New Product Showcase
40 AUSTRALIAN SKY & TELESCOPE APRIL 2016
OBSERVATORY GUIDEAuthor John Stephen Hicks has updated his seminal bookBuilding
a Roll-Off Roof or Dome Observatory; A Complete Guide for Design and Construction,Second
Edition(paperback and eBook). Hicks discusses each aspect of backyard observatory design
andconstructiontohelpyoudecidewhichtypesuitsyourneedsbest.Important
considerations including structural variations, placement, and zoning and bylaw requirement
common to most locations are discussed at length. Step-by-step directions and detailed
diagrams are included for each phase of construction.248 pages, ISBN 978-1-4939-3010-4.
Springer | springer.com/skyNew 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.
◀ OPTIMUS EYEPIECES Stellarvue
introduces a line of ultra-wide-field
eyepieces. The Stellarvue Optimus
series eyepieces feature an immersive
100 °or 110° apparent field of view with
15 mm of eye relief. Each eyepiece
uses eight or more fully multi-coated
elements with a black baffled interior to
produce views free from reflections and
ghosting. The outer lenses are sealed to
prevent fogging under normal viewing
conditions. Each eyepiece includes
rubber grips and eyecups. Available
in focal lengths of 3.6, 4.7, and 9 mm
in 1¼-inch format with an included
1¼-to-2-inch adapter, and a 20-mm,
2-inch design.▶COOLED VIDEO ZW Optical introduces a
newseriesoflow-noisecooledcameras.TheASI
224MC-Cool features the highly sensitive IMX224 colour
CMOS detector with a 1,304-by-976 array of 3.75-micron
pixels. This USB-3.0 camera is capable of recording up
to 150 frames per second at full resolution, and it can
be cooled to 40°C below ambient. Additionally, the
camera can operate in 12-bit format and function as
an autoguider for your deep sky imaging needs with
its built-in ST-4 autoguider port. The camera comes
complete with a USB-3.0 cable, AC power supply,
1¼-inch nosepiece adapter, and CD with camera drivers
and control software.