CASTOR 65A COMPLETE ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY KIT

Looking for the perfect complete astrophotography setup to start your journey? The Testar Castor 65A kit is the perfect first step into this incredible hobby, containing everything you need to get going! Not only is it a fantastic setup for beginners, but it doubles as an extremely capable widefield imaging rig, ideal for travelling.

The Castor kit includes the following items:

• Askar 65PHQ Petzval apochromatic refractor
• Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTI mount with tripod
• ZWO ASIAIR Mini control unit
• ZWO ASI533MC Pro cooled deep sky camera
• Testar 30mm F/4 Guidescope
• ZWO ASI120MM Mini guide camera
• ZWO EAF electronic focuser
• Optolong L-eNhance 1.25" narrowband filter

NOTE: All components will arrive separately, not already pre-installed (such as the EAF focuser).  If the Testar 30mm f/4 Guidescope is not available, it will be substituted with the ZWO 30mm f/4 Guidescope. Manuals are available for each component on their respective manufacturer's websites. Assembly is very straightforward and we are happy to assist if needed!

The Castor 65A kit is a complete astrophotography solution, capable of capturing a huge variety of deep sky objects such as nebulae, star clusters and even the larger galaxies! All you need to add is a power supply of your choice (although we do have these available if needed) and either a smartphone or tablet.

Field of view of the Castor 65 kit courtesy of Telescopius.

The ASIAIR Mini connects the mount, camera, guiding system and focuser, and orchestrates your whole imaging session through the easy to use ASIAIR App. With its dual-band Wi-Fi antenna, you can control everything from the comfort of your loungeroom, instead of battling the elements and mosquitos outside. Cable management is simple and all the gear is routed through the ASIAIR, meaning less chance of cable snags.

The Askar 65PHQ is a professional apochromatic flatfield Petzval quintuplet with a focal ratio of f/6.4 and a focal length of 416mm. The Askar 65PHQ includes two Extra Low Dispersion glass elements for superb correction of chromatic aberration. This is a scope that you will keep for many years as you progress throughout your astrophotography journey!

The Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTI is the new ultra portable WiFi and GO-TO equatorial mount ideal for travelling to dark sites, and can even be powered by 8 AA batteries or a mini USB port for convenience. Unlike the previous Star Adventurers, it features tracking in both right ascension and declination, meaning long exposures with guiding are now possible.

The popular ZWO ASI533MC Pro deep sky cooled camera contains a back-illuminated 14-bit sensor with a quantum efficiency of up to 80%. This combination gives a large field of view of 2.39 degrees, framing large objects such as the Rosette nebula and the Pleiades perfectly. In addition, the ZWO EAF makes accurate focusing automatic and straightforward for pinpoint stars every time.

Also included is the Testar 30mm f/4 Mini Guidescope and ASI120MM Mini guide camera, enabling the mount to track accurately over the long exposures necessary for deep sky photography. For imaging of emission nebulae, the Optolong L-eNhance 1.25" narrowband filter isolates these wavelengths and cuts through any light pollution, making it possible to use your equipment even under bright urban skies!