The ZWO ASI294 MC Pro is a color cooled sensor CMOS based camera from CMOS astronomy camera specialist, ZWO. The ASI294 is one of many CMOS cameras in ZWO’s lineup which has been of excellent quality and produces great images. The ZWO ASI294 is one of the newest cameras from ZWO, however, this model uses … Read more
The ZWO ASI120MM Mini is one of the newest cameras from CMOS camera powerhouse ZWO. It is based on the company’s ASI1 20MM camera, an inexpensive yet extremely popular camera from ZWO, commonly used for guiding and planetary work which produces high-quality results. The ASI120mm Mini has some of the 120’s functionality removed but is … Read more
The ZWO ASI1600MM Pro camera is a cooled CMOS sensor based astronomy camera that entered the market in 2016 causing quite a storm. At the time only CCD cameras were thought to be adequate for astrophotography, butthe ASI1600 camera in its early revisions changed the minds of astrophotographers worldwide with stunning images not thought to … Read more
Orion’s UltraBlock UHC is an excellent light-pollution filter for those on a budget. However, before getting to this review I would like to take the time to explain what a UHC filter actually does with your telescope and what to expect – many beginners have unrealistic expectations or try to use filters on the wrong … Read more
Whether you are upgrading from the eyepieces that came with your new scope or you are an experienced telescope owner looking for a better experience, the Meade Series 5000 Ultra Wide family of eyepieces is worth a look. Some people also refer to these as Meade 82s which comes from their 82-degree apparent field of … Read more
Baader’s Hyperion line was introduced in the mid-2000s to provide quality, relatively inexpensive wide-field eyepieces that fit both 1.25” and 2” focusers without the use of adapters. The standard Baader Hyperions are available in seven focal lengths: 24mm, which uses a slightly different optical design than the other six 21mm 17mm 13mm 10mm 8mm 5mm … Read more
This will be a review and overview of the Meade Autostar and Audiostar systems. I will use the Autostar 497 hand control as the example but the features discussed are common to virtually all of the Autostar and Audiostar systems. The Autostar 497 handset is a computerized telescope control system introduced in the late 1990s … Read more
In this Celestron 1.25″ 8-24mm zoom eyepiece review, I’m going to share my experience of using the eyepiece for the past few years. The Celestron 8-24 zoom offers an excellent alternative to single focal length eyepieces that would typically cost between $25 and $75 each. Like a zoom lens on a camera, a telescope zoom eyepiece provides … Read more
This review is about my firsthand experience with the Explore Scientific 8.8 mm and 6.7 mm 82º eyepieces. I will outline why I purchased them and discuss the calculations used to determine magnification and field of view. Most of my comments about the 8.8 mm and 6.7mm ES 82ºs also apply to the other focal … Read more