"Your telescope, under your control."

Using a telescope for advanced applications in astrophotography, education, or research often does not mean changing the optical tube, but unlocking its full potential. Adding control, precision, automation, and repeatability, without giving up the instrument you know, trust, and enjoy using.

This is where PrimaLuceLab begins. We design and build advanced astronomical devices that allow you to improve and enhance any optical telescope, transforming it into a remotely controlled system ready for automation, while leaving you complete freedom of choice.

PrimaLuceLab devices are designed to deliver high performance and to work together as an open platform, supporting third-party solutions and enabling the enhancement of telescopes from different manufacturers. In this way, you can explore the Universe using the instruments you prefer, in a simpler and more controllable way.

If you recognize yourself in this

You arrive at the observing site or at the observatory full of enthusiasm, after days of checking the weather, but you already know what awaits you: staying next to the telescope for the entire night. Manually focusing, rotating the camera, check for power consumption, positioning the flat-field generator, adjusting the dew heaters. Every operation requires time, attention, and constant presence, often in the cold and always in the dark, with a level of precision that is difficult to repeat from one session to the next.

For this reason, you may have started adding control and automation devices to your telescope, precisely to overcome these limitations. But the situation is still not optimal. You power on the devices but struggle to understand how to make them work together, and under the sky every small issue becomes overwhelming. The doubt always comes back: “Am I doing something wrong?”

Whether you are an amateur astronomer, a teacher, or a researcher, the feeling is the same: too many variables to manage. The result is always the same as well: too much time spent trying to make the setup work, instead of actually doing astronomy.

Imagine instead if

You arrive on site and start calmly, because the telescope is already configured and ready. You prepared the system in advance, turn it on, and within a few minutes everything is operational, exactly as expected. Whether you are operating from a fixed observatory or using a portable setup, everything is already connected, optimized, and ready to operate.

You are no longer forced to stay next to the telescope for the entire night. Focusing, camera rotation, dew heater management, and acquisition sequences happen in a controlled and repeatable way. You can work with precision, even remotely, without constantly interrupting the session. You are focused on what you are observing or imaging: you can explain what you are looking at, launch an acquisition sequence, and collect data in a continuous way.

At the end of the night, you no longer feel like you have been fighting, you feel like you have truly done astronomy.

The challenge of modern telescopes control

Without remote control systems, it is difficult to unlock the full capabilities of a telescope, and this forces you to stay next to the instrument all night long, manually managing every operation.

When you start looking for solutions to enhance telescope operation through remote control and automation, new compromises emerge. Some improve individual aspects of the setup, leaving you to integrate everything else on your own. Others work well only as long as you stay within predefined configurations.

When you want to grow or address a more ambitious project by enhancing your telescope with remote control systems, the limitations become evident. You are forced to choose what to sacrifice: compatibility, freedom of choice, or performance.

The PrimaLuceLab solution

PrimaLuceLab addresses this challenge by designing not only advanced devices for remote control and automation, but the telescope itself as a complete system. The result is greater precision and operational continuity, session after session.

Each PrimaLuceLab device is designed to enhance what you already own, adding functionality, precision, and automation, while leaving you free to choose the telescope, mount, and camera you prefer.

And you do not need to start with everything at once: you can integrate one device at a time, in a flexible and scalable way. Based on your real needs, you can customize your setup and let it grow and evolve with you over time.

How it works

The control of the telescope, accessories, and data acquisition happens in a coordinated way. The computer is designed to stay on the telescope, to be compatible with devices from other brands as well, and to allow you to use the applications you prefer. Accessories adapt to different telescopes, from portable setups to large-scale systems. The software manages multiple devices together, up to multi-telescope systems or a complete observatory with a dome.

It is a system that requires an initial configuration, like any tool designed to offer control and flexibility. But once defined, the setup remains stable and repeatable.

And you can also improve your telescope step by step: add one device at a time, and the system remains coherent, without having to start over.

It is for you if

• you already have a quality telescope or mount without remote control systems, and feel the need to work with more precision, comfort, and continuity
• you want to do astrophotography without compromises, using the instruments you choose, but in a simple way
• you teach or do scientific outreach and need a reliable, repeatable, and easy-to-manage system
• you work in a university or research environment and need operational continuity, even for long-term projects
• you want a setup that can grow gradually, adding or replacing devices when needed, without starting over
• you value freedom of choice and flexibility, but want everything to work together in a coherent way

Beyond optical astronomy: radio astronomy

The PrimaLuceLab approach extends beyond optical telescopes. The same principles of remote control, automation, and system integration are also applied to SPIDER radio telescopes, designed for educational and research radio astronomy.

Here as well, the goal is the same: to provide instruments that can be reliably controlled, automated, and used continuously, without requiring the user to be a radio astronomer.

Whether observing the Universe in visible light or in radio waves, the focus remains unchanged: building systems that work with you and that can grow over time alongside your scientific and educational projects.

Sharing knowledge to explore

Beyond designing devices and systems, PrimaLuceLab is actively engaged in scientific outreach. As astronomers and astrophotographers ourselves, we share the same passion for telescopes and for exploring the Universe as the people who use our solutions.

The books "Explore the Universe through astrophotography: capturing pictures with telescopes and PLAY software" and "Radio Astronomy: Introduction to the invisible sky" were created with the same goal that guides our products: to make astronomy accessible, understandable, and concrete.

They are designed to guide even those with no prior experience, because we believe technology has value only when it enables people to understand, explore, and grow in a conscious way.

If you want to understand how to unlock the full capabilities of your telescope by integrating our technologies, or if you need a complete solution for education, outreach, or research, our catalog present the full range of PrimaLuceLab instruments. From devices for remote control and automation of individual telescopes to complete Observatory Stations, you can create a customized system that grows over time: for astrophotography, research, and education.

"Your telescope, under your control."

Filippo Bradaschia Ph. D.
President & CEO
PrimaLuceLab