2024 was once again an eventful year for Baader Planetarium, marked by numerous international events and exhibitions. In this blog post, we would like to look back on the experiences we gathered throughout the year.
European AstroFest, Feburary 7-8, 2025
Together with our UK representative, we participated in the two-day event held at the Kensington Conference and Events Centre in London. The exhibition spanned three floors with display areas where a variety of suppliers and retailers showcased the latest astronomy equipment.
The Widescreen Centre (WSC) hosted two large booths and presented an impressive selection of Baader Planetarium products. Over 300 items were on display, including:
- Small spacer rings, T-2/M48 adapters,
- Universal Filter Changer (UFC) System,
- the complete range of Hyperion-, Morpheus and Classci Orthos Eyepieces
- as well as numerous filters in standard sizes.
Space-Comm Expo UK, March 11-12, 2025
We were present at Space-Comm Expo UK 2025 at ExCeL London, where we showcased innovative observatory solutions designed for a wide range of scientific applications, including Space Situational Awareness (SSA), laser communication, and astronomy. Baader Planetarium specializes in the development and manufacture of advanced ground station domes for Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR), SSA, and Lasercom applications, as well as in fully integrated, turnkey optical observatories.
More information is available at baader.space.
Our experts Johannes Baader, Linus Niekamp, Lee Sproats, and Michael Risch were available on site for technical discussions and provided insights into the integration of modern telescope, mount, and dome systems for scientific use.
Practical Astronomy Show (PAS), 15. März 2025
On Saturday, March 15th, the one-day Practical Astronomy Show (PAS) took place at the NAEC Exhibition Centre at Stoneleigh in the heart of England. The Practical Astronomy Show 2025 was very well attended throughout the day, leading to numerous and in-depth discussions at our booth.
The most frequently discussed products included Hyperion & Morpheus eyepieces, star diagonals, filters, and additional accessories. The main visual highlight of the booth, however, was the scale model of a 4.2-meter Baader dome, which initially attracted visitors out of curiosity and then served as an excellent starting point for conversations about our observatory and dome solutions.
Overall, PAS 2025 provided an excellent opportunity for professional exchange, detailed product discussions, and many new contacts within the amateur astronomy community.
Celestron – Ringfoto Roadshow, March 17-20, 2025
We participated in the Ringfoto Roadshow in Germany with our Celestron product range. Over the course of four days in four cities, we presented the Celestron portfolio to representatives from more than 100 photographic retail stores across Germany.
Conference of the Society of German-Speaking Planetariums, 5. - 7. April 2025
Every year, the operators of German planetariums come together for a multi-day professional conference. In 2025, the event was hosted by the Planetarium Halle, which operates an observatory built and installed by Baader Planetarium.
As the manufacturer of the observatory, we were invited to participate in the event with a joint exhibition stand together with our software partner sciencentric®. With its Webservatory® software, Sciencentric enables the remote integration of all observatory instruments. The streamlined software architecture operates without manufacturer-specific programs or drivers, significantly simplifying setup, training, and operation. From a single user interface, the mount, dome, cameras, and all other components can be controlled. These capabilities were presented in an afternoon lecture and, thanks to clear skies, a live real time demonstration was given with the telescope pointed at the Sun, Moon, and galaxies, inspiring several planetarium operators to further explore the topic of observatories.
While not every city can afford a large observatory in addition to a planetarium, a much more cost-effective alternative was also demonstrated and received great interest. Our colleague Herwig Diessner installed the Celestron Origin – Intelligent Home Observatory – on the rooftop and captured galaxy images via live stacking in front of an enthusiastic audience.
Northeast Astronomy Forum & Space Expo (NEAF), April 5-6, 2025
We were represented at the 34th Northeast Astronomy Forum & Space Expo (NEAF) 2025 at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York.
At our booth, we presented a concise overview of our key product lines, including optical accessories, eyepieces, filters, and a wide range of mechanical adapters. The display was complemented by information on Baader observatory domes.
With a presence on the US market spanning several decades, supported by our distributor Alpine Astronomical, NEAF 2025 provided an excellent opportunity for direct exchange with US customers, dealers, and the international astronomy community, and was marked by many engaging discussions and strong visitor interest.
Astronomieworkshop Weyregg 2025, 12. - 13. April 2025
Baader Planetarium, together with the Celestron team, participated in the Astronomy Workshop in Weyregg am Attersee, organized by the Astronomical Working Group Salzkammergut.
With an exhibition booth at the Parish and Community Center in Weyregg, the event provided an excellent opportunity for personal exchange with astronomy enthusiasts and workshop participants in a relaxed atmosphere.
International Fürstenfelder Nature Photography Days, April 19-21, 2025
We participated in the International Fürstenfeld Nature Photography Days, where we presented the Celestron Sport Optics Portfolio. In addition to binoculars and spotting scopes, we also demonstrated various ways to adapt different types of cameras to Celestron sport optics for photography and digiscoping applications.
ATT, May 10, 2025
The ATT is a trade fair especially for amateur astronomers, which we enjoy attending every year. It is the largest event of its kind in Europe.
At this year's ATT in Essen we offered a wide range ofinteresting bargains directly for sale: including eyepieces, various accessories, Celestron binoculars, spotting scopes, telescopes and much more.
At the 40th ATT in addition to our standard product range, we presented the latest telescopes from PlaneWave and 10Micron Mounts, our Filter-Portfolio, our products for solar oberservation, interesting accessories for astrophotography, such as the IMP85 - Instrument Mulit Port 85 and the Baader Tilter systems as well as Moravian cameras and the brand new Celestron Origin and the Celestron RASA 6 at our Celestron booth.
National Astronomy Meeting (NAM), July 7-12, 2025
We were present at the UK National Astronomy Meeting (NAM) in Durham with our UK representative. At our booth, we presented a selection of high-end instrumentation and observatory solutions, including a dome model as well as additional components for professional astronomical applications.
In addition to the exhibition, a technical presentation by our representative attracted strong interest and led to numerous discussions with participants from research and academia. With more than 1,100 registered attendees, the NAM provided an excellent platform for in-depth professional exchange, particularly on instrumentation solutions and observatory technology.
Kelling Heath Star Party, September 19-20, 2025
On September 19 - 20, our UK representative participated in the Equinox Sky Camp at Kelling Heath Holiday Park in North Norfolk. Under the region’s dark skies, the UK’s largest star party took place, bringing together hundreds of amateur astronomers for a week of observing and astrophotography.
Baader Planetarium presented a selection of accessories that visitors were able to view and try out on site.
Imaging World , September 10-12, 2025
Baader Planetarium, together with the Celestron team, was represented at Imaging World 2025 at the Nuremberg Exhibition Center. The focus was on astrophotography solutions, including RASA- and EdgeHD optics, the StarSense Explorer and the Celestron Origin All-in-One Smart Telescope as well as camera and imaging systems for deep-sky and planetary photography.
Many discussions centered on setup optimization, autoguiding, and imaging workflows, as well as the growing demand for beginner-friendly astrophotography equipment. The goal was to inspire daytime photographers to explore the world of astrophotography.
VdS Conference and Members’ General Assembly, October 24-26, 2025
We were represented at the 37th Conference of the Association of Friends of the Stars (VdS) in Hofheim, taking part in the accompanying exhibition.
In addition to the technical lectures, the exhibition provided an excellent opportunity for personal exchange and discussions with participants.
Teacher Workshop House of Astronomy, November 6-7, 2025
On November 6–7, 2025, we participated in the Teacher Workshop at the House of Astronomy. Educators from across Germany used the event to deepen their astronomical knowledge and gain new inspiration for teaching astronomy in the classroom.
A particular highlight was the presentation of the Celestron Origin by Mr. Winkhaus, who demonstrated the system’s versatile capabilities and its potential as a practical teaching and demonstration tool, as well as the Baader Solar Projection Screen (BSPS) for safe group solar observation – making it especially suitable for schools.
The International Astronomy Show (IAS), November 1, 2025
On Saturday, November 1, the International Astronomy Show (IAS) took place at the Sports Connexion Leisure Club & Venue in Warwickshire. The event was very well attended throughout the day and offered numerous opportunities for personal exchange with customers and dealers from across the United Kingdom.
Baader Planetarium showcased a wide range of products, including the UFC System, M68 Adapter, ClickLock clamps, diagonals, the Hyperion eyepieces and MaxBright II binoviewers.
SpaceTech Expo Europe, November 18-20, 2025
Baader Planetarium was represented at Space Tech Expo Europe from November 18–20, 2025, together with PlaneWave Instruments (Observable Space) and our partner 10Micron.
At the Baader booth, we presented our dome models as well as the PlaneWave telescopes DeltaRho 350 and CDK20, mounted on an L-550 direct-drive mount. A particular highlight was the presentation of the SOFA module (Small Optical Ground Station Focal-Optics Assembly) from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), integrated on the CDK20. SOFA upgrades standard telescopes into powerful optical ground stations, combining precision pointing, IR tracking, a daylight camera, an uplink launcher, and the receiver front end for high-rate LEO downlinks in a compact and cost-effective system.
At the 10Micron booth, the AZ2500 direct-drive mount was showcased, equipped with a Celestron RASA 11 and the Baader APO 95/580 CaF₂ Travel Companion, installed on the Baader MBP – Mobile Observation Platform.
The exhibition was complemented by comprehensive information on our custom observatory solutions, supporting applications such as Space Situational Awareness (SSA), laser communication, and astronomy. These and many other products are integrated into our turnkey observatories and optical ground stations for SLR, SSA, and Lasercom applications.
More information is available at baader.space
