Teaser email from Celestron for new product announcement on Monday

[Shimrod]

I would be hoping for a harmonic drive mount, but the picture would hint at a RASA (presumably 6" guessing by the focal length - although that doesn't tie up with the tag line of innovation. or something 'BIG'. Could they be pairing up the starsense/autoguider technology to be making a large Seestar/Dwarfstar equivalent?

Any thoughts as to what might be coming?

 

[Clarkey]

If it's something big, I can't afford it🤣

[mcrowle]

Intriguing!

I hope it's a new C11 that weighs 3kg, fits in carry-on luggage and has an automatic rain cover 😃.

Regards, Mike.

Edited January 5 by mcrowle
typo

[Shimrod]

2 minutes ago, mcrowle said:

Intriguing!

I hope it's a new C11 that weighs 3kg, fits in carry-on luggage and has an automatic rain cover 😃.

Regards, Mike.

I think that is going to be the new Takashashi Origami range. Choose the waxed paper option if you want water proofing.

[Astronomist]

Looking forwards to it! Hopefully it's a 99% off sale... 

[The Lazy Astronomer]

Ah another one of these announcements for an announcement... 

The picture may be a red herring, but I agree it looks like a rasa 6 of some form. Not sure if there's anything to be read into the inclusion of that camera in the image (looks different to anything in their current range) - maybe they want to try and take on ZWO??

[ONIKKINEN]

RASA 6 sounds like a decent idea to me, as long as the pricing detaches it well enough from the bigger 8" one.

Would be small enough to ride on most mounts i reckon, so might be a good budget light bucket with something like a 533. All guesswork until the announcement though.

[Nik271]

If it's a RASA 6 then the central obstuction will be kind of large, ZWO cameras have diameter 62mm, so at least 40% of 150mm, the cables sticking out will additionally take more valuable real estate. My bet is that it will be another robo-telescope.

[ONIKKINEN]

15 minutes ago, Nik271 said:

If it's a RASA 6 then the central obstuction will be kind of large, ZWO cameras have diameter 62mm, so at least 40% of 150mm, the cables sticking out will additionally take more valuable real estate. My bet is that it will be another robo-telescope.

Perhaps the camera in the teaser image is also a new product then? Maybe a smaller diameter cooled camera of some sort to play well with RASA/Hyperstar type scopes which Celestron kind of has a monopoly on, they could cash in big time with that move.

[Bugdozer]

My money's on a 4mm eyepiece. 

[Elp]

Oooo new stuff.

The what would be the secondary mirror flange in a normal SCT certainly looks the same as a RASA. Some sort of camera with thick cabling so likely feeds into a computer maybe? If it's a 6 colour me intrigued, but I already use a HS6... Maybe they should concentrate on fixing their 8 first and bring it back to market.

Think it might be like the Seestar, an auto capture scope (probably something like the asiair) but it won't be cheap.

Edited January 6 by Elp

[Fegato]

Yeah I reckon a smaller RASA with a built in camera (hopefully perfectly backspaced and aligned, avoiding all that faffing around with image train). 

[StevieDvd]

Hmm, it seems to show a focal length of 335mm so possible a smart telescope.

 

[Elp]

HS6 is around 307mm FL (C6 native is 1500mm) so looking like a Rasa 6 even though previously they said it was too small due to central obstruction of a camera.

[Fegato]

4 minutes ago, Elp said:

HS6 is around 307mm FL (C6 native is 1500mm) so looking like a Rasa 6 even though previously they said it was too small due to central obstruction of a camera.

yes, that's why I thought maybe they've designed their own built-in camera, width less than the ZWOs etc.

[Elp]

I'd like to hope the camera isnt built in, it'll give people more choice to buy the OTA only as per the whole RASA range currently.

[licho52]

Celestron branded camera and dew shield/cable management suggests upscale electronic scope.

[Elp]

Funny thing about the cable, that's actually not the right way to route it if you don't want star diffraction patterns in the image. Best method I've found is a near complete circle from the centre obstruction to the edge of the corrector plate.

Edited January 6 by Elp

[Elp]

It's been revealed, also see Rasa 6 thread:

https://www.celestron.com/products/celestron-origin-intelligent-home-observatory

 

[Chaz2b]

Ha! Have you seen the price! Keeping my dwarf II, that'll do for me.

Chaz

[GrumpiusMaximus]

A RASA on an Alt-Az mount strikes me as something of a contradiction.

[Elp]

It is, but you can capture very short exposures with it like 10-15s in RGB. If you're surrounded by LP you'll be lucky to be able to do 30s exposures if doing RGB as the sensor will saturate extremely quickly with LP signal, narrowband you can expose longer which is where EQ will make a benefit.

Edited January 9 by Elp

[ollypenrice]

4000 euros is a lot for a casual casual user to pay and I don't really see this as being of much interest to someone seriously interested. It seems to be an 'enthusiast' price for a sub-enthusiast product.

Olly

[steppenwolf]

Like several 'Smart Telescopes' before it, it is too much money - ZWO and Dwarf Lab may not be as potentially competent but they are so much more affordable for those wanting to dip a toe .....