Celestron Origin Home Observatory with Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph (RASA) Optical Technology

Celestron Origin stands at the forefront of a new era in amateur astronomy, blending stargazing and astrophotography into a single, user-friendly experience. This intelligent, all-in-one home observatory takes the complexity out of traditional telescopes, transforming your backyard into a gateway to the cosmos. Packed with cutting-edge technology, Celestron Origin captures the beauty of celestial objects and brings them to life on your phone or tablet. Celestron engineers drew on their decades of expertise while designing every detail, from Origin’s patented optical technology to its intuitive companion app. The result is a revolutionary new system that builds on Celestron’s legacy and makes astronomy more accessible, exciting, and fun than ever before.

At the heart of Celestron Origin lies the patented Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph (RASA) - a landmark advancement in optics. In the RASA design, the imaging sensor lies at the front of the telescope tube, not the back, creating an ultra-fast f/2.2 system with an extraordinarily wide field of view while providing sharp images to the edge. Since it launched in 2014, RASA technology has become the go-to choice for space surveillance and satellite tracking. National defense contractors, professional research astronomers, and governments trust RASA to detect tiny pieces of debris and space junk, keeping our vital communications satellites safe in orbit. For Origin, Celestron’s optical engineers developed a brand-new 6-inch RASA with all the same capabilities of an observatory-grade instrument in a grab-and-go package. Thanks to RASA, Origin is in a class of its own, far outperforming other telescope designs. RASA simply delivers more photons in less time than a smaller and slower Newtonian reflector, refractor, or other entry-level telescope tube. RASA’s unique combination of speed, aperture, and performance ensures unparalleled image detail, even during short exposure times. To take full advantage of the RASA optics, Celestron selected the Sony IMX178LQJ color CMOS sensor to capture your data. It features STARVIS back-illuminated technology for the highest sensitivity and fast readout with low noise, helping to provide clear images as quickly as possible. This sensitive chip has small 2.4µm2 pixels for high resolution - a perfect match for the fast optical design.

Celestron Origin introduces a paradigm shift in astrophotography with its built-in AI algorithms. As the telescope captures data, these intelligent algorithms automatically stack and process every frame in real-time. The result is a breathtaking display of celestial objects, rich with color and detail. For the first time, astroimaging is accessible to enthusiasts of all skill levels, including those who have never used a telescope.

Setting up Celestron Origin is a snap, thanks to its automated initialization process powered by StarSense technology. Place Origin outside, turn it on, and connect to the app. Then, you can choose to remain with your telescope or head indoors. In less than two minutes, Origin focuses itself, scans the night sky, autonomously aligns itself by matching star patterns overhead to its internal database, and notifies you that it’s ready to begin your astronomical adventure. The Celestron Origin app, developed in collaboration with Simulation Curriculum, the makers of SkySafari, offers an intuitive planetarium interface that simplifies navigation through the night sky. Using the planetarium view, hold your device up to the sky to look around using ‘compass mode’, and tap on any object you want to see (the best ones are highlighted).