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It's back.... And this year we look forward to having another great time!  You asked for it? You got it. The Hidden Hollow weekend Star Party at Warren Rupp Observatory will be back again this year! Let's get this party started! Thanks to the incredible generosity of the astronomy community, donations for this year's raffle will soon be rolling in. As a star party attendees know, this is the way we earn our operating expenses each year... the little things that make the observatory happen, like electricity, our website, maintenance and yes... even toilet paper. We firmly believe that astronomy outreach education should be free and thanks to your support through raffle tickets, we can make it so! Without further ado, please stay tuned for all the wonderful things we'll have to offer...  The Celestron 15X70 SkyMaster Binoculars are one of the most popular models in the SkyMaster Series. With 70mm of aperture, these binoculars can help you see in low-light conditions. The magnification of 15X delivered by the Celestron 15X70 SkyMaster Binoculars is a bit easier to hand-hold than other large aperture binoculars, but just in case, a tripod adapter is included that allows you to attach the SkyMasters to any standard photographic tripod. This model is water resistant, which means it will perform better in the sometimes damp conditions of early morning or evening. Long eye relief of 18mm offered by the Celestron 15X70 SkyMaster Binoculars will allow even those who wear glasses comfortable viewing sessions!
 Have you ever looked at the night sky and wondered just what's out there? Now you don't need an astronomy degree or years of experience to enjoy the wonders of the Cosmos. The Celestron SkyScout is a revolutionary new handheld device which instantly identifies and/or locates any celestial object visible to the unaided eye, providing educational and entertaining information, both in text and audio. A fun learning tool for all ages, the Celestron Sky Scout personal planetarium puts the knowledge of an expert astronomer in the palm of your hand! What's more, the SkyScout also provides a database full of information, including right ascension, declination, magnitude and more... through over 50,000 stars, planets and constellations! Even the most experienced amateur astronomer can fully appreciate this clever gadget... After all, it makes identifying difficult stars such as Pi and Xi a breeze!
 Are you ready for the next solar eclipse? How about the next gigantic sunspot? Buying a dedicated solar telescope is expensive, but Celestron is here to offer you a portable package that provides safe solar viewing - and a nice little telescope besides. Amateur astronomy is a great family hobby that can be enjoyed year round, and Celestron's PowerSeeker Solar Telescope is the ideal choice for families looking for an affordable and high quality telescope that will provide many hours of enjoyment for children and adults alike. All of Celestron's PowerSeekers include a full range of eyepieces plus a 3x Barlow lens that provides an increase in viewing power hundreds of times greater than that of the unaided eye! PowerSeekers are designed and manufactured using all fully coated glass optical components with high transmission coatings for enhanced image brightness and clarity. Erect Image Optics are ideal for terretrial (land) and astronomical (sky) use. Locate and identify thousands of celestial objects on your laptop or PC with "The Sky" Level 1 Software included. The included solar filter fits securely over the open end of the telescope, providing you with a pleasing view of the Sun - including sunspot activity. Always provide adult supervision when viewing the Sun!
 Vivitar DigiCam Series 5x30 Digital Camera Binocular VIV-CV-530V allows you to take up to 75 photos. The DigiCam 5x30 Binocular from Vivitar offers the ability of capturing those precious memories for life. These high performance binoculars are designed with a high resolution digital camera that allows you to view with amazing clarity and save it to memory. This Vivitar Binocular is ideal for sports fans, sightseers, outdoor enthusiasts, bird watchers or anyone who wants to keep living memory of their experiences for years to come! Includes Photags Imaging Software Disc and Accessory Kit.
 "But wait a minute," you might be thinking, "Moon globes have been around for decades." That's true, but there's never been a Moon globe quite like this one. Previous Moon globes have used artistic renderings of the lunar surface. Sky & Telescope's new globe is based on actual images from cameras on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) taken under nearly consistent ideal lighting conditions - 15,000 actual images to be exact. In other words, this globe is the first one that shows the Moon as it really is. The globe is illustrated with over 850 labeled lunar features including craters, valleys, Apollo landing sites, and many more. It also comes with a Sky & Telescope Moon Guide and stand.
 The new Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ telescope is a refractor telescope with 70mm of aperture for great views of the Moon, planets, stars and more! The sturdy altazimuth mount has a pan handle control with clutch - for smooth and accurate pointing. The new Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ telescope provides correctly oriented images and is well suited to both terrestrial and celestial viewing. Includes permanently mounted Star Pointer finderscope, two eyepieces, pre-assembled tripod, "The Sky - Level 1" software and Two-Year Celestron Warranty. Grab it and go! Many thanks to Celestron for providing this door prize. They've also added some hats and fliers so no one goes home a "loser"!
 The Celestron PowerSeeker 80EQ Telescope Package is an exclusive telescope package sold by OpticsPlanet Inc.. It utilizes coated glass optical components with for enhanced image brightness and clarity. These scopes carry a large aperture front lens with great light gathering power - a necessity to resolve the faint detail of hundreds of deep-sky and other celestial objects. The Celestron Power Seeker Telescope comes on a sturdy equatorial mount for tracking the movement of the night sky - along with a full range of eyepieces plus a 3x Barlow lens, allowing an increase in viewing power hundreds of times greater than that of an unaided eye! Many thanks to OpticsPlanet!
 Check out the Vixen Optics 8-24 Click Stop Zoom Eyepiece! If you like hunting down an object at a lower magnification and then upping the power - but don't like switching out eyepieces in mid-stream, then you're going to love this. It has a field of view that ranges between 40°-55°, an eye relief of 20-15mm and weighs 7.9 oz. This makes a great lunar and planetary companion! Our thanks go once again to Vixen Optics for your continued support.
 We asked for it... and we got it! One of our most kindly and continual supporters is OPT and this year they sent us a Vixen Space Eye 70! The Vixen Space Eye 70 is a great beginner telescope for the budding astronomer or casual observer. The high quality 70mm optics provide brighter views than competing 60mm models, and gather 100X more light than your unaided eyes. Includes manually operated mount with slow motion controls, everything you need to start observing right now! This Vixen A70LF refractor telescope package is equipped with a diagonal, eyepiece, finder scope, and mount with slow motion controls. Compact and lightweight it makes a great grab and go telescope or a package easily set up by any family member.
 But OPT didn't stop there. They also donated a pair of Celestron UpClose G2 10x50 Binoculars! Theses porros are high quality binoculars at an affordable / economical price. Multi-coated optics increase light transmission resulting in brighter and sharper images with high contrast levels Stylish rubber covered aluminum body of the Celestron UpClose G2 10x50 Binoculars protects from rough handling. Egronomic thumb indents and finger ridges for extra non-slip comfort and ease of use. The Celestron UpClose G2 10x50 Binoculars are water resistant. Includes soft carrying case and binocular straps. They are the perfect size and weight for casual astronomy!
Next up is a list of prizes that goes beyond our wildest expectations... and it comes from Orion! We simply cannot thank these good folks enough for being so generous and supportive. Please, the next time you need a new telescope or astronomy accessory, remember and support Orion telescopes. We do! Now, here's the goodies they're sending...  These compact binoculars pack a big performance punch! Orion E-Series 8x32 Compact Binoculars will amaze you with clear, crisp magnified daytime views. The 8x power E-Series binoculars provide a nice 6.5° field of view which is wider than what higher magnification binoculars can offer. Their 32mm fully coated objective lenses gather a good amount of light during the day for images with bright clarity. The fully coated lenses and high-quality BAK-4 roof prisms ensure maximum light transmission for bright, crisp views. Perfect for outdoor daytime activities such as hiking, birding, and getting a closer look at spectator sports. A comfortable rubber coating makes these E-Series binoculars a joy to hold and use. Captive objective dust caps stay attached to the binocular during use for convenience. The compact size and weight of just 17.6 ounces (1.1 lb.) lets you take these 8x32 binoculars anywhere.
 Orion Lights Out Observing Canopy for Telescopes... Accessories like this are what photographers have used for decades. Drape this pitch-black, double-layer canopy over your head and your telescope eyepiece to block out that annoying porch light, streetlight ? all unwanted light. The objects you're viewing will appear brighter, with greater detail and better contrast. Ideal for tripod-mounted binoculars and cameras, too. The size of the Orion Light Out Observing Canopy for Telescopes is 34" x 43". Simple but effective!
 Have you ever been outside under a clear starry sky with a friend or family member, when you wanted to point out the location of the Orion Nebula, or trace the outline of the Sagittarius "Teapot" asterism? You point your finger, but that just doesn't cut it. "Where are you pointing? Do you mean the third bright star up from that middle pine tree over there?" Save yourself from frustration and take the guesswork out of the equation with the Orion SkyLine Deluxe Green Laser Pointer. Its bright green beam makes pointing out objects in the sky as easy as pie. The Orion SkyLine Deluxe Green Laser Pointer is perfect for stargazers. It emits a thin but distinct green laser beam that appears to stretch all the way to the stars! SkyLine's < 5mW green beam just keeps going and going, seemingly to infinity. It works in light-polluted or moonlit skies just as well as crystal-clear skies in remote locations. It's great for pointing out stars, planets, constellations and more for others to see. The SkyLine Deluxe now uses electronic feedback regulation to ensure ultra-stable beam intensity compared to other green lasers on the market, even in cold temperatures. The aluminum laser pointer body is 6" long and features a convenient pocket clip. Two AAA batteries are included.
 This comfortable field harness is an ideal companion for your favorite daytime binoculars. Anyone who has used binoculars while hiking or on a nature walk knows that they can often be annoying to carry. Even when equipped with a neck strap, binoculars are prone to bumping into your chest while striding down the trail, and they can be a nuisance as they swing around when navigating over complex terrain. The Orion Binocular Field Harness will keep your binoculars from flopping around so you can concentrate on more important matters like exploring the beauty of nature around you, and keeping your feet on the trail! The Orion Binocular Field Harness will keep your trusty binoculars right where you need them too for easy access.
 The immensely versatile Orion Video Capture Device makes it easy for you to view and capture video recordings on a laptop or PC. Attach the Video Capture Device to any device equipped with an RCA composite, component, or S-Video output to view, record and capture footage from the device so you can enjoy the view right on your laptop or PC. Use the Orion Video Capture Device with a StarShoot Deep Space Video Camera, StarShoot Video Eyepiece, camcorder, DVD player, DVR, VCR, and more! The Orion Video Capture Device includes a CD-Rom disc with software for capturing and converting to other formats. Includes RCA composite, S-Video, and component (Y, Pb, Pr/Y, Cb, Cr) video inputs for a wide versatility range. Use the Video Capture Device to upload videos to YouTube or for transferring video files for your iPod, iPod Touch, iPad, AppleTV, PSP, PS3, XBOX, and mobile devices. The Orion Video Capture Device is compatible with both NTSC and PAL standards. The easy to use Video Capture Device features a USB 2.0 interface and has been designed for use with the Orion StarShoot Deep Space Video Camera and StarShoot Video Eyepiece, but it will work with any video equipment featuring an RCA composite, component, or S-Video output. Captured AVI or MPEG4 files can be used to further process images with astronomy software such as Registax. The Orion Video Capture device is also compatible with meteor detecting software such as UFOCapture and time lapse software such as HandyAVI. Also compatible with the Night Skies Network for broadcasting live images of the night sky over the internet.
 When we say our newest astro flashlight is "self powered," we mean it is powered by your own bad self! The RedBeam SP has a small hand crank that, when wound, charges an internal rechargeable battery. There's no need for any other batteries, ever! Just 1 minute of winding cranks out up to 15 minutes of red LED light! Red light preserves your dark-adapted night vision while you read star charts or check your equipment. Choose from two brightness settings, which illuminate three or all five red LEDs. The RedBeam SP can also be charged from a USB port (USB charge cable included). It can even power a cell phone in an emergency (five popular cell phone adapters are included). Get the astronomy flashlight that never needs additional batteries!
 A wide T-ring converts a SLR or DSLR camera mount to a wide-format T-thread. This wide (48mm) T-ring supports full 35mm format cameras. A wide format T-ring is needed for astrophotographic applications using a Canon DSLR or SLR camera and a focal-reducer / corrector lens. This larger than standard size, wide 48mm diameter T-ring supports full 35mm format Canon cameras. Not compatible with standard T-threaded accessories. Couples camera body to wide, 48mm T-threads on Focal Reducers for Orion ED80 and ED100 refractor telescopes. Compatible with wide format 48mm T-threaded accessories only. Not compatible with standard (42mm) T-threaded camera adapters.
 Orion 2"-1.25" Helical Fine-Focusing Adapter... Focusing at high magnification with a standard rack-and-pinion focuser can be a real challenge. The focuser action is coarse, making it hard to nail the exact focus point. This precision-machined adapter makes fine focusing a breeze. It replaces the 2"-to-1.25" eyepiece adapter in telescopes equipped with a 2" focuser, allowing very fine helical focusing with just a feather touch. Critical focus is easier to achieve, and images stay steadier. The Orion Helical Fine-Focusing Adapter features dual rubber grip rings and setscrew lock. Works with 1.25" eyepieces. Requires at least 9mm inward focus travel.
 Have you ever wanted to share the enjoyable view seen through your telescope with a few friends or family members? Well, now you can do just that with the innovative and affordable Orion StarShoot Video Eyepiece. Now you can easily view what you see in your telescope on your TV screen or camcorder! The Video eyepiece sends live images of the Moon, bright planets, Sun (solar filter required), and terrestrial subjects as seen through the telescope to a TV set, camcorder, or any other device with an RCA video input. Now the whole family, classroom, or astronomical society can enjoy the view right along with you, as if you were all looking through the same telescope. The StarShoot Video eyepiece is compatible with any telescope equipped with a 1.25" focuser, or a 2" focuser with a 2"-to- 1.25" step-down adapter. While a telescope attached to a tracking motor-equipped mount will provide the best results for nighttime use, even non-motorized telescopes like Dobsonian reflectors work well with this petite performer. During daylight hours, the StarShoot Video Eyepiece can add crowd-pleasing performance to any telescope outfitted for terrestrial use. Telescopic views of birds, wildlife, and scenery can be seen and enjoyed on your TV screen. This handy video "eyepiece" imager provides an inexpensive entry into the rewarding realm of astrophotography. The StarShoot Video Eyepiece features a CMOS sensor chip with 8-bit output and RGB 24-bit color resolution. The sensor?s small 9.2µm x 7.2µm pixel size accurately detects fine details. While not sensitive enough to capture images of faint deep space objects, the Video Eyepiece enables you to share telescopic views of brighter objects within our solar system like the Moon and brighter planets like Jupiter and Saturn. The view transmitted by the StarShoot Video Eyepiece is comparable to what you would see using a 5mm eyepiece. The 1.25" nosepiece is threaded for use with any Orion 1.25" eyepiece filter, so you can enhance your view to your liking by using a Moon filter, light pollution filter, color planetary filters, and more (filters sold separately). You can also use our StarShoot 0.5x Focal Reducer (sold separately) if you?d like to view a wider area. The StarShoot Video Eyepiece is powered by the included AC-to-DC adapter, which has a long 70" cable for convenient use with your telescope. With an Orion StarShoot Video Eyepiece you can start enjoying the night sky and daytime terrestrial views through your TV!
 Our red-tinted AstroGoggles will help you get the most out of each and every observing session with your telescope or astronomical binoculars. Put on the Orion AstroGoggles and wear them for a half-hour or so before you use your telescope or binoculars to help your eyes adapt to the darkness of the night sky. By wearing AstroGoggles before you view, you allow your eyes to adjust to low-light levels so all of your observations are optimized. No more waiting! The deep red color of the AstroGoggles filters out the wavelengths of light that ruin dark adaptation so your eyes adjust comfortably. Wear them inside for a half-hour or more before you view to give your eyes a head start towards being dark-adapted. Orion AstroGoggles also help retain dark-adapted vision during quick trips inside to refill your coffee cup while stargazing in the backyard. With AstroGoggles on, you can go back inside to freshen up that mug of hot chocolate and your houselights will not affect your dark-adapted eyes!
 For finding your way around the starry sky, there's no better tool than a star wheel, also called a planisphere, like the affordable Orion StarTarget Planisphere. Whether you're skywatching with just your eyes, with binoculars, or with a telescope, a planisphere star chart is an essential tool you?ll use time and time again. It?s an invaluable reference tool for learning the constellations, identifying stars, and locating popular bright celestial objects such as galaxies, open and globular star clusters, and diffuse and planetary nebula.The easy to use Orion Star Target Planisphere is a rounded star chart map which you rotate in its housing to dial in the date and time. Once the preferred date and time is dialed in, the Star Target displays a nicely detailed map of the current night sky. You can then rotate the Star Target to get a sneak peek of what objects will become visible as the night goes on, or to see when objects will be ideally positioned in the sky for observation through a telescope or pair of binoculars. It?s easy to plan an entire night of stargazing fun in advance with the handy Orion Star Target, since it can tell you when and where your favorite objects and constellations will be visible. Our Orion Star Target planisphere features a detailed star map drafted by renowned celestial cartographer Wil Tirion. It shows all constellations visible from mid-northern latitudes ranging from 30° North to 50° North, as well as the locations of 100 showpiece star clusters, nebulas, and galaxies for viewing with binoculars or a telescope. The Star Target?s map works year-round and year after year. On the back of the planisphere are simple instructions plus helpful viewing tips and a calendar of annual meteor showers. The Star Target is a must for any stargazer, regardless of skill-level, but it is especially useful for beginners. The planisphere is made of coated, dew-resistant cardboard. The disk measures 8-3/8? in diameter, so it?s easy to stow just about anywhere.
 Our planet?s Moon is a very rewarding target for all amateur astronomers. The surface of Earth?s only natural satellite is a treasure-trove of interesting sights. Views of intriguing craters, craggy mountains, and vast ancient lava flows can be obtained easily in small telescopes and binoculars. This affordable Moon Map makes it easy to identify more than 300 features found on the Moon, so you can enjoy learning the names of your favorite crater, mountain range, or mare region. What?s more, this detailed map also points out the locations of the six NASA Apollo mission landing sites. Using the Moon Map is easy. Simply find the reference number of the feature you wish to identify, and then look up its name using the map?s numerical index. Conversely, if you wish to locate a specific named feature with your telescope or binoculars, use the alphabetical index on the back of the map to find the feature?s reference number, then locate the number and feature on the map. For ease of use, the reference numbers are generally laid out lunar west to east (left to right), then increment north to south (top to bottom). The correct-image map is oriented to match the Moon as it appears to the unaided eye, or in binoculars from midnorthern latitudes. Turning the map may be required to match the view seen in your telescope.
 This gets our vote as the best guidebook for beginning stargazers. Richard Berry, former editor of Astronomy magazine, leads you on a tour of the constellations, pointing out fascinating deep-sky astronomical objects that can be seen with a simple telescope or binoculars. The heart of the book is two sections of big, two-color sky charts. The first section features 12 charts that show the entire visible sky each month, accompanied by text that points out each month's sky attractions and constellation mythology. The second section comprises 23 charts of smaller regions of the sky, which highlight stars with unusual colors, star clusters, nebulas, and galaxies observable with small instruments. Separate chapters cover basics, such as how the stars move through the sky, points of interest on the Moon's face, and choosing and using a telescope. Softbound, 119 pages.
 The Orion LensPen Mini Pro Optics Cleaning Tool is a superb tool for cleaning optical lenses. If you've ever been plagued with dusty, grimy eyepieces or lenses in the field, do yourself a favor and pick up an Orion Mini Pro for your accessory case. This handy pen-shaped cleaning tool works wonders on binocular eyepieces and objective lenses also. Clip one onto the case of your favorite binoculars and you'll never have to worry about fingerprints or smudges blurring your view. The Orion LensPen Mini Pro features a retractable camel-hair brush for safe removal of large particles, and an ingenious flexible chamois-pad cleaning tip to eliminate pesky fingerprints and smudges. The cap contains a specially formulated non-liquid spill-proof cleaning compound designed to never dry out. Just place the cap onto the cleaning tip and give it a half-twist to replenish the cleaning compound.
 Pilot a starship through intergalactic space. Blast off Earth and fly to over 28,000 galaxies with the Starry Night Galaxy Explorer. Stunning visuals and an exciting narrative put you beyond the edge of the universe, based on the known galactic map as calculated by astronomer Brent Tully. Beyond the Milky Way, you'll see an astonishing variety of space objects as if you were in orbit above them. In an instant, turn your living room into the helm of an interstellar spaceship. It may feel like an exciting science fiction movie, but it's all based on current astronomical knowledge and Galaxy Explorer is a great way to learn about space. Learn detailed information through the SkyGuide as you explore the 3-D universe. Even examine the structure of the universe from up to 700-million light years away! Introducing your family to the universe has never been easier.
 The Orion-designed Mini 50mm Guide Scope is a complete and compact guide scope solution designed for use with the Orion StarShoot AutoGuider (sold separately) or similar small-chip CCD autoguider devices. The Orion Mini 50mm Guide Scope is ideal for guiding long-exposure astrophotographs with imaging telescopes up to 1500mm in focal length. Thanks to the high level of guiding accuracy offered by modern autoguider devices such as the Orion StarShoot AutoGuider, astro-imagers of today can use guide scopes with much shorter focal lengths and smaller apertures compared to the large, bulky models used in the past. Using a more optically "fast" refractor as a guide scope can save astro-imagers time, space, and money, but will still provide the unrivaled accuracy that only autoguiding can bring to long-exposure astrophotographs. Although modern dedicated autoguider devices allow small, optically fast guide scopes to be used with excellent results, there is an unfortunate scarcity of quality offerings available. That is, until now. The Orion Mini 50mm Guide Scope brings autoguiding into the realm of affordability for any astrophotographer, and brings the guide scope to a position that was previously occupied by a telescope finder scope. Consisting of a 50mm aperture, 162mm focal length (f/3.2) achromatic refractor guide scope, an adjustable dovetail guide scope bracket, an 1.25" aluminum parfocal ring, a dovetail mounting base, and an adapter plate, the Orion Mini 50mm Guide Scope makes it easy for any astro-imager to enjoy the precision of autoguiding in their images. All this pint-sized setup requires is a StarShoot AutoGuider (sold separately) or similar small-chip CCD autoguider and it?s ready for night, camera, action! The guide scope bracket fits into the standard Orion dovetail finder scope base found on most Orion telescopes. If your imaging scope doesn?t feature a dovetail base or has one already occupied by an oft-used finder, the included dovetail base and attachment hardware lets you attach the Mini 50mm Guide Scope to any optical tube. Alternatively, the included adapter plate can be used to attach the dovetail base and Mini 50mm Guide Scope to any standard dovetail plate or side-by-side plate if preferred. The featherweight guide scope tips the scales at a mere 16oz., and has been designed for use with imaging telescopes measuring up to 1500mm in focal length. This one-pound wonder Mini 50mm Guide Scope features fully multi-coated optics and a focus-adjusting front ring with locking collar. The included parfocal ring makes it easy to repeat autoguiding performance night to night, by letting you set the ideal focus position of the autoguider.
There is also a compact field tripod and a "Comet Hunters" CD ROM, too! Again, our deepest appreciation goes to Orion Telescopes for making the great donation! For the youngsters in our crowd (under 18), we'll also have some very special prizes! Check these out...  Vivitar 60/120x Refractor Telescope VIV-TEL-50600 lets you get closer to the stars. This Vivitar Telescope is user friendly and easy to set up. The 120x power refractor telescope from Vivitar is great for young astronomers to begin gazing at the rings of Saturn or searching the universe for new comets. This telescope offer a high level of quality parents can appreciate while their children have fun learning about the stars.
 Vivitar 5x30 Compact Binoculars with Case and Strap CS-530 is ideal for concerts, theater, sporting events and bird watching... even stargazing! The Vivitar name is known for their rich heritage of optical product developments. The innovative imaging technology offers high-quality, practical and affordable binoculars. These Vivitar Binoculars are compact and lightweight. The 5x magnification offers a field of view up to 60ft. The diopter adjustment allows for precise focusing while using your binocular. These compact binoculars from Vivitar provides an emphasis on advanced optics while keeping them user friendly. The Vivitar 5x 30mm Binocular is designed to go wherever you go.
No kid will go home a "loser" because Celestron has also provided some very fun items like hats and flying discs! Door prizes will continue to come in - right up until the Star Party itself - so stay tuned... there's more to come! If the good folks who have donated to us should happen to read this page, please know that our entire club is eternally grateful for your support. Each time we'd receive word that another prize was coming our way, we'd all celebrate! Every year our volunteer staff serves several thousand children and adults through our astronomy outreach programs and knowing that you care and are willing to support us means more than you know. We thank you so much! |
