Register below!
Radically new electronic telescopes (2025)
An introduction. Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, 7-8:30 PM, online
A revolution is underway in telescope design. New e-scopes can pluck beautiful images of astronomy objects from light polluted or overcast skies. How is this possible? They stay focused on an object and take hundreds of images over 2-10 minutes then electronically combine the best images into one combined photo, eliminating images that don’t meet the criteria. Result: a clear, sharp, and colorful photo of an object that may not be seen by eye or will appear as fuzzy or a smudge in regular telescopes.
E-scopes automatically map out the sky using computer software. Therefore they can exactly locate an object selected, out of thousands in its computer memory. A motor keeps the object in the center of the field of view during the time images are being taken and “stacked”. They track the moving sky.
The observer does not actually see an object’s light directly in an eyepiece lens as in standard telescopes. Instead a composite photo develops over time on a smart phone or computer screen. Some models have an eyepiece looking at a small display screen in the telescope. The resulting image is far superior in quality and resolution than is possible in large amateur telescopes.
Images from e-telescopes will be shown during this class.
Unistellar, Celestron’s Origin, and Seestar electronic telescopes.
Instructors:
Matthias Schmitt- Active AAA member and popular instructor. Now a US Park astronomy ranger in Utah and creator of a night sky “touring” company. Has 10 Unistellar e-scopes for use with his clients.
Arthur Kunhardt- Previously a NYC science teacher and coordinator of AAA’s observing site at Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn. Decades of observing, including at our Star Fests. Recently immersed himself with a Seestar e-scope which he reports on very favorably.
Unistellar, Schmitt Seestar, Kunhardt
Register here starting Feb. 6
Members $10, Non-members $20
NOTE: You’ll receive a registration confirmation containing a Zoom link. Save it. It will lead directly to the class which opens at 6:45 PM and starts at 7 PM on Feb. 27.
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Do you have relatives and friends that might want to know of this talk? Forward this or suggest they visit AAA.org/classes to consider it. They will thank you for doing so, as does the AAA for helping to support our events.
