What accessories do I need to go with my telescope? This is a question we get asked every day! We've put together some of our favourite accessories as the BINTEL Observer's Kit #1. Included are: BINTEL Plossl 32mm Most telescopes come with at least one and sometime two eyepieces as standard. They usually offer a medium power around 25mm and a higher power 10mm. These are enough to get you started on your astro journey. While many beginners ask how to increase the magnification of their telescope with additional eyepieces, they often don't realise there's advantages to reducing the magnification with a longer focal length eyepiece. Lower magnification brings a wider field of view. Some wonderful astro objects in the night sky such as large nebulae and star clusters might not fit into the eyepiece at higher magnifications. They'll need a wider view to see them in their fullest detail. 2x Barlow Lens with T-Adaptor A Barlow lens effectively changes the focal length of each eyepiece. You insert the Barlow into your telescope and then your eyepiece into the Barlow. This doubles the magnification of each of your eyepieces. Your 10mm eyepiece becomes a 5mm, your 25mm a 12.5mm and so on. It's a quick and effective way of making your telescope more versatile. This Celestron Barlow also had a T-Adaptor thread. If you have a DSLR camera, simply buy the matching low-cost T-ring for your camera body type (Nikon, Canon etc) here and this can be used to attach a DSLR to your telescope. Celestron Night Vision Red Torch - RRP $29.95 Why do astronomers use red torches? No matter the size of the telescope you're using, what's seen through the telescope will be faint. Luckily, our eyes get used to low light after spending a short time in the dark. It takes about 30-40 minutes for us to become "dark adapted". Our eyes are then some 10,000 to 1,000,000 more sensitive to light compared to when we're in full daylight. (Needless to say, our eyes become less sensitive in the dark as we age and take longer to adapt.... ) This is something we're all used to seeing. At low light, our sight moves from full colour to black and white as different parts of our eyes become active. This dark adaption or night vision is especially important when observing at night. The problem is that even a short burst of white light from a car headlight, an outdoor light or a normal torch can "reset" dark adapted eyes and you need to start the entire process of adapting to the dark all over again. It's easy to avoid the loss of night vision by using a low intensity red light. This Celestron Night Vision Red Torch lets you adjust your telescope, red maps and book or even attach cameras - all without losing your night vision. Many experienced astronomers will tell you their red lights are some their most used and handiest accessories in their observing toolkit! Celestron Moon Filter RRP $19.95- yes, I wear my Sunglasses at Night The Moon is bright enough to cast shadows! It's also sometimes overwhelmingly bright in a telescope eyepiece. The glare can make it uncomfortable to view. A Moon filter simply reduces intensity to make the Moon easier to observe. With glare reduced, you'll also be able to pick out the finer details on the Lunar surface. This Celestron Moon Filter screws into the base of all 1.25" eyepieces. Observer's Map of the Moon - RRP $19.95 This is a handy fold out, two-sided map of the Moon. You can observe features with your telescope and locate them on the map or vice versa. This map also features a directory of all the key lunar regions with coordinates to find them. On the reverse side of the map, there are close-up photos and information about the most exciting lunar regions to explore. You’ll also find images of the North and South polar regions for reference. Refer to the lunar observing tips for practical information about using your telescope or binoculars to explore the Moon. The Observer’s Map of the Moon is waterproof, tear-resistant, and can be folded into an 20cm x 10cm size, making it easy to take along on your next camping trip, star party, or evening in your backyard. When not in use, the Moon map will be a stylish decorative poster on your wall. It makes a great display for your classroom or astronomy club.
