So what's the next "big thing"

Hi all,

It seems that things have been pretty quiet on the "new thing" front for awhile. Yea I know there are always some new gadgets coming out, but no "revolutionary" things for awhile. A few years ago the GOTO scopes had a big impact, and more recently the low cost ccd imaging devices surged. For awhile I thought binoviewers might become the new hot items, but these seem to be more of a smoldering item rather than setting things on fire.

So what does everyone think will be the next truly HUGE thing?

Did you see the threads about electronic eyepeices and television monitors?

Alex

The capabilities of video cameras specifically designed for use with the telescope are constantly being updated. Optional accessories that are being now offered and other improvements that are currently in the design phase for these cameras are improving ease of use and quality of images. These cameras may never totally replace the eyepiece, and the dedicated CCD imaging camera; however, from reading the forums, the people that use them seem to indicate that the time allotted to using their video cameras have overtaken their time of using of eyepieces. Logically so, especially since using an astronomical video camera with a telescope increases the virtual size and intensity of the observed object so that smaller easier to manage telescopes can be used. If I can believe the forums, an 8" telescope becomes a virtual 24" - 32" telescope. With ever increasing light pollution, the astronomical video camera may be the best defense for seeing astronomical objects because of their reputed ability to cut through light pollution. IMHO, it is easier to wheel out a telescope out of my garage and use it in my light polluted back yard with a video camera than to dissemble the telescope, pack it into a car, drive an hour or two to a dark sky sight (that I know that I am allowed to use), and reassemble everything to observe for a few hours - all the time of which I would be thinking that when I'm done observing, I have to take it all home.

Jim

Well if they ever go to civilian uses (2009?) ultralight mirrors might be of some use. Then we can have the best of both worlds- giant optics AND video tech. A Palomar in every garage?

Jess Tauber

We just had a lecture from an engineer in Apex, NC who has built an observatory in his yard. He intends to fully automate his system to the point that he can operate and view from it using his wireless laptop from anywhere as he is on the road often.

>>>So what does everyone think will be the next truly HUGE thing?
====

A quiet night, a nice telescope, some nice people, enjoying the wonders of the night sky...

Jon Isaacs

John Theodossy said:

So what does everyone think will be the next truly HUGE thing?

Possibilities are endless!

However, how about these (OEM's take note):

1. Field de-rotation for big Dobs. They already track and "GoTo", but it's 'build your own' when it comes to imaging and the big Dob. If the pros can do field de-rotation imaging on giant alt/az mounted scopes I don't see why am's can't. It'll take someone like Bisque or SBIG to start this rolling.

2. Big chip and low cost cooled CCD cameras.

3. Many more remote telescopes available for inexpensive on-line use, with at least some located in the southern hemisphere.

4. An amateur space telescope on the International Space Station.

5. I think there *is a new HUGE thing* right now and its name is "Ethos".

George N

1) Walmart will kick off an astronomy renaissance by forcing a major telescope company to wring all the inefficiency out of their supply chain. No stock outs. No 6-week delivery time. If an amateur astronomer in Arkansas showed an interested Walmart buyer in Bentonville a GPS-enabled, self-leveling, goto scope, and a Celestron Skyscout, I think the whole astronomy landscape could change. Sometime in the next five years, I think that Walmart would be able to bring an 80mm to 102mm mass market telescope that combines all of that functionality to market for about $400.

2) The $400 superscope will be designed around a new user persona. An adult and a young kid who know absolutely nothing about astronomy or telescopes. The telescope should come out of the box with about 75% less assembly required than current day scopes. It should go through an alignment process that starts with one-button and GPS.

3) These changes could bring many more people into the hobby. Current scope makers will be forced to change their products to compete. The Walmart model will change the market by forcing current producers to either compete on price OR go super high end. On the plus side, people should be graduating from the Walmart scope and start looking for something bigger ... or to something with higher quality features and optics ... or to something that interfaces with computers, cameras, etc.

4) If this Walmart change doesn't occur immediately, it will occur when China and other countries including our own start putting people on the moon again.

John Theodossy said:

Hi all,

It seems that things have been pretty quiet on the "new thing" front for awhile. Yea I know there are always some new gadgets coming out, but no "revolutionary" things for awhile. A few years ago the GOTO scopes had a big impact, and more recently the low cost ccd imaging devices surged. For awhile I thought binoviewers might become the new hot items, but these seem to be more of a smoldering item rather than setting things on fire.

So what does everyone think will be the next truly HUGE thing?

I would hope that the next big thing might be ultralight Dobs, so that amateurs could more easily transport significant aperture to dark sites without so much fear of back problems. Back problems seem to be rife among amateur astronomers.
Bill Meyers

John,
Great question. Always fun dreaming what might be the next innovations.

I think several things will be coming...

1. Automation at all levels. More automation making its way onto scopes. This to me means electronics in the eyepiece, electronis in the finderscope, more advanced gotos, production dobs out the box with gotos, interfacing with Internet, scopes interfacing with each other (imagine a star party where several scopes are interfaced to each other, all tracking the same object, all imagry combined, or people at different locations interfacing their scopes to each other's computers to share real time observing, etc), etc, etc. But bottom line, I think a definite trend will be the scope out the box will be more and more automated and integrated - the ultimate goal will be for it to reach the "appliance" level - no muss no fuss, it works right out the box and can do it all.

2. Liquid optics. Liquid lenses are here. 2-4mm liquid lenses where the surface is refigured via electric current are a current technology. Industry expects to see them show up 1st in consumer phone cameras. As they perfect the technology for larger lenses, and then array them, then we have possibilities for telescope optics. Perhaps the 1st application will be at the eyepiece, where electronics let the lens figure reshape for chaging focal length, adapt for fast primaries, etc. Where ever they 1st put it will be interesting. There are a number of patents popping up for these as well.

3. New Refractive Designs. I also feel there will be an innovation related to refractors. With the problematic supply of low dispersion glasses, there are quite a few patent applications popping up using non-low disersion glasses to achieve APO performance. So over next 10 years I hope to see some of these innovations come to market and reduce our reliance on expensive and hard to acquire glass for APOs, especially for larger ones.

ok...crystal ball has just lost power and gone dark ;->

-Bill