Equipment Library

Currently there are 6 requests to borrow this.

The Celestron NexStar Evolution 6 includes integrated WiFi and can be controlled with your smartphone or tablet by connecting your device to NexStar Evolution’s built-in wireless network. A SkyAlign alignment procedure is built into the Celestron mobile app for setup of the "GoTo" mode that provides automatic slewing to a selected object. Use the planetarium interface to display a list of celestial objects currently visible based on your time and location. NexStar Evolution includes its own built-in battery and will operate for up to 10 hours on a single charge. Ergonomic handles help with setup. Manual clutches in both altitude and azimuth offer flexibility to manually point the telescope when powered off. The 6-inch NexStar Evolution tracking accuracy is accurate enough to get started in astroimaging by attaching your DSLR camera.

The telescope also includes a StarPointer finderscope, a 1.25” star diagonal, eyepieces, and an AC adapter.

Currently there are 2 requests to borrow this.

Large-aperture astronomical binoculars are intended for viewing star clusters, nebula, and galaxies. 10x magnification will provide good wide field views of larger deep sky objects such as the Great Orion Nebula and the Pleiades star cluster. At a dark sky site it will provide good views of Milky Way star fields and larger objects such as the Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies (M31 and M33). 

Like any binoculars, the Resolux 10.5x70 will provide pleasing views of the moon.

The Orion Resolux binoculars feature BAK-4 prisms and anti-reflection multi-coatings on all optical surfaces. The eyepieces focus individually and provide 18mm or more of eye relief They.have a 5.0-degree field of view.

A binocular tripod mount is provided in the SAS loaner package, but these 10.5x70 Resolux binoculars are hand holdable for short viewing sessions, especially if you can relax in a reclining lounge chair (not provided) while stargazing..  

Currently there are 2 requests to borrow this.

The Orion StarBlast 4.5 EQ reflector telescope is suitable for beginner and intermediate astronomers. It comes with an equatorial tracking mount and adjustable-height tripod. Two eyepieces from the Orion Expanse series, which have a large 66 degree apparent field of view, are included. A 15mm Expanse eyepiece provides 30x power magnification, and a 6mm Expanse eyepiece provides 75x magnification.  An Orion EZ Finder II reflex sight is provided to aim the StarBlast 4.5 Equatorial Reflector Telescope anywhere in the night sky. The EZ Finder II projects a small red-dot onto a viewing window and the user must move the telescope until the red-dot is aimed at the intended area of the sky

Currently there are 2 requests to borrow this.

The ASI120MC-S is a color USB3.0 camera. primarily intended for planetary imaging, but it can be used for deep sky imaging with some limitations.

Currently there are 2 requests to borrow this.

Note: This equipment includes an equatorial mount that must be set up properly. For visual use, just point the polar axis of the mount approximately toward the  north.  

The StarMax 127 telescope is a Maksutov-Cassegrain design that folds a long focal length into a relatively short and easy to handle optical tube. The long focal length (1540mm) makes it easy to reach high magnification for observation of the moon and planets. The 127 mm aperature is large enough for nice views of brighter deep sky objects.  Includes an adjustable tripod and equatorial mount with manual slow-motion controls. The equatorial makes it easier to track the moon and planets at high magnification, but can be confusing for beginners. The Equipment Manager can provide advice on setting up and using an equatorial mount.

Note  This item is being serviced and it is not available for check out.

This Ultrastar camera is being combined with a new telescope and mount to make a complete astrophotography loaner package. It will be available soon.

The camera and the required cables are included in this loaner. he user must supply a telescope, tracking mount and computer. The Ultrastar is an advanced version of Starlight Xpress 'Superstar' guide camera and it has a similar resolution of 1392 x 1040 pixels. However, the CCD chip has 70% more area and the QE is considerably greater, at around 75% peak. It is useful as both a guide camera and an imaging camera, which is especially well suited to 'Live Viewing' mode. A program called 'Lodestar Live' is capable of controlling the Ultrastar in Live view. It can also color convert and stack images from single-shots.