The Planewave CDK Reducer – OAG Conversion Kit from Rouz Astro offers a unique “Fast OAG” turnkey solution that is designed to enable the use of an Off-Axis Guider (OAG) in conjunction with the Planewave 0.66x focal reducer to achieve a fast focal ratio, a much wider field of view, […]
The New Consolidated Atlas of the Near Side of the Moon Volume 1: Northern Hemisphere by Fredrick toe Laer offers a 133 page book that provides a unique look at features about the Moon that used to have an official name, but have been lost over time. As the author […]
One of 10Micron’s latest projects is the 10Micron AZ 2500 DDS (Direct Drive System), a computerized altazimuth mount with integrated focuser/derotator software control. The direct drive mount is designed for exceptional performance, including high alignment speed and excellent tracking accuracy. The 10Micron AZ 2500 DDS combines the most modern technologies […]
The new Sharpstar 50EDPH offers a compact and lightweight triplet apo optical tube assembly with a 50mm aperture, 275mm focal length and a native focal ratio of f/5.5. Including the dovetail, it has a weight of only 1kg and, when the dew shield is contracted, it measures 196mm which means […]
The Optolong L-Quad Enhance Filter cuts out light pollution from mercury and sodium lamps and produces a nice broadband image with minimal color cast as it performs well for good for star clusters, dark and reflection nebulae, and galaxies from light-polluted skies. In addition to suppressing the transmission of light […]
The new Apertura AD6 introduces “ultra-portability” to the High Point Scientific Apertura Dobsonian lineup which also includes 8”, 10” and 12” versions. Its ease of use is a great option for those new to amateur astronomy and offers all the needed accessories out of the box. It is small enough […]
The William Optics RedCat 51 III represents the latest update to the venerable RedCat 51, now offering the patented William Optics Internal Focus Design (WIFD). With the WIFD design, the movement of the focuser is integrated inside the main tube assembly providing the benefits of a traditional two speed fine […]
The William Optics Pleiades 68 is a refractor with seven elements that is designed for precise wide field imaging thanks to its fast f/3.8 focal ratio. The inclusion of multiple elements in its design significantly enhances optical performance by effectively improving color accuracy, light transmission and contrast. The William Optics […]
The PiFinder platform is an open source, all-in-one plate solving telescope finder that can add push-to functionality to any telescope without modifications. It fits just like a finder and provides more powerful features than digital setting circles. The company has announced it has introduced the second iteration of the PiFinder […]
A Northern Hemisphere astrophotography competition will again being hosted in 2024 by nPAE Precision Astro Engineering Limited. Participants can enter by sending in their favorite Northern Hemisphere object – these can be a Deep Space Object (DSO), Planetary, Lunar or Solar image. Participants can enter a maximum of 2 photos […]
In this issue Dr. James R. Dire shows how the Celestron StarSense Autoguider makes visual observing and imaging more efficient and fun; Jim Thompson evaluates the performance of a selection of H-α filters, ranging in bandwidth from >100nm down to 3nm; Matt Harmston helps give advice for when you are […]
The ASCOM Alpaca Initiative has created a new, nontechnical website that is meant to provide public outreach to help generate awareness and interest in Alpaca and ASCOM Universal APIs for astronomical devices. The ASCOM Alpaca Initiative was created in 2018 to provide a compatible universal interface, which runs on any […]