Smart Telescope comparison - what are they and which one is right for you

Celestron StarSense Explorer Dobsonians in stock - the "gentle giants" of the telescope world go high-tech 

The Perfect Astro Present for Mother's Day - BINTEL Gift Cards

Capturing the Milky Way - Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi mount and DSLR camera mounts

BINTEL Online Astro Calculator upgrade - new features and added gear

 SpaceX  - Starship grounded for the time being

Saturn is starting to become more visible in early morning sky. Andy Casely posted to the BINTEL Society Facebook Group his image of the ringed planet taken from the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.  A Celestron C14 and a ZWO ASI290MM camera were used. 

Which Smart Telescope? -We sell all of them, so here's some thoughts from BINTEL

There are now several different types of Smart Telescopes available, and more are on the way.  BINTEL carries all major bands. 

We've sold hundreds of these gizmos since 2021 and with knowledge of them all, BINTEL can give you independent, unbiased advice and our opinions as to which is the best one for you. 

The rise of Smart Telescopes over the last couple of years has certainly meant it's never been easier for beginners to get into astronomy and seasoned experts have a wide range of option for a powerful "grab 'n go" telescopes for a relaxed evening out under the stars.

The entire Smart Telescope category is an exciting and ongoing development in Astronomy.  You can always check up on BINTEL's Smart Telescope range here.

Celestron StarSense Explorer Dobsonians - BIG Telescopes with high-tech navigation 

Dobsonian Telescopes or "Dobs" as they're affectionately known have been popular with astronomers for decades. These are Newtonian reflector telescopes on simple, easy to use but solid mounts. They offer the largest size or "aperture" for your money compared to any other type of telescope. 

They're ideal for the visual exploration of the Moon, Solar System planets including the Saturn and Jupiter and for observing deep-sky objects in the Milky Way and beyond. 

Celestron have updated these Gentle Giants of the telescope world with their popular StarSense Explorer navigation technology. Clip your phone on to the special cradle on the telescope and run the Celestron app, and you'll be shown where to point to your telescope to view objects in its extensive database. It's like the navigation system in your car, except instead of taking you from one suburb to another, it takes you across the Universe.

BINTEL has both the 8" and 10" size Celestron StarSense Explorer Dobs in stock. Pop into our store to see them in person or check them out online.

Getting ready for Milky Way season - Sky-Watcher GTi mount bundle in stock now

Image by Cory Keating – Nikon D5100 and Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer mount

It's that time of the year again - the coming cooler winter months in Australia and New Zealand means spectacular views of the middle of our Milky Way galaxy directly overhead. 

Can I photography the star clouds in the Milky Way?

We'll be covering capturing the Milky Way in more detail in the next few issues, but the easiest is with a DSRL camera and a tracking mount. Even the most basic DSLR cameras are capable of revealing colours and details that are just beyond your eyes with a combination of a long exposure and a tracking mount. 

The Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi mount is perfect for a DSLR star tracker. It's also a full GOTO mount for visual observing or astrophotography with a small telescope. 

This $1,149 portable mount and tripod bundle can carry up to 5kg, is controlled over Wi-Fi via an app. We're seeing excellent results from several of our customers who are taking astro photos with it. 

Special note - you'll need the yellow BINTEL DSRL to dovetail bar seen in this photo if you want to attach your DSRL to this mount.  

Mother's Day Competition winner - Congrats to Steve Jones from NSW

Thanks to everyone who entered last week's Nikon binocular giveaway competition. We wish we had a pair to giveaway to all who did.

We had stories of viewing landscapes and wildlife everywhere from the frozen north to Antarctica, with sprinkling of sports events and concerts. 

In the end, Steve won us over with his tale of exploring Africa, its wildlife, and the wide range of cultures. Enjoy your Nikon binoculars - they're on way to you!

Don't forget we still have these and other Nikon binoculars on special at BINTEL until Mother's Day.

Give the Gift of Space for Mother's Day - BINTEL Giftcards

Not sure what to get for this Mother's Day?

A BINTEL Gift Card can be purchased online at any time and delivered electronically on Mother's Day for that special Space Mum in your life.

Click on the link below to find out more.

One only "Open Box" Celestron 4SE - $750

We have *one* open box Celestron 4SE available for just $750. This is brand new with full warranty - it's simply missing its original outer box. Pop in to the BINTEL store or call us on 02 9518 7255. This is not going to last long!

The BINTEL Astronomy Calc and Simulator just got better - Additional gear and visual limits added

The popular BINTEL Astronomy Calculator and Simulator has just received a big update.  This online tool lets you see how various telescope, eyepiece and camera combinations perform together. Improvements include:

• Large numbers of new astro equipment added
• Visual Magnitude limit  - how faint an object a particular telescope can see
• "Random" equipment selector. Fun and informative way to experiment with various combinations of astro gear. 

We have astronomers in over 50 countries using the BINTEL calculator! There's no need to sign up or any other form of registration. It's completely free. Visit it via the link below.

Annals of the Deep Sky Annals vol 9 released - Perfect for the Southern Skies!

The latest volume of the Annals of the Deep Sky has finally been announced! It's a been long wait. It's perfect for Southern Hemisphere Observers as it focuses on The Magellanic Clouds, the two largest satellite galaxies of our Milky Way.  

We're expecting them to arrive at BINTEL in the coming weeks. 

In the sky this weekend - Eta Aquarids  meteor shower

The Earth is passing through the debris trail left behind by Comet Halley, which last ventured into the inner Solar System back in 1986. We do this twice a year - the next time will in October.

Where the meteor shower will centre around

Meteor showers are bit of a hit and miss event. They get lots of attention from the media as they certainly can be spectacular but are sometimes not so great! This event is complicated as there's a near Full Moon in the sky at the time.  It might still be worth checking out.

SpaceX Starship make an impression - Grounded for the time being by the FAA

Not only did SpaceX's Starship make a spectacular scene as it launched from Boca Chica, Texas but the heaviest object ever flown by humans also caused massive damage to its launch pad and surrounding areas.

For now, Starship has been grounded by the authorities. Elon Musk has said the next flights will be in "a few months".  We'll be keeping a keen eye on the next flight. It's likely to be amazing no matter what happens.

Next time..we've been talking about Smart Telescopes, but what's a Smart Microscope?