Astro Amateurs Go Bluetooth

[Djorvoz]

Generally speaking, amateur astronomy tends to lag behind the world of mainstream technology, in much the same way ham radio lags behind the wireless industry. This has everything to do with the fact that neither of these markets taps into a very large customer base. And if you don't believe us, just look at the vast array of ham radio and astronomy accessories that still sport old-school serial adapters instead of USB. But Imaginova has taken a giant leap forward with the Starry Night BlueStar Telescope Adapter. Plugged into your computerized go-to telescope, this adapter lets you connect your scope to your PC or Mac over Bluetooth rather than by conventional cables, which is cool because it means you'll no longer have to worry about tripping over cables in the dark and you can now keep your computer a respectable distance from your scope to avoid light pollution when you're looking through the eyepiece or shooting astrophotos. Priced at just $150, this adapter is a wild bargain by astronomers' standards.