A new comet is on the way - how to see it in Australia

Affordable Binoculars for Comet Viewing

Highlights from the BINTEL Astrophotography Competition 

Premium USA Refractor maker TEC now at BINTEL

The Sun is certainly getting more active! Michael Gray posted this image of our nearest star to the BINTEL Society Facebook group. Michael used a Coronado PST Solar Telescope and a ZWO ASI178MM camera.

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) - where to see it in Australia/NZ and some info on comets

You might have seen in the news or online that there's a comet heading this way.

(Image: Dan Bartlett via NASA)

From what we know so far, it will be a great sight in a small telescope or binoculars in our skies from early February.  We don't think this comet will be much to look at with just your eyes even from dark sky locations but we hope to be proved wrong. Click on the link below for our viewing guide that includes some background information on comets and where they come from.

(And yes, we're getting tired of type Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)...hopefully someone will assign it a funkier name soon. )

Binoculars for comet watching - Some affordable ways to start observing

Did you know binoculars are a terrific way to observe the night sky? The same binoculars you use for bird watching or nature viewing will let you see star clouds, nebula plus more and would be an ideal way to look at Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) as it heads into our southern skies in February. 

If you don't have binoculars, here's a couple that are quite affordable and in stock now at BINTEL.

Nikon Aculon A211 7×50 Binoculars offer bright, clear views at an attractive price. They include a carry case, neck strap and can be easily attached to a tripod using a low-cost adaptor. Perfect for bird watching or scenic viewing and would be a wonderful way to catch any comets wandering into our skies. 

Celestron Skymaster 12x60 are large binoculars well suited to land viewing over large distances as well as observing the night sky.  These popular binoculars can also easily attach to a standard tripod for steady viewing over longer periods.  Larger binoculars, like larger telescopes, collect more lighter for better views of astronomical objects including comets.

TEC - Premium Refractor Telescopes

BINTEL has been appointed the Australian and New Zealand dealer for premium telescope maker, Telescope Engineering Company, known as TEC.

TEC telescopes are made in the USA and feature oil spaced fluorite APO main lenses of exceptional quality. They have a reputation as being some of the best quality telescopes available today for their size for both visual observing and astrophotography. 

A TEC 140 shown on an AP mount with optional accessories. 

These telescopes are supplied on a pre-order basis, with wait times for delivery. If you are thinking about a high-end astro project that would benefit from one of these jewel-like telescopes, have a talk to BINTEL about TEC. 

Highlights from the latest BINTEL Astrophotography competition - Congrats to the winners

We received some spectacular images during our recent BINTEL Astrophotography competition. Here's a couple of the winning entries. 

Our junior section winner was a portrait of the Lagoon Nebula by Lachlan Wilson.  He used a ZWO ASI1600MM camera and narrowband filters to capture over 3 hours of exposure on this nebula along with a number of Bok Globules - dark patches of cold, condensing gasses where stars might form in the future. 

Gibraltar Falls, in the ACT, about 50km from Canberra, photographed on a moonless night after recent rains by Damir Maksan.  He used a Sony A7III camera with a Sony FE 14mm 1.8 lens, 14mm f1.8 20s at ISO3200.

In the Sky this week - Time to check out Mars near Taurus

The view from Sydney, around 10pm on the evening of the 7th of January 2023. 

Early January is a wonderful time to check our summer constellations like Orion. You should be able to spot the stars that make up Orion's Belt (or "the saucepan" as we see it upside down in the southern hemisphere.)  A pair of binoculars will show the whisper clouds of the Orion Nebula (M42) which is in the middle of the sword (or handle!).  

The red planet Mars will be close to the constellation of Taurus in the coming week. Mars makes good contrast with red star Aldebaran, the brightest star in Taurus.  As before, check out Stellarium on the Web for your own personal sky charts. 

Next time....more summer viewing and our full space and astronomy calendar of upcoming events for 2023.