It always surprises me how many people cannot identify the common animal and plant species in their area. Worse yet, I suspect that, for some folks, this may be symptomatic of a general ignorance about the life around them—about its complexity and its simplicity, its resilience and its fragility, and about its beauty. I’ve been studying biology for a while now—the science of life has been my academic focus for about six years—and I have not, and predict that I will not, run out of things to fascinate me. The group I am writing on behalf of aims to change this.

This post is the first of (hopefully) many intended to communicate this fascination. It will serve as a chronicle of the life and times of a small bio-centric college student club with a peculiar predilection towards a medium-sized clade of flying reptiles. This particular group, thought to have diverged from Theropod dinosaurs during the late Cretaceous period, has long captivated human attention, due to its members’ above mentioned penchant for flinging itself through the air and their aurally pleasing mating habits. This unusual group is designated as class Aves, or, more colloquially, as the birds.

The OSU Bird Nerds

But I suppose I should start, as most stories should, at the start. The universe was created roughly 13.77 billion years ago (according to most theories). About six months ago, or somewhere around 13,769,999,999 years after the creation of the universe, I was meandering around at opportunity fair at my college, Oregon State University, while waiting for my choir to begin its outreach activities. When I walked by a table belonging to the “OSU Bird Nerds,” I took notice. After all, I’d been interested in bird watching for a year or two by that point, and I’d been a nerd for my entire life. Still, I was a college student—too much interest in something could be a sign that someone was, how do they say, “uncool.” I pocketed a flyer and casually walked on, icicles dripping from my shoulders.

I examined the flyer later, in the secrecy and safety of my room. It advertised weekly bird watching, ornithological outreach, and volunteering and education opportunities. It also advertised free pizza. I was smitten. I attended the meeting, joined the club, and then became an officer. I found the club to be appropriately named: they, and subsequently we, were indeed a collection of bird nerds, dedicated to observing, learning, and teaching about the flying (and sometimes un-flying) multitudes. Since then, we’ve been involved with our local Audubon chapter, conducted surveys of local raptor populations, sold cookies for science (aka club funds), and have seen many, many birds.

However, the other officers and I realized that our club had a problem. We were poor. Furthermore, we were human. Without substantial genetic manipulation, we were unlikely to ever be able to see the white band on the first primary of a Lesser Goldfinch at a hundred yards. As none of us own a sequencer, we decided we would have to settle for optics. Most of us had a pair of binoculars, but since our group was open to all, we still had too few to go around on our larger, more popular trips. I’ve been an amateur astronomer for a while, and have used, and liked, Celestron optics for a while. I suggested that we send them and a few other similar companies requests for support. Celestron answered with an offer. They give us quality optics; we write them a blog post about our activities every month.

This seems like win-win to me. Celestron gets an excellent way to conduct science outreach; we get the optics we need to ensure our club is welcoming to new members. Plus, this blog will give us a space to communicate the life we witness and the science we participate in. We get a chance to show you that the next generation of scientists are active and growing, and, more importantly, we get a chance to communicate our fascination with our world.

So, in conclusion for this first month: not much science yet, just lots of narrative and introduction. I hope you’ll be willing to stick with us: I promise our next report will focus on the stuff that matters. We’ve just began participating in a series of surveys on one of the few remaining naturally-nesting Purple Martin populations in North America. Next month we should have pretty pictures of the subjects and tales of our riveting adventures (and accompanying nerd-outs). Until then, be sure to enjoy spring and the beautiful South American migrants it brings.

-William Hemstrom
Undergraduate in Zoology,Oregon State University
Celestron Contributing Blogger 

A comet dazzled the sky for the past few months, C/2011 L4 PANSTARRS. PANSTARRS was discovered under a comet search campaign conducted by The Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS). The first Pan-STARRS telescope, PS1, is located at the summit of Haleakalā on Maui, Hawaii, and went online on December 6, 2008, under the administration of the University of Hawaii. PANSTARRS is a non-periodic comet, which means that it will never return back to visit us.

In the southern hemisphere, it was accompanied by C/2012 F6 (Lemmon). Lemmon is a comet having a green coma and a long beautiful tail. It is a periodic comet with long period. 

Comet Lemmon and PANSTARRS together. Image credit: Las Campanas Observatory in Chile.

Comet LEMMON and PANSTARRS together, Image Credits: Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. 

PANSTARRS was seen from the northern hemisphere from 5^th March. In the first week of April the comet had a press conference with M31 (Andromeda galaxy) which was covered by a large number of astronomers. 

PANSTARRS with M31 and M32. Image Credit & Copyright: Pavel Smilyk.

PANSTARRS had put a great show on the big screen and also offered a great opportunity to the astrophotographers. This was just a practice session before we get the giant ISON gracing the night sky.

-Prafull Sharma
Celestron Contributing Blogger 

Chaffey searches for planets using some very special tools, the French space agency’s CoRoT satellite and the Faulkes Telescope North, a research telescope in Hawaii.

From its position above the atmosphere, the CoRoT satellite identifies stars that are due for a potential planetary transit. Then, when the transit is predicted to occur, Cameron Chaffey images the star using the Faulkes Telescope.

“A star will get fainter as an exoplanet begins to transit the star.  This is because the planet blocks some of the light,” Chaffey explained in his research paper. “The light intensity of a star with a transiting exoplanet gets weaker as the exoplanet begins to enter the disk of the star.”

Chaffey carefully measures the apparent magnitude of the star, looking for the dimming and brightening pattern indicative of a planetary transit. If the data matches a transit, he’s discovered an exoplanet. If not, he reports back to the CoRoT team that the reading from the satellite was either a false positive or a binary star.

But there’s something we haven’t told you about this researcher: he’s in the ninth grade.

We met Cameron at an unlikely place, the Los Angeles County Science Fair. Cameron’s important work hunting for planets was the subject of his ninth grade science fair project. He analyzed the data from one suspected planetary transit and determined that there wasn’t a planet orbiting this particular star. But he hopes, one day, to discover a planet. 

This year, Team Celestron presented the first-ever Celestron Astronomical Studies Award to a student at the science fair. We certainly weren’t expecting to see a project as advanced or impressive as Cameron’s! We were delighted to present him with the award, along with a NexStar 130SLT telescope for backyard observing.

We had a great time meeting Cameron at the fair, and invited him to visit Celestron HQ for a VIP tour. While our telescope won’t help him discover planets, we hope it will provide him with hours of enjoyment. We look forward to his future discoveries!

-Andrea Tabor
Social Media Coordinator 

But it wasn’t an asteroid—it was a comet.

This five-mile-wide traveler from the Oort Cloud has an ancient track record. It isn’t Comet Lemmon’s first trip through our Solar System, but it has been about 11,000 years since its last visit. Right now Comet C/2012 F6 is just about the same distance from Earth as we are from the Sun and it’s far from ripe. As a matter of fact, you might even say it’s green!

So why is Comet Lemmon green? It’s all in the gas. As the comet sublimates in the solar wind, it releases the volatiles which were once frozen in the nucleus. One of these volatiles is cyanogen, a colorless, toxic gas. The other is diatomic carbon, a carbon vapor commonly found in comets, stellar atmospheres, and the interstellar medium. When in the near-vacuum environment of space, both of these gases appear green when illuminated by sunlight—and right now, C/2012 F6 is putting on a vibrant display! As it approaches the Sun, Comet Lemmon is expected to become far more visible and display a short tail.

But where is it located for those who wish to view?

At February’s mid-point, Comet Lemmon should be putting on a spectacular show in the Southern Hemisphere. Observations confirm that it has become far brighter than expected, glowing along just below unaided eye visibility at roughly magnitude 7—readily visible in binoculars and small telescopes. It will be located in constellation of Octans and be a southern circumpolar object for a short period of time. However, it is moving rapidly: if Lemmon continues its brightening trend, it should be easily seen with the unaided eye as it flies into the constellation of Phoenix by March 7 and then into Sculptor on March 17. Then it’s on towards the Sun for its closest approach—perihelion—on March 24. At this time it will be about the same distance from the Sun as the planet Venus and will be hidden from view by the Sun’s glare, but about to cruise into new territory.

While the nights will seem to move slowly, Comet Lemmon will be moving quickly northward. By mid-April, the comet will have scooted into the constellation of Pisces, emerging ahead of the sunrise glow. On April 19 our “pie in the sky” should cross the celestial equator, on its way to becoming visible to the Northern Hemisphere. C/2012 F6 will remain located in Pisces as it flies away—visible in large binoculars and small telescopes—but it’s headed towards a sunrise demise for viewers in the United States. By the beginning of May, its position will have changed very little from our perspective; however, it will be significantly dimmer and located very near the rising Sun.

Will Comet Lemmon be spectacular? The truth is, we simply do not know. At this point in time it is much brighter than anticipated, meaning it may very well be rapidly depleting itself of fuel. Comet Lemmon may continue to remain more luminous than projected—and it just might fizzle out as it gets closer to the Sun. Despite less than glowing predictions, there’s no reason not to enjoy the anticipation of this surprise added comet apparition for 2013. Charles Messier would be proud to see the many modern global astronomers carrying on his comet-hunting legacy today.

-Tammy Plotner
Celestron Comet Expert

by Bob King

Right now, within the orbit of Mars and about 113 million miles away from the Sun, an icy traveler from the Oort Cloud is headed our way. Although it poses absolutely no threat to Earth, Comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS) may become an incredible sight for both backyard and professional telescopes around the world. PANSTARRS’ journey through the solar system could be one of the greatest celestial sights of the decade, or it could end in disappointment. Right now, it’s too early to be sure–but never give up hope!

On the night of June 5, 2011, the Pan-STARRS (Panoramic Survey Telescope And Rapid Response System) 1 telescope on Haleakala, Maui, spotted a dim, moving ball of frozen gases and dust. Researchers confirmed the object was officially a comet, and named it PANSTARRS for the telescope that discovered it. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, The Minor Planet Center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory began calculating a preliminary orbit for PANSTARRS, which estimated the comet’s closest approach to the Sun, called its perihelion, will occur on March 10, 2013. At that time, the comet will be about 34 million miles from the Sun and about 118 million miles from Earth. According to theorists, this means the comet could increase in magnitude about 14 times - or become about 300,000 times brighter than it is now.

For now, astronomers can’t predict exactly what will happen, because Comet PANSTARRS is still so distant. But come this Spring, all eyes will be turned towards the skies as PANSTARRS reaches perihelion and puts on a good show
 or Southern Hemisphere observers. After it swings around the Sun, it should become visible to Northern Hemisphere observers before dawn. You’ll be able to spot it low on the eastern horizon with its tail pointed straight up. Get your telescopes and binoculars ready, because PANSTARRS is on its way…

Click here to download a printable PDF of this article!

-Tammy Plotner
Celestron Comet Expert

Happy New Year, everyone! Many are calling 2013 the Year of the Comet, but this year is loaded with other interesting celestial events for professional and amateur astronomers alike. I hope you enjoy this year with clear skies and great Celestron equipment.

FEBRUARY

15 February – The asteroid 2012 DA14 skims by Earth at an altitude of just 27,000 kilometers!

17 February – Mercury reaches perihelion, its closest point to the Sun. Expect great views of Mercury all month long!

MARCH

05 March – Comet PANSTARRS passes closest to Earth at 1.10 Astronomical Units (AU). One AU equals about 93 million miles, the distance between the Earth and the Sun. In other words, this comet will be slightly farther from us than the Sun, so there are no worries about it hitting us! The Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii discovered this comet in June, 2011. Since comets carry the names of their discoverers, it has been designated C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS). The comet is expected to be visible to the naked eye, but should look even better through a telescope or binoculars!

20 March – The first equinox of 2013. On this day, the Sun shines directly on the equator, resulting in precisely 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night. This is also the first day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of Fall in the Southern Hemisphere.

29 March – Uranus and the Sun come into conjunction.

31 March – Mercury reaches its the highest elongation: 27.8°W at 24:00.

APRIL

18 April – Mars and the Sun come into conjunction.

21-22 April – The Earth passes through the remnants of Comet Thatcher 18611, and we experience the Lyrid meteor shower. The Lyrid meteor shower--a medium-intensity shower radiating from the constellation Lyra--usually produces about 20 meteors per hour. The Lyrids can produce bright dust tails lasting a few seconds. This year, the Moon will not be visible during the Lyrids, so they should put on a good show. 

25 April – A partial eclipse of the Moon. Earth is between Sun and the Moon, causing Earth's shadow to partially cover the lunar disc. The eclipse will be visible mostly from Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia.

28 April – Saturn reaches opposition. On this day, the planet is closest to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons!

MAY

05 - 06 May – Earth passes through the remnants of Halley’s comet producing the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. This shower usually produces about 10 meteors per hour. However, the full Moon puts a damper on observations this year. Your best shot at seeing a meteor is to look east after midnight.

10 May –The Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun, producing the Annular Solar Eclipse. A ring formation along with Baily’s beads is visible in Western Australia and over the Pacific Ocean.

25 May – Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. The second lunar eclipse of the year occurs at the Moon's ascending node in Scorpius about 7° northwest of Antares. The eclipse is visible from North America, South America, and the western coast of Africa.

28 May – Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter. The two brightest planets come within 1 degree of each other in the night sky. Mercury is also visible nearby.

JUNE

13 June - Venus reaches perihelion, its the closest point to the Sun.

19 June -  Jupiter and the Sun come into conjunction.

20 June – The first solstice of 2013. The North Pole of the Earth is tilted towards the Sun. Observers will see the Sun reach its northernmost position in the sky. This is the first day of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of Winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

JULY

03 July – Venus comes into conjunction with the Beehive star cluster.

05 July - Earth reaches aphelion, our planet’s furthest point to the Sun at 20:59.

28 - 29 July – The South Delta Aquarids shower should produce about 20 meteors per hour. The radiant point for these meteors is in the constellation Aquarius.

AUGUST

12-13 August – The Perseids, one of the best and most famous meteor showers, takes place. The Perseids can produce up to a whopping 60 meteors per hour at peak hours! Look for the meteors near the radiant point in the constellation Perseus. These meteors originate from the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle.

27 August – Neptune reaches opposition. The planet is closest to Earth and fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to observe Neptune. Because of its distance, it will appear as a tiny blue dot.

SEPTEMBER

08 September – Venus is visible 0.4° north of the Moon.

22 September – The second equinox of 2013. From this day forward, days start getting longer in the Southern Hemisphere and shorter in the Northern Hemisphere.

OCTOBER

03 October – Uranus reaches opposition.  The blue-green planet will be closest to Earth and fully illuminated by the Sun. This is the best time to observe and photograph Uranus. Because of its distance, it will appear as a small blue-green dot.

18 October – The last lunar eclipse of the year is a relatively deep penumbral eclipse. It should be easily visible to the naked eye as a dusky shading in the southern half of the Moon. This eclipse is visible everywhere on the planet, except Oceania and parts of Siberia.

21 - 22 October – Another famous meteor shower takes place, the Orionids. The Orionids produces about 20 medium-intensity meteors per hour. Look for meteors in the mornings from October 20 to 24. The First Quarter Moon will set before midnight, leaving a dark sky. The Orionids also originate from Comet Halley.

NOVEMBER

Throughout November, the sky is illuminated by the recently-discovered Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON). If there is no fragmentation of the comet, it will brighten the sky as it approaches the Sun. The comet will be at perihelion (its closest point to the Sun) on 28 November, at a distance of 0.012 AU from the center of the Sun.

03 November – We experience a rare hybrid annular/total eclipse. Some sections of the path are annular, while other parts are total. The hybrid eclipse of 2013 is visible within a thin corridor traversing the Northern Atlantic and equatorial Africa.

17 - 18 November – The Leonids meteor shower takes place. You’ll be able to observe about 40 meteors per hour. Leonids have a cyclic peak year every 33 years when hundreds of meteors can be seen each hour. Unfortunately, the last time this phenomenon occurred was in 2001, so we’re still a long way off from another peak. The meteors radiate from the constellation Leo after midnight, originating from the tail of the Comet Temple-Tuttle.

DECEMBER

13 - 14 December – We save the best meteor shower for last, the Geminids. This shower is known to produce up to 60 multicolored meteors per hour. You’ll spot the most meteors on or around December 13 and 14, although some meteors should be visible in the weeks before and after.  New Moon will guarantee a dark sky, so the Geminids will be a wonderful show. The best observation is to the east after midnight in a dark area. You’ll see the meteors radiating from the Twins.

21 December – The second solstice, when the South Pole is towards the Sun. This is the first day of Winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and the first day of Summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

26 December – Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) reaches its closest point to Earth, 64 million miles away, on this day.

-Prafull Sharma
Celestron Contributing Blogger

Undoubtedly, our star product this year was the StarSense Accessory. After winning the CES Innovations Award in 2011 for our SkyProdigy self-aligning telescopes, Celestron engineers immediately set to work developing the same self-aligning technology as an accessory. Finally, that dream is a reality with the StarSense Accessory, which consists of a camera attachment and specialized StarSense hand controller. We showed this small-but-mighty accessory on our CGEM 1100 HD telescope. It’s available for preorder now, and begins shipping this Spring.

Tech Podcast Network spotlighted the StarSense Accessory in their live coverage from CES. (Check out the interview here. It’s in the Day 2, Hour 6 segment, about 13 minutes in.)

“Literally on your first night out, you’re going to be able to locate some of the most interesting things in the night sky, without having any prior knowledge,” Product Manager Bryan Cogdell explained. “It’s going to take all the work out for you, so it just leaves the fun part of the experience—using the telescope under the stars.”

“This is what I love about Celestron products,” said Daniel Lewis of Tech Podcast Network. “You’re not stuck with something. You might spend $800 on a telescope, and then you can modify it, you can upgrade just a little part of it, you can add on these extra parts.”

The newcomer to our telescope lineup, Advanced VX, also drew lots of attention at the Celestron booth. Advanced VX is an excellent scope for beginner to intermediate astroimagers. With imaging on the rise, there’s already been lots of excitement surrounding this new product. At CES, we displayed the Advanced VX mount with a 9.25” Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tube, but it’s available in many configurations, including the Advanced VX 8-inch EdgeHD. Advanced VX begins shipping in March.

Some might have been surprised to see giant ants crawling in our booth! We hooked up our Deluxe Handheld Digital Microscope to a huge flat-screen TV and pointed it in a gel colony ant farm! The ants put on a great show, and we saw them in stunning detail thanks to the microscope. Product Manager Ron Peters also unveiled 3 new digital microscopes, and the new TrekGuide Lite digital compass.

Sport Optics Product Manager Josh Lazenby was on hand to introduce more than a dozen new binoculars. The new Cavalry series stood out, with a military-inspired look and built-in gadgets like a digital compass and GPS. Another eye-catching binocular was the ultra-compact, reverse porro Cypress series.

Visitors to the booth were amazed when they peered through the new TrailSeeker binoculars. This new line was designed for advanced bird watchers and includes high-end features like phase and dielectric coatings. Our reinvented Regal M2 spotting scope allowed guests to spy into nearby booths!

With so many new products to display, the only challenge we faced at CES was packing everything up at the end of the show. As much fun as we had, we’re already hard at work preparing the next generation of Celestron products for 2014!

-Andrea Tabor
Social Media Coordinator

After we counted all the entries, we randomly picked a winner:

Congratulations Joe Guzman!

We have contacted the winner privately so we can send him his prize. Thanks to all who entered, and stay tuned for our next contest!

-Andrea Tabor
Social Media Coordinator

 On 12th December 2012 at 06:40 UTC, Asteroid 4179 Toutatis made a close pass by the Earth, coming within 6.9 million kilometers (4.3 million miles) of our home. It was shining at magnitude 10.9 that night. Toutatis passed through the constellation Cetus, into constellation Pisces, and then back into constellation Cetus.

A computer-generated view of Toutatis

Toutatis is 2.7 miles (4.46 kilometers) long and 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) wide with mass of 5.0×10¹³ kg. It is one of the largest asteroids that comes near our planet and approaches Earth every four years. Although it is half of the size of the asteroid thought to have wiped out the dinosaurs, Toutatis poses no immediate danger to us. Astronomers have projected its orbit hundreds of years into the future and concluded that there is no risk of Toutatis colliding with Earth. In fact, astronomers believe Toutatis has been passing Earth’s orbit every four years for billions of years. It will likely continue to do so, harmlessly, for billions of years to come.

Toutatis is a well-known asteroid; it has been studied extensively and its orbit has been fully determined. That’s why it has a proper name, instead of just a numerical designation. Toutatis was first observed and cataloged on February 10, 1934, as 1934 CT, but was lost after a short duration in which it couldn’t be observed. The asteroid remained lost for several decades even though it approached Earth every 4 years. Then, on January 4, 1989, Christian Pollas spotted it. Its orbit was then calculated enough that there was no danger of losing sight of it again and finally the International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially named this object after the Celtic god Toutatis (Teutates).

Toutatis' orbital path. Credit: NASA/JPL

Now, Toutatis is known as one of the largest of the Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs). Despite this menacing name, the term PHA simply refers to any asteroid that approaches within 4.6 million miles (7.5 million kilometers) of Earth. That’s approximately 19.5 lunar distances, about the distance of Toutatis at this 2012 passage.

Next time Toutatis will approach at least this close to Earth is in November of 2069 when the asteroid will fly by at a distance of only 0.0198 AU (7.7 lunar distances). We’ll be waiting for it!

- Prafull Sharma
Celestron Contributing Blogger

- Andrea Tabor
Social Media Coordinator

This ultimate camping experience featured plenty of exciting activities from singing, dancing and stage performances, to crafts, games, hiking and interactive teambuilding exercises using the latest technologies.  Girl Power anyone?  Celestron was proud to be a corporate sponsor of Camporee and dispatched Team Celestron members to introduce the girls of the wonders of astronomy and other forms of science.

Activities

Team Celestron and countless volunteers were spread out in tents across a huge lawn with each team responsible for managing their own science-related activity.  We incorporated a “hands-on” approach to learning, using Celestron’s latest outdoor and science-related products. 

Daytime activities included Nature Bingo/Weather (Outland X monoculars and TrekGuides); Microscope Evaluation and Botany (Portable LCD Digital microscopes); Bird Watching/Bug Collecting (UpClose G2  7X35 binoculars and Portable LCD Digital microscopes); Human Cell Specimens (Microscope Kits and LCD Digital microscopes); Daytime solar, planetary and terrestrial viewing (SkyProdigy 130, NexStar 6 SE, CPC 800, Lunt H-Alpha dedicated solar scope, FirstScopes and SkyMaster 15x70 binoculars); Evening Stargazing (SkyProdigy 130, NexStar 6 SE, CPC 800, CGEM 800 HD, FirstScopes and SkyMaster 15x70 binoculars) and finally, a Night Hike (SkyScout Personal Planetarium). 

There were six separate rotations with 400 or more girls per rotation during the two day event.  Now that was a lot of girls to engage!!  “Passports” were distributed allowing the girls to check off requirements they learned from activities needed to earn badges after the event. Juniors scouts pursued the Camper badge, Cadettes completed requirements for the Night Owl badge, and Seniors worked toward the Adventure badge.

Star Party

After dinner, many girls were very eager to return for the star party.  Although the Moon was almost full, its light illuminated the landscape making it a perfect setting for a peaceful moonlit hike around the lake.  There was no deep sky observing on this night; however, with the use of special filters, the girls were able to comfortably spot craters and view “seas” on the Moon without being overwhelmed by the Moon’s intense light. 

We also turned our focus toward other fascinating man-made and celestial objects unaffected by the Moon’s glow.  Right on schedule, the International Space Station appeared briefly – low in the northern sky for a few seconds before disappearing into the Earth’s shadow to a chorus of cheers from everyone observing.  Albireo, the colorful blue and yellow double star, the fascinating Double Cluster, and the famous Andromeda Galaxy, also delighted everyone with their fine telescopic views.

Aftermath

Team Celestron was thrilled to be a part of the 100^th anniversary of the GSGLA’s Camporee event.  It was quite exciting for us to provide many fun science activities that engaged and inspired these young girls to want to learn more about life here on planet Earth, as well as to explore and seek answers to the mysteries of the universe.  After all, these young girls are the future who will become leaders of their generation and beyond.  Their future is looking very bright indeed!  To see all our photos from Camporee, please visit our Flickr page.

- Kevin Kawai
Marketing Coordinator

Celestron brought four of our expert product managers to the show, so they could speak with attendees on an advanced level about Celestron equipment and answer their questions. It was interesting to listen in on these conversations and hear about the amazing things people are doing with Celestron products. We even met one person who worked for a lab that is researching ways to float an imaging telescope into the stratosphere using a balloon!

Telescopes

The CGE PRO 1400 HD telescope dominated our booth and commanded attention at the center of the exhibit hall. Attendees were surprised to learn that the CGE PRO 1100 HD and 1400 HD were among the most affordable telescopes on display at the show! The CGE PRO features Celestron’s EdgeHD technology, which is ideal for astroimaging as it produces an extremely flat field all the way to the edge of the frame. At the show, Celestron unveiled its latest whitepaper, telling the story of EdgeHD technology, how it works, and how it stacks up against more expensive competitor products. Imagers snapped up the whitepapers to read on the plane ride home! Soon, we’ll offer a PDF of the whitepaper for download here on our website.

Cameras and Other New Products

Team Celestron was also extremely proud to showcase 3 new products that astroimagers have been waiting for: our Nightscape 8300 CCD camera, the NexImage 5 solar system imager, and reducers for the 11 inch EdgeHD and 14 inch EdgeHD telescopes. Visitors to the booth could get hands-on with these new products and see them installed on our telescopes. We also featured a slideshow of images taken with our new cameras.

Workshops

This year’s sold-out show featured so many interesting workshops, our team had to split up to make sure we could attend as many as possible! I was fortunate enough to attend “The ABCs of Image Processing,” presented by renowned astroimager Bob Fera. Bob went through his entire workflow for processing astroimages from start to finish, sharing tips and tricks to get the most out of an image. Bob emphasized the importance of not “crossing the line” when processing astroimages—he demonstrated how to keep the image photorealistic and avoid overprocessing.

Thanks to everyone who helped put together the Advanced Imaging Conference 2012! We look forward to representing Celestron again next year. To view all our photos from AIC 2012, check out our Flickr page! And to learn more about AIC, visit their website at http://www.aicccd.com.

-Andrea Tabor
Social Media Coordinator

While many of our colleagues were overseas at the Photokina tradeshow in Cologne, Germany, some of us stayed back to exhibit Celestron products at PATS.  This year, the Celestron booth had a fresh new look, with our top-end products front and center.  Visitors flocked to our CPC Deluxe 800 HD (fully equipped for astroimaging), a CGEM DX 1100 HD and a CGEM 925 HD.  Around the booth’s perimeter, Celestron displayed a SkyMaster 25x100 binocular, SkyProdigy 6, AstroMaster 70AZ, NexStar 6SE and a Regal100F-ED spotting scope.  On our table display, we featured a FirstScope, SkyMaster 15x70, Granite 8x42 and 10x42, Outland X 8x42 and 10x25 binoculars, Luminos eyepieces, X-Cel LX Series eyepieces and Barlow lenses, and our ever-faithful SkyScout.

Our popular Deluxe Digital, LCD Digital and PentaView microscopes also drew large crowds to the Celestron tables.  Children were in awe as small, hidden worlds suddenly came into view. Observing insects, currency, beads, fabrics, a spider and even body parts through a microscope brought out everyone’s curiosity. One mother who was with her young son said, “I never knew such neat products existed. My son is having so much fun with these digital microscopes, but as long as he’s learning something, then he may find something in his stocking from Santa this Christmas.” We couldn’t help but nod our heads in agreement.

The best part of any tradeshow is meeting customers face-to-face and introducing them to new products like the new SkyQ Link and SkyQ mobile app.  With SkyQ, users have the ability to locate and identify virtually any celestial object using their iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch while they learn interesting facts and trivia of the night sky.  Sound similar to SkyScout, right?  Add SkyQ Link to a Celestron computerized telescope with an AUX port, and enjoy full wireless telescope control using SkyQ. Imagine aligning and slewing your telescope to celestial objects wirelessly from your iOS device. How amazing is that?  PATS was also the perfect venue to announce our new Nightscape 8300 CCD camera featuring the widely acclaimed Kodak KAF-8300 color CCD.  This camera will provide larger pixels with the area, resolution and sensitivity required to take breathtaking astroimages. It begins shipping this month.

It is always such a pleasure to attend astronomy shows such as PATS and meet with fellow astronomy enthusiasts along with our old friends in the industry. Many guests who stopped by were already proud owners of Celestron equipment, and it was great interacting and hearing their feedback. This year, we noticed more and more new customers who were interested to learn the art of astroimaging.  With this in mind, Celestron will continue to pursue new ways to make astroimaging easier, so everyone can learn to take these stunning images and share them with others.

With added public interest, and the possibility of two very bright comets visiting our skies next year, PATS is looking to be well on its way of having another attendance record-breaking year in 2013!

Oceanside Photo and Telescope’s Website Manager, Penny Distasio, invited Celestron to team up and for a block of three days, exhibit telescopes inside the fair’s Theme Exhibit Building – filled with space related displays including a gigantic, colorful UFO.   How could we turn that down?  We joined OPT (who is working the duration of the event) and set up our telescopes on a raised stage on one end of the building to observe “planetary” objects hanging from wires on the opposite end.  I was told the OPT gals spent a few Wednesday evenings creating a realistic Solar System display just for the exhibit.  Well done ladies!

Once the building opened, fairgoers quickly spotted our telescopes and a line formed as staff members permitted guests to walk up on stage two to five at a time for viewing.  A Celestron NexStar 6SE and AstroMaster 70AZ were the telescope workhorses and aimed at different planetary objects, while a CPC 1100 and a PlaneWave 17” CDK optical tube assembly stood on static display behind the stage.  Guests were quite amazed at the magnification prowess of each telescope considering how far away the targets were placed.  A considerable amount of planetary details were faithfully replicated, including "Saturn's" Cassini Division and "Neptune's" raging storm.  Quite a number of children, some as young as four years of age, were able to name all the Terrestrial and Jovian planets and in order!  Many guests welcomed their first opportunity to peek through telescopes, even if the targets were just models.  It just goes to show how much work is still needed to get the word out on how fun, exciting and educational telescope observing really is.   

The San Diego County Fair comes to a close on July 4^th, but until then, there is still plenty of astronomy outreach that will be taking place at the OPT stage.  Each day will continue to bring in hundreds and hundreds of new visitors who will also have the opportunity to view through the telescopes.  How many people will become inspired with the wonders of astronomy and related sciences?  Judging by all the happy smiles we encountered thus far, I would say “more than you can imagine.”  Stop by the fair and say hello to OPT staff members who will continue to provide telescope viewing until the fair comes to a close with a bang, and I do mean that literally. Thank you Penny and OPT for inviting Celestron to participate at such a worthwhile public outreach event.  We will see you all again in a few weeks at SCAE on July 14^th!

Mike Simmons, president and CEO of Astronomers Without Borders, a California based non-profit organization which brings people together from diverse cultures around the world through a common interest of sharing the sky, invited Celestron, along with the media, local astronomer club leaders, astronomy historians and notable VIP guests for a special 2012 transit of Venus viewing party.  The venue was the historic Mount Wilson Observatory, located in the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles.  Founded in 1904 by George Ellery Hale, Mount Wilson Observatory once laid claim for having the largest operational telescope in the world until 1948 – the 100-inch Hooker telescope.  Famous American Astronomer, Edwin P. Hubble, used the Hooker telescope to discover that faint nebulae were actually spiral galaxies (island universes) outside of our own Milky Way galaxy.

Under clear skies high above the LA Basin and right on schedule, Venus touched the solar limb and for the next five hours (as seen from LA), slowly crossed the face of the Sun for the very last time of the 21^st century.  We brought along our CPC 800 GPS (XLT) and NexStar 6SE with white light solar filters to visually observe and image this historic occasion with our DSLR cameras.  We also brought along our ultra-portable Solar Observer 70 which provided clear and stunning transit views from such a lightweight, grab-and-go package.  It was quite a sight to see all the telescopes on the observing field, ranging from vintage classics to modern day computerized and H-Alpha telescopes all pointed toward our nearest star!  Excitement filled the air as everyone gazed skyward to witness a part of history.

Throughout the day, Astronomers Without Borders streamed the transit of Venus viewing party live to a worldwide audience from the observatory’s grounds.  Mike and his co-host, Ian O’Neill, could be seen interviewing everyone on hand, including members of the Celestron team to share their thoughts.  In one rather unique interview, a gentleman even played his "Airmonica" musical device that sounded really "out of this world" and drew much applause from the audience.  Nine video segments were made and can be viewed here: http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/projects/transit-of-venus/live-webcast.html

As the Sun moved closer to the mountain tops, everyone trained their telescopes towards the setting Sun to have one last opportunity to glimpse the small black disk of Venus superimposed on the solar disk.  In one final hurrah moment, a commercial airliner was seen transiting the Sun as if to offer a final salute to this remarkable celestial event.  Yes, the moment was bittersweet as we all watched and said "good bye" knowing we will never see another transit of Venus ever again in our lifetime. However, after it sunk in a bit, we realized how fortunate we all were just to be alive on that particular day to witness a part of history. Celestron would like to thank Mike Simmons and his Astronomers Without Borders organization for inviting Celestron to join the special viewing party at the famous Mount Wilson Observatory.  We look forward to teaming up with you again at a future astronomical event, but surely it won't be 105 years!

To see photos from this event, please view our 'Transit of Venus at Mt. Wilson Observatory' photo album on Flickr Photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/celestron-blog/sets/72157630005538595/

Or on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.460871857258906.109073.210946172251477&type=1

The annular eclipse on May 20th will offer observers a rare and spectacular view as the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth. Although the Moon will pass directly in front of the Sun, it will not totally block it out because its orbit will be further away from Earth making its apparent diameter smaller than the Sun. As a result, at mid-eclipse, the Sun will appear as an annulus, also called a Ring of Fire. Visible in the western part of the United States, it will be the first central eclipse of the 21st century in the continental USA, and also the first annular eclipse in the US since the solar eclipse of May 10, 1994.

Among the rarest of planetary alignments, the transit of Venus takes place in the US on June 5th. The entire transit will be visible across western North America and Hawaii and will be the last opportunity for most to view this magnificent event in their lifetime. Only six transits of Venus have happened since the invention of the telescope. Occurring in pairs, with eight years separating the two events and more than a century between the pair of transits. The first transit of this century's pair took place in June 2004, prior to that the last transit was in December 1882 and the next transit will not take place until December 2117! This is a very rare event and should not be missed!

In celebration of these spectacular events, Celestron is introducing two new solar edition telescope packages to make your observations easy! Solar Observer 60 and Solar Observer 70 are easy to use, include a solar filter for safe observing and are compact enough to take to your favorite viewing location! You can use these versatile telescopes for solar viewing during the day and star-gazing at night!

Model Overview:

• Solar Observer 60 Telescope – Easy, no tool set-up 60 mm telescope, with solar filter and full-height tripod. Ideal for land and sky observing. Retail: $79.95
• Solar Observer 70 Telescope – 60 mm telescope, full-height tripod and solar filter fit inside the custom backpack for easy traveling and storage. Ideal for land and sky observing. Retail: $99.95

"These grand celestial events are rare and magnificent to behold." said Celestron CEO, Joseph A. Lupica, Jr. "Encouraging the public to experience these events provides Celestron with the opportunity to accomplish its mission; to educate and inspire people to look up and enjoy the sky."

Visit Celestron's website and Facebook page to access more information about our two new Solar Observer models and learn interesting facts about these exciting 2012 celestial events; you can even upload images and share stories of your observations and experiences. Join Celestron in the excitement and create your own memories of this occasion. Are you prepared? Click here for more information!

About Celestron
Since designing its first telescope in 1960, Celestron has grown to become the world's leading telescope maker, and enjoys brand name recognition for superior optics, outstanding design, and innovative technology. For five decades, Celestron has been recognized as a leading designer, manufacturer and importer of high-quality products that support the astronomy, science and outdoor markets. Celestron's innovative products continue to receive numerous industry and consumer media accolades, adding to an already impressive list that includes awards for product innovation from Reader's Digest, Popular Science, PC Magazine, Popular Mechanics, Sky & Telescope, the Consumer Electronics Association and more. Celestron sells and markets its products worldwide through a variety of specialty retail outlets and international distributors. Celestron is a privately held company with corporate offices and manufacturing facilities, in Torrance, CA. For more information about Celestron please visit http://www.celestron.com.

Celestron attended the inaugural USA Science and Engineering Festival back in 2010, and while it was a complete success, we knew we could implement a few changes to make our booth even more engaging and exciting for guests.  This year, our team brought along two giant display monitors and focused one of our Deluxe Handheld Digital microscopes on an ant farm.  People old and young alike were eager to see close-up views of harvester ants going about their daily business of creating tunnels, snacking on apples and interacting with other ants.  We also displayed “fact cards” which provided interesting notes about our specimens before they were viewed through the Advanced 500, Portable LCD Digital, Amoeba, LCD Deluxe Digital and PentaView microscopes.  It was quite exciting for everyone to explore fascinating new worlds on Earth – from insects and arachnids to bacteria, cells, Mammoth’s hair, Seahorse, Bat, flower parts, pond water, clothing and even body parts!  Telescopes exhibited included two FirstScopes (one cut-out model to show how reflecting optics worked), SkyProdigy 6 and CPC 800 models.  These telescopes provided guests with close-up views of selected targets inside the convention center.  Judging by the amount of enthusiasm and positive reactions from students, parents and teachers, you could say it was quite a weekend of learning and most importantly, having fun!

On the evening of April 28th, a big stargazing party took place at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Celestial objects such as the Moon, Mars and Saturn were well positioned in the sky for viewing.  Unfortunately though, as predicted by weather forecasters, a cold front moved through Washington D.C. and it rained on our parade.  However, more than 800 guests still showed up to the event despite the bad weather.  Many took walking tours of the museum's Voyage Scale Model Solar System and many sat in on the evening’s presentations held inside the Moving Beyond Earth Gallery.  Bill Nye the Science Guy, the internationally well known science ambassador, actor, comedian, engineer, inventor, etc, conducted a very lively science presentation which lifted everyone’s spirits up, especially to children in the audience.  His passion for science literally electrified the room!  Bill then introduced me (Kevin Kawai), and I went on stage and spoke how I became inspired by an amateur astronomer a young age and Celestron’s commitment to support events like the USA Science and Engineering Festival – which brings science awareness and challenges to the forefront.  I then spoke about Celestron’s AstroMaster 70AZ telescope donation for the museum’s prize drawing.  After the presentations concluded, the Planetary Society conducted their live interview program while Celestron representatives set up telescopes inside the museum for viewing. Although rain prevented actual stargazing, guests still had a fun, educational night filled with astronomy, science and telescopes.  From that prospective, the night was indeed a success.

Science and Engineering can be seen everywhere in today’s world – from the computers we work on to the Smart Phone we text on.  They were seen at the expo at USAF Thunderbird’s aircraft on static display to a model of DNA being projected onto a screen, to our microscopes and telescopes being used at our booth and at the stargazing event.  Science and Engineering both play important roles in everyone’s lives whether we realize or not.  In general, we are all curious about science and technology, and this event provided everyone with a real world look to have a better understanding.  The USA Science and Engineering Festival is unquestionably the largest and most entertaining science festivals in the nation, if not the world.  The mission of this event is clear – to re-invigorate the interest of the nation’s youth in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by presenting the most exciting, educational and entertaining science festival in the United States.  Judging by what we encountered during this memorable weekend, innovation is continuing to drive forward to inspire our nation’s young people to aim high.  In a sense, the sky is truly limitless. 

East Coast Sales Manager, Ed McDonough and Marketing Communications Coordinator, Kevin Kawai, traveled to Indianapolis and brought along Celestron’s latest and time tested products such as weather stations, handheld portable devices and digital and optical microscopes. Some of these products included the exciting new 5MP touch screen PentaView; the new translucent Amoeba; crowd favorites such as the Deluxe Handheld Digital and Handheld Digital LCD; and the surprise hit of the show, the Digital LCD and Camera Accessory. Our battery powered Micro360 received many "thumbs up" from teachers for its portability and ease of use in the field. 

      

In addition to these products, no science gathering would be complete without a few telescopes to showcase as well. Celestron’s 76 mm ultra portable FirstScope captivated teachers with its compact size and large light gathering ability for such a small scope in its class.  Many teachers felt this telescope would make for the perfect astronomical learning tool for young science students and should belong in every science classroom – due to its size and nonintimidating features. The SkyProdigy 130 was also very popular with teachers.  This “smart telescope” enables users to start observing celestial objects within minutes – even if users have no astronomical or telescope background whatsoever!  With many non-astronomy science teachers being asked to teach astronomy in schools these days, having a SkyProdigy on hand would be ideal and provide such a welcome relief as an essential learning tool.

Near the end of the show, we raffled off two Deluxe Handheld Digital microscopes, a rare Limited Edition Anniversary FirstScope and the grand prize, a PentaView LCD Digital microscope, to four lucky winners!  It was great to hear all the teachers cheering in anticipation.  We’re sure all the winner’s students will enjoy using these educational products to make their own fascinating discoveries in and around their classrooms!

     

The NSTA National Conference is always one of our favorite events to attend each year.  Where else will you find such a large scale science conference that teachers can update their science knowledge, learn the latest teaching tools and network with thousands of other fellow science educators and teachers all under one roof?  Celestron is committed to support and enhance science and educational markets, while at the same time, continue to create a sense of wonder, knowledge and fun with our products – not only here locally but throughout the world!  See you again next year!

For complete photo album of this event click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/celestron-blog/sets/72157629363666770/

Be sure to read the Photo Contest Terms and Conditions before entering your photos. Once submitted, all photos will go through approval before appearing in the gallery. Photos must stay under 2500 pixels in either dimension.

A Grand Prize, First Runner Up, and Second Runner Up will be chosen based on the photograph's quality, clarity, composition, and adherence to the Contest theme "World of Nature." The images may be of animals, plants, landscapes or any scenes of the natural world encountered during camping trips and other adventures in the outdoors.

Be sure to include your full name, email and location of photo in the "Description" field. If your photo is chosen, we will need that information to contact you.

The Grand Prize Winner will receive a Celestron SkyProdigy 130 Telescope; the First Runner Up will receive a Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ Telescope; and the Second Runner Up will receive a Celestron Outland X 8×25 Binoculars.

The winners will be announced and their photographs featured in the August 2012 issue of Camping Life.

Celestron 2835 Columbia St Torrance, CA 90503 Tel: 310-328-9560 Fax: 310-212-5835 www.celestron.com

March 13, 2012

Dear Celestron Friends,

We are deeply saddened to announce that Celestron founder, Thomas J. Johnson, passed away at 5am PST on March 13, 2012.

Tom's innovative, pioneering spirit created a revolutionary method of mass producing an affordable Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope design, which allowed millions of amateur astronomers to pursue their passion for astronomy. Other notable achievements include a 1978 David Richardson Medal from the Optical Society of America, a 1993 Bruce Blair Medal from the Western Amateur Astronomers, and a 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Small Telescope & Astronomical Society.

Our hearts go out to Tom's wife and family and to all who were touched by his achievements and innovation.

Sincerely,

Joseph A. Lupica, Jr.
President & CEO

Watch a video about Tom Johnson's contribution to the world of amateur astronomy:

Here we are again ushering in the New Year and finding ourselves at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada! CES 2011 seemed like only a few months ago when we unveiled over 20 new, exciting products, including the remarkable smart telescope - SkyProdigy. Fast forward to 2012 - this year, Celestron is unveiling over 50 new and exciting products that will surely turn heads and stir up astronomers, students, teachers, outdoorsmen and gadget enthusiasts alike. Here at CES, our booth (from the outside) retains the same shape as in previous years, but the layout has changed to immerse our guests in a more interactive experience using our products - whether in space or here on Earth. Let's take a brief look of some of the new Celestron products coming soon.

Our SkyProdigy lineup is starting to grow! Two new models will include a 102 mm f6.5 refractor and a 6" f10 SCT. With their larger apertures, both telescopes will be able to reveal even more distant celestial objects while retaining their compactness and portability. Target date for shipping is scheduled for February 2012. Three new AstroMaster telescope models are also making their debut including AstroMaster LT 60AZ, 70AZ and 76AZ models. These telescopes can all be quickly assembled and ready for both astronomical and terrestrial observing in minutes. Expected ship date is also February 2012.

Looking for a new pair of binoculars? There will be plenty of new models to choose from. Our high-end Granite series will be welcoming two larger models: 10x50 and 12x50. As with all our Granite binoculars, these new models will feature ED glass with full broadband multi-coatings that will deliver edge-to-edge sharpness with excellent color correction. Our new UpClose G2 binocular lineup will usher in a higher level of optical quality than ever before and be affordably priced. Look for ten new UpClose G2 models coming soon.

Microscopes! No matter where Celestron exhibits throughout the world, our microscopes always draw in large crowds, especially our digital microscopes. We are excited to debut three new microscopes at CES: The Amoeba Dual Purpose Digital Microscope features a translucent body (in blue or gray) that can be used on its base or as a handheld instrument. Its ease of use will surely make it a favorite among hobbyists, students, teachers, industrial inspectors and more. The exciting new PentaView LCD Digital Microscope will feature a wide-angled touch screen, a 5MP sensor and a top digital magnification of 2400x. For those looking for a traditional optical microscope, we are introducing the Micro360 Dual Purpose Microscope. As its name implies, the microscope head will rotate a complete 360° with ease, thus making it perfect for classroom or laboratory applications.

For anyone interested in weather forecasting, we will offer HomeCast Personal Weather Stations. This new line of digital weather stations will enable you to record and keep up with the latest weather readings taking place inside or outside your home, office or recreational facility. Three models will be introduced including: HomeCast Lite, HomeCast and HomeCast Deluxe models. In addition, we'll be offering WindGuide and WindGuide Plus handheld anemometers (wind gauges) that will allow you to measure wind speed, wind gusts and more.

Look for more new product announcements in Part 2 of CES 2012 recap.

CES 2012 Part 2

How excited we were to hear that our new SkyQ app made it to the Mobile Apps Showdown at this year's CES! SkyQ is an exciting multimedia application which helps you to identify stars, planets and thousands of other celestial objects, similar to our award winning SkyScout Personal Planetarium, which we launched back in 2006. SkyQ though, is used with your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch with a gyroscope. You just need to hold your device up to the sky to see what's up in the sky! Audio, text and Wikipedia links are readily available, so you'll have a full interactive learning experience to help increase your astronomical knowledge. The Mobile Apps showdown consisted of the top ten apps in the industry judged by a panel of technical experts and online voting. Finalists were given only four minutes to convince audience members and judges as to why their company's app was the best of the best. Celestron's Product Development Manager, Jason Fournier, represented Celestron on stage and showed a clever and entertaining video from our Orange Labs video series. The "stars" of the video included our own Firmware Engineer, Derik DeVecchio, as Professor O and Marketing Coordinator, Yasmine Rios, as his trusty Lab Assistant Y. For three fun-filled minutes, our actors played out a skit to explain what the new SkyQ is all about but with a sense of humor. Although SkyQ did not win this year's Mobile Apps Showdown, our app did make the top five, which was a major accomplishment that we are all very proud of.

Speaking of SkyQ, our new SkyQ Link WiFi Adapter will be soon be available for those who seek complete wireless control of their own Celestron computerized telescope with their iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. Users will need to download the SkyQ app from the App Store first and plug in the adapter into the telescope's Aux port. They will then have the capability of aligning their telescopes wirelessly and making use of its planetarium interface by tapping a celestial object on the SkyQ's view screen – the telescope will slew right to it! Look for the SkyQ Link WiFi Adapter scheduled for shipping during February 2012.

Lastly, the long awaited EdgeHD .7x Focal Reducer Lens will soon be available. Each reducer lens has been individually and proprietary optimized (matched) for each respective EdgeHD optical tube including: 8", 9.25", 11" and 14" models. What are the benefits? Field of view will increase by 43% and exposure time will be reduced by one-half to capture the same brightness of an object. The reducer lens will also allow for use with full frame sensors and Off-Axis Guiders while providing plenty of back focus. Look for the 14" model to begin shipping during January/February 2012 and the 11" model in February/March 2012. Shipment dates for the 9.25" and 8" models will soon be announced and follow thereafter.

With over 50 new product announcements for this year's CES, 2012 is already off to a flying start. However, that doesn't necessarily mean there will not be any more new product announcements for the rest of the year - by no means! Celestron's staff is always working on all cylinders behind the scenes to generate new and exciting projects for our customers. Only time will tell when there will be more new exciting product announcements. It'll only get better. You'll see.

Not long after we returned from a very successful East Coast trip, our Celestron on-the-go team was once again busily preparing and staging products for the next big show. What a busy travel month October has been! This time we found ourselves back on the West Coast to attend The World of Girl - Girltopia! Hosted by the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles, this daylong expo took place in the heart of downtown Los Angeles at the LA Convention Center on October 29, 2011. Girltopia encouraged thousands of girls of all ages and backgrounds to explore more, be inspired, develop leadership skills, grow and learn from a variety of interactive activities but most importantly, have fun!.  There were hundreds of exhibits, musical entertainers, speakers, workshops and diverse "Villages" with themes centered on Arts and Culture, Business Smarts, Environment and Outdoor Adventure, Wellness and Healthy Living, Science/Technology/Engineering/Math (STEM) and more. In addition, Girltopia began the Girl Scouts' pre-100th Anniversary celebration!

Celestron's Marketing Coordinator, Yasmine Rios and I, Marketing Communications Coordinator, Kevin Kawai, enthusiastically took on the roles as company Ambassadors. The Celestron booth was located in the (STEM) themed Discoverdale Village, along with other technology based companies and organizations. Throughout the day, wave after wave of Girl Scout Troops, their Leaders, as well as parents stopped by our booth to engage themselves with a multitude of digital microscopes, magnifying glasses and telescopes. Who knew using these optical devices could be so much fun yet educational at the same time? Everyone kept themselves quite entertained while they examined everything from currency, fabrics, feathers, glitter, insects, meteorites and even a big creepy spider! Others discovered additional ways to use our handheld microscopes as they explored each other's hands, hair and even teeth! At the side of our booth, we lined up several telescopes to view signs and objects near the main stage area. Naturally, everyone was hoping to observe real celestial objects rather than indoor objects. Perhaps next time we will be able to incorporate daytime and evening stargazing into the program? 

At the conclusion of Girltopia, we raffled off several fantastic prizes including Traveler 10x25 and 10x26 Binoculars, an Electric Zoom Spotting Scope, a Handheld Digital and Optical Microscope and a Limited Edition Anniversary FirstScope. Many of the prizes were won by Girl Scout members, so you can imagine all the big smiles on their faces! The FirstScope was won by a very grateful Scout Leader, who informed us that he was actually looking into purchasing a telescope.  Now that he won a telescope, he will be putting the scope to good use at both his Boy and Girl Scout Troop's campouts. We couldn't be more thrilled for all the kids. Girltopia was yet another colossal event which Celestron has attended in recent times, and we will continue on our quest to further strengthen ties and make a profound impact in the educational markets.  We took great satisfaction knowing our products are helping to engage and influence a new generation of youngsters that will one day become leaders in their fields – here at Girltopia and throughout the world!

Celestron's on-the-go team recently headed back out on the road and found ourselves traveling to the East Coast to attend one of the biggest, mind blowing, pop culture events in the nation – the one and only New York Comic Con!  This sixth installment of NYCC took place on October 13-16, 2011 in the heart of Midtown Manhattan at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.  Approximately 105,000 fans from all age groups, many of whom were fully dressed as their favorite characters, converged on the convention center's floors to immerse themselves with all the latest and greatest anime, cartoons, comics, gadgets, gaming, graphic novels, manga, movies, science fiction, space related toys, TV shows and a whole lot more.  Imagine that – four days of fun and excitement where being "geeky" was "IN" and everything else was just plain cool.

Being the astronomy and science fiction fans that we are, exhibiting at New York Comic Con just made perfect sense.  Marketing Manager, Michelle Meskill; Senior Art Director, Joe Kinsey; and myself, Marketing Communications Coordinator, Kevin Kawai, took on this new assignment and flew out to Gotham City.  We brought along a new outer space backdrop perfectly suited for this event as well as a wide range of fun, educational products we felt the crowds would enjoy.  It came as no surprise that our digital microscopes once again "stole" the show for Celestron as guests crammed around our booth for an up close look at currency, insects, arachnids, cells or anything else they dared put under our microscopes to explore and make discoveries. With attractive price points and ease of use, who knew using digital microscopes could be so fun yet so affordable?  Another popular draw was our telescopes that were used as background props in recent blockbuster movies and television shows.  We proudly displayed the CPC 1100, as seen in the movies Thor and Iron Man as well as a NexStar SE, as seen in the hit TV shows Big Bang Theory and Modern Family.  It's quite a thrill and an honor knowing that Celestron products are now forever immortalized in film. 

Throughout the show, we were always on our feet interacting with guests and never had a dull moment or time to sit.  We passed out flying discs and catalogs until all our supplies were depleted.  During the event, we conducted free raffle prize drawings at our booth that proved to be a big hit with everyone who signed up.  Winners had to be present to claim many great prizes, including binoculars, an electric zoom spotting scope, a digital and optical microscope and the grand prize, a Limited Edition Anniversary FirstScope.  Congratulations to all our winners!  

New York Comic Con was definitely like no other event we had exhibited in the past.  While we did meet a few people who already owned Celestron telescopes, many guests were unaware of the Celestron brand, let alone knew anything about all the fascinating products we had to offer.  It was quite a memorable experience to have characters such as Boba Fett, Chewbacca, Domo, Gumby, a Stormtrooper, Wonder Woman and countless other characters visit our booth with a sincere fascination to learn more and view the universe or objects here on Earth using Celestron products.  While many of those in attendance must fantasize piloting their own combat vessels to do battle with an alien armada in deep space, we were able to acquaint them with the instruments necessary to see the battlefield in which they dream about.

TORRANCE, CA – October 17, 2011 – Celestron, the world's leading designer and manufacturer of telescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, weather stations, GPS devices, microscopes and related accessories, today announced SkyProdigy was awarded the Popular Mechanics 2011 Product Breakthrough Award.

SkyProdigy was one of ten products to receive a Breakthrough Product Award.  Winners were honored at a ceremony hosted by Popular Mechanics on Monday, October 10, 2011 at Hearst Tower in New York City.

“From off the shelf blood vessels to a cell phone tower the size of a Rubik's Cube, our Breakthrough Award winners not only capture the imagination, but hold the potential to improve and save lives,” saysPopular Mechanics Editor-in-Chief James Meigs.  “We are pleased to honor this year's diverse list of visionaries, James Cameron among them, as they are shaping the future of innovation.”

Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Awards are given in two categories: innovators, whose inventions will make the world smarter, safer and more efficient in the years to come, and products, which are setting benchmarks in design and engineering today.

“Celestron is honored to be recognized among so many passionate innovators and we thank Popular Mechanics for their support of SkyProdigy,” said Joseph A. Lupica Jr, president and CEO of Celestron. “SkyProdigy makes exploring our amazing Universe easier and faster than ever before, turning anyone into an instant astronomer.”

SkyProdigy features Celestron's patent pending StarSense™ Technology;  equipped with a built-in tracking camera and a database of over 4,000 objects, enabling the alignment process to be complete in less than three minutes and making SkyProdigy the fastest automatically aligning telescope available on the market today. 

SkyProdigy was also the winner of the 2011 CES Innovations Award for Design and Engineering Excellence and a Popular Mechanics Editor's Choice Award winner at CES 2011.

SkyProdigy is available in three models:

• Refracting telescope -- SkyProdigy 70 (Suggested Retail: $699)
• Maksutov-Cassegrain design -- SkyProdigy 90 (Suggested Retail:  $749)
• Reflecting telescope -- SkyProdigy 130 (Suggested Retail: $799)

For more information on Celestron SkyProdigy and a list of dealer locations and updates, please visit www.celestron.com.

For more information on this year's Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award honorees please visitwww.popularmechanics.com/breakthroughproducts2011 for a list of award-winning products andwww.popularmechanics.com/breakthroughinnovators2011 for a list of award-winning innovators.

About Celestron

Celestron is a leading designer, manufacturer and importer of high-quality optical products including computerized and non-computerized telescopes and related accessories, weather stations, GPS devices, binoculars, spotting scopes and microscopes.  Since manufacturing its first telescope in 1960, Celestron has grown to become the world's leading telescope maker, and enjoys brand-name recognition among serious amateur astronomers for superior optics, outstanding design, and innovative technology.  Celestron's innovative products continue to receive numerous industry and consumer media accolades, adding to an already impressive list that includes awards for product innovation from Reader's Digest, Popular Science, PC Magazine, Popular Mechanics, the Consumer Electronics Association and more.  Celestron is a privately held company with corporate offices and manufacturing facilities, in Torrance, CA.

About Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics empowers readers to navigate the increasingly complex, technological world around us.  The magazine, published monthly by Hearst Magazines, inspires, instructs and influences 9 million curious readers. Their mindset - the hunger to know, the desire to investigate and learn - drives them to explore, experiment and experience a wide range of interests. Issues engage readers with breakthroughs in the latest innovations in science and technology; educates with informative “how-to” stories on automotive, the home and digital technology; and motivates action with product reviews and comparison tests of the newest equipment and products. Popular Mechanics is also the #1 ranked men's monthly magazine when it comes to reaching an environmentally conscious audience.   The brand is a 21st century must-read, with a robust website (popularmechanics.com) and an award-winning tablet edition.

Contact:

Michelle Meskill
Celestron Marketing Manager
310-328-9560 ext. 205

During the month of July, AES Seaside Cinema, Redondo Beach and AES Summer Movie Nights, Huntington Beach, successfully hosted a series of free outdoor family-oriented movie nights for the Los Angeles and Orange County beach communities in Southern California.  There were plenty of free giveaways, special guests, costume contest for kids and thousands of people in attendance.  Using green technology with energy supplied by the Sun, fun-filled movies such as The Sandlot, Bee Movie, Grease and Megamind were projected onto a huge portable, inflatable screen for the public to enjoy.  Solar powered movie screenings may just be starting out, but it is a great new trend that helps promote public awareness of alternative energy that is helpful for the environment and available today. 

Celestron was once again invited to participate at AES Seaside Cinema by figure skating World Champion, Scott Williams and film producer, Tom Kearney to help conduct star parties and sponsor the big raffle prize drawings on July 29th in Redondo Beach and July 30th in Huntington Beach. Celestron donated several Traveler binoculars, 50th Anniversary FirstScopes and 80LCM telescopes as prizes.  All proceeds from the raffle ticket sales, along with AES's contribution (they matched dollar for dollar ticket sales revenue), went to benefit two worthwhile causes: Redondo Beach Educational Foundation and Project Self Sufficiency Foundation. 

Celestron's Production Artist, Christy Ziemer; Firmware Engineer, Derik DeVecchio, aka "Professor O" from Celestron's Orange Lab video series; and Art Director, Joe Kinsey, were on hand to share their astronomy and telescope knowledge with all the guests.  Although there were a few low clouds at the Redondo Beach event, the sky was perfectly clear the following evening in Huntington Beach.  At each location, hundreds and hundreds of guests, especially the kids, lined up for a fascinating look at our beautiful and mysterious universe through our telescopes.  Saturn tantalized everyone with its magnificent rings and at least two of its moons.  For many, it was their very first time to see Saturn's rings through a telescope, and Saturn did not disappoint. "Wow, it doesn't seem real," said one parent, while her daughter yelled out "That's so cool!"  We know the positive experiences will be embedded in people's minds for a lifetime – just like it has been for all of us.  Other fascinating celestial objects we viewed included: double stars Albireo and Mizar; globular clusters M3 and M13; and planetary nebula, M57. 

The annual summertime AES Seaside Cinema and AES Summer Movie Nights were great ways to provide entertainment for local communities, while raising money for charitable causes.  Celestron was thrilled to be a part of these events, and we will continue to support events like these and help bring the wonders of the universe a bit closer for everyone to enjoy.

Living in Southern California sure has its benefits – plenty of sunshine, good surf and of course, close proximity to the annual summertime Oceanside Photo and Telescope's Southern California Astronomy Expo! Each year, OPT Boss, Craig Weatherwax and his staff, continue a tradition of going "over-the-top" to host one of the biggest and most exciting astronomy extravaganza events in town. Celestron's Director of US Sales, Ben Hauck and myself, arrived early to beat any traffic gridlock stemming from "Carmageddon" (temporary closure of the 405 freeway in west LA) but luckily, we did not encounter any traffic mess during the two hour drive south. While the marine layer greeted early arrivals, the beach clouds quickly dispersed by midmorning – gifting everyone with clear, blue skies and plenty of warm sunshine – just a perfect day to hold SCAE.

Throughout the day, Celestron's booth had a steady flow of guests as we exhibited our latest products, met with customers, fielded/answered questions and immersed ourselves in a friendly atmosphere with people who all shared the same interest – the love of astronomy! This year, we added new products to our display which included a must have for the deep sky astroimager – an 80 mm GuideScope Package; products for the recreationist and outdoorsman – TrekGuide, reTrace and CoursePro; as well as captivating products for children and hobbyist – HandHeld and LCD digital microscopes. Our goal is simple and straightforward – to engage people with fun, interactive learning tools. Many guests noticed Celestron is no longer just a telescope manufacturer and have been expanding its product lineup with more products geared towards educational and outdoor recreational markets. But of course, we were just as excited to demonstrate our current popular telescope models – CGEM 925 HD, CPC 800 XLT and NexStar 6SE, along with our exciting new automatic aligning SkyProdigy 90 and 130 models.  While many other telescopes on the lot were conducting solar observing, we decided to do something different and mix things up a bit.  We commanded our CPC 800 to locate and track the planet Jupiter in broad daylight instead!  Many guests who came by were quite amazed and surprised that our CPC 800 could find Jupiter in bright blue skies.  Who would have thought?  We're always eager to share operating tips and pass them along to our customers, so they could use their own Celestron equipment to their full potential.

One of SCAE's main attractions and draws were the great raffle prize drawings held throughout the day. This provided guests with many opportunities to take home wonderful prizes donated by the exhibitors and OPT. For 2011, Celestron donated an Anniversary FirstScope for the children's drawing and a NexStar 8SE with an Eyepiece and Filter Kit for the online drawing. It was great to learn that proceeds from raffle ticket sales went to the NHAS Library Telescope Program.  This will enable library patrons to check out scopes and enjoy the wonders of astronomy.  Now that is a great way to help educate and engage people, especially youngsters, so they could learn more and become inspired by the hobby.  It is no surprise that more children and families were seen at SCAE this year, so let's all continue to help spread the joys of astronomy and get the word out. 

Thank you Craig, Leigh, Penny, Eric and to the entire OPT staff for hosting another fabulous SCAE event.  It just keeps getting better and better.  Let's see what new surprises you'll have in mind for 2012.  One thing is for sure – Celestron will be there and perhaps with a few surprises of our own.

On June 10-12, 2011, Outside Magazine and the Aspen Chamber Resort Association held the second annual Outside in Aspen event in the beautiful mountain town of Aspen, CO.  This two-day extravaganza brought together a large gathering of athletically minded outdoor enthusiasts together with professional athletes from the world of cycling, kayaking, mountain climbing, rock climbing, hiking, fly-fishing and more.  Participants could "team up" and learn from the pros on these heart-pumping, adrenaline fueled activities. "Base Camp" served as the event's headquarters where workshops, demonstrations, a symposium and "The Great Gear Giveaway" prize drawings took place. 

Celestron's Marketing Manager, Michelle Meskill and I, flew out to Aspen to take part in this special, one of a kind, yearly event.  During the day, we had our booth set up at Base Camp headquarters and conducted planetary (Venus and Jupiter) viewing sessions in broad daylight through the CPC 1100 and the soon to be released SkyProdigy 130.  Nobody could ever imagine it was possible to view planets in daylight, but our telescopes proved otherwise.  We welcomed guests to try out Celestron's Sport Optics products including the newly released Granite 10x42, Nature 8x42 and Outland X 8x25 binoculars, as well as the Regal 100 F-ED spotting scope.   We also displayed a wealth of new handheld, portable digital devices such as our popular TrekGuide, reTrace Lite, CoursePro Elite and the LCD Handheld Digital microscope-the perfect gear for any Outdoors enthusiast!  During the evenings, we relocated across the street at The Sky Hotel and conducted successful private star parties and for all registered participants at the Outside in Aspen Welcome Party and the Aprẽs Pool Party.  With crystal clear, high elevation skies, celestial objects such as Saturn and the Moon were as crisp and detailed as ever.  Party goers marveled with excitement upon seeing these objects through large telescopes for the very first time.  It was a nice way of adding new elements for those who enjoy and participate in outdoor sports activities.

Next year's Outside in Aspen event is forecasted to be even bigger and better than ever.  We're sure stargazing will once again be a welcomed part of the program and be open to the general public to enjoy.  With an overwhelmingly positive response Celestron received at this year's event, we're hoping everyone will have the opportunity to observe in Aspen's clear, dark skies; it may just happen.

Just off Utah Trail near the north entrance to Joshua Tree National Park in Twentynine Palms, CA, quietly sits the Sky's The Limit Observatory and Nature Center.  This non-profit organization is comprised with a dedicated committee of local residents whose mission is to develop the site as a center for education and preservation in the fields of astronomy and environmental science.   Although the center is now open to the public, phases of construction are still an ongoing process.  Guests now have the opportunity to take a stroll along a nature trail that's filled with native plant species and be able to follow the movements of planets in our Solar System at a large outdoor Orrery.  For those seeking a sanctuary to meditate or just be at one with nature, a Zen Meditation Garden now sits at the southern end of the site and is open to anyone to use.  Future plans includes acquiring two large observatory domes for telescope observing/imaging, building a 200 seat outdoor amphitheater for presentations and Sky Tour programs, erecting classrooms and telescope making workshops and more.  Because the success of the organization is dependent by grants and generous donations by the public, final completion of this project is not expected for quite a few years; however, as word continues to spread about this all grassroots/all volunteer campaign, Sky's The Limit Observatory and Nature Center will become one step closer to realizing its dream of completion.

I was initially contacted by volunteers, Ray Yeager and Paul Livio and was personally invited to visit and tour Sky's The Limit Observatory and Nature Center.  This spring, I was finally able to make the journey to the desert.  Upon meeting some of its committee members including Ann Congdon, Jerri Hagman, Ken Drummond, James Boyd and a few other members, I immediately felt there was something very special about this organization, its dedicated team of volunteers, the pristine desert location and their vision.  One look at the starry night sky, I only imagined how spectacular the views would look through a large aperture SCT, which I knew was on their "Wish List."  With Celestron looking to continue supporting and enhancing science, education and outdoor markets, while inspiring people with a sense of wonderment and knowledge, supporting Sky's The Limit seemed quite logical.  And so, on May 21, 2011, Marketing Manager, Michelle Meskill and I journeyed to Sky's The Limit Observatory and Nature Center to present a CGE Pro 1400 during an Ice Cream Social and Presentation Ceremony in front of many committee members and supporters from around the Morongo Basin.  Immediately following the ceremony, the CGE Pro 1400 underwent "First Light" to the delight of everyone in attendance.  Saturn was the first showcase object on the night's observing list and did not disappoint.  As the night went on, several other spectacular deep sky objects were viewed that included M3, M13, M51, M57, M81, M82, M92 and NGC 4565.  Several other local astronomers brought along their telescopes to help share the views to all the guests.  With clear and starry skies, what a great evening it turned out to be.  The CGE Pro 1400 will soon be permanently housed inside one of the two observatory domes being planned for the site.  We're positive this telescope will help bring distant worlds much closer to home, so everyone will be inspired by the views.  Guests will have many opportunities to learn about all the programs and activities being offered - here on Earth and in the night sky - all in the name of education!  It's not all just on paper; progress is already being made on the ground! 

Michelle and I would like to thank the staff of Sky's The Limit Observatory and Nature Center for being such excellent hosts and for arranging all the informative tours and making sure our visit was as comfortable as could be.  Celestron is proud to help support your wonderful organization, and we could easily see that when people get together with the same goals and passions, the possibilities are endless.  The sky is truly the limit!

On April 20, 2011, Celestron had yet another big reason to celebrate in its long history - the Grand Opening of the new Joseph A. Lupica Jr. Observatory at Celestron's Torrance, CA headquarters.  Deservingly named after Celestron's President and CEO, this state-of-the-art observatory took more than a year of creative planning and construction - from the drawing board all the way to completion.  The new observatory features adjoining staircases leading up to two separate viewing platforms - one with a Roll-off Roof, and the other with a Rotating Dome.  Each platform has its own anchored pier, so telescopes and mounts can be bolted down or removed as needed during testing sessions by our Product Development Team.  The observatory will also be used by employees during non-testing nights, so everyone will have the opportunity to observe and enjoy the night sky in a more controlled environment.  When asked what factors lead to choosing the new observatory's name, Vice President of Product Development, Corey Lee, stated, "After giving it some thought, it was quite apparent to name the observatory for the individual who successfully guided the company throughout the years with his leadership, guidance and determination.  Never once did he give up on his vision to move the company forward, even during uncertain times.  The choice was clear; the observatory should be named after President Lupica."

And so, on a sunny, Wednesday afternoon, the Ribbon Cutting Dedication Ceremony took place, complete with balloons and refreshments with all Celestron employees present.  Several speeches were conducted, including those by Vice President, Lee and Chairman Emeritus, Alan Hale.  During the ceremony, a sign was unveiled proclaiming the observatory's name - much to the surprise of President Lupica.  President Lupica's wife, Carole, made a surprise appearance and congratulated her husband, as all the employees cheered.  President Lupica was presented with an offical plaque then gave a fiery, motivational speech and proceeded to cut the Red Ribbon to officially open the new observatory named in his honor.  The observatory's doors were opened and everyone present received a personal tour.  As Celestron continues to grow, it was inevitable that Celestron would have its own observatory.  It may have taken a while, but it's been well worth the wait. Exciting times for sure, with a lot more exciting milestones on the way! 

Each Spring between the months of April and May, one Saturday closest to the first-quarter Moon is set aside for astronomy clubs, astronomy enthusiasts, observatories, libraries, science centers, schools, museums, planetariums, telescope manufacturers and many other astronomy lovers to unite together and bring the wonders of astronomy and space science to the general public.  Astronomy Day 2011 took place on May 7th, and Celestron Representatives once again found themselves heading out on the road in the company van full of products to exhibit. But this time, the destination wasn't too far away - actually right up the freeway! 

Celestron teamed up with Griffith Observatory, The Los Angeles Astronomical Society and the Los Angeles Natural History Museum to bring astronomy to all the guests of the observatory.  Throughout the day, guests from around the world made their way up to the observatory grounds to check out all the astronomy exhibits, watch planetarium shows, observe the Sun and Moon and take a breathtaking view of the City of Angels from this historic Los Angeles landmark.  Low clouds and haze accompanied the sky throughout much of the day but became transparent enough to allow for a few hours of daytime celestial observing.  It was quite a challenge to sight the waxing crescent Moon through all the haze, but those who did could be heard saying "I see the Moon, I see the Moon!" However, as dusk approached, the marine layer moved in like a huge blanket of clouds and settled over the basin which compromised the evening star party.  Although everyone was quite disappointed that there would be no viewing of the Moon or Saturn, many guests opted to stay and talk astronomy with all the volunteers. The LAAS brought along trivial games which winners could take home astronomy magazine prizes.  The Los Angeles County Natural History Museum brought along their Sky Mobile - a huge truck which featured a self-supporting mobile classroom on wheels, complete with a full-scale Mars research station!  Guests were allowed to enter into an airlock and explore a simulated Martian surface!!  How fun!  Although we lost much of Astronomy Day to the clouds, bad weather couldn't take away the spirit of Astronomy Day.  As one volunteer noted, "Cloudy weather just comes with the territory - sometimes it's clear and sometimes it's not, but guests here today still left with a better understanding of the universe than when they first arrived."  We couldn't agree more.  Hope everyone else also had a successful event by "Bringing Astronomy to the People!"

Click on the image in this blog recap to be redirected to our Astronomy Day 2011 photo set on Flickr Photos.

Ah, springtime has arrived once again!  And with the cold, harsh winter weather behind us (for most of us anyways), it could only mean it's that time of year for the annual Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF) extravaganza!  On April 16-17, 2011, NEAF's 20th Anniversary show took place at Rockland Community College, Suffern, New York.  This year, what is arguably the world's largest astronomy tradeshow, led by Chairperson Alan Traino and organized by the Rockland Astronomy Club, crowds were noticeably larger this year than in previous years, as this held true throughout the entire 2 day event.   With world-renowned featured speakers, an exhibit area with over 140 commercial vendors present, portable planetarium shows, solar observing, beginner's and kid's workshops and may more fun activities, astronomy enthusiasts were able to immerse themselves with anything and everything astronomy!  Best of all, guests were able to feast their eyes on all the latest astronomical equipment, related gadgets and must haves!  Celestron once again attended this spectacular east coast show and sent out a team of representatives covering Marketing, Product Development and Sales departments. Representatives included Director of US Sales, Ben Hauck; V.P. of Product Development, Corey Lee; East Coast Sales Manager, Ed McDonough; Product Development Manager, Jason Fournier and myself, Marketing Communications Coordinator, Kevin Kawai. 

Rainy weather commenced during the first day of the show that brought thousands of attendees inside the gymnasium. Perhaps it was a good omen, as guests began "pouring" into the exhibition area - not only serious amateur astronomers but also quite a number of beginners, families and couples of all ages.   Celestron exhibited many exciting optical products - some new, some already established and time tested, including our flagship CGE Pro 1400 HD, CGEM DX 1100 HD, CGEM, Heavy Duty Wedge mounted to a CPC 1100, C925-SGT, NexStar 6 and 8SEs, NexStar 127SLT, OMNI XLT 150, Granite and SkyMaster Series binoculars, Regal 80F-ED spotting scope and our new Nature, Outland and Oceana monocular lineup.  We were also very excited to showcase our new and upcoming affordable, automatic alignment telescope series - the SkyProdigy.  We feel this telescope will be ideal for beginners and everyone else who seeks a high quality telescope to begin observing the night sky right away - turning them into instant astronomers! This year, we've focused quite heavily on our outdoor products market and brought along many new, exciting weather stations, handheld GPS and portable electronic devices.  These devices included ReTrace, which allows users to retrace their steps, so they won't get lost; CoursePro, a handheld GPS device which will provide golfers with a competitive edge on the course; and TrekGuide, a great hiker's companion which features a digital compass, altitude, barometer, temperature readings and more!  For students, teachers and science hobbyists alike, we showcased digital microscopes such as the Deluxe HandHeld Digital, LCD Handheld Digital and LCD Deluxe Digital microscopes which all proved to be crowd favorites - even at an astronomy show!

During NEAF, we were thrilled to welcome a couple of Astronomy Prodigies to the Celestron booth - Caroline Moore and Hudson Kendall.  Caroline, a high school honor roll student, who at age 14, discovered her first supernova, sn2008ha - a type 1a-p supernova and the least supernova ever observed.  Half a year later, Caroline discovered her second supernova, sn2009he.  Since then, she has often volunteered her spare time helping out and inspiring children in her community to have a better understanding on the wonders of astronomy, space and science.  She has won numerous, prestigious awards and in October 2009, was a personal guest of President Obama in what may have been the first ever White House Star Party - "A Night of Astronomy." Also visiting the Celestron booth was Caroline's friend, 12 year old Hudson Kendall and his mother, Keli.  The Kendall's, from Utah, befriended Caroline, her father Bob, as well as Celestron staff members last October during the USA Science and Engineering Festival which took place in Washington DC.  Hudson is a science enthusiast, inventor and a big fan of Bill Nye the Science Guy.  His dream is to one day become an astronaut. There's no question you'll be hearing a lot more of Caroline, Hudson and many more bright "shining stars" of their generation in the future.  We wish them both continued success in making new discoveries and positive changes that will enrich people's lives for a better tomorrow.  Reach for the stars!

What a great time was had by all at this year's NEAF event.  Thank you Alan Traino, the Rockland Astronomy Club and all others involved for your tireless efforts, hard work and dedication to help make the 2011 NEAF the best one to date.  Celestron was thrilled (as always) to participate at this great annual event and to showcase our latest products.  Best of all, it was just great meeting our customers and supporters face to face and seeing our long time dealers and friends in the astronomy community.  It's only April, and there's still a lot of new, exciting announcements in store from Celestron during the remainder of the year.  Just you wait and see!  See you all again at the 2012 NEAF event!

The National Science Teachers Association held its 2011 National Conference on March 10-13 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California.  The 3 day event consisted of approximately 9,700 attendees - administrators, educators, science teachers and students plus over 400 leading exhibitors of science and educational products from all over the world.  As an avid supporter of NSTA and science education for years, Celestron once again exhibited at the National Conference and brought along many exciting present and up-and-coming products. 

Throughout the event, teachers were encouraged to test some of our most popular and latest Digital Microscopes. Many of whom enjoyed exploring hidden worlds and felt their students would surely benefit while learning about science at the same time.  Another popular product exhibited was the SkyProdigy 130 (prototype).  This smart telescope is scheduled to be released this coming summer and proved to be our "shining star" at the event.  With its fully automatic self-alignment system, the SkyProdigy appealed to nearly every teacher looking for an easy to use, affordable, computerized telescope that would simplify the learning process and enhance their astronomy classes.

During the second day of the conference, Celestron Representatives conducted raffle prize drawings which drew a sizeable crowd to the booth.  Prizes included 3 Deluxe HandHeld Digital Microscopes, 1 Anniversary FirstScope and the grand prize, 1 Deluxe LCD Digital Microscope.  The raffle was a big hit, especially for those teachers who were lucky enough to have the winning tickets.  Cheering teachers could be heard throughout the floor as one by one, winners stepped forward.  The lucky winners couldn't wait to return back to their schools, so they could share these fascinating, educational products with their students. 

The 2011 NSTA National Conference highlighted many exciting workshops and exhibits for science teachers to learn the latest teaching methods to incorporate in their classrooms. What an ideal conference where teachers could update their science knowledge, learn new teaching ideas and mingle with thousands of fellow colleagues in their respective fields.  Celestron will continue to design and manufacture even more exciting new science related products that will not only appeal to the science hobbyist, but also for the educational market - what a great time to be a science teacher or student. 

The New Year marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter in Celestron's storied 51 years of designing and manufacturing high quality telescopes, telescope related accessories, scientific, educational and outdoor products.  What better event to unveil over 20 exciting new products from Celestron than at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which recently took place in Las Vegas, NV on January 6-9, 2011.  Each year, CES showcases the world's latest, most innovative electronic gadgets and technologies from around the globe -bringing together thousands of exhibitors, media, bloggers and attendees.  CES remains unparalleled as a dynamic launching pad for new technologies.  With an entourage of 20 representatives from the Executive Level, Marketing, Product Development and Sales teams, Celestron came out in full force - eager to showcase its latest captivating product lines.

2 days prior to the start of CES, the media was provided a "sneak peak" of some of the newest product launches at CES Unveiled, which took place in the Venetian Hotel's Ballroom.  Celestron's Director of US Sales, Ben Hauck, and Marketing Manager, Michelle Meskill, were on hand and interviewed live on TV and radio to talk about some of the latest products that would be later showcased at CES, including: SkyProdigy, the first truly affordable, intelligent, automatic alignment telescope that's able to align itself in 3 minutes and ready to use - the perfect telescope for beginners, families and hobbyist; CoursePro, a handheld GPS device that will provide golfers with a competitive edge as it calculates distances to the front, center and back of the green and more; reTrace, a handheld GPS device that will literally retrace your steps to locations you saved, so you'll never get lost and TrekGuide, a handheld device with a digital compass, altimeter,  barometer, weather forecaster, thermometer and more.  It's quite a useful device that every hiker or outdoor enthusiast should never be without.  Nearly 40 credentialed media visited the Celestron table and provided the company with outstanding press coverage.

This year, Celestron was once again located inside the main Central Hall of the Convention Center and used its unique outer space themed booth setup to draw visitors in.  At the front of the booth, the new SkyProdigy 130, winner of the 2011 CES Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase and Popular Mechanics Editor's Choice Awards, was proudly displayed on a pedestal for all to see.  Nearby, an interactive monitor provided product and video tours, as well as informative information for all Celestron's products.  Excellent work provided by GammaFX Design Studio.  A newly "beefed up" CGEM DX gracefully occupied the adjacent corner of the booth and was equipped with an 11" EdgeHD OTA, larger counterweight bar/weights, CGE Pro style tripod and guidescope package with a DSLR camera attached.  The CGEM DX has a load capacity of 50 lbs and comes with an upgraded motor driver chip.  The new SkyWatcher AllView Mount, winner of the 2011 CES Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase Award, was also exhibited and drew much attention for its ability to simplify the process of taking panoramic photos with a DSLR camera attached.  This multi-purpose computerized mount features dual-encoder technology, a rotatable fork arm for use with a variety of OTAs and can be used for daytime viewing, surveillance or astronomical viewing.  Additional new products showcased included: CoursePro, reTrace, TrekGuide, 3 models of Nature, Outland and Oceana Monoculars, Outland X and Granite Series Binoculars, AstroMaster AZ tripod, HandHeld LCD Digital Microscope, Mini HandHeld Digital Microscope, PowerSeeker and AstroMaster Accessory Kits, Universal Mounting Plates, Dovetail Bars, X-Cel LX eyepieces, WedgePro, Magnifiers, Loupes and more.

Throughout the 4 day event, Celestron received unprecedented media coverage, and it wasn't uncommon to see Celestron representatives being asked to talk, often on camera, about all the latest products by the press.  With many new innovative Celestron products announced at CES, 2011 is certainly gearing up to be one of the most exciting years in the company's history.  It's not difficult to notice Celestron is expanding its product lines and is no longer just a telescope company known for producing superior optics.  As technology keeps evolving, so will the company to meet the demands of consumers to continue and provide cutting-edge products.  With outdoor recreational and personal products such as CoursePro, reTrace and TrekGuide on the horizon, Celestron will aggressively expand itself into newer markets.  January has only just begun and surely, even more exciting announcements will likely to follow throughout the New Year.

Sky and Telescope magazine, the world-wide leading publication for amateur astronomy selected the two Celestron products as noteworthy innovations in the field of Astronomy for 2011.

The NexGuide AutoGuider is a must have for imaging!  This accessory is a stand-alone autoguider that eliminates the need for a laptop computer in the field. It’s equipped with a larger chip to provide more area for locating and keeping the guide star on the chip.  It also has a sensitive CCD so you can track on fainter stars and has automatic calibration of each axis in addition to automatically setting guide rate parameters.  The NexGuide AutoGuider has a sleek design and a 9-Button hand control for menu navigation.  If you’re interested in taking deep-sky images with your DSLR camera, the NexGuide Autoguider will help you achieve optimum results.

Our second award winner is the affordable LCM Computerized Mount.  This alt-az mount uses NexStar technology and a database for automatic slewing and tracking of over 4,000 night sky objects. The mount also has an upgradeable hand control and SkyAlign technology making the LCM Computerized Mount a wonderful upgrade from a non-computerized mount. 

Texas, the Lone Star State, often brings visions of the Alamo, the Dallas Cowboys football team, the Houston Astros baseball team and NASA's Johnson Space Center.  But how about being recognized as one of the leading states whose mission is to ensure its educators are provided with the latest skills and knowledge necessary to prepare their students for success? It's not uncommon to hear the phrase "Everything is a lot bigger in Texas" among the locals, and recently I found out how truthful that statement really is. On November 11-13, 2010, thousands of science teachers throughout the state of Texas, journeyed to the city of Houston to attend the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST).  This conference, hosted by the Science Teachers Association of Texas, took place at the George R. Brown Convention Center which upon first glance, appeared like a giant red, white and blue cruise ship - complete with funnels, portholes and even a gangway bridge!  CAST provided many opportunities for teachers to improve their science teaching skills through jam sessions, workshops, field trips, course studies and meeting with exhibitors.  As a result, teachers would then bring back and expose their students to the latest science curriculums and keep pace in today's ever changing global technological arena.  With the promotion of science and academics more prevalent than ever before, students would undoubtedly enhance their opportunities pursuing future careers in science related fields.  

Celestron's West Coast Sales Manager, Darren Gonzales, and I traveled to Houston to take part at our first CAST event.  We immediately noticed teachers were quite passionate about finding new ways to continually improve their science courses.  Those we spoke with taught on many different levels - from grade school to university.  Throughout the conference, many teachers were instantly drawn to our HandHeld Digital Microscope, HandHeld Digital and Optical Microscope and the Deluxe LCD Digital Microscope.  We displayed live images of a dissected earthworm, various insects, currency and even a meteorite for everyone to view.  "Those microscopes are so cool and easy to use!" said one teacher, while another commented "I can picture my students learning and having fun with these digital microscopes."  Additional items we exhibited included the Digital LCD and Camera Accessory, Prepared Slide Sets, the new LED HandHeld Illuminated Magnifiers and Loupes, 4 Color LCD Weather Station, SkyScout, IYA FirstScope, AstroMaster 70AZ, NexStar 6SE and a 15x70 SkyMaster binocular.  Not only are all these products educational and great teaching tools, but they're also fun to use.  Who says science isn't an exciting subject?  

Although the 3 day conference went by quickly, both Darren and I enjoyed exhibiting and demonstrating our products with all those who visited our booth.  It was especially rewarding to hear how our products, especially the digital microscopes, would be a welcomed addition to the classrooms.  We spoke with many educators and obtained valuable feedback which we'll be able to use to continually make our products better and better as technology keeps evolving.  With Texas having the honor of holding the largest state wide science teachers' conference in the nation, I'm not surprised at all that events here are indeed, just a bit bigger.  Next year's CAST event is scheduled to take place in Dallas, and we'll most likely find our way back to the Lone Star State.

by Kevin Kawai 

The inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo took place in Washington, D.C., centered on the National Mall and nearby surroundings areas on October 23 and 24, 2010. Sponsored by Lockheed Martin, the Expo was a free grand finale for a nationwide festival that began on October 10 with activities that transpired throughout the nation. The Expo featured over 1,500 hands-on interactive activities, 75 stage shows, and 50 satellite events in 25 states for people of all ages. This event was unquestionably the largest science and engineering event of its kind in the United States designed to engage the public on the wonders of science, mathematics and engineering. Organizers estimated more than one million people participated at this historic event. It's important for the public to learn and understand why these fields play such important roles in everyone's daily lives.

Throughout Celestron's 50 years in the telescope making business, our company has employed many brilliantly-minded people, many of whom with advanced degrees in mechanical, optical and software engineering, as well as in physics. As a strong proponent of astronomy and science-related public outreach, our traveling team flew out to Washington D.C. to attend this noteworthy event and share some of our fun and innovative optical products with educators, parents and especially to the next generation of science and engineering enthusiasts. Joining us at the Celestron booth included our very special guest and youngest Ambassador, Caroline Moore, who was accompanied by her father, Bob. In April 2008, Caroline, then at age 14, became the youngest person ever to discover a supernova, sn2008ha. In July 2009, Caroline discovered her second supernova, sn2009he. Since then, she has been recognized for her achievements by Local, State and Federal governmental agencies and has received numerous awards for bringing astronomy to the people, especially to children. One memorable moment occurred when Caroline was invited as a personal guest of President Obama during the first official "White House Star Party" back in October 2009. The President has since called her one of America's young heroes. We were especially proud to have Caroline and her father join us during this event.

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Our booth was located in Freedom Plaza along Pennsylvania Avenue. We brought along a wide variety of "kid friendly" optical products including several HandHeld Digital Microscopes, Digital and Optical Microscopes and Deluxe LCD Digital Microscopes to explore a wide variety of samples such as insects, fabrics, feathers, coffee grains, sugar, pond and sea water, meteorites and much more! How rewarding it was for us to see families analyzing new hidden worlds and making their own new discoveries here on Earth. At the same time, we assembled several of our telescopes in front of our booth, including the CPC 1100, NexStar 8SE, AstroMaster 70AZ and even the Anniversary FirstScope. Although a building blocked much of the Sun from our location throughout the day, being in shadow was actually a blessing as it improved the clarity of our notebooks and LCD screens. Instead of solar observing, we conducted terrestrial viewing with our telescopes aimed at various landmarks throughout the city. We encountered a surprise guest as "Johannes Kepler", the man who became famous for his laws of planetary motion, stopped by to show us his "Galileo scope" and see how far our modern telescopes have evolved. A few booths down, the Science Cheerleaders were on hand signing autographs and inspiring young girls to explore the possibilities in science related fields. They were quite successful in breaking down the old stereotype of what female scientists are usually perceived as. Instead, they sent out a message that today, you could still be stylish, hip and beautiful and be a professional with a science background. The cheerleaders were comprised of mathematicians, medical doctors, chemists and engineers! They even performed on stage cheering to science and math facts. Way to go Science Cheerleaders!

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During the evening of October 23, in front of Wilson Plaza, Celestron, along with Dr. Donald Lubowich of Hofstra University and a few volunteers from the Astronomy Outreach Foundation, conducted a public star party on Pennsylvania Avenue. Jupiter played "peek-a-boo" through the clouds as we patiently waited for the front to pass through. When the planet finally emerged, several hundred guests were already lined up at each telescope eager for a glimpse. Although the Great Red Spot wasn't visible, one of Jupiter's moons was casting its shadow on the planet which drew a lot of "oh wows" from the public. The Full Moon also fought its way through the clouds, but eventually shined through to the delight of everyone present. The Moon may have been exceptionally bright; however, we were well prepared with polarizing filters. The crowds were awestruck!

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During the star party, Caroline conducted a presentation in front of a large crowd that gathered. She spoke about her supernova discoveries, and how she's been conducting her own research, as well as making her own hypothesis from data acquired from other scientists. Caroline's speech electrified the crowds and captivated both adults and young children alike. She spoke with a lot of passion for her work and her love of astronomy. Her enthusiasm and rapport with kids really makes her an impressive role model! Immediately following Caroline's presentation, the trio "Powers of Ten" featuring David Haines (Composer), Ruth Kiefer (USA ScienceFest Organizer) and Nancy Huddleston, entertained the crowds by singing an informative song about our nearest star, the Sun. Now that's a fun and alternative way to learn about science!

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Today, the importance of science education is being emphasized more than ever before, as noted by scholars, the media and President Obama, but more work needs to be done. People are genuinely curious about science and technology, yet our nation, as a whole, will need to strengthen its commitment towards science education if we're going to compete in the global information age. Having an event like the USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo, gave youngsters, their parents and teachers a real world eye opening experience that hopefully stirred their creative imaginations and provided inspirations towards higher goals and achievements in life. Celestron is proud to support this great educational movement, and we hope many of today's youths will embrace science, engineering and mathematics and will continue to drive innovation forward. Who knows how many youngsters will grow up to become the next Caroline Moore and make their own exciting discoveries? There's no telling.

"I want to thank you for such an amazing donation....much to my amazement, one of my family's tickets was drawn as the winner of the NexStar 4SE! We jumped out of our seats with excitement and could hardly believe it was true.

...(My sons and I) started amateur astronomy only a few years ago, and have wished for a GoTo scope to call our own. In addition to being a hobby, astronomy is part of the boys' home school curriculum and I can assure you the scope will be put to very good use. Actually it already has.

On Monday night after we won the scope on Saturday, the boys and I did our own outreach in the neighborhood. We set up the NexStar 4se that we won at VAAS in an empty lot across the street from our home. My wife called several neighbors with children to come over and a couple neighbors saw the red flashlights and wondered what was happening. I'm pleased to report that, thanks to Celestron's generosity, 11 folks from 6 different families came out to see Jupiter, the Moon, and several constellation locations, plus general sky gazing through the scope towards the heart of the Milky Way. None of the neighbors had ever seen Jupiter or the Moon through a telescope before. There were lots of oohs and ahhs and wows. Luke and Seth were great outreach guides - explaining things, where to look, how to focus, how the telescope worked, the names of Jupiter's moons, etc. All of the neighbors were impressed that the telescope could automatically locate items in the sky and commented how nice it was for Celestron to donate such an impressive item as a conference door prize.

Because of its portability, we plan to take the telescope to RVAS outreach events in the coming months and years. So, not only has your generosity made a life-long impression on my family, it will help introduce others to the wonders of the night sky.

Best wishes and again thank you very much!"

Mark Poore, Secretary
Roanoke Valley Astronomical Society
Roanoke, Virginia

Celestron is always thrilled to receive letters from the winners of our product donations. We make every effort to support the astronomy community and to help inspire interest in our amazing Universe. Thank you to the Mark Poore family for sharing your new telescope with your community and paying it forward!

by Kevin Kawai 

Imagine looking upward and seeing a myriad of colorful shapes and characters taking flight and floating gently into the blue twilight - like lollipops dangling from the sky. This can only mean it's time for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta! With over 600 hot air balloons, AIBF is the largest ballooning event on the planet. The Balloon Fiesta Park is over 360 acres with a launch field of over 78 acres. AIBF staff claims this area is as large as 54 football fields strung together! Judging by the grounds that stretches as far as the eye could see, they aren't kidding! Unlike a football stadium though, there are no viewing bleachers, but guests are permitted to walk onto the field and get up close and personal with the balloons, talk to the pilots and chase crews, browse sponsor exhibits, shop along Main Street and even get a chance to ride in the balloons. AIBF is definitely a fun-filled event for people of all ages, and it's common for attendance to top 800,000 guests for the entire 9 day event!

The 2010 schedule consisted of a multitude of balloon related attractions including: Dawn Patrol, where balloons are launched in the dark until there is enough light for the pilots to see their landing sites; Mass Ascensions, where all participating balloons are launched in two waves that fills the sky with a variety of different colors; Balloon Glows, where all burners are ignited at the same time which creates a breathtaking light show at dawn and dusk; Special Shape Rodeo/Glowdeo, where balloons shaped in colorful characters such as bumble bees, octopus, kangaroos, lady bugs, Pepsi Can, Space Shuttle, etc, are displayed; and the crowd pleasing After Glow Fireworks show, which is one of the loudest and most impressive firework shows around.

Marketing Coordinator, Yasmine Rios; Graphic Designer, Christy Ziemer; and I, flew out to Albuquerque, New Mexico to attend this grand spectacle and to exhibit our latest binoculars and spotting scopes to a new audience. In addition, we also brought along several computerized and noncomputerized telescopes and hosted daytime/nighttime star parties. Our original plan was to hold only 1 evening star party, but that quickly went by the wayside, as we noticed guests were already waiting for us to arrive each morning and afternoon to begin the observing sessions. How could we not oblige? Throughout the AIBF, we encouraged guests to try out our latest optical products. Many took advantage of this opportunity to get a closer look at all the balloons in flight and those on static display. How exciting it was to see burners shooting out flames to fill the balloons with hot air - and all from a safe distance. As the Sun rose, the first rays of light illuminated the balloons and turned them into a sparkling glow of colors. We used our CPC 800 (equipped with a solar filter) to track the featureless Sun until it rose high enough for us to turn our attention towards Venus. With a simple go-to command, Venus became visible in the telescope. Many guests believed they were looking at a thin crescent Moon in broad daylight! You can imagine how surprised they felt once they learned they were actually viewing Earth's twin! The Special Shape Glowdeo took place during the evening sessions and crowds swelled to record numbers as everyone began to converge in and around the launch field. Jupiter rose in the eastern twilight and would become the night's showcase object. With all our telescopes now aimed at the gas giant, guests marveled at the wealth of detail easily discernable under moments of steady seeing, including a transit. Long lines formed quickly and at times, we wished we could've brought along an additional representative to help us accommodate all the people. At the conclusion of each night's launch sessions, the AfterGlow Fireworks show took place on and off the launch field. Never before have we seen such well choreographed fireworks displays which always kept the audience wanting to see more.

The 2010 AIBF was unquestionably a successful show, and Christy, Yasmine and I all agreed this was one of the most exciting events we had exhibited at this year. Next year, we hope to return back to AIBF to showcase new products and have the opportunity to ride in one of the hot air balloons. On behalf of Celestron, we would like to thank our AIBF Vendor Team Leader, Janie Jordan and her crew for making sure we were accommodated and up and running. In the beginning, it was quite difficult to clearly understand why a hot air balloon festival could be so appealing to draw in many people in the wee hours of the morning or late in the afternoon. Now we know. Until then..

by Michelle Meskill 

Photokina 2010 in Cologne, Germany was a complete success for Celestron!Our booth was a big hit, with everyone snapping away taking pictures of the booth and our new optical equipment. Show highlights included a 50^th Anniversary celebration dinner with our distributors and a presentation on the "Art of Astrophotography", by Sebastian Voltmer.People visited our booth steadily during the entire six day show and the whole staff stayed busy talking to consumers, meeting with distributors and checking out the great displays from other companies showcasing all of their newest products.

On Wednesday evening, Celestron's 50^th Anniversary Celebration with Distributors was held at the Bel Etage at the Lindt Chocolate Museum, Cologne.After a short reception, where guests enjoyed a walk around the museum, we all gathered in the Bel Etage for dinner. The food and company were wonderful.Vice President of International Sales, Jim Edmiston, introduced all of the Celestron staff in attendance and we all toasted the distributors to thank them for their support and business throughout the years. Celestron President and CEO, Joe Lupica, gave a great speech on Celestron's success and future. Distributor awards were announced starting with the Meteor Award for the fastest growth for a new distributor, to Sheldon & Hammond (Australia), who were not able to join us in Germany. Jim then announced the Galaxy award winner, Hama U.K. (United Kingdom) for their outstanding overall performance in a speciality market. Next was our Cosmos Award winner, Microciencia S.A. (Spain), for the best overall perfomance in a major market.

The night was capped off with a delicious chocolate fountain that became a popular gathering place. We were also treated to a mesmerizing piano performance of an original work by Sebastian Voltmer, who would be presenting a talk on astrophotography at our booth the next day.

It was a wonderful night, in a magical setting overlooking the beautiful Rhine. If you're ever in Cologne, definitely check out the chocolate museum!

On Thursday, Sebastian Voltmer, gave a really interesting presentation in German and English on the art of astrophotography. I definitely learned a thing or two....or ten....and find the whole process fascinating. He has produced some amazing photos using Celestron equipment and is so talented in many artistic endeavors. Check out his website: www.astrophoto.de and his astrophotography on CelestronImages.com. You can view the English version of his Photokina presentation here. We also gave away a limited edition 50^th Anniversary FirstScope after each presentation to some lucky winners.

On Saturday and Sunday, Photokina opened up to general consumers. We stayed busy the entire weekend, chatting with the visitors to our booth and passing out our popular orange Celestron Frisbees. While tradeshows are a lot of work and can be murder on the feet, I feel fortunate to attend them.I get to meet our current and potential customers and become better acquainted with our distributors and retailers. It definitely helps for me to listen to the feedback that we get from everyone and help apply it to future products and plans. Now time to start planning CES 2011!

by Michelle Meskill 

I recently visited Lake Tahoe for the first time as a guest of poet and star guide, Tony Berendsen and Northstar® Resort. Tony owns and operates Tahoe Star Tours and has been educating and inspiring people about the night sky for twenty years. In addition to running Tahoe Star Tours, Tony is an award winning amateur astronomer, past president of the Astronomical Society of Nevada, telescope operator for Fleischmann Planetarium in Reno and President of the Northern Nevada Science Coalition. Tony utilizes Celestron equipment exclusively in his star tours and we have formed a friendship over the last year corresponding by email and phone.

Tony invited me and my family to visit Lake Tahoe to experience one of his star tours and after a lot of going back and forth trying to confirm a date in between my Celestron event travels, we were finally able to meet this past Labor Day weekend. Tony greeted us at the Reno airport, presenting us with a wonderful Tahoe Star Tours goodie bag and a warm hug. First stop on the agenda was a trip to the University of Nevada - Reno, to take a look at a classic blue & white Celestron 22" telescope that was recently donated to the university by the McLean family. I am told that Celestron founder, Tom Johnson, traveled out to Mr. McLean's residence back in the 1970's and set this scope up himself. So it was a real treat to take a look at it. It's got a new home on the campus and will be used for research and public outreach. Very exciting! I would like to thank Dr. David Benumm, UNR Physics Department Chair, for opening up the observatory for us to take a peek.

We then followed Tony up the mountain via a beautiful scenic drive where we stopped at an overlook that showcased a breathtaking view of the pristine lake of the sky, Lake Tahoe. While we were all gazing out at the view, Tony recited a poignant poem by W. Wordsworth that really summed up the whole experience. We then said our goodbyes until later and continued our drive to Northstar resort where we would be staying during our visit. After getting settled in, we walked over to the gondola that carried us up to the Ritz Carlton Destination Club to meet the group we would be enjoying the star tour that night with. Tony's assistant, Ryan, greeted us, provided the group with Northstar flashlights and then guided us on a pleasant hike through the Ritz Carlton grounds down to the star tour area. We came upon a cozy outdoor setting where chairs were placed around a blazing fire pit, which was a welcome sight in the crisp mountain air. Tony was waiting to greet all of his guests and kick off his star tour, which featured Jupiter that night. As images of Jupiter played on a screen, Tony recited his poem "Elders" and spoke about the planet and our place in the Universe while we enjoyed his talk against a jet black, star filled nightscape. Tony then quizzed everyone with astronomy trivia and gave away some prizes. I brought a 50^th Anniversary Celestron FirstScope to give away to a lucky winner, who happened to know that Mercury is one of two planets that do not have a moon (Venus being the other).

Tony invited everyone to take a closer look at the Universe and we all walked over to the viewing area, where he gave a very interesting talk on the various constellations and their myths while tracing them out in the sky with a laser. Everyone then took turns viewing through the Celestron equipment Tony and Ryan had set up. Tahoe Star Tours uses a CPC 1100, a CGEM 9.25, a SkyScout Personal Planetarium and SkyMaster binoculars to guide guests through the sky. As everyone leisurely gazed at the stars and planets, Tony showcased awesome astronomical photos on his iPad for everyone to enjoy while he told them stories and facts about the objects.

This was hands down one of the best star gazing experiences that I have had the pleasure of experiencing and truly believe that Tony is living up to the Tahoe Star Tours vision; "One day everyone will walk out under a starry sky they understand". I certainly understand and appreciate it better after this experience. I highly recommend that you book yourself on a star tour with Tony Berendsen next time you are in the Lake Tahoe area. He is such an engaging, knowledgeable, passionate star guide. It's comforting to know that individuals such as Tony are out there; sharing, teaching and entertaining people with stories about our beautiful, mysterious Universe. Visit www.tahoestartours.com to book your Lake Tahoe stargazing experience.

The Scientist and Discover Magazine.com call it the Match.com and Amazon of science! The site's Project Finder offers ongoing activities in a wide range of interest areas, including astronomy, birds, climate, environment, insects, nature, and the ocean. You can also search based on personal preferences, including locations, how much time you want to spend, whether you want to work outdoors, how difficult or easy the activity is, and whether the project is appropriate for students.

Membership is free and easy and all members are invited to upload images and write blog posts about their citizen science exploits.

The site highlights member contributions on the home page. If you want to participate in a scientific study or share your citizen science experiences with thousands of others, consider this website.

Celestron will be participating in future contests and promotions with ScienceForCitizens.net, so be sure to check the site out often in the upcoming months for your chance to win some of our great optical products!

Mars will never come close enough to Earth in its orbit around the Sun to be viewed as large as the Full Moon from our vantage point. So how did "August 27" get chosen? Back on August 27, 2003, Mars did make a historical close pass by of Earth at about 34.6 million miles, but even back then, Mars appeared as a very bright reddish "star" and didn’t look at all like our own Full Moon in terms of size. The Mars hoax has been circulating ever since.

Mars is currently visible in the western sky at dusk as a faint star and sets about 90 minutes after the Sun. Nearby you’ll find a very brilliant "star" which is actually the planet Venus. If you’re interested in viewing Mars or Venus, Celestron offers a variety of different telescope models to choose from, including the LCM, AstroMaster and PowerSeeker series. Why not have a look at our closest celestial neighbors in the solar system and see for yourself tonight?

Throughout the year, Jeff Swick, Vice-President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (Saskatoon Centre), kept leaving off-the-wall comments on Celestron's Flickr Photo Albums hinting that Celestron should come out and visit a different part of Canada and experience the Saskatchewan Summer Star Party firsthand. For example, Jeff wrote "Come on....just a little more cable and we'll be able to plug into the Saskatchewan Summer Star Party." Well, after reading a comment like that, I conducted my own investigation and decided to read more about the SSSP, now in its 14th year. The SSSP is held yearly at Cypress Hills Inter-provincial Park, where its high elevation is filled with forests of pine and spruce trees along with abundant wildlife such as moose, elk and deer. At night, the magnitude 7 sky is filled with stars and is probably one of the darkest sites to observe from in all of Canada - a perfect place to hold this yearly gathering of astronomy enthusiasts - mainly from the Alberta and Saskatchewan provinces.

Celestron's Firmware Engineer, Derik DeVecchio, accompanied me on Celestron's first ever trip to the SSSP. After arriving in Calgary, we took at nice 4.5 hour scenic drive along the Trans-Canada Highway to Maple Creek and then on to Cypress Hills. We arrived on site as light drizzle began to fall, which soon turned to a steady downpour. The roads became muddy, and the grounds saturated with water, yet campers and RVs were still entering the Meadows to claim their campsite. We were immediately greeted and welcomed to the star party by our hosts - Ken From and Wade Williamson, of All-Star Telescopes; Jeff Swick, our initial contact person; Rick Huziak, Registrar & Registration and Les Dickson, Resort and Speaker Coordinator. Eventually, the rain subsided enough for us to set up a temporary table at the All-Star Telescope tent to meet and greet star party participants, but soon after, the rains returned, and we hurriedly took cover. That evening, a BBQ took place at the Recreation Hall (originally scheduled for the outdoor amphitheater). With good food and conversations, the BBQ dinner was a great place to mingle about, make new friendships and stay dry. Noted Canadian Astronomer and Author, Alan Dyer, introduced himself to us, and how great it was to finally got to meet the man behind one of our favorite astronomy books - "The Backyard Astronomer's Guide." I must say, the Canadian folks really went out of their way to make us feel welcomed!

Rain and foggy conditions continued to plague the Cypress Hills area into the next day with no letup in sight. Even though, everyone made the best out of the situation and congregated at the Cypress Hills Resort, located just around the corner from the Meadows, to talk astronomy and telescopes. Derik and I took a drive around the park to check out the local wildlife and scenic points before our afternoon meeting with Les. We eventually found our way back to the Meadows, but it was rather sad to see a field void of any telescopes. However, good news began circulating that the Clear Sky Chart pointed to clearing skies for Saturday night. Everyone remained optimistic and had their fingers crossed. After dinner, people started to gather downstairs in the huge Wapiti Room for the casual 5 - 15 minutes Friday Evening Talks. Scheduled presenters included Vance Petriew - Regina Centre's 100th Anniversary; Brian Richards - Kamloops Club Dome & Star Party; Chris Beckett - RASC Observing Certificate Program and Richard Huziak, The Grasslands Dark Sky Preserve.

Saturday morning started off with rain but soon became intermittent enough for people to return back to their campsites. All-Star Telescopes, with a fully erected tent, opened for business selling the must-have telescope essentials, while Derik and I interacted with attendees and answered questions. We also spent some time walking the Meadows to meet up with Celestron telescope owners to give them tips on how to better enhance their equipment's operations, which went over very well with everyone.

After lunch, nearly everyone drove back to the Cypress Hills Resort for the much anticipated "Saturday Talks" in the Wapiti Room, which Derik and I, along with Alan Dyer and Stan Shadick, were scheduled to speak. About 250 plus people were in the audience as Alan began the talks by delivering his presentation of "Latest and Greatest Images of Neat Things in the Sky." Alan's provided stunning astrophotography works from Chile and incredible time lapsed videos of the night sky. In addition, Alan shared his "unlucky" 13th eclipse expedition images from Tahiti. His previous 12 eclipse adventures had been all clear.

Derik and I were up next, and we divided our talks into two parts - Marketing and Engineering presentations. My presentation was titled "Celestron on-the-go and its 50th Anniversary." I spoke about my 10 years with the company, and my first meeting with Celestron's Founder, Tom Johnson, when I was a young boy. I went on to speak about the many star parties and school outreach programs Celestron have been involved with this year, and I highlighted Celestron's 50th Anniversary, and how Tom got started in developing a passion of building large aperture, affordable, high quality telescopes. I also discussed our 50th Anniversary Mini-Site on Celestron's Homepage, and at the conclusion, I played the trailer from our Documentary film "The Path of Light," which received a loud applause from the audience. Derik spoke next and gave a humorous yet serious presentation on "Getting the most out of your Celestron Go-To Telescope." He informed the audience how most customers usually skip over reading the instruction manual and therefore, miss out on many key handcontrol features which would greatly enhance their viewing experience. Throughout his presentation, Derik constantly reminded the audience to "read the manual" which generated much laughter from the audience and became the theme of the entire presentation. I rejoined Derik for 10 minutes of questions and answers immediately following his presentation. We answered as many questions as we could until Les crossed his arms to signal that our time was up. After the presentation, both Derik and I held our own impromptu workshops to give advices on handcontrol features and SCT collimation tips.

Stan gave the final talk of the afternoon with his very informative presentation of "Investigating Exoplanets with Small Telescopes." He covered what scientist have learned about the properties of exoplanets in over 380 planetary systems, and even how amateurs may be able to contribute to finding additional exoplanets. What a great afternoon of talks.

After the presentations concluded, the Awards Ceremony took place followed by the Door Prize Draw. Awards were given in various categories including the 10th Anniversary Awards for those who have attended at least 10 of the last 14 SSSPs. One winner was 9 year old Emily Petriew, daughter of Vance Petriew, who had discovered comet P/2001 Q2 Petriew at the 2001 SSSP! Emily had attended her first ever SSSP even before her first birthday! Other awards categories included the Finest NGC Awards and the Astro Photo & Sketch Contest Awards. A Volunteer Prize Draw was held, where winners were picked beforehand, including our own Derik DeVecchio, who won a green laser pointer from a competitor of all things! Finally, the grand Door Prize Draw took place. Darrel Chatfield, door prize coordinator, called up Ken (All-Star Telescopes) along with Derik and me to the front to draw winners of the SkyMaster 25x70 binocular, a NexStar 127SLT and a 114LCM. Each of us took turns drawing and announced the winning numbers. Below are some of the lucky winners.

A group photo was taken outside followed by the delicious Dinner Banquet back in the Wapiti Room. By this time, the sky was filled with white puffy clouds and lots of blue skies! Being higher up in latitude also meant longer summer days here, even during the dinner hour. The Clear Sky Chart correctly predicted the weather outlook as everyone was eager to finish dinner and get back to the Meadows to salvage one last clear night of observing. When darkness fell, the night sky definitely lived up to everyone's expectation. The Milky Way soon arched its way across the dark filled starry sky, and we gasped at seeing the myriad of stars from one of the best sites on the planet. Every now and then, bright meteors from the Perseids Meteor Shower lit up the sky to a chorus of "oohs!" Just a short walk away, a public star party took place at the tennis courts, where park visitors, comprised mostly of families, converged to listen to an expert guide who provided beginners with a tour of the summer constellations. To look up and see M13, M31, the Sagittarius Star Cloud and more with the naked eyes, we knew this place was very special.

The next morning, we stopped at the Meadows one last time to say our goodbyes to all the new friends we made at the SSSP. To leave all this wonderful nature behind, especially with clearer days ahead was hard to do, but we reminded ourselves that there will always be a "next time." We would like to say a big "thank you" to the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (Saskatoon Centre), Barb Wright, Jeff Swick, Rick Huziak, Les and Ellen Dickson, Alan Dyer, Darrel Chatfield, Kathleen Houston, Chris Beckett, Regina Centre, Ken From and Wade Williamson of All-Star Telescopes and many other dedicated volunteers that put on a wonderful 2010 SSSP and welcomed us (Celestron) to this great annual event. Hopefully, we'll be invited back for a future SSSP, but until then, just remember Derik's famous quotation - "read the manual."

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Earlier this spring, Scott Williams and Tom Kearney, the men behind AES Seaside Cinema and Seaside Ice, asked if Celestron would be interested to become involved in this special project and conduct a star party for guests at the August 6th movie screening. Celestron already had a great working relationship with their organziation from a successful outdoor ice skating/star party last winter, so after checking the schedule and finding enough resources, Celestron quickly came on board. In addition, Celestron donated an Anniversary FirstScope and a computerized 114LCM telescope for the raffle prizes. Tickets for the special prizes were sold at each movie night for $10 per ticket with all proceeds benefiting the Redondo Beach Education Foundation, with AES matching all ticket sales revenues.

Celestron Repair Technicians, Hector Antuna and Flavio Dominguez, accompanied me to Seaside Cinema for the movie and star party. We brought along several telescopes and products for guests to enjoy including a CPC 800, a NexStar 6SE, AstroMaster 70AZ and a SkyScout to demonstrate. We also distributed telescope catalogs, pens and posters at our booth, which the kids really enjoyed. Prior to the start of the movie, Tom informed the audience of the raffle drawings and star party. Both Hector and I were introduced to the crowds as we took turns on the microphone and discussed the various celestial objects that would be visible that evening. The Redondo Beach Education Foundation then drew the luck winner for the Anniversary FirstScope. The 114LCM would be drawn one week later. Even before the raffle drawing concluded, Southern California's notorious marine layer roared into the coastal city and blanketed the area in a blink of an eye. With many disappointed guests so eager to view Saturn (ourselves included), we could only do the next best thing and use the telescopes as spotting scopes to view the Palos Verdes coastline and various terrestrial targets. Of course, it was also fun to demonstrate how the computerized telescopes worked and let the kids "drive" the telescopes with the hand controls.

AES Seaside Cinema Nights proved to be a fun filled way for the community to spend quality time with friends and family while watching cool movies and learning something new about science and space under the stars or in our case, clouds. Even though, money was raised for a great cause. We'll see what other cool events both Scott and Tom can come up with during this holiday season.

August has certainly been a busy month for the Celestron-on-the-go team. The first weekend of August saw at least 4 separate star parties and trade show events which took place all around the same time! One of the many events scheduled included the Ocean Institute Star Party held on August 7, 2010 at the Lazy W Ranch, a United Methodist Church Camp, located east of San Juan Capistrano, California, in the Cleveland National Forest. The Ocean Institute is well known nationally for its hands-on approach for students and adults to learn more about marine sciences, environmental education and maritime history. According to its website, more than 110,000 K-12 students and 6,000 teachers annually participate in the Institute's 61 award-winning, immersion style programs and recently, a stargazing program has been added to its list of events.

Art Director/Senior Graphics Designer, Scott Rivedal and I, drove up to the Lazy W Ranch and along the way, we noticed how desolate the road and scenery was becoming. We instantly started thinking of the dark skies that we'd be encountering that night! Once we arrived at the ranch, we met up with Ocean Institute's Kristel Arnott and Rudy Serna, along other staff members, local amateur astronomers and JPL Scientist, Dr. Ron Bunning. Guests began arriving a short time later and were directed to the mess hall to listen in on Dr. Bunning's talk on "what's in the sky tonight?" Dr. Bunning also presented images taken from JPL's WISE spacecraft. Meanwhile, all of the star party volunteers began setting up their telescopes (of all different makes and models) at the "Fire Safe" area. Scott and I brought along a CPC 800 and a NexStar 6SE and found a nice flat area on the bottom of a "dirt bowl" to set up.

As dusk approached, the nearby hills began taking on a colorful reddish color and a sense of chill was in the air (literally). A staff member yelled out "oh wow, everyone come here and check this out" and we all ran over to see what was going on. It turned out that a huge, hairy tarantula had left its burrow and was scurrying along the grounds near our star party observing site. I've heard of other folks encountering deer, moose, skunks or opossums on rural stargazing trips but never a tarantula. Mark this as a first for us! After taking a few photos of our unexpected "friend," the large arachnid was on its way, and we had a lot of stories to share with everyone later.

The evening started out with a clear sky with the "parade of planets" - Venus, Mars and Saturn forming somewhat of a triangle in the western sky and with no Moon out. I quickly aligned our CPC 800 and NexStar 6SE and also shared alignment tips with Rudy, who recently began using his older NexStar 8 GPS again. Scott brought out his DSLR camera and began taking wide angle Milky Way astrophotos. From our location, the sky was relatively dark with the Milky Way easily visible streaming from the Sagittarius/Scorpius region through Cygnus and beyond. Dr. Bunning's presentation had just concluded and guests began arriving to the observing field. Each telescope pointed at various targets and knowledgeable telescope operators described the views. Guests viewed planets, various double stars, open and globular star clusters, planetary and emission nebulaes. Guests were really "wowed" by the crisp views of the Lagoon Nebula (M8) and the Great Hercules Cluster (M13). As the night progressed, low level clouds suddenly appeared and began creeping over the hillside and marched down into our area. Yes, it was a bit disappointing but at least everyone had the opportunity to see some of the best celestial objects of the summer sky before there was nothing left to be seen.

Celestron would like to say "thank you" to both Kristel and Rudy of the Ocean Institute for inviting Celestron to take part in your stargazing event. We look forward to participating again at a future program, and who knows what mysterious two, four, six or eight legged creatures we'll run into next time! Ah, the joys of being at summer camp - there's nothing quite like it!

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The LeRoy Haynes Center, located in La Verne, CA, has been helping children with special needs relating to specialized treatments for emotional and behavioral development, learning disabilities, pervasive developmental disabilities, autism, and more since 1946. The Center is one of the largest nonprofit organizations of its kind in the State of California and includes a State Certified Non-Public School with the goal of providing its students with the necessary skills to make a smooth transition into mainstream life. With a wide variety of enrichment filled courses revolving around the arts, community service, computers, drama, music, team sports, and even science, the students are provided with the education, guidance, support and structure in order to help them achieve their goals and reach their full potentials in life.

Recently, the Center's Science class, under the guidance of teacher, Paula Menger, acquired an older Celestron Celestar telescope which was kindly donated from an outside source. Unfortunately, the telescope came with a few missing components which rendered the scope inoperable, to the disappointment of the class. Upon hearing this news, Celestron decided to exchange the telescope for a modern, fully computerized NexStar 6SE. The older model telescope would be returned to Celestron, cleaned up and put on display. Paula invited Celestron to visit the Center to present the telescope to one of the school's top administrators and provide a telescope demonstration for her class.

Upon my arrival to the LeRoy Haynes Center, I met up with Paula and together, we found a nice open spot in a grassy field to set up and conduct the demonstration and presentation. I brought along several types of telescopes including a refractor, reflector and a catadioptric. Although the weather was quite hot, the class didn't seem to mind too much, as most of the students were very eager to learn more about the telescopes. During the demonstration, I spoke about the different characteristics and features of each telescope design. For nearly all the class, this was their first opportunity to ever look through and use telescopes, so the demonstration provided a very educational, yet fun "hands on" learning experience for them. The students eagerly took turns using the manually controlled telescopes to scan the school grounds to spy on their fellow classmates (much to their amusement) and view the neighboring hillsides. Many were quite amazed to find cactus growing amongst the shrubbery and discovered a cell phone tower disguised as a tree. Through the NexStar 6SE, the class viewed the Sun (with a solar filter) and the inner planets Mercury and Venus. I already knew these planets were far enough in their respective orbits from the Sun, so spotting them through the telescope in the bright mid-morning sky was relatively easy. Everyone seemed quite amazed how the NexStar was "smart" enough to find these planets in broad daylight and a few students quickly learned how to operate the hand control just by watching. At the conclusion of the demonstration, I then presented the NexStar 6SE to LeRoy Haynes' Corporate and Foundation Relations Officer, Jane Woods, who along with Paula Menger, graciously accepted on behalf of the Center. We then posed for a few photos, and I was then given a tour of the Science and Autism buildings. A delicious hamburger lunch was on the menu that day inside the Center's cafeteria.

Talks are already underway for possibly conducting a star party that will include the entire school district perhaps later during the year. Paula said "I feel the star party is a great idea that the students would really enjoy and the staff as well." Until then, the Center will be able to spend time and get better acquainted with their new telescope to explore and open up new worlds all around them.

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Celestron is pleased to announce that not one, not two, but FOUR Celestron products have just been named “Hot Products 2010” by Sky and Telescope Magazine in their January issue!

And the winners are: Celestron’s EdgeHD Optical Tube Series, FirstScope, and two of our new German Equatorial mounts, the CGEM and CGE Pro. The winners were selected by Sky and Telescope as noteworthy innovations in the field of Astronomy introduced into the marketplace during the past year.

In addition to being deemed a Hot Product, our EdgeHD has also been named International CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award Honoree 2010 in the personal electronics category! This prestigious award is sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association and the producers of the International CES show, the largest consumer technology tradeshow.

Please click on the links below to read more about these Hot Products!

• Edge HD Series Telescopes
• CGE Pro Series Telescopes
• CGEM Series Telescopes
• FirstScope Telescope

Using an Internet controlled computerized mount with a Celestron C-14 OTA, views of the Moon, nebulae, galaxies, star clusters,  binary stars, planets and asteroids were captured in real-time with a CCD camera and detailed explanations of the celestial objects viewed were conducted by astronomer Mark Hammergren, Ph. D. from the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Illinois, USA. 

Listeners of the webcast from around the world were able to submit questions to “Ask the astronomer” and have their questions answered live on the webcast.  As an added bonus, viewers were able to “listen in” on celestial objects translated into music.

This special event will be webcast live and Celestron will be conducting star parties throughout the 100 Hours of Astronomy weekend during the opening ceremony festivities.

Visit http://www.100hoursofastronomy.org/ to find an event in your area – or to get resources and information to plan one in your community!

TORRANCE, CA – (November 11, 2008) – Celestron®, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of telescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, microscopes and related accessories, is opening up a new frontier of exploration for everyday science enthusiasts with the unveiling of its LCD Digital Microscope®.   The LCD Digital Microscope was selected as an Innovations 2009 Design and Engineering Award honoree in the Personal Electronics product category by the Consumer Electronics Association.

The Celestron LCD Digital Microscope will be displayed during the 2009 International CES, January 8-11, 2009 in Las Vegas, NV in Celestron’s booth, #72814, at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, as well as in the Innovations 2009 Showcase, booth #72062, and Innovations Plus at the Sands Expo and Convention Center/The Venetian.  Designed for use by everyone with an urge to expand their sphere of knowledge through exploration, Celestron’s LCD Digital Microscope combines all of the powerful features of a professional grade microscope with an easy-to-use, fully- integrated, high-resolution 3.5” LCD screen, giving users the ability to view, capture and save vibrant, high-resolution images and video of Earth’s most magnificent microscopic specimens. 

“We are thankful to the CEA and the innovations judges for honoring our company with this award.  the LCD Digital Microscope incorporates many of the advanced features found on Celestron’s line of professional microscopes to provide a powerful and easy-to-use tool that is ideal for all amateur scientists, from seasoned enthusiasts to those just beginning their scientific exploration,” said Joseph A. Lupica Jr., president and CEO of Celestron.  “With the flexibility to not only view, but capture photos and video of both prepared slides and everyday objects through the seamlessly integrated 3.5” viewing screen, the LDM is an amazing all-in-one product that will keep users captivated as the physical world is revealed like never before.”

Engineered with an objective lens that provides three different magnification levels (4x, 10x, and 40x), 4X digital zoom functionality, a six position color filter wheel, top and bottom LED Illumination, 128MB internal storage memory and a built-in 2MP digital camera, the LDM is capable of capturing images and short videos of specimens at magnification levels up to 1600 times their original size.  The LDM is an ideal tool for examining everything from stamps, coins and other common objects to specimen slides of yeasts, molds, cultures, fibers, bacteria, and animal parts up close using the powerful digital zoom feature.

With a suggested retail price of $299.99, Celestron’s LCD Digital Microscope comes with five prepared slides, an AC power adaptor, a carrying case, a USB cable for transferring images to a PC and has been available at specialty retailers nationwide since April 2008. For a list of dealer locations and updates, please go to http://www.celestron.com.

The Top 10 'Best Summer Tech Products' awards showcasing innovative tech gadgets for an active summer lifestyle

San Jose, CA June 2, 2008 -  AmazingTechProducts.com, the online destination featuring amazing tech products, has announced the winners of the first annual Top 10 “Best Summer Tech Products” awards. The winners are some of the most innovative products of 2008 that enhance the summer activities. Nominees for the awards included leading consumer electronic and tech product companies from around the world.

The award winners have been featured at AmazingTechProducts.com with videos of the products explaining why they are perfect for the summer. You can view them in our awards section by clicking here

“The winners of the 'Best Summer Tech Products' awards use technology creatively, add value and fun to the product, and make them a must-have for every summer. All of these gadgets blow us away with their imaginative designs, simplicity of usage, and practical applications.” said Keith Washo, founder and president of Amazing Tech Products Inc. “Often times very innovative products fly under the radar. We help elevate these products to make it easier for people to discover them. These award winning products showcase the best technology perfectly suited for summer days. We congratulate the people and companies behind these amazing tech products”.

Winners of the 2008 “Top 10 Best Summer Tech Product” Awards are:

• SkyScout Personal Planetarium From Celestron
• CRK 10 Rock Speakers By Sonance
• Go+Play Speaker Dock System For Your iPod By Harman/Kardon
• Grill Right Wireless Talking BBQ/Oven Thermometer By Oregon Scientific
• iXPS 120 Outdoor For iPod Speaker Dock By Hercules
• Mag Flip Clip Watch By Dakota Watch
• RadarHAWK SM By Q3 Innovations
• Solio Mag Hybrid handheld and PDA Charger By Solio
• Stylus 1030SW Digital Camera By Olympus
• Venturi Mini Bluetooth Wireless FM Transmitter By NextGen Venturi

About Amazing Tech Products Inc.

Founded in 2007, Amazing Tech Products Inc. is a leader in creating & publishing compelling content around tech products, companies, and people who make amazing tech products. The company's websites, AmazingTechProducts.com & AmazingTechBlog.com, provide an online destination for people to discover, learn about, and engage with innovative tech products.

The Award Page:
http://www.amazingtechproducts.com/awards/summer2008

The Video
http://www.amazingtechproducts.com/awards/skyscout-personal-planetarium-from-the-celestron-company

The SkyScout is still winning awards and creating a buzz.

Tour this California Landmark and view the moon from a Celestron NexStar 6SE computerized telescope from the balcony while enjoying the cool ocean breeze!

Call 310-456-8432 to reserve a spot to participate in their summer Full Moon Tour.

The next tour is June 29, 2007.

Celestron Assistant Marketing Manager, Michelle Meskill with Jules Hershfeld - the docent of the Adamson House.


Celestron Repair Supervisor, Kevin Kawai is setting up the NexStar 6 SE computerized telescope.


The house, designed by a well-known architect, Stiles Clements, was constructed beginning in 1929, occupied by the Adamsons during the summer, beginning in 1930, and lived in all year beginning in 1937.

In 1968, the State purchased the property. In 1971, the president of Pepperdine University moved in, as part of an effort to maintain the house until it could be properly restored and shown to the public as an historic unit. The Malibu Lagoon Interpretive Association was formed in 1981, and they carefully planned for the opening of the house as a museum, in 1983.

Celestron was on hand to showcase new products and participate in the nightly star party.

Celestron is a proud sponsor and contributing manufacturer of raffle prizes to RTMC.

A look inside the Celestron booth at RTMC .


A winner of Celestron SkyScout raffle.


Celestron Assistant Marketing Manager, Michelle Meskill with a happy winner of the Celestron CPC 800 GPS raffle.


Celestron staff working the booth at RTMC 2007.


Celestron founder, Tom Johnson, with the CGE 1400.


Celestron Repair Supervisor, Kevin Kawai (left) and Repair Technician Hector Antuna "manning the guns" at the RTMC 2007.


Celestron Team at the RTMC 2007 .

Griffith Observatory officially re-opened its doors on November 2, 2006. Celestron was honored to be a part of the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Celestron donated two custom-built Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tubes to the Griffith Observatory. The observatory has piggyback mounted the 8” and 9.25” telescopes to Griffith's 12” Zeiss telescope to provide live images of targeted objects for the general public to view on the observatory's ground floor.

“It has always been our goal to bring the wonders of astronomy to the general public, and the Griffith Observatory is the perfect vehicle to accomplish that goal,” said Celestron CEO, Joseph E. Lupica. “We are honored to have our telescopes become a part of Griffith’s long and reputable history.”

Celestron and the Griffith Observatory have a relationship that spans several years starting most notably with Celestron’s donation of a NexStar 11 GPS computerized telescope in 2003 for the observatory to use for its public observing sessions. Celestron teamed up with the observatory in August of 2003 by participating in several large public star parties during the 2003 Mars Opposition. Celestron continues to be involved in various star parties hosted by the observatory.

About Celestron
Celestron, is a leading designer, manufacturer and importer of high-quality optical products including computerized and non-computerized telescopes and related accessories, binoculars, spotting scopes and microscopes.  Since manufacturing its first telescope in 1960, Celestron  has grown to become one of the world’s leading telescope makers, and enjoys brand-name recognition among serious amateur astronomers for superior optics, outstanding design, and innovative technology.  Celestron’s innovative products continue to receive numerous industry and consumer media accolades, adding to an already impressive list that includes awards for product innovation from Reader’s Digest, Popular Science, PC Magazine, Popular Mechanics, the Consumer Electronics Association and more.  Celestron sells and markets its products worldwide through a variety of specialty retail outlets and international distributors. Celestron is a privately held company with corporate offices and manufacturing facilities, in Torrance, CA.

TORRANCE, CA – (November 9, 2006) – Celestron's SkyScout personal planetarium, the innovative handheld GPS stargazing device, has been named "Best of What's New" by the editors of Popular Science magazine. The magazine's 19th annual "Best of What's New" issue features the top 100 breakthrough products and technologies that represent a significant leap in their categories. Popular Science's best-read issue of the year, the December issue hits newsstands November 14th.

" 'Best of What's New' is the ultimate Popular Science accolade, representing a year's worth of work evaluating thousands of products," says Mark Jannot, editor of Popular Science. "These awards honor innovations that not only influence the way we live today, but that change the way we think about the future."

About the size of a camcorder and weighing less than 16 ounces, the Celestron SkyScout utilizes a consumer-friendly "point and shoot" GPS technology that enables stargazers to instantly identify and/or locate over 6,000 celestial objects in the sky with the press of a button and listen to commentary on the object and its history. The SkyScout also has a "locate" feature that allows users to select an object they wish to view (i.e. Mars) and the SkyScout, using illuminated arrows in the viewfinder, will point the user to the object. A totally unique, one-of-a-kind product, SkyScout utilizes patented technology that combines data from sensors measuring both the magnetic and gravitational fields of the Earth, along with internal GPS and a substantial celestial database to dramatically improve how people learn about astronomy, making it much easier and more entertaining.

"SkyScout transforms the night sky into a personal planetarium that engages astronomy buffs and stargazers, as well as families, students, campers and 'ordinary people' of all levels and backgrounds," said Joseph A. Lupica Jr., president and CEO of Celestron. "To have Popular Science recognize SkyScout as a product that brings science into everyday life, reaffirms that after five years in development, now is the right time for SkyScout to be available to consumers."

About Best of What's New
Each year, the editors of Popular Science review thousands of products in search of the top 100 tech innovations of the year; breakthrough products and technologies that represent a significant leap in their categories. The winners — the Best of What's New — are awarded inclusion in the much-anticipated December issue of Popular Science, the most widely read issue of the year since the debut of Best of What's New in 1987. Best of What's New awards are presented to 100 new products and technologies in 10 categories: Automotive, Aviation & Space, Computing, Engineering, Gadgets, General Innovation, Home Entertainment, Home Tech, Personal Health and Recreation.

About Popular Science
Founded in 1872, Popular Science is the world's largest science and technology magazine; with a circulation of 1.45 million and 6.5 million monthly readers. Each month, Popular Science reports on the intersection of science and everyday life, with an eye toward what's new and why it matters. Popular Science is published by Time4 Media, a subsidiary of Time Inc., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc.

About Celestron
Celestron, is a leading designer, manufacturer and importer of high-quality optical products including computerized and non-computerized telescopes and related accessories, binoculars, spotting scopes and microscopes.  Since manufacturing its first telescope in 1960, Celestron  has grown to become one of the world’s leading telescope makers, and enjoys brand-name recognition among serious amateur astronomers for superior optics, outstanding design, and innovative technology.  Celestron’s innovative products continue to receive numerous industry and consumer media accolades, adding to an already impressive list that includes awards for product innovation from Reader’s Digest, Popular Science, PC Magazine, Popular Mechanics, the Consumer Electronics Association and more.  Celestron sells and markets its products worldwide through a variety of specialty retail outlets and international distributors. Celestron is a privately held company with corporate offices and manufacturing facilities, in Torrance, CA. For more information about Celestron and the SkyScout product please visit, http://www.celestron.com and http://www.celestron.com/skyscout.

TORRANCE, CA – September 2006 – Celestron, a leading manufacturer of telescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes and microscopes, has added a new line to its popular VistaPix family of digital imaging optics. The addition of the VistaPix IS70 incorporates a full-size 70mm spotting scope with a 3 megapixel digital camera. This imaging spotter model is a unique product offering advanced features at an unbeatable price. VistaPix IS70 models are set to ship in the October of 2006.

"This exciting new addition to our VistaPix line reaffirms Celestron's commitment to innovation" said Celestron CEO Joseph A. Lupica Jr. "Those wanting to get closer to the action than ever before can now bring away a high quality image or video to record and enjoy using our IS70 imaging spotter."

Features
The VistaPix IS70 features a 70mm spotting scope with 14x magnification. The 3 megapixel camera features a 2" LCD screen for a sharp, clear imaging preview; 6x digital zoom; a digital focus meter for quick, sharp focus; dual power for high magnification or wide field of view; and continuous video capability.

Other IS70 features include a rotatable tripod adapter that fits standard photo tripods or Celestron computerized mounts and the ability to view images on your TV screen with the included video cable. The IS70 also includes an SD card slot for additional image storage options and a protective carrying case for travel and storage. All VistaPix IS70 models feature Celestron's 2-year warranty.

About Celestron
Celestron, is a leading designer, manufacturer and importer of high-quality optical products including computerized and non-computerized telescopes and related accessories, binoculars, spotting scopes and microscopes.  Since manufacturing its first telescope in 1960, Celestron  has grown to become one of the world’s leading telescope makers, and enjoys brand-name recognition among serious amateur astronomers for superior optics, outstanding design, and innovative technology.  Celestron’s innovative products continue to receive numerous industry and consumer media accolades, adding to an already impressive list that includes awards for product innovation from Reader’s Digest, Popular Science, PC Magazine, Popular Mechanics, the Consumer Electronics Association and more.  Celestron sells and markets its products worldwide through a variety of specialty retail outlets and international distributors. Celestron is a privately held company with corporate offices and manufacturing facilities, in Torrance, CA. For more information about Celestron please visit, http://www.celestron.com.
# # #

On August 24th, astronomers from the International Astronomical Union declared that Pluto is no longer a planet under historic new guidelines that downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight. Celestron was quick to react to this news of cosmic magnitude with the release of the updated SkyScout firmware. Though Pluto is still listed in the planet menu, the new firmware enables our award winning personal planetarium to correctly identify Pluto's new status as a dwarf planet in a revised text description.

SkyScout users can utilize the SkyScout Update Software, distributed with the device to download and install the latest firmware. For detailed instructions on performing this update please visit SkyScout minisite.

The SkyScout is a revolutionary handheld device that uses advanced GPS technology with point and click convenience to identify thousands of stars, planets, constellations and more. For more information about SkyScout please visit http://www.celestron.com/skyscout.

Celestron, is a leading designer, manufacturer and importer of high-quality optical products including computerized and non-computerized telescopes and related accessories, binoculars, spotting scopes and microscopes.  Since manufacturing its first telescope in 1960, Celestron  has grown to become one of the world’s leading telescope makers, and enjoys brand-name recognition among serious amateur astronomers for superior optics, outstanding design, and innovative technology.  Celestron’s innovative products continue to receive numerous industry and consumer media accolades, adding to an already impressive list that includes awards for product innovation from Reader’s Digest, Popular Science, PC Magazine, Popular Mechanics, the Consumer Electronics Association and more.  Celestron sells and markets its products worldwide through a variety of specialty retail outlets and international distributors. Celestron is a privately held company with corporate offices and manufacturing facilities, in Torrance, CA. For more information about Celestron please visit http://www.celestron.com.

WASHINGTON D.C. (May 23, 2006) – The Boy Scouts of America (BSA), the nation’s foremost youth character development program, in partnership with Celestron, a leading designer and manufacturer of telescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes and microscopes, announced a joint program to encourage interest in space exploration and astronomy among America’s youth, beginning with a donation of 200 Celestron SkyScouts.

Each year in the BSA program, nearly 50,000 boys earn merit badges in space exploration and astronomy. To enhance their learning experience, Celestron is donating the SkyScout units to the astronomy programs at all high adventure and approximately half of the BSA summer resident camps nationwide. Last year more than 1.2 million youth attended a Boy Scout summer or high adventure camp.

The formal donation was made today at a kick-off event during the BSA’s National Annual Meeting, when Celestron gave a demonstration to BSA camp directors and local Scouts and presented the BSA with a check for the value of the donation, approximately $80,000.

“American youth have always had a natural curiosity to explore new frontiers including our universe and space in general,” said Dave Bates, director of Boy Scout camping and conservation. “During the past century nearly 1 million Scouts have earned merit badges in Astronomy and space exploration-related topics. This donation of Celestron SkyScouts will further allow BSA to inspire Scouts to explore and discover our universe.”

About the size of a camcorder and weighing less than 16 ounces, the SkyScout utilizes a consumer-friendly “point and shoot” GPS technology that enables stargazers to instantly identify and/or locate over 6,000 celestial objects in the sky with the press of a button and listen to commentary on the object and its history. The SkyScout also has a “locate” feature that allows users to select an object they wish to view (i.e. Mars) and the SkyScout, using illuminated arrows in the viewfinder, will point the user to the object.

“Simply put, SkyScout is the perfect tool for any one that has ever looked up at the night sky and had a desire to know more about the objects that make-up our surrounding universe,” said Joseph A. Lupica Jr., president and CEO of Celestron. “Teaming-up with the BSA is a perfect fit for us, in that we both share the desire to grow the budding curiosity of today’s young people who will launch the space and science developments of tomorrow.”

Serving nearly 4.5 million young people between 7 and 20 years of age with more than 300 councils throughout the United States and its territories, the Boy Scouts of America is the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. For more information on the BSA, please visit http://www.scouting.org.

Celestron, is a leading designer, manufacturer and importer of high-quality optical products including computerized and non-computerized telescopes and related accessories, binoculars, spotting scopes and microscopes.  Since manufacturing its first telescope in 1960, Celestron  has grown to become one of the world’s leading telescope makers, and enjoys brand-name recognition among serious amateur astronomers for superior optics, outstanding design, and innovative technology.  Celestron’s innovative products continue to receive numerous industry and consumer media accolades, adding to an already impressive list that includes awards for product innovation from Reader’s Digest, Popular Science, PC Magazine, Popular Mechanics, the Consumer Electronics Association and more.  Celestron sells and markets its products worldwide through a variety of specialty retail outlets and international distributors. Celestron is a privately held company with corporate offices and manufacturing facilities, in Torrance, CA. For more information about Celestron and the SkyScout product please visit, http://www.celestron.com and http://www.celestron.com/skyscout.

SkyAlign comes standard on the following Celestron telescope families:

SLT Series
8i Special Edition
CPC Series

As the holiday season swings into high gear, there has never been a better time to consider purchasing a computerized telescope -- especially now that Celestron has pioneered a way to make them easier to use than ever! Contact your local Celestron dealer to find the SkyAlign telescope that is right for you.

For more information about SkyAlign click here.

“We are thrilled to have formed this partnership,” said Joseph A. Lupica, CEO of Celestron. “Yamcon’s technology makes learning about the stars and planets easier and more entertaining than ever before. Astronomers of all levels of experience, and even consumers who have never purchased anything astronomy related, are going to love the SkyScout. We expect it to have a big impact in the astronomy industry, and look forward to releasing additional products using Yamcon’s technology in the future.”

Mike Lemp, CEO of Yamcon, said “We couldn’t be more pleased with our partnership with Celestron. With their acquisition by Synta, Celestron now has the resources and are actively positioning themselves for some very exciting things in the way of new product development and market growth. The SkyScout fits perfectly within their strategy. We look forward to creating innovative and popular products with them for many years to come.”

Specific terms of the licensing agreement were not disclosed.

About Celestron
Celestron, is a leading designer, manufacturer and importer of high-quality optical products including computerized and non-computerized telescopes and related accessories, binoculars, spotting scopes and microscopes.  Since manufacturing its first telescope in 1960, Celestron  has grown to become one of the world’s leading telescope makers, and enjoys brand-name recognition among serious amateur astronomers for superior optics, outstanding design, and innovative technology.  Celestron’s innovative products continue to receive numerous industry and consumer media accolades, adding to an already impressive list that includes awards for product innovation from Reader’s Digest, Popular Science, PC Magazine, Popular Mechanics, the Consumer Electronics Association and more.  Celestron sells and markets its products worldwide through a variety of specialty retail outlets and international distributors. Celestron is a privately held company with corporate offices and manufacturing facilities, in Torrance, CA.

About Yamcon, Inc.
Yamcon, Inc. has been granted 3 U.S. patents on, revolutionary technology that allows a device to instantly and accurately identify and/or locate any celestial object visible to the naked eye. The technology combines data from sensors measuring both the magnetic and gravitational fields of the Earth, along with GPS and a substantial celestial database. Yamcon developed its technology to dramatically improve how people learn about astronomy, making it much easier and more entertaining

Contact: pr@celestron.com