ASAE: In the Desert, Everyone Knows Celestron’s Name

The expansive deserts of the American Southwest are renowned for their brilliant dark skies, so where better to host an astronomy expo? For its second year, Celestron journeyed to Tucson, Arizona, for the Arizona Science and Astronomy Expo (ASAE) on November 16 and 17. Our 20’ x 20’ island booth was packed with products meant to appeal to astronomers at every level, from the classic AstroMaster 70AZ up to the behemoth CGE Pro 1400 HD, along with our best-selling SkyMaster astronomical binoculars and our crowd-favorite digital microscopes and specimens. (After all, it is a science and astronomy expo!)

Over the course of two days, Celestron was visited by hundreds of astronomers ranging from aspiring to experienced, from those seeking out their first setup to those researching major upgrades. All were drawn in by our retail-worthy display dominating the booth—the 8” Advanced VX EdgeHD (with a StarSense AutoAlign and Skyris 474M), a CGEM 1100 HD, and CGE Pro 1400 HD—and the readily available knowledge of Astronomy Product Manager Bryan Cogdell, who was on hand to answer questions and provide product suggestions to fit a variety of interests and wallets.

This year, we also participated in the first Southwest Astrophotography Seminar (SWAP) on November 14 and 15, overseen by experienced astroimager (and good friend of Celestron) Warren Keller. Bryan Cogdell presented “Planetary Imaging Today,” a well-received talk about his collaboration with The Imaging Source and Christopher Go on Celestron’s award-winning Skyris astronomical CCD camera. The presentation propelled lots of traffic to Celestron’s booth to learn about Skyris and our other astroimaging setups.

Throughout the days, we also met up with several of our longtime good friends: David Eicher, editor of Astronomy magazine; Mike Simmons, founder of Astronomers Without Borders; and Bob Parks, executive director of the International Dark-Sky Association. All are partners with whom Celestron has worked for years, and wherever they go, amazing outreach opportunities and initiatives always follow. There was also a hypnotizing fiberglass clamshell dome, an inflatable planetarium providing around-the-clock shows, and renowned photographer Wally Pacholka with his gallery of stunning images that capture the celestial and terrestrial wonders of America’s national parks.

ASAE is like an astronomer homecoming, with stargazing enthusiasts descending upon the desert to talk aperture, polar alignment, stacking software, and more. Celestron is grateful to be a part of such a close-knit community, and always excited to welcome new members into the fold.

-Lauren Stracner
Assistant Marketing Manager