Observing the Sun is one activity that amateur astronomers can do every day. Unlike waiting for lunar cycles for the best observing conditions, the Sun is available to look at every day (unless there are clouds involved!) This week on the Sky-Watcher USA What’s Up? Webcast, the Sky-Watcher team discusses […]
The DayStar FlatCap Imaging Diffuser is a Gaussian diffuser that is temporarily installed over the front of your telescope when taking flat field reference images. Taking a Flat field reference image removes the effects of dust spots, vignetting, and filter uniformity. By strongly blurring the Sun, the only details you […]
The Observer’s Handbook 2021 is now available. Published annually for over 100 years by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, the Observer’s Handbook has become the must-have reference book for people interested in astronomy. Whether you are a professional astronomer, a beginner or educator this book is designed for you. […]
The Winter Star Party 2021 will be held in its 37th year on February 8th – 14th. The event is hosted by the Southern Cross Astronomical Society of Miami and is unique in that it occurs mid-winter during the height of the Florida Keys tourist season. The warm weather, coupled […]
Backlit prints for astrophotography are available from Wa-chur-ed Observatory in a number of sizes. As Greg Marshall, owner of Wa-chur-ed Observatory, notes: “Images printed on paper can never have a contrast ratio of more than 100:1, while our eyes can handle ratios of 10,000:1 or more (the exact number is […]
Solar Filters for telescopes, binoculars, and cameras are important for two reasons: to protect equipment from intense sunlight and to ensure that you don’t accidentally look at the Sun through an unfiltered instrument. This week on the Sky-Watcher USA What’s Up? Webcast, the Sky-Watcher team discusses the best ways to […]
Sharpstar reducers and flatteners are custom designed and built to work with Sharpstar imaging telescopes. Here is a rundown of the available products. Sharpstar 140PH reducer 0.74x Reducer and Flattener Designed to work with the Sharpstar 140PH apochromatic triplet refractor, the Sharpstar 0.74x Reducer and Flattener produces a flat field […]
The Vespera telescope is the latest offering from Vaonis, a French start-up. The company launched the Vespera (a mini version of its Stellina telescope launched in 2018) in October on Kickstarter. It is a hybrid between a smart telescope and a camera that is priced at a $999US (the Stellina […]
Observing Mars is a favorite pastime of amateur astronomers who are planetary observers. This week on the Sky-Watcher USA What’s Up? Webcast, the Sky-Watcher team discusses the best ways to observe Mars, including what are the equipment options to do so. The What’s Up? is a live webcast held every […]
The ZWO Filter Drawer for EOS Lens was created to work with ZWO ASI cooled cameras and an EOS lens. A 2″ mounted filter will fit securely in the drawer for use during astrophotography sessions. The ZWO Filter Drawer pairs with ZWO ASI cooled cameras that have a 17.5mm back […]
The Sharpstar SCA260 is an aspherical Cassegrain with a short focal ratio. The fact that the primary mirror is aspherical means that it has a high grinding difficulty for production and its testing requirements can be more complex than some traditional primary mirror types. The primary and secondary mirrors are […]
The new GM 2000 HPS II COMBI mount from 10Micron combines the stability of the company’s GM2000 HPS II Monolith mount with the portability of the company’s GM 2000 HPS II Ultraport mount. These two mounts are no longer being produced and will be replaced by the GM 2000 HPS II COMBI successor model. This […]