Santa Barbara Instrument Group

147-A Castilian Dr., Santa Barbara, CA 93117

805-571-7244; SBIG.com

Sean Walker

SBIG announces its next-generation planetary camera and autoguider, the ST-i ($595). The camera features a 648-by-484 array of 7.4-micron-square pixels in a tiny 3½-inch-long body that weighs only 2.2 ounces, and fits into any 1¼-inch focuser or off-axis guider. The ST-i is threaded to accept standard 1¼-inch filters, and is controlled and powered by a single USB 2.0 cable. Exposures as short as 0.001 second are possible with the electronic shutter, and a built-in mechanical shutter enables automatic dark-frame capture. The ST-i produces frame rates as fast as 5.8 frames per second in full-resolution mode, or up to 21 frames per second in focus mode, in full 16-bit format that requires fewer frames to achieve sharp, detailed planetary images. It also interfaces with your telescope mount via an opto-isolated guide port. Each purchase comes with full copies of CCDSoft version 5, CCDOPS with Planet Master, and TheSky version 5.

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