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Sky Simulator for Ascom and Alpaca version 3.0.0 RC2 has been released

Friday, September 6, 2024 by Freeman Lightner

Sky Simulator for ASCOM and Alpaca is a software program designed to simulate an astronomical camera mounted on a computer-controlled telescope. The camera displays images of the night sky based on the telescope pointing-at position and is affected by exposure time and focuser position. The images can be created artificially or using the online deep sky survey. It si...

Astronomical observatory from 6th Century BC found in Egypt

Tuesday, September 3, 2024 by Richard Harris

In a recent archaeological breakthrough, researchers have uncovered an astronomical observatory in Egypt dating back to the 6th century BC. This discovery offers a fascinating glimpse into the ancient Egyptians' knowledge of the cosmos and their sophisticated understanding of celestial events. The observatory, buried for centuries, now reveals itself as a monumental...

ToupTek Astro AAF Astro Automatic Focuser

Monday, August 19, 2024 by Richard Harris

ToupTek Astro, recently announced the release of its latest product, the Automatic Astrophotography Focuser (AAF). This device aims to enhance the astrophotography experience by automating the focusing process, which is critical for capturing sharp, clear images of celestial objects. The AAF is designed to cater to both amateur and professional astrophotographers, offer...

SynScan Pro app update adds support for AZ-EQ mount

Friday, August 16, 2024 by Richard Harris

The SynScan Pro app, a popular tool among astronomers using Sky-Watcher mounts, has recently been updated, introducing new functionalities aimed at enhancing the user experience. This latest update is particularly notable for adding support for AZ-EQ mounts, a feature eagerly anticipated by the community. The app continues to cater to both novice and experienced users t...

Jailbreaking Seestar S50 or ASIAIR

Thursday, August 15, 2024 by Richard Harris

When considering advanced modifications to astronomy devices like the Seestar S50 or ASIAIR, one topic that often arises is the idea of jailbreaking. This process allows users to unlock the full potential of these devices by gaining access to their underlying operating systems. While the concept may seem appealing to those looking for greater control, it's important...

Beaverlab Finder TW2 AI telescope

Tuesday, August 13, 2024 by Russ Scritchfield

BeaverLab has announced the upcoming release of its latest product, the Finder TW2, an AI-powered telescope designed for astrophotography enthusiasts. The TW2 is designed to simplify the complexities of stargazing and astrophotography, combining advanced optics with integrated AI technology to deliver high-quality images and videos of celestial objects. Beaverlab Fin...

PiFinder version 3 coming soon

Friday, August 9, 2024 by Richard Harris

PiFinder recently announced the impending release of PiFinder Version 3, which promises to deliver significant hardware and software upgrades. This announcement follows a brief period during which assembled PiFinders have been out of stock on PiFinder.io, a move that marks the initial phase of the release process. PiFinder version 3 upcoming release announc...

PrimaLuceLab PLAY software update

Thursday, August 8, 2024 by Freeman Lightner

PrimaLuceLab has announced the release of update 1.9.2 for its PLAY astrophotography software, introducing significant enhancements to the Sequencer feature. This update aims to streamline the process of astrophotography image acquisition, making it more efficient and user-friendly for both novice and experienced astronomers. The newly updated Sequencer not only...

Remotely controlling SkyWatcher mounts with PLAY

Tuesday, August 6, 2024 by Richard Harris

PrimaLuceLab has recently released a comprehensive guide on how to remotely control SkyWatcher equatorial or alt-azimuth (alt-azi) mounts using their PLAY astrophotography software. This detailed tutorial is designed to assist astrophotographers in connecting their SkyWatcher mounts to a Windows computer, enhancing their remote control capabilities through the use of AS...

Telescope control system installed at Vatican Telescope in Arizona

Sunday, August 4, 2024 by Richard Harris

The Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT), located on Mt. Graham in Arizona (USA), has been outfitted with a new automated control system. The system was built by ProjectSoft HK, an engineering firm in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. The installation of the system was concluded on June 3, 2024-on-time and on budget. The conclusion of installation marked the begin...

ScopeTrader August 2024 astronomy magazine is here

Friday, August 2, 2024 by Richard Harris

Welcome to the August issue of ScopeTrader! We are thrilled to bring you a collection of the latest news, updates, and reviews from the world of astronomy. This month, we have an exciting array of topics that will captivate every astronomy enthusiast. From groundbreaking articles and cutting-edge equipment releases to software updates and fascinating astrophotography...

iOptron HAE43C and HAE43EC upgraded models

Friday, August 2, 2024 by Richard Harris

The iOptron HAE43C and HAE43C EC mounts represent a significant advancement in the field of astronomical equipment, embodying the latest innovations in strain wave gear technology. These mounts are the newest members of iOptron's esteemed strain wave gear mount family, offering a combination of lightweight design, compactness, and substantial payload capacity. Speci...

Picastro image-sharing platform secures funding

Thursday, August 1, 2024 by Freeman Lightner

An innovative image-sharing platform designed specifically for astronomers and astrophotographers has been launched by Ayrshire entrepreneur Tom McCrorie, following a significant investment. Named Picastro, the platform is the brainchild of McCrorie, who has blended his passion for astrophotography with his expertise in creative design. After securing initial funding...

Exploring EAA astronomy with the Astrowlbox V2

Wednesday, July 31, 2024 by Freeman Lightner

The Astrowlbox V2 features a 4" touch screen and the Sony IMX462 sensor. It includes an ST4 guiding port, which is currently hardware-ready and will be fully functional with a future software update. This new version is three times faster than the previous model, V1, due to the upgraded Raspberry Pi5. The future commercial release will use the Sony IMX283 sensor, w...

EZT Astro MAF-1 wireless auto focuser

Monday, July 29, 2024 by Richard Harris

EZT Astro has introduced the MAF-1, an advanced automatic electronic motor focuser designed for astronomers seeking precision and convenience. The MAF-1 is equipped with cutting-edge features, including Bluetooth and WiFi capabilities, allowing for true remote control without the need for physical cables. This technology enhances the user experience by enabling seamless...

The colors of the moon

Thursday, July 25, 2024 by Alain Paillou

Even if the Moon appears essentially gray, we can distinguish fine nuances of color (mainly blue and orange; these colors are mostly due to metallic oxides present in silica beads) particularly on the seas. Bringing out the color of lunar soils is theoretically simple: increase the color saturation. In practice, it is relatively complex. The colors of the moon hel...

Whats in my image script for PixInsight

Wednesday, July 24, 2024 by Franklin Marek

The Whats in my image script for PixInsight aims to streamline the process of identifying celestial objects in images, integrating multiple search tools directly into PixInsight (PI). Previously, astrophotographers relied heavily on various platforms such as astrometry.net, Aladin, and Simbad to locate and identify objects in their images. Marek's new script co...

ImPPG image processing software releases beta version

Wednesday, July 17, 2024 by Freeman Lightner

ImPPG, a powerful image post-processing software, is designed to perform tasks such as Lucy-Richardson deconvolution, unsharp masking, brightness normalization, and tone curve adjustment. It is capable of applying predefined processing settings to multiple images using 32-bit floating-point arithmetic. The software supports various input formats, including FITS, BMP, JP...

PiFinder peculiar galaxies come through new update

Monday, July 15, 2024 by Russ Scritchfield

The latest update for PiFinder, version 1.11.2, is now available. This release addresses data issues discovered in the ARP catalog and includes several bug fixes. Users can download the prebuilt image for this version and find instructions for updating the software. This update ensures improved accuracy and usability for those exploring the ARP galaxies and other catalo...

ASIAIR Plus 256G lands from ZWO

Thursday, July 11, 2024 by Richard Harris

ZWO has launched the ASIAIR Plus 256G, a versatile astrophotography device with 256GB internal storage, four USB 3.0 ports, dual-band WiFi, and app-based control. It supports various cameras, including ZWO, Nikon, Canon, and Sony, making it a powerful tool for both amateur and professional astronomers. ZWO ASIAIR Plus 256G features Compact, sturdy aluminum desi...

DeepSkyStacker bug fixes released

Thursday, July 11, 2024 by Russ Scritchfield

The latest update to DeepSkyStacker introduces significant improvements, including support for new file formats, enhanced processing speed, and various bug fixes to optimize your astrophotography experience. Updates and bug fixes in the DeepSkyStacker 5.1.6 release Bug fix: The Image List dock widget was not always visible (e.g. after DSS was maximised and then...

Luminos Pro app adds support for stellarium landscapes

Thursday, July 4, 2024 by Richard Harris

If you are not familiar with the Luminos Pro app, it is an astronomy app that offers a wide range of features for both star gazing and 3D galaxy exploration. The app includes built-in databases and provides personalized recommendations based on the user's location. Luminos Pro app 11.1 update introduces Stellarium landscape support The Luminos Pro 11.1 up...

Vaonis Singularity app now includes dithering

Thursday, July 4, 2024 by Freeman Lightner

Vaonis has released the V2.27 software update for the Singularity app. This update, available as version 1.27.4 for Android and 1.27.5 for iOS, brings several enhancements. Notably, the update introduces the first version of dithering for the STELLINA telescope, significantly improving image quality. Additionally, it includes improvements in color uniformity and demosai...

Solar imaging cameras: Picking the right gear

Wednesday, July 3, 2024 by Jim Thompson

There are many different areas one can explore in the field of amateur astronomy. Although much of my time is spent on deep sky object observation via Electronically Assisted Astronomy (EAA), I also enjoy imaging solar system objects as it is something that I can easily do from my urban backyard. Of particular interest to me is solar imaging as our Sun presents a very i...

Telescope collimation software SkyWave AI updates

Tuesday, July 2, 2024 by Richard Harris

A new version of SKW 5.9 is now available, featuring options for astigmatism-balanced and sensor tilt in the collimator tool. To update to the new version of SKW, the current version must first be uninstalled using the Windows OS uninstall tool. Innovations Foresight releases updates to telescope collimation software: SKW (SkyWave), an AI-based wavefront se...

Dobsonian astrophotography with Benjamin Law

Tuesday, June 25, 2024 by Freeman Lightner

Benjamin Law, a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Toronto Centre, presented his trials and persistence in astrophotography using his 14" Dobsonian telescope. This detailed presentation, delivered at the Recreational Astronomy Night Program at the Ontario Science Centre, showcased his impressive work, particularly his captures of the International...

Snake Mt Observatory tour

Monday, June 24, 2024 by Richard Harris

Nico from Nebula Photos visited Dr. Michele Bayliss' observatory in Vermont, guided by Michele and her German Shepherd, Argos. Michele showed Nico around, beginning with the origins of her setup: a 16.5-inch Dobsonian telescope in a custom-built observatory on the third floor of her house. As Michele shared the evolution of her observatory facilities on her prope...

LuckyStackWorker automates solar image processing

Sunday, June 23, 2024 by Russ Scritchfield

LuckyStackWorker is a desktop application designed to streamline and expedite the post-processing of planetary, lunar, and solar image stacks produced by popular stacking software such as AutoStakkert. It enables rapid bulk post-processing of Solar System Object image stacks captured through the Lucky Imaging technique using a telescope and an astronomy camera. Typicall...

Choosing a forever telescope mount

Wednesday, June 19, 2024 by Richard Harris

We've all been there. You buy one mount, only to upgrade a few months or years later. Always in pursuit of better tracking, more precise GOTO, and carrying heavier payloads. It's a never-ending cycle of chasing the next best thing. But when should it stop? When do you just decide to give in and buy that "one mount" that you'll keep forever? Is ther...

Voyager 1 resumes sending science data from all four instruments

Sunday, June 16, 2024 by Richard Harris

NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft is once again conducting normal science operations after addressing a technical issue from November 2023. The team partially resolved the problem in April by initiating the return of engineering data, including health and status updates of the spacecraft. On May 19, the mission team sent a command to start returning science data. Two of t...

New electronic focuser option for Celestron and Meade SCTs arrive

Saturday, June 8, 2024 by Richard Harris

The WiFi-nFOCUS from Rigel Systems is a computerized motor focusing system designed for Celestron and Meade SCT telescopes. It can be operated from PCs, tablets, and smartphones using WiFi and is fully ASCOM compliant, ensuring compatibility with popular focus control programs. The system includes a temperature compensation feature with a dedicated sensor. Measuring ...

New collimator for reflecting telescopes from APM Telescopes

Thursday, June 6, 2024 by Richard Harris

APM Telescopes has launched the OCAL V3.0 Collimator, the OCAL V3.0 offers real-time adjustments and precise alignment capabilities. The OCAL V3.0's user-friendly interface makes collimation simple. The device is compact and lightweight, making it easy to transport and set up in various observing locations. OCAL V3.0 Max Collimator: The new&nb...

Astrophotography setups from $100 to $10000

Thursday, June 6, 2024 by Richard Harris

Nico Carver, also known as Nebula Photos on YouTube, has provided an in-depth look at various astrophotography setups in his video "Astrophotography from $100 to $10,000." He showcases a range of equipment from a DIY smartphone tracker to advanced setups with dedicated cameras and telescopes, discussing the pros and cons of each option. Emphasizing factors lik...

Southern Maine Astronomers 2024 event schedule

Tuesday, May 28, 2024 by Russ Scritchfield

For those living in or visiting Maine, Southern Maine Astronomers (SMA) have unveiled their highly anticipated 2024 Star Party schedule. These events welcome everyone, from beginners to seasoned astronomers. The SMA website also features schedules and information about astronomy events across Maine, including those held in recognized Dark Sky Sanctuaries, offering excep...

Lucky Imaging technique captures M51 in vivid detail

Sunday, May 19, 2024 by Robert Majewski

I decided to image Deep Sky objects with available software a number of years ago. However, I found a number of problems, like the autoguiding calibration code that failed to calibrate for various reasons, and guide stars were hard to find. So, I decided to write my own software for DSO image acquisition. The "Lucky Image" M51 image was taken with an 8...