European AstroFest returned on 7–8 February at the Kensington Conference and Events Center in London, and here is some of what it had to offer.
Thousands of astronomers descended upon the Kensington Conference and Events Centre in the heart of London over the 2 and 3 February for the biggest astronomy show in the country, European AstroFest 2024. With three floors of exhibitors and a packed talk schedule in the conference hall, there was plenty to keep everyone happy, from the newcomer to the subject to the veteran observer.
Highlights from the conference included Beatriz Villarroel of the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics at Stockholm University in Sweden discussing the bizarre case of the vanishing stars that have been discovered by the VASCO (Vanishing and Appearing Objects during a Century of Observations) project, and which we described more about in the March issue of Astronomy Now. Meanwhile, Carole Mundell of the European Space Agency and Cathie Clarke of the University of Cambridge gave a special panel session entitled ‘The Sky is For Everyone’, wherein they discussed the obstacles they have faced in their careers as women in science, and to hopefully empower women and girls to take up their own scientific careers. There was also a really cool talk from Andrew Thornett about how to build your own cosmic-ray detector to conduct real astrophysics and particle science from your own home, and perhaps even pick up cosmic rays from a supernova! And for those not so handy with electronics, there were some detectors already assembled and on sale in the exhibition hall.
Like a child in a sweetshop, Steve Ringwood was spoilt for choice as he toured the exhibitor stands at this year’s European AstroFest.
Like Christmas and birthdays, European AstroFest comes around just once a year, but it always feels like both rolled together. It is a chance to catch up on the latest science and meet old friends, as enthusiasts from far and wide come together at this astronomical nexus, but what keeps us starry-eyed as we enter the exhibition hall is the serried ranks of luscious optical goodies waiting to be assessed and carried off.
Last year saw a firm showing of those new kids on the block, smart telescopes. This year, their technological invasion was even more evident, with the latest examples from Vaonis, ZWO, DwarfLab, Unistellar and Celestron taking pride of place on a number of stands. They utilise the latest sensor and plate-solving technology to provide access to even the most secretive objects in the sky, plumbing the depths of space with astonishing ease – and they do so almost magically with minimal aperture, although Unistellar and Celestron are clearly working on inching up the apertures.
But as Star Trek’s engineer Scotty often said, “Ye cannae beat the laws of physics,” and while smart telescopes can remarkably drink in every photon that meets their gaze, the resolution of fine detail ultimately demands determination by the breadth of the receiving optics. It was interesting therefore to see what appears to be a fight-back by more conventional refractors, exemplified perhaps most starkly by the ‘totem pole’ of mean-looking beasts at the First Light Optics’ (FLO) stand.
With their mutual eyes riveted on some unseen target through the roof of the main hall, this was an impressive array displaying examples from SharpStar (Askar), William Optics, Takahashi, StellaMira, Starfield Optics and Tele Vue.
Quietly waiting for attention on the 365Astronomy stand was a sleek, black beast emblazoned with NOVAStar branding, an ED refractor called the Emperor ED110D. This 110mm apochromat is one of three in this new range of instruments – in fact, so new that details are still coming in. I will keep mouths watering by simply saying, more of anon.
Looking at the Universe is one thing, but imaging is increasingly seizing more territory for itself. The technology is certainly becoming ever more sophisticated and accessible – although the cost can become enhanced too. So, it was great to come across a solution that is, in common parlance, cheap and cheerful: The Widescreen Centre’s stand was offering Bresser’s Wi-Fi eyepiece camera. For significantly less than £100, this is a 4MP 2K video camera that simply clamps onto any eyepiece with a collar diameter of between 30 and 65mm for afocal photography. It will hardly affect your instrument’s balance, for it weighs just 120 grams. Not only does it show what is on view to an integrated 3.7cm display, but it can also store the results from its 1,920 × 1,080-pixel sensor to an onboard MicroSD card. Imaging control and data download is via communication with your smart device. Even if you are a seasoned visual observer, this is a great way to step into the imaging shallows, regardless of the direction you head in afterwards. The eyepiece camera is also ideal for outreach at public observing sessions.
Following a press embargo regarding their latest development, Tele Vue chose European AstroFest to reveal their exciting new eyepiece, the Nagler type 7. This new design retains the 82-degree apparent field of view of its earlier siblings, but offers a generous eye-lens diameter and, more importantly, a liberal 19mm of eye relief that ensures spectacle wearers can now enjoy the famous Nagler quality.
The type 7’s origins are founded in the well-regarded 85-degree, limited edition Apollo 11 eyepiece that was released in 2019. The design of that predecessor has been taken forward to produce four focal lengths that equal or exceed the quality of that commemorative ocular. As an additional treat, it was a pleasure to welcome back David Nagler, who was present to extoll the new eyepiece’s virtues.
It is remarkable to ponder that the original, revolutionary Nagler (now called the type 1) was released in 1982 – and that the range is still addressing the needs of astronomers 43 years later. It has a lineage that goes all the way back to the Apollo era, when the company’s founder, Al Nagler, produced wide-field optical simulators for NASA.
While the small-aperture robotic telescopes are basking in the limelight, rich-field telescopes of larger apertures are still packing a punch with their greater appetite for interstellar photons. On the stand of 365Astronomy was a neat and powerful imaging telescope, SharpStar’s 130mm Newtonian telescope with an astonishingly foreshortened focal ratio of just f/2.8. Termed a hyperbolic Newtonian telescope (HNT), this incredibly compact system resembles a Newtonian design but has an additional correction element (in this case a doublet with an ED component) near the focal plane. As the name suggests, the primary mirror features a hyperbolic curve (as opposed to the more conventional parabolic or spherical), which in partnership with the corrector lens delivers an imaging circle of 44mm that grabs a celestial field of view of nearly seven degrees. To give you an idea of the width of that gaze, it is just shy of the distance between Orion’s Betelgeuse and Bellatrix! That’s a lot of sky.
This is a powerful yet portable system, for even when fully clothed with its protective cap, tube rings, handle and Vixen dovetail plate, it weighs in at only 4.3-kilograms (assisted by a super-strong but lightweight carbon-fibre tube). For those tempted by a greater light-grasp at the expense of a smidgeon less view of the sky, this telescope has a big brother, the 15028HNT.
For me personally, the star of the show (forgiving the pun) striding out in front of the FLO stand without a shred of coyness, was the monstrous Askar 203mm triplet apochromat. Standing aloft on a stout 10Micron GM2000 HPS II Combi German equatorial mount, it looked as though its stare could melt through the walls around it to reach any target it wished for. With a native focal ratio of f/7, its focal length of 1,421mm makes it a real planet killer – but deep-sky objects are also on its to-do list, with a forthcoming release of a customised flattener-reducer.
Despite an impressive focal length, the telescope remains portable. The focuser interface is built into a nested retractable tube. This not only makes back-focus easily attainable for accessories such as binoviewers and imaging trains, but with the dew tube retracted, it enables the optical tube assembly to collapse down to just 1,145mm for storage or travel.
All of the above is a reminder, if one was needed, that research and development of the astronomical equipment available to amateur astronomers never rests. Advances in optics and (especially) sensor processing means that each year at European AstroFest there are amazing surprises. Already I can’t wait for 2026.
Steve Ringwood is a regular contributor to Astronomy Now.
European AstroFest’s imaging competition is gathering pace, with the overall standard of images in its second year being even higher than its first.
The second European AstroFest imaging competition saw more entrants, superb images and extremely difficult judges’ decisions before finally selecting the individual winners in each of the three categories: under-18s, Solar System and deep sky.
The standard of entries was exceptional and, coupled with the volume of entries received, it highlights how the European AstroFest imaging competition is developing into one of Europe’s top astrophotography events. Choosing the shortlists was extremely difficult, and many deserving images had to be left out, but that meant that the final shortlists were really strong, as you can see in the images in this report.
Again, as was the case last year, we owe a debt of thanks to Celestron for providing the prizes totalling more than £5,000 across the three categories: a Celestron NexStar 8SE for the Solar System category, a NexStar Evolution 8 Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope for deep-sky, and a NexStar 5SE for the under-18 group.
The shortlisted entries were on display at European AstroFest, and the winners were announced to a packed audience on Saturday 8 February. Here we present their images, along with all those shortlisted. Thanks to everyone who entered, well done to everyone who made the shortlists, and congratulations to the winners!
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