equipment

Vaonis VESPERA smart telescope review

/ reviews, equipment

I was able to test the Vaonis VESPERA digital telescope. This is a lens telescope-astrograph in a single block form factor on a single-fork motorized alt-azimuth mount with GoTo system. Aperture – 50 mm, focal length – 200 mm (four-element apochromat-quadruplet), sensor – Sony IMX462 (color), built-in IR-UV cut-off filter.

Vaonis VESPERA
Vaonis VESPERA

SPECIFICATIONS

Weight 5 kg (11lbs)
Height 40cm (15 in)
Width 20 cm (8 in)
Depth 9 cm (3.5 in)
Battery life 4 hours
Aperture 50 mm
Focal length 200 mm
Resolution 1920 x 1080 (2MP)
Lens Apochromatic Quadruplet
Lens special features Extra low dispersion

S-FPL52 equivalent (ULD) with lanthanum glass
Focal ratio F/4
Image sensor Sony IMX462
Sensoz size 1/2.8″
File formats JPEG, TIFF, FITS
Fiel of view 1.6° x 0.9°
Mount Alt-azimutale
Focus Auto
Pointing Automated and Manual
Image Processing Adapted to each object

Real time imge stacking
Light pollution filter Optional
Dew control Optional
Field derotator Not included
Temperature/humidity sensor Not included
Battery type Integrated
Water Resistance IP43
Multi user mode Up to 5 users
Control Smartphone / Tablet
Application Deep-sky objects (galaxies, nebulae, star clusters), the sun & Moon
USB port Only Wifi

 

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Svbony SV231 Color Correction Filter 1.25″ review

/ svbony, reviews, equipment, filters

The Svbony company continues to delight astronomy lovers with a variety of accessories. I received an interesting filter for testing to  chromatism suppression – Svbony SV231 Color Correction Filter 1.25″.

Svbony SV231
Svbony SV231

Chromatism in an achromatic lens telescope is a aberration that appears as a blue or purple halo around bright objects (planets, moon, stars). Chromatism appears due to the inability of an achromatic telescope to bring all rays in the visible range into focus – usually only red and green rays are brought together. This is especially actual for fast (f5-f6) achromats. Some people, unknowingly, even consider these halos to be the “atmosphere” of stars or planets. In ED telescopes and apochromats, chromatism can be significantly reduced or even completely eliminated compared to conventional achromatic telescopes. However, the cost of ED refractors and apochromats is significantly higher than that of achromats. I would also like to add that people’s tolerance for chromaticism may vary. Some people don’t see chromatism at all, for others it doesn’t bother them, and for others it irritates them. In my opinion, an age factor may also play a role here, since with age the lens in the eye turns yellow and acts as a kind of light filter. Moreover, a person can get used to the yellow image, and thus not notice the chromatism. My left eye is a little yellowish. But children and teenagers are great at noticing chromatic halos thanks to the young transparent lens.

Characteristics declared by the manufacturer:
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How to use an optical pole finder?

/ equipment

The pole finder is an accessory for equatorial mounts that allows you to quickly set the mount’s polar axis. When the polar axis is precisely set, an equatorial mount allows you to track an object while rotating along only one axis (right ascension). If the polar axis is not set accurately, the object will gradually “drift” in the field of view and additional correction will be required along two axes at once. Accurate polar axis alignment is especially important for long exposure photography. There are various ways to set the polar axis (drift method, auto-targeting system, electronic pole finders, etc.), however, in my opinion, the optical pole finder is still a simple and fast option, especially for small mounts -trackers, and also if it is not possible to carry a laptop or microcomputer with you.
The optical pole finder is a small lens telescope that consists of a lens, an eyepiece and a special reticle located in the field diaphragm of the eyepiece. The pole finder is designed to simultaneously show Polaris and the reticle clearly in the eyepiece. To adjust the sharpness of the reticle, simply rotate the eyepiece around its axis. The pole finder can also be equipped with a reticle illumination. The image in the finder is upside down, this is normal and has already been taken into account.
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QHY5III462C camera review

/ astrophotography, reviews, equipment

I have been using specialized astronomical cameras for more than 10 years now and keep an eye on new matrices. During this time, sensors with small pixels, low noise and different diagonals appeared. One of the significant breakthroughs occurred in 2014 with the advent of the Sony IMX224 color sensor, which is characterized by very low read noise and high sensitivity to near-infrared radiation. Moreover, in the visible range, this sensor operates in color mode, and in the near-infrared range, color microfilters “leak” and at a wavelength of 850 nm or more, the matrix begins to operate in full monochrome mode.
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How to choose a Barlow lens?

/ equipment

A Barlow lens is an optical accessory that increases the focal length of a telescope. The Barlow lens is mounted on a focuser, visual back, or diagonal mirror. It can be used for both visual observations and astrophotography. The main photographic application is photographing planets, the Moon, the Sun, double stars, and in some cases, photographing small planetary nebulae.
A Barlow lens looks like a tube with glass in the front. It consists of a lens cell (lens in a metal frame), as well as a housing with a clamping screw.

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