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ScopeTrader August 2024Welcome to the August issue of ScopeTrader!Our featured article, "How Narrow is Too Narrow?" by Jim Thompson, is a must-read for anyone involved in narrowband imaging. Dive deep into the world of narrowband filters with this invaluable piece. In the telescopes section, we cover the Vaonis Singularity app updates, plus the new Kson Olympus AS102 ED APO refractor from Astro Dog. Meanwhile, we got the scoop on Meade and Orion closing, and also the Askar SQA55 Quintuplet Astrograph. For astrophotography enthusiasts, be amazed by the SH2-91 mosaic inside, featuring over 50 hours of data, and explore the stunning colors of the moon. Camera aficionados will be excited to hear about the ASIAIR Plus 256G from ZWO, offering new possibilities for your setup. In finder scopes, the PiFinder update brings peculiar galaxies into sharper focus. On the software front, SkyWave AI has updated its telescope collimation software, and the Luminos Pro app now supports Stellarium landscapes. In mounts, discover the differences of the AM5N mount and why it's a worthwhile investment. The Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi, UMi 17R, and Ragdoll harmonic mounts from Proxisky are now available, along with the Losmandy AZ8 ALT AZ Mount. Binocular enthusiasts can now preorder the Analog Sky Heart binocular kit and video course. For those interested in smart telescopes, the Vaonis Vespera II smart telescope upgrades and reviews are in. In eyepieces, the nPAE Flip Turret allows you to use your telescope seamlessly for both visual and astrophotography. Finally, the EZT Astro MAF-1 wireless auto focuser is now available. Get more issues of ScopeTrader
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Astronomy Picture of the Day
2026-04-07
IC 4592: The Blue Horsehead Reflection Nebula
Image Credit: Rabeea Alkuwari
Do you see the horse's head? What you are seeing is not the famous Horsehead nebula toward Orion, but rather a fainter nebula that only takes on a familiar form with deeper imaging. The main part of the here-imaged molecular cloud complex is reflection nebula IC 4592. Reflection nebulas are made up of very fine dust that normally appears dark but can look quite blue when reflecting the visible light of energetic nearby stars. In this case, the source of much of the reflected light is a star at the eye of the horse. That star is part of Nu Scorpii, one of the brighter star systems toward the constellation of the Scorpion (Scorpius). A second reflection nebula dubbed IC 4601 is visible surrounding two stars just below the image center. The featured picture was taken from Sawda Natheel in Qatar. Jigsaw Nebula: Astronomy Puzzle of the Day
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