HyperStar is the easiest way to capture deep-sky astrophotos.  The HyperStar* unit is a multiple-lens corrector which replaces the secondary mirror on a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and allows extremely fast CCD imaging.  Depending on the size of the telescope, the resulting focal ratio will be between f/1.8 and f/2.0, up to 31 times faster than imaging at f/10!  Removing the secondary mirror and installing the HyperStar lens is very quick and easy.  No tools are required and switching between the HyperStar and regular f/10 modes of the telescope takes only a couple minutes.  HyperStar provides the easiest and fastest means of imaging deep-sky celestial objects!

Click here for a French translation by Thierry Martin

* Patent pending

Above:  Optical diagram of how the HyperStar lens works.  Left picture shows standard SCT arrangement.  Right picture shows secondary mirror removed and HyperStar lens installed.  (Optical diagram of the HyperStar lens is illustrative only.)

Above:  A CCD camera mounted to the HyperStar lens on an 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope

The secondary mirror is removed from the telescope and placed into a holder (included with the HyperStar lens) which keeps the mirror safe.  Replacing the mirror with the HyperStar lens is a very easy process that takes only seconds to do.  The secondary mirror is indexed so that when it is replaced in the telescope, collimation is retained and no adjustments are necessary.

What are the Advantages of HyperStar?

The primary advantage of HyperStar is speed.  The table below compares exposure times at various focal ratios.  Exposures that take the better part of an hour at f/10 take mere seconds with the HyperStar lens!

Aside from the obvious savings in time and effort, short exposure times have a secondary advantage:  capturing images is much easier.  With typical exposure times of 20-60 seconds, HyperStar imaging allows unguided imaging.  Long exposures require a telescope to be guided due to inherent tracking errors in the drive.  This requires a second CCD camera or self-guiding CCD and often other hardware such as a guidescope.  HyperStar images can be shot unguided thanks to the extremely short exposure.

An additional benefit of short exposures is that it is often possible to image with a telescope in alt-azimuth mode.  This means it is possible to capture deep-sky images with a fork-mounted SCT without needing an equatorial wedge.  This saves the trouble of mounting the scope on a wedge plus having to polar align the telescope.  CCD imaging simply doesn't get any easier than that!

Image Comparison

The image below compares a single, unguided 30-second HyperStar C14 exposure to a 70-minute film photograph taken with one of the world's premier astrographic refractors, the Astro-Physics 155EDF.  Note that not only are more stars and more nebular details visible in the HyperStar shot, but the stars are much smaller as well.  The high optical quality of the HyperStar lens combined with short exposures to minimize seeing effects results in tiny star images.  And it was done 140 times faster!

Which Cameras are Compatible with HyperStar?

The compatible cameras depend primarily on the size of the telescope.  The main limiting factors are the physical size of the camera body and the size of the CCD chip that can be illuminated.  Larger CCD cameras may not be compatible with smaller telescopes due to the large central obstruction they would create.  Most new CCDs are quite compact, so this is rarely an issue.  The other limit is based on the size of the CCD chip.  A HyperStar lens can only illuminate a certain size CCD chip due to the size of the telescope and size of the opening in the corrector plate for the HyperStar lens itself.

Cameras Compatible with 6" HyperStar Lens

Astrovid Stellacam
Mallincam
Starfish Cameras (11mm or smaller sensors)
Starlight Xpress Cameras (11mm or smaller sensors)

Cameras Compatible with 8" and Larger HyperStar Lenses

Astrovid StellaCam
ATIK 16IC
Mallincam
Meade DSI & DSI Pro (all models)
Orion StarShoot I & II
SAC Imaging Cameras (all models)
SBIG ST-237/ST-402
Starfish Cameras
Starlight Xpress Cameras (all models except H35/36)

Additional Cameras Compatible with 11" and Larger HyperStar Lenses

Canon EOS and Nikon Digital SLR Cameras**

Additional Cameras Compatible with 14" HyperStar Lenses

All of the above cameras, plus:
QSI 500 Series (all models)
SBIG ST-Series Cameras (all models)

** Original HyperStar C11 and C14 (pre-2007) are not DSLR compatible.  Current models are DSLR compatible.