Just one day before the new Moon, the crescent moon is looking rather insubstantial. Below this we find Regulus and Mercury just above the horizon – about a hand width apart.

10.09. 21P/Giacorbini-Zinner

Comet 21P/Giacorbini-Zinner is at its closest approach to the Sun and also at its greatest brightness. With a predicted magnitude of 6.5, it has become an object for observing in any binoculars. Just one day after the new Moon is a great opportunity to observe this comet.

At the beginning of the month, it moved from the direction of Capella through the constellation of Auriga and on the 10th of September it was halfway between the Auriga stars Alnath and θ (Theta) Aur.

17.09 Moon near Saturn

Already by dusk we can observe Saturn above the ‘teapot’ of Sagittarius. The planet has become a familiar object, staying in the night sky throughout the summer. This evening it is joined by the Moon.

19.09. Moon near Mars

The Moon and the planet Mars are near one another this evening between Capricorn and Sagittarius.

21.09. The fiery splendour of Venus

Some people might think that the bright light on the horizon is an aircraft’s lights whereas, in fact, it is Venus. It is now a bright -4.9 mag object in the night sky. But the pleasure is short-lived – shortly after 8 pm it will disappear once again below the horizon.

21.09. Y cap occulted by the Moon

A star occultation can make an attractive visual observation – especially when a star visible in the telescope suddenly disappears as if by magic. The Moon will occult the star Y Cap with its dark edge at 9:40 pm on the 21st.

27.09. The star 73 Cet occulted by the Moon

Star ξ (Xi) cet in Cetus will be occulted tonight by the bright edge of the Moon. The star will disappear behind the Moon at 22:15 and reappear from its dark edge at 11:17 pm.

 

October

09.10. Draconids meteor shower

The Draconids is a meteor shower that seems to originate from the constellation of Draco. The maximum is expected on the 9th. Unfortunately, there is no prediction of the number of meteors we can expect. This can be very variable from year-to-year.

The radiant is located near the stars of the constellation Draco. The ‘dragon’ belongs to a circumpolar constellation, meaning the radiant is at an optimally visible elevation in the evening sky.

10.10. Moon near Jupiter

Just above the western horizon we can see a fragile crescent moon which is only 3% illuminated. On its left, we can see Jupiter. The planet will soon end its period of visibility and disappear from the night sky.

14.10. Moon near Saturn

The constellation of Sagittarius in October is already nearing the horizon, meaning summer is long gone and autumn has long since arrived. But at dusk we can catch a last taste of summer – Saturn and the Moon meet and go down together in the southwest in the evening sky.

18.10 Moon near Mars

A close meeting of the Moon and Mars takes place in the evening on 18.10. They are only about 3 degrees away from one another and pass the meridian at about 20:40.

17.10. ‘Small’ Moon

The Moon orbits the Earth in an ellipse – so it is sometimes closer and sometimes further away. Today, the Moon will reach apogee – that is, its distance 401,000 kilometres from Earth. This makes it appear smaller than when it is nearer the earth.

21.10. Orionids meteor shower

The Orionids is a smaller meteor shower with around 20 meteors per hour. The radiant is located in the constellation of Orion near the star Betelgeuse. Although you can watch the meteors throughout the month, the maximum is between October 20 and 21. An advantage this year is that this will fall just after the new Moon, so we can enjoy a particularly dark night. The best observing time will be between 10pm and 5am.

24.10. Uranus at opposition

Uranus is one of the remotest gas giants, only appearing as a tiny featureless greenish disc in a telescope. But it can still be identified as a planet. Locate Uranus by using a star map or, even easier, by using the Go-To system on your telescope. Then you can observe the planetary disc at around 150-200X magnification.

Although the bluish planet shines at a brightness of mag 5.6, it will be difficult to locate due to the phase of the Moon. It is worth waiting a few days and observing Neptune without the Moon making things difficult.

31.10. ‘Large’ Moon

If the Moon only had a very small apparent diameter in the sky on the 17th of October, it will now be the other way round this evening. Its elliptical orbit has now brought it to its nearest approach to the Earth. At only 367,000 kilometres away, it is now about 34,000 kilometres closer to us and has a much larger diameter of 32″.

 

November

06.11. Moon near Venus and Spica

If it is a clear night it is really worth getting up a bit earlier to enjoy a golden morning with an attractive coming together of the Moon, Venus and Spica. The Moon shows as a very thin crescent, only 2.4% illuminated. The next day brings a new Moon and the entire night is then perfect for deep sky observing.

11.11. Moon near Saturn

Because it gets dark so early at this time of the year, we can still catch a glimpse of Saturn and the Moon. They are close together at a distance of just one lunar diameter.

16.11. Moon near Mars

The small separation, about half a hand’s width, of the Moon and Mars can be admired on the evening of 16 November. Mars reaches the meridian at 18:45 CET before the Moon reaches it a little later.

17.11 Juno at opposition

Juno is a large asteroid in the asteroid belt with a diameter of 257 kilometers. It is now back at opposition to the Sun and appears as a quite bright 7.6 magnitude object. This makes it great even for observers who otherwise do not usually bother observing minor planets. Despite its brightness, Juno only shows as a point, making it indistinguishable from a star. A star map and coordinates for locating it are therefore useful – for example from recent magazines or from the Minor Planet Center.

17.11. Leonids meteor shower

The Leonids reach their maximum on the 17th of November. They are the most familiar known meteor shower after the Perseids. There have been years when their meteors fell in great numbers. This usually happens every 33 years when the earth collides with the Leonid cloud.

In normal years, the maximum currently reaches no more than 20 meteors per hour. The rate will be slightly lower this year, at about 15 meteors per hour. The bright Moon in the sky will detract from the shower this year. But if you’re looking for a good place to watch after midnight, then the Moon is only 12 degrees above the horizon and will no longer influence observing.

21.11. Comet 46P/Wirtanen

The short-period comet 46P/Wirtanen – with an orbital period of only 5.4 years – is currently the most promising candidate for naked eye observing. This comet, discovered in 1948, is currently moving towards the Sun, and will reach perihelion on December 12th, 2018. It will reach its very near minimum distance to the Earth – only 11.6 million kilometres – just a few days later.

We will get a foretaste of this comet already by November – it could achieve a brightness of magnitude 6 to 7 and so be easy to observe using binoculars. It describes a relatively small arc the night sky, staying very close to the horizon. We can find it to the right of the ‘river’ of Eridanus and below Cetus from about 20:00 CET.

23.11. Moon near Aldebaran

The full Moon can be observed near Aldebaran, the main star of the constellation Taurus, on the evening of the 23rd. It is a red giant, a 150 times brighter than the Sun. The name Aldebaran comes from the Arabic and means ‘leading star’ because it appears to precede the Pleiades.

30.11. Venus in all its splendour

Venus reaches its maximum brightness at magnitude -4.7. The brightness depends on the combination of its distance from the Earth and its current phase, and is now reaching its most favourable position. Venus can currently be admired as the ‘morning star’ and rises above the horizon after 4 AM. It reaches about 20 degrees above the horizon by 6:30 CET.

Enjoy your observing! We wish you clear skies!

PDF here

New Smartphone Mount by Celestron: NexYZ

August 28 2018, Stefan Taube

The trend of using smartphone cameras for photography with optical instruments has remained steady. This is, of course, an obvious choice because everyone has this camera with them, ready to send pictures; and these cameras are always improving. The large range of smartphone mounts  has been extended by Celestron, adding a very interesting model.

NexXY

The  Celestron NexYZ is not only particularly robust; it can be adjusted in all three axes using a rotary knob. This means you’ll be able to set the perfect distance between the eyepiece and the adapter. This feature, in combination with the ease, with which the smartphone can be changed, is interesting for public shots at observatories, because all visitors want to take their personal moon photo home with them.

NexYZ-1

The clamp of the NexYZ adapter is also wonderfully suited for use on spotting scopes.

NexYZ-2

With the NexYZ adapter, we are offering you a smartphone holder with the usual clever design by Celestron.

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!