First Light with the Carbonstar 150

Exciting first light! These are the first images taken with my new Apertura Carbonstar 150 Newtonian telescope. This compact and powerful f/5 imaging Newtonian performed beautifully under early spring skies.

Gear & Setup

• Telescope: Apertura Carbonstar 150 Newtonian
• Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R PRO
• Camera: ZWO ASI 1600MM-PRO (cooled @ -10C)
• Filters: ZWO H-alpha, OIII, SII
• Guiding: ZWO ASI120MM Mini + Apertura 32mm Guide Scope
• Acquisition: ZWO ASIAIR Plus
• Post-processing: PixInsight

The Orion Region

The Orion constellation offers some of the most iconic nebulae for astrophotographers — and M42 remains a personal favorite. Capturing the details in its bright core while revealing faint outer regions is always a balancing act. This image is a blend of multiple narrowband exposures (H-alpha, OIII, SII).

Flame & Horsehead

Positioned near the bright star Alnitak (the easternmost star in Orion’s belt), the Flame Nebula and the Horsehead Nebula offer a dramatic contrast between glowing gas and dark dust. The Carbonstar handled this complex scene very well, especially in revealing the flame’s textured gas clouds.

Reflections from First Light

The Carbonstar 150 Newtonian is light, sharp, and super fun to handle. Collimation was straightforward, and combined with the ASIAIR system, imaging was smooth from start to finish. I’m already looking forward to more deep-sky targets (more to come)!