The Apertura CarbonStar 150 Imaging Newtonian from High Point Scientific is designed for astrophotography, with optics that provide a large aperture and a quick focal ratio. It offers a 150mm (6″) primary mirror and f/4 design. The mirrors that provide the 600mm focal length are made with enhanced aluminum coated borosilicate, complete with a silicon dioxide overcoat that provides a layer of protection. The telescope weighs just 10.4 lbs. and measures less than 20″ in length.
As the High Point Scientific team notes, “The core idea behind updating the Apertura CarbonStar 150 Imaging Newtonian consists of employing a new optical design that pushes boundaries, rather than playing it safe. Rather than aiming for a design that settles on good illumination over a wider area, Apertura focused on providing great illumination for some of the most popular CMOS sensors in use today. This dedicated approach resulted in an increase of about 10% more signal in the center of frame and more signal overall across a circle reaching out to micro 4/3 sized sensors. While APS-C and full-frame cameras will work with the CarbonStar 150, this telescope shines brightest with the excellent smaller sensors available today such as the IMX533 and IMX294!”
The look of the Apertura CarbonStar 150 Imaging Newtonian includes red hardware and a carbon fiber tube. It is machined from solid CNC aluminum and the rings, front bezel/spider vane, and primary mirror cell are smooth, durable and strong. The single-piece construction of the secondary mirror hub provides a solid base for the secondary mirror. The carbon fiber keeps the weight of the telescope down while still providing the strength seen in more common steel tubes. Carbon fiber has a low thermal expansion coefficient which helps protect against focus shift. This provides an advantage over metal tube OTAs where thermal expansion can be a concern.
The 2” Linear Bearing EAF-Ready Focuser features a linear bearing design, which, while closely resembling the Crayford-style focuser, utilizes a flat rail running on dozens of ball bearings. These hard ball bearings provide more points of contact for a strong and fluid focusing mechanism capable of smoothly moving all types of imaging equipment. For those primarily interested in manual focus, Apertura has updated the coarse and dual speed knobs with larger texturing for better manual manipulation. Those seeking a more automated form of focus will find the focuser has added functionality as many popular electronically assisted focuser (EAF) accessories are supported out of the box. Apertura has ensured that adding bracket-style electronic focusers to your CarbonStar is a quick and seamless process.
The Apertura CarbonStar 150 Imaging Newtonian has nine knife-edge baffles that catch and contain internal reflections before they can hit your optics, providing enhanced stray light control in challenging environments. For additional stray light protection, Apertura has also included a 3D printed primary mirror cell shield which can be installed to cover the rear ‘porthole’ opening and further guard against image degrading light sources.
The Apertura CarbonStar 150 Imaging Newtonian specifications include:
– Focal Ratio: f/4
– Optical Design: Newtonian Reflector
– Telescope Aperture: 150mm (5.9″)
– Focal Length: 600mm
– Optical Coatings: Enhanced Aluminum w/ SiO2 Overcoat (96% Reflectivity)
– Primary Mirror Type: Parabolic
– Primary Mirror Material: Borosilicate
– Secondary Mirror Central Obstruction: 62 mm
– Secondary Mirror Type: Flat
– Focuser Style: Linear Bearing
– Focuser Size: 2″
– Focuser Speed: Dual Speed
– Optical Tube Assembly Material: Carbon Fiber
– Telescope Outer Diameter: 7.25 inches (184 mm)
– Telescope OTA Weight: 10.4lbs
– Telescope OTA: 19.19 inches (487 mm)
You can learn more about the Apertura CarbonStar 150 Imaging Newtonian here.
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