Celestron NexImage 5 Solar System Imager (5MP)

5.0 Megapixels and 2.2µm Pixels for High-Resolution Planetary Detail

At the heart of the NexImage 5 is a 5.0 MP onsemi MT9P031 CMOS sensor that provides enough resolution to capture the entire disk of Jupiter or Saturn with room to spare. The small 2.2µm pixels are an excellent match for the long focal lengths of Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes, ensuring you can sample fine atmospheric details like Jupiter's cloud bands or the Cassini Division in Saturn's rings without needing an aggressive Barlow lens.

The sensor's physical size of 5.7mm x 4.28mm is optimized for planetary work, keeping file sizes manageable and centering the target on the chip. While this makes it unsuitable for wide-field deep-sky imaging, it is precisely what's needed for high-magnification views of bright solar system objects.

Up to 52.37 FPS for Freezing Atmospheric Seeing

The key to sharp planetary imaging is "lucky imaging"—capturing hundreds or thousands of frames in a short video to catch fleeting moments of atmospheric stability. The NexImage 5 excels at this, delivering frame rates from 0.71 to 5.99 FPS at full 2592 x 1944 resolution, and up to 52.37 FPS when using hardware sub-framing to focus on a smaller region of interest.

You simply record a short video of your target, and the included software (compatible with iCap and DirectShow) helps you analyze the video file, discard the frames blurred by turbulence, and stack only the sharpest ones. This process averages out atmospheric distortion and electronic noise, revealing a bright, clear, and detailed final image.

USB 2.0 Power and 1.25" Mounting for Universal Compatibility

Designed for simplicity, the NexImage 5 is powered entirely by its 5-foot USB 2.0 cable, eliminating the need for an external power supply in the field. Its extremely light weight of just 2.0 oz (57 g) ensures it won't create balancing issues, even on smaller telescope mounts. The camera body features a standard 1.25" nosepiece for direct connection to any telescope focuser or diagonal.

• Dual Back Focus: The camera offers two back focus distances. With the 1.25" nosepiece attached, the distance is 13.1mm. By removing the nosepiece, you can access the C-threads for a shorter 10.6mm back focus, useful for custom accessory configurations.
• Integrated IR-Cut Filter: The optical window has a built-in IR-Cut filter to ensure accurate color balance and sharpness by blocking unfocused infrared light.