The Baader Planetarium Hyperion 68° Modular Eyepieces redefine excellence in their class, merging great performance with innovative photo-visual capabilities, all at an exceptional value. Baader Planetarium's dedication is evident in the superior optical coatings, meticulous construction, and the versatile design of the Hyperions.
Modular Design
By using Baader's Fine Tuning Rings (which are sold separately), a variety of magnifications can be achieved with only one eyepiece, enhancing the eyepiece's versatility for different observing needs.
Camera ready
The mechanical design of the Hyperion eyepiece features both M43 and SP54 thread types, providing the ability to connect a camera using the appropriate optional adapters.
Comfortable Eye Relief
With 20mm of eye relief, this eyepiece is designed for comfort, allowing you to view through it without placing your eye too close to the lens, making it particularly forgiving for those who wear glasses.
Optical Design
The eyepiece consists of 8 elements in 5 groups, ensuring outstanding sharpness and color fidelity, while also being designed to prevent 'kidney-beaning' and blackouts during use. High grade water-white glasses are used throughout, to deliver a crystal clear view with low scatter and excellent color fidelity, free of the yellow or bluish coloration imparted by many other eyepieces. Use of high-index glasses delivers low distortion and astigmatism, even on scopes as fast as f/4.
Precision body
The Baader Hyperion 5mm Eyepiece is a paragon of ergonomic design and precision engineering, crafted to elevate your stargazing experience. Every aspect of its design is tailored for comfort and performance, ensuring astronomers can indulge in their passion for hours without fatigue. The integrated eye guard is a testament to this thoughtful design, providing a soft interface that enhances comfort and blocks stray light, allowing observers to focus solely on the celestial spectacle before them.Each eyepiece is safeguarded with protective lens caps and comes with a leatherette storage pouch, signifying Baader's commitment to quality and the protection of your investment.
Baader has set a new standard with the proprietary Hyperion housings. These housings are meticulously designed to prevent unwanted internal reflections, a common bane of astronomers. When you uncap the eyepiece, you're greeted by an interior as dark as the night sky, free from any reflections that could detract from your viewing experience. This 'black hole' design is more than just a name—it's a promise of immersive observation, free from visual interruptions.
The Hyperions are designed to accommodate a wide array of astigmatism correcting lenses, ranging from ¼ to 3½ Diopters, allowing users with astigmatism to enjoy a clear and wide field of view without the need for eyeglasses.
Dual 1.25" and 2" Barrel
Understanding the diverse needs of astronomers, the Hyperion 5mm is built with universal compatibility in mind. It comes with both 1¼" and 2" barrels, making it a versatile companion for a wide range of telescopes. Whether your setup uses a 1.25" focuser or the larger 2", this eyepiece seamlessly adapts, ensuring a perfect fit and an optimal viewing experience every time.
The eyepiece barrels themselves are a feat of craftsmanship. Made with precision, they fit snugly into your telescope's focuser. The hard-anodized finish on these barrels is not just about aesthetics; it's about durability and precision, ensuring that the eyepiece not only looks professional but also withstands the rigors of regular use.
Filter and Binoviewer Ready
The 1.25" barrel is threaded to accommodate filters, enhancing its utility and performance in various observational scenarios. This barrel is deliberately kept short, allowing for compatibility with binoviewers and spotting scopes. The 2" barrel extends this adaptability, featuring a unique tapered locking recess for secure attachment of a 2" filter, and is designed to achieve the shortest possible focus position, which is particularly beneficial for binoviewing.
| Configuration |
Effective focal length |
Field Stop Diameter |
| Standard |
8.0mm |
10.7mm |
| with 14mm FTR |
6.0mm |
8.6mm |
| with 28mm FTR |
5.0mm |
7.1mm |
| with 14 + 28mm FTR |
4.3mm |
6.1mm |
| with 2" Baader Filter (6mm height) |
6.9mm |
9.3mm |
| without the first group of lenses |
21.8mm |
30mm |
Using optional extensions to change the focal length
The Baader Hyperion eyepieces offer the flexibility to achieve a range of focal lengths. This versatility is achieved through the use of Baader's 2" Fine Tuning Extension Rings (FTR), available in 14mm and 28mm sizes (respectively part #2958214 and part # 2958228), as well as the 2" filters. For a detailed understanding of the various focal lengths attainable combining the eyepiece with, fine tuning rings, a 2" filter or by removing first lens group, please refer to the accompanying table.
Baader Phantom Group Coatings
The Baader Phantom Group Coatings features a sophisticated 7-layer broadband coating that minimizes residual reflection remarkably well. The "Group" in its name signifies the customized approach to anti-reflective layers, tailored specifically for the various types of glass used in the Hyperion eyepieces. These layers are finely tuned to be most effective in the green region of the light spectrum—around 520 nm—where human eyes are most sensitive in low-light conditions.
This advanced anti-reflective technology is designed to be almost colorless, which is indicative of its uniform effectiveness across the entire visible spectrum. As a result, it ensures minimal light loss, avoiding any stray light that could interfere with a night-adapted eye's perception.
In contrast, a multi-coated lens that displays a prominent green reflection when viewed directly from the front is not utilizing the Baader Phantom Group technology. Such a green reflection often denotes a less refined coating method, one that reflects—and thus, wastes—most light in the 500-550 nm range, instead of transmitting it for optimal viewing.
How to install a camera for photography?
The Hyperion eyepieces feature two system threads on the eyepiece end ("eye-side"). To access these threads, you need to remove either the eyecup or the larger protective threading ring. The first thread is an M43, typically used for standard eyepiece projection and connecting T2 accessories. An M34 to T2 transition ring (part #2958080) is optionally available to adapt a camera on the eyepiece, a technique often referred to as afocal projection. The second thread is an SP54, which is designed for attaching digital cameras or camcorders that have have a lens that can't be removed.
The detailed 6-page instruction manual for the Baader Hyperion eyepieces, which covers their extensive functions including camera connection options and focal length fine-tuning, is conveniently available in the Downloads tab above.
