Celestron Origin Home Observatory with Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph (RASA) Optical Technology

Experience a new era in the world of astronomy with the technological advancements of the Celestron Origin. The Origin is an all-in-one home observatory for aspiring astronomers. It brings together the joy of stargazing and astrophotography to blend them into a single experience that is sure to take you on a delightful journey. Transform your backyard into a stargazing center where celestial objects do not seem far, making their way into your tablet or phone. Backed by decades of research by expert engineers, Origin’s patented optical technology is unbelievably advanced.

The Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph technology is a pioneer in its field. Launched in 2014, it has been a top choice for National defense contractors, professional research astronomers, and governments for its ability to detect minute pieces of debris, thereby keeping vital satellites safe in orbit. The unique feature of RASA is that in this design, the imaging sensor lies in the front of the telescope tube instead of being placed in the back. This creates an ultra fast f/2.2 system allowing a wide FOV, resulting in sharp images up to the edge. Celestron’s engineers made a new 6-inch compact RASA design, boasting the features that you would find in an observatory-grade instrument. The unbeatable combination of speed, aperture, and performance offers enhanced image detail even with a short duration of exposure. To make the most of RASA optics, Celestron has used a Sony IMX178LQJ color CMOS sensor for capturing the data. This sensor uses STARVIS back-illuminated technology that has a low-noise, fast readout capability to ensure capturing of clear images quickly. Possessing 2.4µm2 pixels, this chip allows capturing high resolution of images.

With the Celestron Origin home observatory, every aspiring astroimager can start his journey from the backyard of their home. The built-in AI algorithms ensure that data gets captured and simultaneous processing of frames happens in real-time. This advanced technology results in rich and detailed images. This also enables anybody to use the telescope, regardless of their experience and skill level.

With the automated initialization process powered by StarSense technology, setting up the Celestron Origin has never been an easier task. Simply place the Origin home observatory outside, turn it on, and connect to the application. Within two minutes, Origin will focus itself, scan the night, and autonomously align with the stars overhead, tallying it to the internal database. It will then notify you when you can start your astronomical experience. Simulation Curriculum, the makers of SkySafari collaborated with the Celestron Origin to deliver a user-friendly experience. The planetarium interface simplifies navigating through the skies at night. Use the planetarium view and hold your device up using the ‘compass mode’. Then tap on to any object that you want to see. The Origin home observatory is all you need for unmatched celestial object viewing; forget about star chart consulting or days of planning in advance. Choose a target, and Origin will center it in the field of view. Then switch on to the camera view and start imaging to capture the 10-second exposures. This way, the results appear in real time with enhanced details.

No more peering into an eyepiece looking for your favorite objects. Origin allows friends and family, whether gathered in the same room or outside, connect to Origin to stream and view using devices. The Celestron Origin even offers the convenience of casting a live feed to your Smart TV creating memorable moments.

Once you have gathered your basics of stargazing, the Origin will continue to surprise you with advanced features. The home observatory's built-in filter drawer accepts 1.25-inch and 2-inch format filters, allowing you to install optional filters that help in the imaging of nebulae in mildly polluted areas. For imaging galaxies and star clusters, remember to remove the filter for brighter images. This feature also allows you to experiment with several interchangeable filters. While other stargazing systems do not store raw images, Origin stores them for you. To access these raw images, connect via USB and import these files into your image processing software for editing and stacking. It is notable that the scheduled observations feature is a Savior when it comes to technological advancements. You can now tell the app the objects you want to capture, and the Origin’s scheduled observations feature will capture a range of images while you rest.

Despite being made for the capturing celestial objects, the Celestron Origin can also capture views of the land-based objects on Earth, be it during the day, or at night. Slew Origin manually to capture landscapes and scenery. Thanks to its fast optics and super sensitive camera, this home observatory can also capture images on Earth during night time in dimly-lit conditons.

Eliminating the need for Wi-Fi network, the Celestron Origin is as portable as it gets. Take it anywhere you want to. Highly portable and lightweight, the optical tube, mount, and tripod of the Origin weigh less than 16 lb each and are easy to assemble and disassemble. You can choose to complete your set with a travel-friendly optional carry case.