NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE
skyandtelescope.org • JUNE 2020 71
uIMAGING PACKAGE
Software Bisque announces a new software package for advanced astrophotog-
raphers. TheSky Imaging ($595) includes the professional edition of the company’s
powerful planetarium program TheSky complete with integrated camera control
that operates most astronomical cameras, focusers, and fi lter-wheels on the market
today. The program communicates with your equipment using the ASCOM-standard
interface, as well as the company’s own platform-independent X2 protocol. The
suite also includes TPoint software, which models all the misalignments and fl exure
in your setup, ensuring accurate and reliable targeting across the entire sky. TheSky
Imaging is compatible with Windows, MacOS, and Linux operating systems.
Software Bisque
862 Brickyard Circle, Golden, CO 80403-8058
303-278-4478; bisque.comtENHANCED OBSERVING
Explore Scientifi c now provides a complete observing package with its
FirstLight 203mm Newtonian with EXOS2GT GoTo Mount ($1,099.99). This
8-inch f/4.9 Newtonian refl ector features a sturdy 2½-inch Hexagonal rack-
and-pinion focuser with extended travel to ensure that most any eyepiece
can come to focus. Its EXOS2GT German equatorial Go To mount uses
belt-driven stepper motors to yield smooth tracking of celestial objects.
The StarTracker hand paddle includes 1-, 2-, and 3-star alignment routines
and an internal database of more than 270,000 objects powered by eight D
batteries. The telescope comes with 2-inch and 1¼-inch eyepiece adapters,
a 25-mm 1¼ -inch Plössl eyepiece, a red-dot fi nder, a universal smartphone
camera adapter, and two 11-pound counterweights. See our review of the
Dobsonian-mounted version of this telescope on page 30.
Explore Scientifi c
1010 S. 48th St., Springdale, AR 72762
866-252-3811; explorescientifi c.comtCAMERA TRACKER
Orion Telescopes & Binoculars now produces a compact camera tracker for nightscape
photography. The Orion StarShoot Compact Astro Tracker ($279.99) is a palm-sized,
lightweight-tracking module housing a DC servo motor that accurately follows the night
sky at several speeds, including sidereal, 0.5× sidereal, solar, and lunar rates, to produce
round stars in exposures up to several minutes long. The tracker attaches to your tripod via
a^3 / 8 thread and supports a payload of up to 6.6 Ibs. The unit is controlled through WiFi by
the free Tracker Console iOS or Android smart device app and can take long-exposure and
time-lapse image series. The StarShoot Compact Astro Tracker is powered by two AA bat-
teries and includes an illuminated polar-alignment scope, a Vixen-style mounting plate with
a^3 / 8 tripod mounting post, and a panoramic ball-head camera mount. Additional accesso-
ries, including SNAP shutter-release cables for several digital camera models, are available.
Orion Telescopes & Binoculars
89 Hangar Way; Watsonville, CA 95076
831-763-7000; telescope.comNew Product Showcase is a reader service featuring innovative equipment and software of interest to amateur astronomers. The descriptions are based largely on
information supplied by the manufacturers or distributors. Sky & Telescope assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of vendors’ statements. For further information
contact the manufacturer or distributor. Announcements should be sent to [email protected]. Not all announcements can be listed.