Ezzy Pearson rounds up the latest astronomical accessories
1. Astro Essentials CLS filter
Price from £38 • Supplier First Light Optics • www.firstlightoptics.com
Cut through the urban glow with this City Light Suppression (CLS) filter, which transmits several nebula emission lines while cutting out those from light pollutants. Pair it up with a CCD, CMOS or DSLR camera to enhance contrast and detail.
2. Antlia Imaging 1.25-inch CaK Herschel wedge
Price £370 • Supplier 365 Astronomy • www.365astronomy.com
ADVANCED
Herschel wedges cut down transmitted light, allowing you to safely observe the Sun with a refractor. This wedge has a 3nm prism focused on the 393.3nm Calcium II K line, allowing you to see details in the chromosphere.
3. Space Exploration NASA AstroPlanetarium
Price £99.99 • Supplier Telescope House • www.telescopehouse.com
Transform your home into a planetarium with this projector. It comes with two slide discs – one with 61 labelled constellations, another showing 8,000 stars – which it displays onto your walls with bright LEDs.
4. Result Microfleece jacket
Price £17.05 • Supplier Result • https://shop.resultclothing.com
Staying warm needn’t cost the Earth, with this fleece jacket made from recycled plastic bottles. It can be worn on its own when it’s mild or layered under a heavier coat in colder weather. It comes with a high neck and elasticated wrists to keep cold air at bay.
5. Sky-Watcher CQ350 polarscope
Price £89 • Supplier Harrison Telescopes • www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk
Polar-aligning your equatorial mount ensures you stay on target for a night’s astrophotography. This polarscope for AZ-EQ5 mounts makes the process fast so you can spend more time observing the sky.
6. William Optics Dura Bright 2-inch diagonal
Price £155 • Supplier The Widescreen Centre • www.widescreen-centre.co.uk
The mirror of this new diagonal has 99 per cent reflectivity, so you won’t sacrifice much light to have your eyepiece at a more comfortable angle.