Celestron # 821880 Origin - Intelligent Home Observatory

Celestron Origin - Intelligent Home Observatory

Celestron Origin is at the forefront of a new era in amateur astronomy, combining stargazing and astrophotography into a single, user-friendly experience. EAA (Electronically Aided/Assisted Astronomy) combines modern camera technology with live observation of the sky. This smart telescope takes care of the complex technology of modern telescopes for you and transforms your garden into a gateway to the cosmos. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology and user-friendly operation, Celestron Origin captures the beauty of celestial objects and transmits them wirelessly to your tablet, smartphone or even a TV screen.

Celestron engineers applied their decades of experience to every technical detail, from the patented optics to an intuitive control app. The result is a revolutionary system designed from the ground up, building on Celestron´s long history and experience to make astronomy more accessible, exciting and fun than ever before.

Astrophotographic results obtained with this telescope on Astrobin

Here you can find some astrophotographs made with this telescope: Link to Astrobin

RASA optics technology

The heart of the Celestron Origin lies in the patented Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt-Astrograph (RASA) - a milestone in optics development. In the RASA design, the image sensor is at the front of the telescope, not the back, resulting in an extremely fast f/2.2 system with an exceptionally wide field of view while providing sharp images right to the edge. Since its introduction in 2014, RASA technology has become the first choice for space surveillance and satellite tracking. Companies, researchers, and governments rely on RASA telescopes, for example, to scan the skies for dangerous, tiny pieces of satellite debris that could destroy our vital communications satellites. For the Origin, Celestron´s engineers have developed a brand new 6-inch RASA that offers all the capabilities of an observatory-grade instrument in a portable package.

Thanks to the RASA optics, the Origin plays in its own class of smart telescopes, far outperforming other telescope designs. A RASA collects more photons in less time than a smaller and slower Newtonian reflector, refractor or other entry-level telescope. The unique combination of fast image acquisition, aperture and therefore detail resolution define the performance of the RASA. In short, it delivers an incomparable richness of detail in the photos, with short exposure times at the same time.

To take full advantage of the RASA optics, Celestron chose the Sony IMX178 color CMOS sensor for image acquisition. It features STARVIS Back Illuminated technology for maximum sensitivity and fast readout with low noise, also for fast image acquisition and high sharpness. This sensitive chip has small 2.4 µm pixels for high resolution - perfect for fast optical design.

Now anyone can become a real astrophotographer!

Celestron Origin, with its built-in AI algorithms, represents a paradigm shift in sophisticated astrophotography. As the telescope acquires data, these intelligent algorithms automatically stack and process each image in real time. The result is a breathtaking display of celestial objects, in color and with a level of detail only seen in the images of experienced astrophotographers. For the first time, astrophotography is accessible to enthusiasts of all experience levels, including those who have never used a telescope before.

A universe in your hands: StarSense technology & the Origin app

Setting up Celestron Origin is a breeze thanks to the automated initialization process powered by StarSense technology. Place the Origin under the clear starry sky, turn it on and connect it to the app. Then you can decide whether to stay with your telescope or go indoors. In less than two minutes, Origin focuses itself, scans the night sky, orients itself to the stars by matching star patterns to its internal database, and notifies you that it´s ready to go.

The Celestron Origin app, developed in collaboration with Simulation Curriculum, the makers of SkySafari, provides an intuitive planetarium interface that simplifies navigation through the night sky. Use the planetarium view, hold your device up to the sky and look around in "compass mode", then simply tap on any object you want to see (the most beautiful ones are highlighted). Or try the "Tonight´s Best" list, where the Origin displays all the most impressive galaxies, nebulae, star clusters and more - based on your exact location and time of observation. Never again will you need to consult a star atlas or plan ahead; Origin is ready to show you the universe, even if you´re caught unprepared by clear skies.

Once you have selected an object, the Origin will center it precisely in the field of view. Switch to the camera view and press "Start Imaging" to begin taking 10-second exposures. It couldn´t be easier! You can see in real time how the summed photographs show more and more detail. As the Origin works, it continuously tracks the sky and also adjusts its built-in dew shield system and fans to the environmental conditions to keep the optics at the optimal temperature to deliver razor-sharp images.

A shared cosmic experience

With the Origin, no one has to wait their turn to look through an eyepiece. Whether your friends and family are gathered in the same room or outside, multiple people can connect to the Origin and see the live image on their own devices. Plus, Origin allows you to stream the live feed to your smart TV or instantly save and share your astrophotos, creating unforgettable moments beyond the confines of your observing site.

Ready for more? Functions for advanced users

As your interest in the hobby grows, you can take advantage of more advanced features and capabilities. Origin, for example, has a built-in filter drawer that accepts standard 1.25" and 2" filters. This allows you to install optional astronomical filters, which are particularly useful when photographing nebulae in light-polluted environments, such as typical suburban gardens. For imaging broadband objects such as galaxies and star clusters or objects under dark skies, remove the filter for more light transmission and brighter images. Experiment with different and interchangeable filters to achieve results that you cannot achieve with the fixed filters of other systems.

If you want to try out advanced image processing, this is also possible. Unlike other systems, Origin saves all your raw images for you. Connect via USB to import them into your favorite image editing software for manual editing and stacking.

And how about letting Origin work for you while you sleep? That´s no problem with the scheduled observations feature. Simply tell the app which objects you want to capture. When you wake up, you´ll wake up to spectacular images.

A telescope for day and night

In addition to astronomical objects, the Origin can also photograph terrestrial objects, day and night. During the day, you can manually pan the telescope to capture landscapes and scenery. At night, the Origin´s sensitive camera allows you to see objects in very low ambient light conditions, almost like a night vision camera. Look around your garden at night, discover nocturnal animals and more that you might otherwise miss!

Take your astrophotography studio with you wherever you go

Origin is a portable system that requires no external Wi-Fi networks, so you can easily take it with you to distant dark skies in any car. The optical tube, mount and tripod are all easy to assemble and disassemble without tools. Each component weighs less than ~7 kg. Optional carrying bags are also available.

Your Origin system comes complete with everything you need to get started right away:

6-inch RASA optics with integrated camera

Origin single-arm fork mount with internal lithium battery

Integrated computer and WLAN

Two built-in fans (one for the optics, one for the computer) prevent heat from building up in the electronics or penetrating the optical tube and impairing the view.

Autofocuser

Dew heater with environmental sensor, heating ring and dew shield

Integrated filter drawer

Tripod

Dust cover

230 V charger

Future upgrades

When you invest in an Origin, you can count on Celestron´s engineers as your long-term partners in astronomy. Their teams are working hard to develop further upgrades and improvements for your telescope. For example, Celestron provides access to the Origin´s camera for potential future upgrades as technology improves. They are also developing entirely new features for your Origin and the Origin app. Here is a preview of some of the features that will be introduced in the coming months:

Compatibility with the StarSense Autoguider (CE825115)

Compatibility with the CPC Heavy Duty Wedge HD Pro (CE820962)

Support for polar alignment

All in all, these functions will enable you to use your Origin for astrophotography with long exposure times. With precise polar alignment, you can achieve single exposures of 10 minutes or even longer. This also makes it interesting for narrow band filter photography. But this is just the beginning. Celestron will keep you posted whenever they add new features so you can keep exploring the night sky!

Astrophotographic results obtained with this telescope on Astrobin

Here you can find some astrophotographs made with this telescope: Link to Astrobin

Safety informations: PDF Download