Orion SteadyStar Adaptive Optics Guider
Take high resolution astro-images like never before with the SteadyStar Adaptive Optics Guider!

• High-speed refractive correction eliminates tracking errors far more effectively than regular autoguiding, resulting in better astrophotos with rounder and more pinpoint stars
• Overcome your mount's periodic error, combat wind-induced vibration, and even compensate for some of the negative effects of turbulent seeing
• Makes your imaging mount, even if a modest one, perform more effectively
• Broad compatibility - works with any Orion CCD camera and most other imagers including DSLRs, and works with the Orion StarShoot AutoGuider as well as most other autoguiders
• Fastest adaptive optics guider (used for amateur astrophotography) on the market today! Capable of making more than 40 corrections per second, depending on guide star brightness and computer speed
• SteadyStar software is included for full guiding control to both your mount and the AO Guider
• Communicates with MaxIm DL to enable advanced imaging features such as exposure sequences and dithering
• The 40mm diameter on-board lens supports APS-C format sensors including DSLRs and amply-sized CCD cameras without any vignetting
• Compatible with Windows XP, Vista 32 and 64-bit, and Windows 7 Operating Systems. ASCOM compatible

If you're serious about astrophotography, Orion brings you a new way to assure the best tracking performance possible, even in adverse conditions.

The SteadyStar Adaptive Optics Guider (AO) makes any imaging-capable mount, even if a modest one, perform more effectively. Precise tracking is one of the most critical facets of astrophotography and this tracking is limited to the accuracy of your mount, plus external factors like wind and atmospheric seeing conditions. The SteadyStar AO Guider overcomes these limitations and challenges and takes control with super fast and accurate guiding.

Traditional autoguiding involves moving the mount and telescope, along with all of your attached imaging accessories to correct for tracking errors. Furthermore, autoguiding can typically only make a single correction every couple of seconds or so; during that time your tracking is vulnerable to periodic error from your mount, wind, and atmospheric seeing conditions.

The SteadyStar AO Guider has a better solution.

Seen below are two raw images of NGC 281 cropped at 100% zoom. They are a direct comparison of SteadyStar AO Guiding at 5 corrections per second vs. regular autoguiding at one correction every two seconds. The images were taken the same night in succession. Each image is a stack of 3 x 12 minute exposures taken with the Orion SSDSMI III and EON 120ED Refractor. The image taken without the SteadyStar AO Guider shows star elongation in R.A. as a result of periodic error.

The SteadyStar AO Guider has a maximum tilt correction of +/- 4.40º, enough for most PE compensation. How much movement that makes will depend on the focal length of the telescope and the imaging camera used. An example of the AO tilt range is +/- 22 arc sec @ 1px/arcseconds using a camera with 9 micron pixels.

About Dec drift: The SteadyStar does know how to correct for a constant movement in Dec which would otherwise exceed the tilt limit of the AO. Corrections to the mount are made as an “overflow” and you get to specify when the AO makes a correction to the mount. The Activation Level determines this: For example, if you set the activation level to 25%, then the AO will send a correction to the mount if the tilt hits 25% or more of its total range. This is called a “bump” which nudges the mount like a regular autoguider. So the mount can get bumped every few minutes or so to compensate for Dec drift. It only takes the SteadyStar about 2ms to respond to any tracking error once the autoguider image has downloaded, so the bump is immediately corrected and does not hinder the tracking performance.

without SteadyStar AO Guider

with SteadyStar AO Guider

The difference seen in this faint star field is immediate. The SteadyStar improves the tracking performance resulting in sharper stars, rounder stars and improved image contrast.

The SteadyStar AO Guider can easily make several tracking corrections in one second without lugging the weight and inertia of the whole telescope. Rather than move all that weight, the SteadyStar AO Guider moves a small on-board lens, allowing for quick and precise movements several times faster than any traditional autoguider could ever hope to correct. This refractive correction, while different than the adaptive optics used in professional observatories, is capable of making extremely fast movements to overcome even the most severe tracking errors. The SteadyStar AO Guider is capable of correcting motion more than 40 times per second, depending on guide star brightness and computer speed. This means you will overcome your mount's periodic error, wind, and even compensate for some of the negative effects of turbulent seeing conditions. Quite simply, the SteadyStar is the fastest AO Guider used for amateur astrophotography on the market today!

With the SteadyStar AO Guider attached, even a modestly priced equatorial mount will perform like a much more expensive mount! The SteadyStar's broad compatibility with imaging cameras and autoguiders makes it even more attractive. It works with any Orion CCD camera and autoguider, as well as other popular imaging cameras like DSLRs.

The SteadyStar AO Guider was designed to fit right in with your astronomers gear, requiring only 90mm of inward focus travel when used with Orion imaging cameras. In fact, you can add up to 30mm worth of accessories, such as a filter wheel, to the SteadyStar without adding to the total backfocus.

The 40mm diameter on board lens supports APS-C format sensors including DSLRs and amply sized CCD cameras. SteadyStar software is included for full guiding control to both your mount and the AO Guider, and it can communicate with MaxIm DL to enable advanced imaging features as exposure sequences and dithering. Windows XP, Vista 32/64 bit and Windows 7 compatible, ASCOM, compatible.

A hard carry case is included as well as a 10' USB cable, 10" autoguiding cable, and 12 V DC power cable

Included Items:
SteadyStar Adaptive Optics Guider with built-in Off-Axis Guider
2" Nosepiece
Fine-focus guiding adapter
48mm threads to male T-thread adapter and rotation lock ring (for back side)
48mm thread to female T-thread adapter (for front side)
Three T-adapter extensions: (30mm, 17mm, 7mm)
Hard Carry case
10' USB Cable
10' autoguiding cable
12' 12 V DC cable
Software CD-Rom
Hex key