Adaptive Optics

With the SteadyStar LF AO Guider attached, even a modestly priced mount will perform like the most high-end expensive mount! The SteadyStar LF’s broad compatibility with imaging cameras and autoguiders makes it even more attractive. It works with any Orion CCD camera and autoguider, as well as other popular imaging cameras like DSLRs.

The SteadyStar AO Guider with Field Rotator not only makes rapid and accurate tracking corrections to deliver pinpoint stars, it also allows you to rotate the camera and off-axis guider without disturbing the focus. That makes finding a guide star much easier. Additionally, the SteadyStar AO Guider with Field Rotator is an ideal solution for imagers with fork altitude-azimuth mounts, including those used with popular catadioptric telescopes. Since Alt-Az mounts cannot move in arcs to match the apparent movement of the sky, the field rotator will do that for you. There’s no need to purchase a heavy equatorial wedge for your fork mount.

The SteadyStar LF Adaptive Optics Guider (AO) makes any imaging-capable mount, even if a modest one, perform more effectively. Precise tracking is one of the most critical facets of astrophotography and this tracking is limited to the accuracy of your mount, plus external factors like wind and atmospheric seeing conditions. The SteadyStar LF AO Guider overcomes these limitations and challenges and takes control with super fast and accurate guiding.

The SteadyStar LF Adaptive Optics Guider is ideal for use with large format CCD and DSLR sensors with its larger 50mm diameter optical window (48mm clear aperture). The larger window provides full field illumination to take full advantage of devices equipped with larger sensors, such as 35mm format CCD cameras.

The AO-X is a new large aperture AO for the STX and STXL cameras.