Sky & Telescope - March 2024 - 65

NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE
 SOLAR FILTERS
Orion Telescopes & Binoculars now offers a line of solar filters just in time for the
great total solar eclipse this year. The Orion Safety Film Solar Filters ($99.99 to
$149.99) are manufactured in the USA from high-quality, streak- and blister-free
solar safety film rated as ND-5. They filter out 99.9999% of the visible spectrum,
in compliance with ISO 12312-2 safety specifications for solar viewing. Available
in sizes ranging from 3½ to 9½ inches, they are mounted in a metal cell
that secures over the aperture of your telescope using plastic thumbscrews or
foam inserts. The filters will fit telescope apertures ¼-inch smaller than the inner
dimension of the filter cell.
Orion Telescopes & Binoculars
89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076
831-763-7000; telescope.com
 SOLAR BINOCULARS
Celestron rolls out a dedicated pair of binoculars for eclipse watchers. The
Eclipsmart 10×42mm Porro Solar Binoculars ($87.95) are full-sized binoculars
with permanently mounted, white-light solar filters over each objective lens.
These binoculars permit users see magnified views of all the partial phases of a
solar eclipse (or an entire annular eclipse) without fear of the filters falling off and
accidentally revealing the unfiltered Sun. The optics are multicoated to provide
high-contrast views of sunspots, granulation, and bright plage surrounding
active regions free of ghost images and internal reflections. Each pair provides
12.7 mm of eye relief and can accommodate interpupillary distances ranging
from 56 to 72 mm. The body has a durable rubber armor coating to protect it
from damage. Four lens caps, a neck strap, and a padded cloth carry case are
provided with purchase.
Celestron
2835 Columbia St., Torrance, CA 90503
310-328-9560; celestron.com
 ALT-AZ GO TO
Mount manufacturer iOptron continues to expand its line of strain-wave mounts
with ever-increasing weight capacities. The HAZ71 Alt-Az Strain Wave Mount
($3,768) uses high-torque strain-wave drives in both axes to achieve precision
slewing and tracking throughout the sky. The mount head weighs just 8.3 kg
(18.3 lb) yet boasts a load capacity of 31 kg, without the need of cumbersome
counterweights and shafts. Its multi-position saddle can be set up on the side
or top of the drive base in order to accommodate binoculars. It comes with
iOptron's powerful Go2Nova 8409 hand controller, which includes more than
212,000 objects in its internal database. The mount is also compatible with
smartphone apps, including SkySafari, and links to your smart device via a builtin
Wi-Fi. Its black, CNC-machined casing encloses all wiring, and your optics are
secured with a dual Losmandy/Vixen-style saddle plate. Each purchase includes
a soft carry case and a limited two-year warranty.
iOptron
6F Gill St., Woburn, MA 01801
781-569-0200; ioptron.com
New Product Showcase is a reader service featuring innovative equipment and software of interest to amateur astronomers. The descriptions are based largely on
information supplied by the manufacturers or distributors. Sky & Telescope assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of vendors' statements. For further information
contact the manufacturer or distributor. Announcements should be sent to nps@skyandtelescope.org. Not all announcements can be listed.
sk yand tele scope .o r g * MARCH 2024 65

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Sky & Telescope - March 2024

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