Optical astronomy has always played an important role in exploration of the cosmos, even if it has faded in popularity with new detection methods like radio telescopes replacing it in recent decades. When it comes to the search for exoplanets, the visible spectrum is still incredibly important for a lot […]
Author: Stuart Parkerson
Videos from the Texas Star Party
The Texas Star Party (TSP) will celebrate its 38th anniversary this weekend as it kicks off a week-long festival of everything astronomy. In addition to the overview of the event’s activities listed here, we provide a history of the event as well as some interesting videos of attending the event […]
Celestron Adds White Light Solar Filters for Telescopes to its 2017 North American Total Solar Eclipse Lineup
Celestron has added white light solar filters to its EclipSmart line of products in advance of the 2017 North American Total Solar Eclipse. The EclipSmart lineup includes dedicated solar glasses, binoculars, white light telescopes and now, white light solar filters. All of Celestron’s EclipSmart solar products feature Solar Safe filter […]
Celestron Lithium PowerTank
The evolution of the lead-acid and lithium-ion battery finally adds convenience to the revolution of affordable go-to mounts. By George Stallings The leaps between the technology of today versus that when I received an un-motorized equatorial 114-mm Newtonian reflector as a 10-year-old in 1988, are mind boggling. I would have […]
Incanus Releases Major Updates to Astro Photography Tool (APT)
First introduced in 2009, APT stands for “Astro Photography Tool” and is the brainchild of Ivo Stoynov, who calls the software a “Swiss army knife for your astro imaging sessions.” The software draws upon the knowledge of many astro photographers from all over the world, as well as from the […]
Virtual Planets Atlas Version 2 Now Available
Virtual Planets Atlas Version 2 (VPA Pro 2.0) is the second release since the software’s introduction in 2013. The tool allows users to study topographic and scientific data for planets and satellites surfaces. It is published by Christian Legrand, a lunar observer, and co-author of the guide “Discover the Moon” […]
Rigel Systems Offers New nFOCUS Controller Kit for William Optics Star 71
Rigel Systems has introduced a new high-torque stepper motor kit for the William Optics Star 71 telescope, driven by a nFOCUS motor controller. Rigel’s stepper motor has 0.1-degree step size and easily lifts 8.0 pounds (3.6 kilograms). The stepper can be quickly detached for manual focusing. The nFOCUS controller fits […]
RTMC Astronomy Expo Will Focus on the 2017 American Solar Eclipse
The 49th annual RTMC Astronomy Expo will again celebrate everything telescope from Thursday, May 25th through Monday, May 29th, 2017. The event will be held in the Big Bear City, California area and will celebrate “The Day the Sun Disappears.” RTMC provides the opportunity to: – See the stars from […]
Book Instructs Astronomers on Properly Caring, Cleaning, and More of Telescope Optics
Although Robert Schalck’s book, The Proper Care of Optics, Cleaning, Handling, Storage and Shipping, has been around for several years, we were recently reminded of it on a website forum post. Telescope optics are the heart and soul of any observing setup, yet they probably get the least amount of […]
Total Eclipse 2017 – TSE17.com – Offers a New Website for Solar Glasses, Solar Binoculars and More to Observe the 2017 Great American Eclipse in August
For those looking for equipment to observe the 2017 Great American Eclipse in August, a group of companies have created a new website – Total Eclipse 2017 (TSE17.com) – to provide a one stop resource to purchase eclipse viewing equipment. Companies that are participating in the website include Lunt Solar […]
iOptron iEQ30 Pro German Equatorial Mount Used in PANOPTES Project to Discover Exoplanets
Guest News Announcement from Roger Rivers with iOptron As the nation’s premier astronomy exposition, the Northeast Astronomy Forum serves as an excellent venue to network with amateur and professional astronomers who utilize iOptron products. This past NEAF I had the pleasure to meet Dr. Josh Walawender, Support Astronomer at W. […]
AiryLab Adds New Autofocus Feature for Astro Imaging in Genika 2.13
AiryLab’s Genika Astro is an image acquisition software dedicated to astronomical imaging. It supports high-speed cameras, including those from Andor, AVT, Basler, IDS, PointGrey, Raptor Photonics, Celestron, The Imaging Source and ZWO. The company has announced two recent releases that significantly augment the functionality of the software. Genika Astro offers […]