When the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2010, Celestron reached a new milestone in its storied history by celebrating 50 years of optical and mechanical innovations in telescope manufacturing.  What better way of starting off the new year than by "kicking off" the celebration at the largest and most well known gathering of the latest in electronic gadgets and technology breakthroughs - the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).  Held at the convention center in fabulous Las Vegas, NV, the event drew more than 2,500 technology oriented companies from around the world, CES is the undisputed king of tradeshows.

Celestron attended the convention with a full contingent of representatives from the president & CEO, Joe Lupica, to his staff representing Engineering, Marketing and Sales Departments.  For the first time, Celestron had a booth set up inside the main central hall, alongside some of the biggest giants in the electronics industry.  This year, our Marketing Department came up with a rather unique looking booth structure which swayed radically away from the more traditional booth setups around.  At first glance, one could not help but notice the appearance of a futuristic galactic structure, reminiscent of a planetarium or even the LAX theme building.  Looking up, a huge mural of the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) graced the ceiling of our booth, which gave our guests, an uncanny feeling of voyaging out into space and traveling amongst the stars!  The center of the booth was purposely kept open to give guests a more welcoming invitation to come in for a look.  It was really cool.  Well done Marketing!

CES is always an ideal time to debut new and exciting products to start off a brand new year.  For 2010, we proudly displayed several new products lines, including several handheld magnifiers and a complete lineup of weather stations.  For our binocular and spotting scope categories, we introduced the new UpClose No Focus binoculars; a new state-of-the-art, fully multi-coated, BAK-4, Nature Series binoculars; a 25x70 Porro SkyMaster binocular; a new C90 Mak; an Electric Zoom spotting scope and a Travel Scope 50.  The telescope lineup included several new models such as the new entry level LCM telescope line - available in 60, 80 and 114 aperture sizes; a revamped NexStar SLT line - now with 90 and 127 Maksutov-Cassegrain optics; a limited edition, orange colored 50th Anniversary FirstScope series and a limited edition 50th Anniversary CPC 800 series - with a glossy carbon fiber optical tube, 50th Anniversary badging and gold eyepiece kit.  A CGE Pro 1400 HD, equipped with a DSLR camera, stood gracefully at the front corner of our booth which attracted many of the uninhibited.  On more than several occasions, it wasn't uncommon to hear people say "that's one heck of a telescope!"

Several new products were recognized and received Innovation Honorees awards in the Personal Electronics category this year at CES.  These items included our Aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain optical system - the Edge HD - which alleviates off-axis coma and delivers astrograph quality pinpoint star images across a wide field; the LCD Deluxe Digital Microscope with the first 3.5" touch screen and 180 degree rotatable head - makes it perfect in a classroom setting; and finally, the upcoming LCD Handheld Digital Microscope with a 2.4" touch screen that's easy to use for children and educators.  All three products were proudly displayed at the Innovations Design and Engineering Awards showcase in the main central lobby. 

Our booth featured two flat screen monitors that played Celestron video clips for the duration of the convention.  We've concentrated and produced videos during 2009, and will continue to do so into 2010 and beyond.  One of the monitors, featured a touch screen which enabled guests to view our new 50th Anniversary mini-site.  This site came complete with an interactive time-line, presented the latest news, videos, celestial images, photos and even had a guest book for people to sign.  Visitors were also able to view a "sneak peek" trailer of our upcoming documentary titled "The Path of Light" which will be a 6 part mini-series that takes a closer look into the world of Celestron, its employees, astronomy, telescope making, public outreach and more.  Additional highlights will include interviews with professional observatories and even rock and roll stars!  Our guests even had the chance to submit their names for a chance to win one of the limited edition orange colored 50th Anniversary FirstScope.  At times, the line to submit names for the drawing became quite long, but nobody seem to mind much. The FirstScope is not only a fully functioning 76 mm reflector telescope, but is quite attractive and will definitely become a collector's item.  See for yourself in the photo below.         

After the conclusion of Friday's show, Celestron hosted a dinner party for their dealers, distributors and special guests at The Palm Restaurant inside Caesars Palace.  It was a very festive atmosphere with everyone having a great time catching up on the latest news in the industry, while making new acquaintances or reestablishing old ties.  After working the booth for several days, everyone looked forward for the evening's social and to enjoy a delicious meal.  President Lupica led off the evening with a motivational speech and a toast for having a successful 2009.  Although the economy was harsh for many industries, Celestron continued to pull through and keep growing, while taking on a more aggressive approach to all facets of the business.  When the evening came to an end, everyone posed for photos, and each guest was given a goody bag which included a 50th Anniversary t-shirt, cap and commemorative pin.  What a great way to start off the anniversary celebration in the new year.

The rage at CES 2010 was unquestionably 3D HD Technology that was announced from nearly all the major TV manufacturers in the industry.  Everywhere I looked; 3D HD demonstrations were being conducted outside on smaller screens and on giant theaters erected inside the convention center.  Sampling some of the 3D action myself, I was quite impressed at what I saw, especially having watched Avatar recently in IMAX 3D.  It's amazing how fast technology keeps evolving year after year, and the optimism and enthusiasm it creates by building excitement among manufacturers and consumers alike.  It makes me contemplate - what is the next frontier for Celestron?  It's been a very successful 50 years, and it's inevitable that we're already looking into the future to integrate new technology into our products.  Am I excited?  You bet I am!