Ezzy Pearson rounds up the latest astronomical accessories
1 Aurora borealis projector
Price £95 • Supplier Encalife • www.encalife.com
The Northern Lights are unpredictably elusive, but with this projector you can see them every night without having to leave your living room. The device projects a dancing pattern of colours and can be controlled using the remote or your smartphone.
2 Askar off-axis guider adaptor
Price £179 • Supplier 365 Astronomy • www.365astronomy.com
Fix your guider directly to the eyepiece so it has the same view as you or your astro camera, helping it create an accurate lock on the night sky. The adaptor has multiple threads, so it’s compatible with most accessories and cameras.
3 What we see in the stars journal
Price £11.25 • Supplier WHSmiths • www.whsmiths.co.uk
If you’re looking for an observing journal with a cover as beautiful as the night sky, then this could be it. Decorated with illustrations of the best-known constellations, inside are 160 dotted pages to keep your observations neatly aligned.
4 Bullseye Stargazer bubble level
Price from £15 • Supplier First Light Optics • www.firstlightoptics.com
Getting your tripod level helps ensure your telescope is correctly aligned. These bubble levels can either sit on the spreader bar or fit your tripod’s equipment tray. Both 1.25- and 2-inch versions are available.
5 Celestron dew shield
Price £44.99 • Supplier Widescreen Centre • www.widescreen-centre.co.uk
This dew shield helps to keep moisture off your optics and also keeps out stray light. Made to fit 6- and 8-inch tubes, it has a cut out at the base to accommodate dovetail bars up to 4 inches wide. The tube can be rolled up easily for transport and storage.
6 Altair dualband 4nm CMOS filter
Price £399 • Supplier Harrison Telescopes • www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk
This filter transmits OIII and Ha light, suppressing almost all other unwanted light. Teamed with a colour CMOS camera, it helps create crisp, bright images, even under extremely light-polluted skies. It works with both modified and unmodified DSLR cameras and has an anti-reflection coating.