EdgeHD Unveiled: Celestron Offers Consumers New Optical Technology To See The Universe In HD

Torrance, CA (July 15, 2009) - Celestron, the world's leading designer and manufacturer of telescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, microscopes, and related accessories, is announcing the release of its newest line of aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, Edge HD. EdgeHD is perfect for photographing the stars.

You may have seen beautiful images of the night sky and wondered if it's even possible for you to take such amazing photos. It is possible and Celestron is making it easier and more affordable for the amateur astronomer or photographer looking for a new art form. After the much-anticipated release of the new CGE Pro mount, especially designed with the astrophotographer in mind, Celestron introduces its new optical line, EdgeHD, with true astrograph qualities for sharper, clearer photographs--giving you the clear edge.

What sets EdgeHD apart? While some telescope optical designs can produce pinpoint stars across a curved focal plane, stars will appear out of focus at the edge of view when used with a flat chip sensor of a digital camera. The EdgeHD optical system is designed with a coma-free focal plane all the way to the edge of the field of view. EdgeHD optics produce a focal plane more than three times flatter than a standard Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and dramatically flatter than other competing coma-free designs. The result is a visibly sharper photograph that guarantees sharp stars across some of the largest CCD chips available today.

"The hobby of astrophotography is rapidly growing. People want to capture what they see through their telescope lens. Celestron is committed to creating innovative technology for the consumer; we haev done that with the EdgeHD," said Joseph A. Lupica, Jr., President and CEO of Celestron. "It has superior edge performance that not only creates rounder, more pleasing stars, but actually improves the resolution and limiting magnitude when compared to other scopes of equal aperture. This produces amazing clarity for astrophotographers."

In addition to Celestron's new optimized optical design, there are many new mechanical features engineered for better performance:

• Mirror locks - Flexible tension locks hold the mirror in place and reduce image shift when rotating the tube around the mount.
• Tube vents - Cooling vents located on the rear cell allow hot air to be released from behind the primary mirror.
• Fastar versatility - All EdgeHD optical tubes are Fastar-compatible for imaging down to f/2 with optional accessories.

Visit celestron.com to learn more about EdgeHD and see side-by-side comparisons of images taken with standard optics versus the new EdgeHD.