Celestron Origin Telescope Review

Manufacturer: Celestron

Price: $3999

Astrophotography is a tech-heavy hobby. Now is a fantastic time to take the plunge, even with little or no experience in the field. This is now possible with the rapid technological advances that make automation a realistic goal. One of the biggest challenges is to pair components that work well together and also fit into your budget. Smart telescopes eliminate the need to choose individual components since they are an all-in-one package.

 

 

What is the Celestron Origin Smart Telescope?

 

Celestron is well-known in the amateur astronomy community. It has been producing excellent and innovative equipment for decades. The Celestron Origin Smart Telescope takes the integrated all-in-one concept to a whole new level. For starters, the aperture is a very respectable 6 inches, or 152 mm. This makes the database of “do-able” objects much broader because of its light-gathering ability. The optical design is the innovative Rowe-Ackerman Schmidt Astrograph (RASA), which places the imaging camera at the front of the telescope instead of the more typical rear, which results in an ultra-fast focal ratio of 2.2. The lower the focal ratio, the more rapidly light is gathered. This makes it possible to take much shorter exposures and makes stacking the images much quicker.

 

Not only is it a fast optical design, but it also produces pinpoint star images across the entire imaging sensor, the Sony IMX178 color CMOS sensor. This back-illuminated 6.4 MP sensor has pixels of 2.4 µm, which pairs nicely with the focal length of 335 mm. An onboard Raspberry Pi 4 Model B computer handles all of the image capture and stacking routines, which are controlled by your smartphone.

PUT IT INTO PRACTICE — 335 MM CHANGES THE TARGET MIX The Origin’s 335 mm focal length and sensor produce a substantially tighter native field than the widest compact smart telescopes. That can be an advantage for many galaxies and smaller nebulae, while very extended targets may require mosaics or a different composition. Use the Imaging Planner to compare target framing before treating aperture or focal ratio as the deciding specification.

 

Getting Started

 

Setup is easy using Celestron’s StarSense technology. Using GPS and by taking images, and auto-focusing, the unit can determine its exact pointing position by comparing the image with known images. Once setup is complete, the software allows the selection of the object either from a database or from a list of recommended objects. The telescope then points to the object and begins taking a series of short exposures and uses AI algorithms to stack each subsequent image, resulting in progressively better detail emerging. Once complete, the image is ready to share on social media or downloaded in raw format for further enhancements by other image processing software. You can even schedule imaging sessions for later at night if you need to go to bed and the object is not yet high enough in the sky to image. You can even stream the live images to your television!

 

Other Features

 The unit is powered by a lithium phosphate battery with an included AC charger. One charge can handle over 6 hours of imaging. Additional features include an internal focusing mirror, a dew heater, a dew shield, and cooling fans. For those who are interested in teasing out color detail, the telescope has an integrated filter tray for 1.25” or 2” filters. The Origin can be disassembled into 3 pieces for easy transport to a dark sky site.

BUYING CONSIDERATION — THE ORIGIN SOLVES A DIFFERENT PROBLEM The Origin sits at the premium end of the smart-telescope category, with a 152 mm f/2.2 optical system and a very different size, price and imaging philosophy from compact models such as the Seestar and DWARF systems. If you are deciding whether that extra aperture and speed justify the larger investment, start with our smart-telescope buying guide and then compare the compact alternatives in our Seestar and DWARF comparison.

 

Verdict 5/5 Stars

 

Celestron has hit a home run with the Origin Telescope system. It has taken the guesswork out of putting together components that work together. This all-in-one system integrates all of the necessary pieces, resulting in what could be best described as a plug-and-play system to capture stunning nighttime images with the push of a button, even if you have absolutely no experience. If you have a reasonable budget, this is a no-brainer to get started with this amazing hobby.