Celestron RASA 8 in Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph Imaging Kit

Celestron RASA 8 in Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph Imaging Kit. even from a light-polluted backyard. Discover the fun and excitement of astroimaging the easy way with the acclaimed Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph (RASA) telescope and two indispensable imaging filters: the Light Pollution Filter and H?-H?-OIII Filter. Whether you're new to imaging or a seasoned pro you'll enjoy unparalleled convenience and stunning resultseven when photographing the most elusive deep-sky targets. RASA: Imaging at the Speed of Light At Celestron we love astroimaging. But we're well aware of the challenges our favorite hobby can sometimes involve: trekking long distances to dark skies precisely aligning and guiding an equatorial mount and capturing hours of very long exposures to gather enough photons to see the spiral arms and faint details of our favorite celestial objects. In a quest to solve all those challenges our engineers joined forces with storied optical designers Dave Rowe and Mark Ackermann to create RASA. While a traditional SCT telescope places the imaging sensor at the Cassegrain focus at the rear of the telescope RASA places the sensor at the prime focus at the front of the telescope. Instead of imaging at f/10 like you do with an 8in Schmidt-Cassegrain (SCT) RASA works at lightning speed f/225 times faster In 10 minutes with RASA your image is as bright as it would be in 4+ hours with an SCT (albeit with a wider field of view). When you image with a RASA 8 you can use much shorter exposure times. Add a sensitive camera and the proper "live stacking"; software and the 8in RASA can provide an almost real-time "observing" experienceeven from the city. View images on a computer in seconds that are brighter and more detailed than you'd see through a much bigger telescope with the naked eye. Or capture and stack lots of short exposures and process the data; you'll be stunned at the details you can bring out. What's more RASA's speed lessens the tracking demands on your mount. Youll be using shorter sub-exposures so you won't need to track accurately over extended periods. In many cases you won't even need to use an autoguider. And since RASA 8 weighs just 17 lb it pairs perfectly with a wide variety of mounts including the grab-and-go Advanced VX. Although RASA has revolutionized the world of astroimaging its influence goes far beyond astroimaging. Researchers and government agencies around the world have discovered that RASA is the ideal tool for detecting errant space junk and asteroids. Arrays of RASAs are deployed worldwide scanning the skies and protecting our satellites in orbit. Flat-field Performance Perfectly Paired with Today's Cameras The 8in RASA delivers a flat field without optical aberrations for razor-sharp stars across a wide field of view. It can capture detailed deep-sky astronomical images at a fraction of the cost of other slower and smaller telescope designs like refractors. The RASA 8in has many of the same thoughtfully designed features as its "big brother" RASA 11 including the integrated air-cooling system internal filter mount and sturdy CGE dovetail mounting bar. Purely designed for imaging the 8in RASA cannot be used visually. The focal plane is located at the front of the optical system so it cannot accommodate a traditional eyepiece. Unlike the 11in and 14in RASA which both work with DSLR and large astronomical cameras we designed the 8in model with color astronomical CMOS cameras smaller CCD cameras and mirrorless cameras in mind. (RASA 8 does not work with standard DSLR cameras.) It is optimized for sensors with up to a 22mm diagonal but performs well with sensors up to a 32mm diagonal. The APS-C sized sensors used in many mirrorless cameras are a good choice. Note that 42mm full-frame sensors can also work but performance diminishes at the edges of the sensor and field illumination is reduced. We don't recommend pairing RASA 8 with any camera body more than 4in in diameter. See the chart below to determine if your camera is compatible with RASA 8. Ultra-Stable Focus System With the launch of the 8in RASA Celestron unveiled a new focuser design that mitigates lateral movement of the primary mirror when focusing slewing or tracking with the astrograph. Precise focusing is easier and more stable than ever. The key to the Ultra-Stable Focus System is a precision linear ball bearing which we individually test during assembly to ensure optimal results. Along with the RASA 8in optical tube this kit also includes the H-alpha H-beta OIII Imaging Filter and the Light Pollution Imaging Filter. This kit maximizes your RASA 8" telescope's potential to capture stunning images under any sky conditions ensuring precise targeting of specific celestial objects and optimal light transmission. Light Pollution Imaging Filter - This broadband filter effectively blocks specific wavelengths of artificial light while allowing the desired wavelengths of light emitted by celestial objects to pass