http://www.skyandtelescope.com.au 41NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASEBIG SKY VIEWS X
One of the most popular planetarium apps for Apple
devices gets a big update. SkySafari 6 (starting at
US$2.99) once again expands the usefulness of this
popular app. Among its many new functions are a
‘Say It’ feature that incorporates basic voice control
to ind and centre objects, and ‘Tilt It’ that uses
your device’s accelerometers to slew your Go To
telescope. SkySafari 6 includes 29 million stars down
to 15th magnitude and the PGC catalogue including
784,000 galaxies to 18th magnitude. Each of the
stellar and deep sky object catalogues is expandable with in-app purchases.
Available in Basic, Plus and Pro versions, each requires a device running iOS
8 or later and includes support for the Apple Watch. The Plus and Pro versions
also incorporate Wi-Fi Go To telescope control and iCloud synchronisation. An
Android version is expected by mid-2018. See the manufacturer’s website for a
complete listing of features. simulationcurriculum.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. Australian Sky & Telescope assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of vendors’ statements. For further
information contact the manufacturer or distributor.SBIG PIERS
iOptron now offers piers for observatories. The Permanent Pier
is a 7^18 -inch diameter, ¼-inch-walled aluminum pier with an
8¼-inch-square top plate. Four side struts are welded between
the pier tube and the base plate to eliminate side lexure of
the tube assembly under heavy or off-centre loads. Each
Permanent Pier is capable of supporting loads of up to 163
kg and is available in three heights: 600-mm (23½-inches) for
US$448, 800-mm for US$478, and 900-mm costing US$498.
Custom heights and adapters are available by special order at
additional cost.
ioptron.comSBIG CAMERA
Finger Lakes Instrumentation has released the Kepler KL400
cooled sCMOS camera, suitable for astrophotography plus
scientiic research ields such as quantum imaging, hyper-
spectral imaging, orbital debris detection and super-resolution
microscopy. The 2k × 2k sensor has 11 × 11 micron pixels.
The back-illuminated version (US$16,995) offers 95%
quantum eficiency, 1.6e- read noise, deep sensor cooling
and fast (48 fps) frame rates, producing a camera capable of
capturing high-dynamic-range images in a single shot. A less-
expensive front-illuminated version is also available, while a
16.8-megapixel large format camera is soon to follow.
flicamera.com