The leaves and prices are falling this autumn!
You can find our colorful selection of special offers here in the shop. Get them now!
The offer is valid from September 23rd to November 28th, 2024 and only while supplies last!
Archive for 2017
Merry Christmas!
December 22 2017, Marcus Schenk
The delicious aroma of Advent cookies is everywhere. Wherever you look, stars and Christmas lights are shining in windows. But, of course, as astronomers, we are not only interested in these earth-bound lights, but also in the stars in firmament. We have launched interesting new products under the Omegon brand this year to help you do this even better:
Our new, waterproof Omegon Panorama II eyepieces give you a wide 100° field of view to better enjoy the stars. Astronomical objects appear in a completely new light!
The new Omegon ADC Atmospheric Dispersion Corrector lets you take sharp planetary photos and reduces colour fringing.
Another highlight for astrophotographers is our new released Omegon RC telescopes and fast astrographs.
Our excellent ProDob Dobsonian telescopes – from 8 to 16 inches in aperture – will bring a gleam to the eyes of many visual observers.
This is just a small selection from among the many new products we have developed. Other manufacturers have also brought some interesting new products onto the market this year. More about this can be found in our blog as well as in our Facebook page.
The Christmas season is traditionally a time of reflection on what really matters in life – for example helping other people. So this year we are making a donation of 10,000 € to the ‘Mercy Ships’ , relief organisation, who operate the world’s largest private hospital ship which is used to carry out operations in the world’s poorest countries.
We wish you a host of clear nights under the stars and a Merry Christmas with family and friends. We would like to thank you for your confidence in us and look forward with you to a happy and astronomically successful year in 2018!
MEADE telescopes with a discount of up to 29%!
December 19 2017, Stefan Taube
We are now offering a large selection of MEADE telescopes at an extra special price!
LightBridge Dobson
With Dobson telescopes in the LightBridge series, the grid tube structure became really popular. Thanks to the grid structure, the tube can be taken apart, i.e. you can take the telescope to a dark sky and set it up there. The main mirror in Dobson telescopes is, however, not exposed, and so it’s protected from dew.
Our offer:
- Dobson N 305/1524 12″ LightBridge Deluxe telescope, currently at €1,089.00. You save €291.00!
- Dobson N 406/1829 16″ LightBridge Deluxe telescope, currently at €1,915.00. You save €775.00 .
Bracket mounting SC telescopes: LX90 and LX200
MEADE is more well-known for its SC telescopes than for its Dobson models. The Schmidt-Cassegrain optics make it possible to have a very short tube with a high focal length. In combination with the bracket mounting, these optics offer astonishingly compact and sturdy full systems. The LX200 mount is fitted with computer control (GoTo).
The SC optics was further developed by MEADE: ACF stands for Advanced Coma Free – This means that you get pinpoint star images up to the edge of the field of view.
Our offer:
- ACF-SC 254/2540 10″ UHTC LX90 GoTo currently at €2,550.00. You save €830.00.
- ACF-SC 203/2000 8″ UHTC LX200 GoTo currently at €2,815.00. You save €735.00.
- ACF-SC 254/2500 10″ UHTC LX200 GoTo currently at €4,009.00. You save €890.00.
LightSwitch: Telescopes with in-built astronomers
Do you need a little bit more assistance? The telescopes in the LightSwitch series not only have GoTo control to find the stars, they carry out the necessary initialisation fully automatically at the start of the observation: You don’t have to enter the station, date or time; nor do you have to align the telescope to the stars in the sky. And there’s even more good news: LightSwitch telescopes have audio controls (in English).
Our offer:
- ACF-SC 152/1524 LightSwitch 6 GoTo currently at €1798.00. You save €452.00.
- ACF-SC 203/2000 LightSwitch 8 GoTo currently at €2120.00. You save €770.00.
Starlook LX600: Telescopes with autoguiders
The idea of equipping a telescope with a fixed camera for control reached its peak with the LX600 series. The camera is integrated into the telescope tube optics, with which the telescope remains very precisely oriented towards an object. This process, called autoguiding, is important for astrophotography.
Our offer:
- ACF-SC 254/2032 Starlock LX600 currently at €5,609.00. You save €981.00.
- ACF-SC 355/2845 Starlock LX600 currently at €9,120.00. You save €2080.00.
Both LX600 telescopes are assembled azimuthal. With the polar wedge they can, however, be set up parallactically for astrophotography too, with long exposure times. This wedge is also suitable for LX200 telescopes.
This offer remains while stock lasts – order now!
By the way: We don’t just do good deals; we offer the entire MEADE range, including an extensive array of accessories.
Good value set offer: Meade N 150/750 LX70 telescope
December 19 2017, Stefan Taube
The telescopes in the LX70 series by Meade have proven over many years to be good models for beginners. The basic set offered by Meade includes telescopes without motors and without pole finders.
So, we have put together a set that contains all these accessories: The Meade N 150/750 LX70 telescope set for only €699.00.
You save €279.00 compared with if you had bought all the items individually!
For this set, we opted for the Newton telescope with a 150-millimetre aperture, because we think that these optics make the ideal combination with this mount.
The LX70 telescope with Maksutov optics is over the budget of many beginners. The refractor has a very deep eyepiece for the LX70 mount. The Newton telescope with a 200-millimetre aperture is a little heavy for the LX70 and has a relatively large leverage effect.
The N 150/750 LX70 telescope, however, is a well-matched system at a decent price! You can very easily use a camera for photographing the moon and the planets on this system. We are pleased to be able to offer the telescope as an entire package with really useful accessories at a very good price at the moment!
Explore Scientific Eyepiece Sale!
December 14 2017, Stefan Taube
We have four specially priced Explore Scientific eyepieces on offer!
The 100° Spacewalk Eyepiece from Explore Scientific
First, there are three eyepieces from the 68°-Series:
- Eyepiece 68° Ar 24mm 1,25″ for 98 Euro. You save 61 Euros!
- Eyepiece 68° Ar 34mm 2″ for 175 Euro. You save 74 Euros!
- Eyepiece 68° Ar 40mm 2″ for 198 Euro. You save 100 Euros!
This wide-angle eyepiece features a crisp view with a 68 degree field of view and is filled with inert gas to prevent internal fogging, dust entering the chamber and the development of glas fungus! The high quality multi-layered tempered glass is, as a result, well protected and long-lasting.
In addition, we are also offering a special treat! The Explore Scientific 100° Eyepiece with Inert Gas Filling 25mm 2″ at a price of 498 Euro.You save 251 Euros!
With an enormous field of view and large magnification, the eyepiece will make you feel like you are floating among the stars.
The offer is valid until 31 December 2017 and while supplies last. Get yours now!
Sale: Beginner Telescope Bresser Messier-130 EXOS-1
December 12 2017, Stefan Taube
The Newton Telescope N 130/1000 Messier EXOS-1 von Bresser is an excellent beginners scope. The primary mirror at 130 mm diameter allows for observations of brighter deep-sky objects, like the binary star Albireo in the constellation Cygnus, the “double-double” Epsilon Lyrae in the constellation Lyra or the famous Orion Nebula in the constellation with the same name.
Observing the Moon and planets is quite enjoyable with the Newton, since it does not show any color distortions as a result of its build.
A tried and tested beginner telescope: N 130/1000 Messier EXOS-1
In combination with the EXOS-1 Mount, you can focus on an object and follow the rotation of the heavens by turning the flexible shaft. You can even motorize the mount, as well as use a polar finder, to make using the scope a breeze and more exact.
We offer the entire set, comprised of the telescope and mount with tripod, currently for the price of only 298 Euros. That means you save 131 Euros off of the recommended price.
Mit der EXOS-1 Montierung können Sie das Teleskop auf das gewünschte Objekt ausrichten und über Drehung an der biegsamen Welle der Himmelsrotation nachführen. Es ist auch jederzeit eine nachträgliche Motorisierung möglich, sowie die Verwendung eines Polsuchers, um dieses Nachführen bequemer und genauer zu ermöglichen!
Learn more about the Bresser Telescope N 130/1000 Messier EXOS-1 special offer below:
The set is delivered with a 26mm Super Plössl eyepiece. Three other eyepieces are also available at special price:
- Plössl Eyepiece 20mm 1,25″ for 39 Euro. You save 20 Euros!
- Plössl Eyepiece 32mm 2″ for 89 Euro. You save 40 Euros!
- Plössl Eyepiece 40mm 2″ for 98 Euro. You save 51 Euros!
That way you can get your telescope with a fitting set of eyepieces! The offer for the telescope and eyepieces is valid until the 31st December 2017 and only while supplies last.
New: Pro camera by ZWO and more accessories for astrophotographers
December 8 2017, Stefan Taube
We would like to present to you a small selection of items that we included in the range recently:
The ASI 1600 series is the favourite model range by ZWOptical. The ASI 1600 cameras have a relatively large sensor and a small pixel size. There are, therefore, models without cooling that are used mainly by planet photographers and DeepSky cameras that can be used by anyone. We offer the cooled models in a set with special filters and a filter wheel.
The spearhead of this model range is the new ASI 1600 MM Pro Mono. It is ideal for astrophotographers who want to capture faint nebulae with exposures lasting for hours. The incorporated 256 MB of buffer memory provides loss-free transfer even with USB 2.0.
If you want to take exposures of several minutes, you should think about tracking control. With this procedure called autoguiding, the mount must run in a controlled fashion because the camera mount must always be exactly oriented towards the desired area of the sky for the shot to be successful. A separate camera is mostly used with its own optics for autoguiding. The camera continually follows a star and gives control impulses to the mount if the star moves.
Thanks to sensitive camera sensors with a high resolution, these autoguiders can be made to be compact. A very well-made example is the new set from the camera StarShoot AutoGuider Pro Mono and the Ultra-Mini Guidescope by Orion.
Newton telescopes are very popular with amateur astronomers because they cost relatively little money and can gather a large amount of light. As with any optical design, Newton telescopes suffer from image aberrations. On the edge of the field of view, the stars are exploded forming a “comet”. What are referred to as coma aberrations are particularly noticeable in astrophotography. The manufacturer Baader-Planetarium offers an excellent coma corrector that is also included in the set with the matching adapters: Baader MPCC V-1 Mark III Newton coma corrector The special feature of this coma corrector is that it does not increase the focal length of the optics. There is as much light as without the corrector, so that the exposure time does not have to be increased.
About the Newton telescope: We now offer padded carrying bags by Oklop. They are made so a specific telescope fits perfectly and can be transported securely without taking up a lot of space.
We offer, for example, bags for the Newton telescope 150/750, Newton telescope 150/1000 or the Celestron telescope SC 1100. Other bags by Oklop can be found here.
Infographic: Astro-highlights in Winter 2017/18
December 7 2017, Marcus Schenk
The new cosmic calendar for the next three months at a glance! Our astronomy infographic shows you all you need to keep an eye out for in the coming months. Check out the text below for more details of each event!
08 Dec – Moon occults Regulus
At the beginning of December the waning Moon will occult the star Regulus in the constellation Leo. It is a special event, since Regulus belongs to the brightest stars in the night sky at 1.3 mag. A pair of binoculars or a small telescope will suffice, to witness it all. However, you will need a good view of the north-eastern horizon. Best case scenario would be finding a nice open area or a hill, from which to observe. It is only important that no houses or forest obstruct your view.
13 Dec – A Lunar Meeting with Mars
The narrow sickle of the waning Moon will show itself shortly before dawn, meeting up with Mars at about 6 degrees. Yet there is more to see: with the star Spica, the two celestial bodies will create a triangle. Closer to the horizon, you will also be able to see Jupiter. It will appear, as if all four form an arrow pointing towards the horizon.
14 Dec – Geminids
If the night sky is clear, look to the south to see the Geminid meteor shower, originating from the constellation Gemini. More precisely, the point of origination will be roughly two degrees above the star Pollux. Between 9 PM and 6 AM is the best time for viewing the Geminids, with roughly 120 meteors per hour . making it one of the most active meteor showers. Unfortunately, the full Moon will create some competition as it rises, but the event should nevertheless not be missed!
21 Dec – Winter Solstice
Every year on the 21st of 22nd of December, we get to experience the shortest day and longest night of the year. This year on the 21st, Winter officially begins and the Sun will set early. The night will last about 12 hours – a dream for every hobby astronomer, who wants to observe for long periods.
31 Dec – The Lunar Occultation of Aldebaran
In the night of the 30th to the 31st, the Moon will occult the star Aldebaran, which is the most prominent star of the Taurus and belongs to the brightest stars in our night sky. Such an occultation of a bright star is quite an experience. Almost completely full, the Moon will approach Aldebaran on its dark and interesting side. The star will disappear sometime around 2 AM and reappear around 30 minutes later on the opposite side.
01 Jan – Mercury at Its Greatest Western Elongation
Mercury orbits so fast and so close to the Sun, that we cannot see it all the time. Yet, today the planet will be at a distance of 22 degrees from the Sun. During dawn, Mercury will appear around 6:30 AM in the south-eastern sky. As the sky brightens, however, you will quickly lose sight of the planet. Luckily, Mercury is quite bright, so you will be able to see it at even 7:30 AM. In case it is overcast or you are sleeping off ringing in the New Year, you will still be able to see Mercury until the 10th of January.
03 Jan – Quadrantids
The next meteor show is already upon us: the Quadrantids. This meteor show will originate from the constellation Boötes and will rain down a maximum of 120 meteors per hour. You will have the best seats for the show if you happen to be out from the 2nd to the 3rd of January.
07 Jan – Mars Meets Jupiter
On the morning of the 7th, Mars and Jupitar will have tea and crumpets. In the middle of the constellation Libra, both planets will be illuminated at a distance of 12 arc-minutes from one another, which is about a third of the Moon’s diameter. You will be able to use your telescope to view both planets in one go!
11 Jan – The Meeting of the Moon, Mars and Jupiter
A few days later in the same region, Mars and Jupiter will create some more space. Yet, on this particular morning, the Moon plays a role. The thin sickle will shine about 3 degrees above the two planets. Even if you have to dress warm to see it, the sight will melt any ice in the vicinity.
13 Jan – Mercury Meets Saturn
Mercury will give us one more chance, before exiting the stage. Yet, this morning, the fastest planet will be visible with the gas giant Saturn. Shortly before sunrise, the two will appear just above the horizon in the south east.
31 Jan – Ceres in Opposition
Ceres is one of the most well known dwarf planets of the solar system with a diameter of 963 kilometers. It orbits, with the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, the Sun every 5 years. On the 31st January, Ceres will come into opposition to the Sun and you can observe it at its greatest brightness. With a bright 6.9 size class, it will move from the head of Leo between the constellations Lynx and Cancer. You can use a telescope or a large set of binoculars to find dwarf planet. More exact details can be found here:
01 Feb – The Moon Meets Regulus and Mars meets Acrab
If you like to observe during the morning hours, then there is something for you on the 1st of February. At about 4 AM, the pinzers of Skorpio will rise in the south east. Yet, there is more: Mars. The red planet will push past the star Acrab at a distance of around 18″.
Moreover, the following evening, the Moon will be about 7 arc-minutes away from Regulus, the most prominent star of the constellation Leo. The time for the meeting is quite good: around 7 PM, European Central Time, the Moon will be closest.
08 Feb – The Moon Occults γ Lib
This occultation may not be observed by so many star gazers, since it will take place in dawn, when most are still laying in a warm bed. That makes the occultation of the star γ Lib by the Moon, within the constellation Libra, quite a seldom seen event. The Moon will be illuminated at around 45% and be edging ever closer to the star with its bright side. Around 4:20 AM, the star will disappear behind the Moon and reappear at around 5:30 AM on the un-illuminated side of the Moon.
11 Feb – A Lunar Meeting with Saturn
The Moon seems to enjoy visiting our planets. On the 11th of February, our satellite will meet with Saturn. Such meetings are always an amazing sight and a great opportunity for a great photo with a standing camera and lens. The Moon will be visible about 3.5 degrees higher in the sky, and as a result easier to spot. Around 5 AM, Saturn will peer over the horizon. It is not really the best time for the ringed planet however, as it will only appear in the second half of the night for next few months. As early Summer sets upon us, the planet will appear at more comfortable times. In June, it will even stand in opposition.
21 Feb – The Moon Occults μ Cet
An occultation at dusk: around 6:20 PM, the Moon will occult the star μ Cet in the constellation Cetus. After a good hour, at around 7:15, the star will reappear on the other side. This time the Moon will approach the star with its un-illuminated side. During observation, you will notice the star disappear so suddenly, as if someone just pinched its flame like that of a candle.
23 Feb – The Moon Occults Aldebaran
A highlight on this day is the lunar occultation of Aldebaran. As in last December, you should not miss this event, because such occultations are quite seldom and this will be the last occultation of Aldebaran for years to come.
The Moon will inch towards the star with its un-illuminated side. For many, it is quite a surprise when the star suddenly disappears, despite it being expected. At around 5:50 PM, Aldebaran will disappear and at 6:50 PM reappear. For amateurs, it will be interesting to following the occultation to the minute. With a Touptek Camera and software from SharpCap 2.7 will both be helpful in such a scenario.
Enjoy stargazing and clear skies from the team at Astroshop.
Improved version of the CL Companion by Swarovski Optik
December 1 2017, Stefan Rieger
Swarovski Optik has revised the CL Companion. The ergonomics in particular have been improved.
The eyepiece cup has been enlarged and, therefore, fits better on the eye. This means that the eye is automatically guided to the image. Handling was improved further by moving the connecting bridge upwards towards the eyepiece. This means that the hand can hold the binoculars better. The focus button is easier to reach. The dioptre compensation has now been integrated into the central wheel. This reduces the risk of unintentional adjustment. The weight has also been reduced further. Compared to its predecessor, the 10×30 has been made 15 grams lighter.
The revised CL now uses the FieldPro carry strap connector. The risk of the carry strap getting twisted has now been considerably reduced. The CL companion now comes in anthracite or green and as a 8×30 or 10×30 version.
Swarovski has recognised the trend towards customisation and now offers a series of binoculars with three different bags and carry straps. The classic dark green bag with black carry strap bears the wording “WILD NATURE”.
For those who want something a little more modern, chose the binoculars in connection with the “URBAN JUNGLE” accessory pack, a light green bag with a grey carry strap.
The “NORTHERN LIGHTS” set has been designed for the tradition conscious. You will receive a grey felt bag with black leather appliqués and a grey felt carry strap.
All versions can be delivered from mid-November. The best thing to do is order your favourite combination now!
The Apochromat VSD 100 by Vixen is now on special offer!
November 10 2017, Stefan Taube
We offer the apochromatic refractor VSD 100 by Vixen at the special prices of €5,399. You save € 600 compared with the recommended retail price! This offer ends on the 31st December 2017. Order now!
The Apochromat VSD 100 is a dream for astrophotographers: With an aperture ratio of f/3.8 it is very fast. That means you only need a relatively short exposure time. That not only means that it can capture more detail in dim objects during your observation night, but that you can do without guiding and get by with a lighter mount. With the Reducer for the VSD 100 you can even obtain an aperture ratio of f/3!
The optical system of the VSD 100 comprising five lenses ensures an even field of view and reduces chromatic aberrations. That provides a sharp image right up to the edge – even with a relatively wide aperture of 100 mm!
This example shot taken on 09.01.2016 shows the comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina).
To achieve a field of view that is sufficiently large, the Reducer is mounted on the VSD 100. 25 shots with an exposure of 30 seconds each were taken with a DSLR camera and added to this overall image. Thanks to the short exposure time, neither autoguiding nor an especially precise alignment were necessary.
New from Omegon: RC Telescopes for Better Astrophotos
November 10 2017, Marcus Schenk
Are you an astrophotographer? Are you looking for an instrument for taking perfect astrophotos? In this case, you most likely may have reached the end of your search. Because there is something for you: the new Omegon RC telescopes.
The Dream Telescope for Any Astro-photographer
Almost all professional observatories use RC telescopes. Coincidence? Probably not. They produce a coma-free field of view by means of two hyperbolic mirrors. When it pans the field of view through an area full of stars, these remain sharp and round, right to the edge of the field of view. Another advantage: the large usable field of view. It is considerably bigger than any other system, like e.g. Cassegrain or Dall-Kirkham. This provides you as an astro-photographer with a higher level of freedom! Take photos even without a corrector with an APS-C sensor.
The reason for enthusiasm: These images were taken by our colleague Carlos with Omegon RC telescopes:
Advantages of the Omegon RC telescopes:
- Hyperbolic mirrors: extremely sharp images, large field of view without correctors
- Mirrors made of quartz (8″ and bigger): for stable focus and sharp image, no refocusing required
- Available as full tube up to 6″-10″ or as truss tube from 12″-16″ aperture
- High reflection: 92-94% dielectric mirror coating for bright, high-contrast observations and astro-photography
- Quick cooling-off time due to the open design
- High capacity electric fan (8″ and higher): minimizes tube seeing and accelerates optical cooling
- With 2″ or 3″ eyepiece holder, depending on model
The new Omegon telescopes are the right choice for any amateur astronomer: Choose from six different instruments with apertures ranging from 6″ to 16″.
The full tubes of the RC telescopes are available with 6″, 8″ or 10″. With a Vixen style and 3″ Losmandy rail to match your mount. At the top, the tube offers ample space for other accessories, like a guiding system.
The RC truss telescopes with sizes of 12″, 14″ and 16″ are perfectly suitable for a stationary observatory.
Until recently, RC telescopes were very expensive for amateur astronomers. Now let your dream come true: a reasonably priced “professional telescope” for your own mobile or stationary observatory.
Interested? Click here to find the professional telescope for your own observatory. Or ask for a personal consultation on the phone.
By the way: If you are thinking about an own observatory with an RC telescope – why not have a look at our observatory domes. You are planning on a big scale? On request, we will organize the complete construction and accompany your project right to handing over the key.