Sky & Telescope - January 2025 - 69

While the images created by the Celestron Origin app are remarkably good, the scope's raw data can also be saved as FITS files and exported to
a variety of astronomical programs designed for advanced image processing. This 45-minute exposure of the Horsehead Nebula was made under a
very hazy sky. The version from the app is at left, while the other was created from the raw data by the author's colleague Sean Walker, who commented
that calibrating and processing the 270 raw files was " a huge amount of work. "
since updates and bug fixes are common
in the weeks and months following
a product's release. I did have one
software update during my tests, and
for the record everything in this review
is based on version 1.0.2 (1164) of the
iOS mobile app and version 1.1.4233 of
the telescope's internal software.
From the get-go, these versions were
notably good, especially for the basic
operation of the scope. Even the rare
appearance of something going wrong
often proved to be a false alarm. For
example, several times I had the ominous
message " Origin has encountered
a critical error, please power cycle your
Origin " appear on the app screen. But
tapping the screen made the message
disappear and reveal that the system
was working just fine and continuing
with the exposure it was making. Likewise,
there were occasional messages
noting some issue with the Wi-Fi that
also never caused a problem.
When it comes to all the good stuff
about the app, there's far more than I
could ever fit in this review. It's easy to
master the basic operation of the scope,
but finding some of the less-obvious
features can take time. Even after two
months I would come across some useful
feature that I hadn't discovered before.
Perhaps one of the most powerful
advanced features of the app is the
ability to create a schedule of objects for
the Origin to image unattended (and
not even connected to your controlling
device). And it's remarkably easy to use.
Furthermore, when you add an object
to the schedule the app automatically
sets default parameters for the exposure,
which you can manually modify
if desired. The only thing I considered
missing from the scheduling feature is
an ability to halt the schedule while it's
running if you wanted to change the
RASA's filter - you must stick with the
initial filter installed in the RASA's filter
drawer for the duration of the schedule.
I used the Schedule feature on multiple
nights with
great success. Several
times Origin worked
through my schedule
to an object not yet
clear of local trees.
This aborted the
exposure when no
stars were detected in
the image, and Origin
moved on to the next
object in the schedule.
To avoid a missed
target like this, you
can set a minimum
start time to begin
The Schedule feature
of the control app is
a powerful tool for
programming an automated
night of observing.
Each object added
to the schedule can be
recorded with default
parameters tailored to
the object or with manual
exposure settings.
shooting an object, but doing this
requires some care since it will suspend
the schedule until the set time arrives,
even if other objects farther down in the
schedule list are observable. The trick is
to organize the schedule's order and total
duration of exposure times for targets
such that the next object on the list will
be in an observable part of the sky.
Overall, the Origin certainly lived
up to its advertised promises, especially
in regard to its claim of being easy and
virtually foolproof
for someone new
to astroimaging.
Furthermore, given
Origin's modular
nature, including its
camera, and the everimproving
nature of
software, I suspect
this telescope will
remain at the cutting
edge of amateur
astronomy for quite a
while. It's not a piece
of technology that
will become obsolete
anytime soon.
¢As someone whose
earliest cutting-edge
astrophotography
involved a roll of Tri-X
film, Senior Contributing
Editor DENNIS DI
CICCO is enjoying the
latest revolution.
sk yand tele scope .o r g * JANUARY 2025 69

http://skyandtelescope.org

Sky & Telescope - January 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky & Telescope - January 2025