Starizona HyperStar for Celestron C1100 v4 (16369)

The Starizona HyperStar for Celestron C1100 v4 is an advanced optical accessory that transforms your standard Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain (SC) telescope into a powerful, ultra-fast astrograph, ideal for deep-sky astrophotography. By replacing the secondary mirror with the HyperStar lens assembly, you can mount a CCD or DSLR camera directly at the front of your telescope, dramatically increasing the speed and efficiency of your imaging setup. This system is perfect for wide-field sky surveys, comet observation, and efficient deep-sky photography, allowing you to achieve bright, sharp images in a fraction of the time required by traditional setups.

The HyperStar system is the fastest and most straightforward way to achieve high-quality deep-sky astrophotography with your Celestron SC telescope. It eliminates the need for polar alignment, equatorial mounts, or guiding, making deep-sky imaging accessible and enjoyable. With HyperStar, exposures that once took hours can now be completed in seconds, revolutionizing your astrophotography experience.

Key Performance Specifications

• Focal Ratio: f/1.9

• Focal Length: 540 mm

• Maximum Image Circle: 35 mm

• Maximum Field of View: 3.7 degrees

How HyperStar Works

The HyperStar is a multi-lens corrector that replaces the standard secondary mirror in the Schmidt corrector plate of your SC telescope. It corrects for coma and field curvature, which are normally managed by the secondary mirror, using precision optics designed with advanced software. Your camera is then attached to the front of the telescope, converting your SC into a digital Schmidt camera operating at f/1.9. This setup allows for extremely short exposure times-about 30 seconds with HyperStar can match the brightness of a 12-minute exposure at f/10.

Major Benefits

• Converts your Celestron SC telescope into a digital Schmidt camera, but can be reverted for normal use.

• Reduces exposure times by up to 25 times, minimizing the effects of atmospheric turbulence and tracking errors.

• Allows high-quality astrophotography even with simple altazimuth mounts, thanks to short exposures that eliminate field rotation issues.

• No need for precise polar alignment or advanced tracking-excellent for mobile setups.

• Enables use of narrowband filters and is especially well-suited for modern DSLR cameras, which perform best at fast focal ratios.

• Compatible with the latest generation of Celestron SC HD OTAs.

Assembly and Compatibility

• Mechanical conversion kits are available for standard C8, C9.25, C11, and C14 OTAs to make them HyperStar compatible.

• FastStar versions of Celestron telescopes are directly compatible; simply unscrew the secondary mirror and attach the HyperStar using the included adapter ring.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Focusing: Focus is achieved using the main mirror, just as with the original setup.

• Visual Observing: Not possible with HyperStar installed, as the camera blocks the light path.

• Mirror Shift: Mirror shift is reduced by a factor of 5, making it negligible for imaging.

• Image Quality: Comparable to high-end RC astrographs, suitable for semi-professional cameras.

• Obstruction: Camera obstruction is not significant for imaging; professional telescopes often have much larger obstructions.

• Collimation: The HyperStar lens is pre-collimated; switching back to standard use requires no additional collimation.

• Disadvantages: You may find yourself wanting to spend every clear night imaging the sky!