Astrozap Artificial Star (AZ-1600) A bright, steady point source for star-testing and collimating telescopes in place of a real star, free of star drift and atmospheric seeing. Defocused, it produces clear diffraction rings that make collimation errors easy to see.
Manufacturer model: Astrozap Artificial Star AZ-1600 · Specifications checked against manufacturer data on 2026-11-03
A bright, steady point source for star-testing and collimating telescopes in place of a real star, free of star drift and atmospheric seeing. Defocused, it produces clear diffraction rings that make collimation errors easy to see.
Place the star well away from the telescope; Astrozap recommends about 100 ft (30 m) for an 8" SCT, further being better until contrast falls. It sits on a table or mounts on a photo tripod using the 1/4-20 thread underneath, and suits star parties as it never moves.
| Model | AZ-1600 |
|---|---|
| Light source | 18,000 mcd ultra-white LED |
| Aperture | 100 µm precision laser-drilled stainless steel |
| Mounting | 1/4-20 tripod thread |
| Power | 2 × AAA batteries |
| Recommended distance | About 100 ft (30 m) for an 8" SCT |
Astrozap Artificial Star · Information and instructions
AZ-1600 current LED version. Dimensions and weight not published.
| LED | 18,000 mcd ultra-white |
|---|---|
| Distance | ~100 ft for 8in SCT |
Data sheet
Astrozap Artificial Star (AZ-1600) A bright, steady point source for star-testing and collimating telescopes in place of a real star, free of star drift and atmospheric seeing. Defocused, it produces clear diffraction rings that make collimation errors easy to see.
Manufacturer model: Astrozap Artificial Star AZ-1600 · Specifications checked against manufacturer data on 2026-11-03
