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Milky Way Season is Here Again!
Milky Way over Barrenjoey Lighthouse. By Luke Vadekar using a Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer
The perfect time to view & photograph our galactic home, the Milky Way.
Winter months brings the rich, middle of the Milky Way overhead throughout the night.
Did you know we live way out the galactic suburbs?
The Earth is located in a spiral arm, about two thirds of the way from the centre of the Milky Way. During the summer months in Australia, we face towards the outer parts of this spiral arm. In the long winter months, we face towards the bright centre of the Milky Way.
Under dark skies you'll see pale, ghostly patches studded with stars that stretches from horizon to horizon. It appears spectacular, but intricate details and beautiful colours are just beyond the reach of our eyes, easily captured by a DSLR camera in as little as a thirty second exposure.
It's probably the best time of the year to start astrophotography.
All you need is a DSLR camera and a star tracker mount. This lets your camera follow the night sky as it moves above us for clear, sharp images.
Breaking News: Just as were about to send this newsletter out, The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) team released the first ever image of the super massive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way. Read more via the link below.
Start taking astrophotos with the
Star Adventurer 2i - now from $399
If you already have DSLR camera, lens and tripod, and want to start taking astro photos, BINTEL suggests the famous Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i reduced from $599 to $399.
With the Star Adventurer 2i, almost any modern DSLR camera from Canon, Nikon, Sony and others, including those bundled with introductory lens kits will produce portraits of the Milky Way you'll be proud of.
If you're a photographer, you'll already know how challenging and rewarding capturing nature and the landscapes can be. The Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer lets you expand your art to the night sky above us.
BINTEL can help with additional accessories as well as general advice to get started in your astro imaging journey.
iOptron SkyGuider Pro from $799
The iOptron SkyTracker and SkyGuider Pro are great choices for astrophotographers who are serious about their night sky images.
iOptron SkyGuider Pro shown with optional camera and tripod
iOptron star tracker mounts are rugged, compact with a high carrying capacity. This means they can take larger lenses or even small telescopes connected to your DSLR camera. They're also perfect travelling companions for trips to dark-sky locations. Built-in batteries and optional alignment accessories mean you'll spend less time getting set up and more time capturing photons from light years away. There are several combinations of iOptron mounts and accessories and BINTEL can help you select the right one for you.
The Milky Way using a Polaris remote control mount
Introducing Polaris from Benro
Rapid changes in technology will see astronomy and astrophotography radically change in the next few years.
Here’s another glimpse into the future that BINTEL is proud to present.
Arriving in August is the astro version of the Benro Polaris mount.
We've been pondering at BINTEL HQ whether Milky Way, nightscape and landscape panorama photographers have just had their "Tesla Moment".
The Polaris is a high precision, 3 axis mount for DSLR cameras. At 7kg, it has the largest carrying capacity of any star tracker, yet is lightweight and portable. It's unassuming to look at, however the possibilities the Polaris offers are quite amazing.
Benro Polaris with optional tripod and DSLR camera
The Polaris' entire operation is controlled by a sophisticated and evolving Apple iOS and Android app. It's looking like a great astrophotography tool, but built-in DSLR control means breathtaking timelapses for landscapes, sunrises and sunsets and even satellite tracking. It’s an artistic tool for both night and day photography.
Shooting the Sunrise with a Polaris
Full image capture and creative control of DSRL cameras, not just Wi-Fi but over the mobile phone network opens up remote imaging possibilities. It's even IPX6 water and dustproof.
There's a lot more to the Benro Polaris - drop us a message to find out more.
First units of the Polaris are due in August. We were simply unable to bring enough stock into Australia of our other next generation astro product, the Stellina, to satisfy demand once we started selling it. We expect you'll need to be patient again once our first allocation of Polaris mounts are sold out.
AFTER DARK - 28 May
Barrenjoey High School
Star Gazing and Astro Talk with Fred Watson
BINTEL will be at an After Dark event on the 28th May organised by Dark Sky Traveller. Pop along, enjoy the night sky and have a chat. You might even win a Meade telescope we're giving away to a lucky astronomer. Book your tickets via the link below -
Next time....
Some new products are on the way. Stay tuned.
