Aperture

Want to buy a home telescope? Tips from a professional astronomer to help you choose

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 2, 2024

While the unaided eye or binoculars can reveal much of the night sky, a telescope reveals so much more.

Key Points: 
  • While the unaided eye or binoculars can reveal much of the night sky, a telescope reveals so much more.
  • Seeing Saturn’s rings or the Moon’s craters with your own eyes can be an “oh wow” moment.
  • Telescopes also come in a range of sizes, with a trade-off between light-gathering power, portability and price.

How big should the aperture be?


Aperture is fundamental for telescopes. The bigger the light-collecting lens or mirror, the fainter the objects you can see. Double the aperture from 50mm diameter to 100mm diameter, and the light-collecting area quadruples.

  • Again, bigger is better – a larger aperture telescope will produce sharper images than a smaller aperture telescope of comparable design.
  • Earth’s turbulent atmosphere also blurs images, which can limit the detail seen when the aperture is more than 150mm.

Refractor or reflector?

  • Refracting telescopes Refracting telescopes can be good for viewing objects on Earth and in the sky.
  • While 70mm aperture refracting telescopes can be quite affordable, bigger refractor telescopes are often more expensive than comparable reflecting telescopes.
  • Reflecting telescopes Reflecting telescopes use mirrors to focus light.

How do I find things in the sky? Depends on the mount

  • To do this, a telescope needs a mount, which is often sold with the telescope but can also be bought separately.
  • Equatorial mounts have an axis aligned with Earth’s axis, so a single motor can compensate for Earth’s rotation.
  • With the advent of cheap computing, they can now be used to automatically point at and track celestial objects.
  • A completely manual telescope will be cheaper than a telescope with automation, but you will need to navigate the sky yourself.

Do I need a finder scope?

  • A finder scope with a wider view and crosshairs simplifies things.
  • Even telescopes with goto electronics often need to be calibrated with bright stars and locating them is easier with a finder scope.

What about the eyepiece?

  • Sometimes decent telescopes are sold with quite cheap eyepieces, but it can be relatively inexpensive to upgrade to a better one.
  • More complex eyepieces that provide better views are also available, and far cheaper than they once were.

What if I want to take astro photos?


Taking basic astronomical photos has become much easier with smartphones. While you can hold a phone to the telescope eyepiece for a photo of the Moon or a planet, you will get better results with an adapter that holds your phone securely in place.

  • For long exposures, automatic tracking of celestial objects is essential, and that adds to a telescope’s price.
  • However, you do lose the experience of seeing the universe directly with your own eyes through the eyepiece.

Try before you buy!

  • There should be plenty of telescopes, and owners happy to wax lyrical about them.
  • A specialist shop can also give a direct experience of a telescope: its size and how it works (with limitations during daytime).
  • For example, you may find a telescope is too bulky or technical for your needs.


Michael J. I. Brown receives research funding from the Australian Research Council and Monash University.

REPAY Launches Payment Integration with AKUVO

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Repay Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: RPAY) (“REPAY”), a leading provider of vertically-integrated payment solutions, today announced a new technology integration with AKUVO, a leading provider of cloud-based software that elevates how financial institutions collect and manage their portfolios.

Key Points: 
  • Repay Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: RPAY) (“REPAY”), a leading provider of vertically-integrated payment solutions, today announced a new technology integration with AKUVO, a leading provider of cloud-based software that elevates how financial institutions collect and manage their portfolios.
  • The REPAY integration with Aperture , AKUVO’s collections management software, enables financial institutions to accept digital payments, while utilizing a secure, real-time data exchange for streamlined operations, robust reporting and simpler reconciliation.
  • AKUVO clients can now leverage REPAY’s embedded payment technology to manage the full payments lifecycle and offer account holders a streamlined, convenient payment experience that can be accessed via a secure online portal.
  • Banks and credit unions will have enhanced visibility into payment data within Aperture, reducing the need to switch between systems and driving faster payment reconciliation.

Aperture Investors Adds Rob MacNaughton to Head U.S. Credit Strategy

Retrieved on: 
Monday, December 11, 2023

Aperture Investors , an alternative asset manager and part of the Generali Investments ecosystem, announces industry veteran Rob MacNaughton has joined the firm as the newest member of its growing credit team.

Key Points: 
  • Aperture Investors , an alternative asset manager and part of the Generali Investments ecosystem, announces industry veteran Rob MacNaughton has joined the firm as the newest member of its growing credit team.
  • MacNaughton is an Associate Portfolio Manager who will head up Aperture’s New York-based credit team and support the firm’s global fixed-income strategies.
  • MacNaughton brings 23+ years of experience in high-yield and distressed debt to this newly created role at Aperture.
  • Most recently, MacNaughton was Head of US Leveraged Finance Trading at UBS, where he previously also held the role Head of US High Yield and Distressed Trading.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. announces third quarter 2023 results

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, November 16, 2023

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM) today announced operating results for the third quarter ended October 29, 2023 versus the third quarter ended October 30, 2022.

Key Points: 
  • Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM) today announced operating results for the third quarter ended October 29, 2023 versus the third quarter ended October 30, 2022.
  • “We are proud to deliver another quarter of strong earnings, significantly exceeding expectations, despite a challenging macroeconomic backdrop for our industry.
  • We beat profitability estimates with a record third quarter operating margin of 17.0% with earnings per share of $3.66.
  • Our management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in order to have comparable financial results to analyze changes in our underlying business from quarter to quarter.

eLuma and Aperture Education Partner to Address the Growing Student Mental Health Crisis

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, December 5, 2023

NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- eLuma, an end-to-end student services solution for mental health and special education, is joining forces with Aperture Education, a Riverside Insights company and the leading provider of social-emotional skills assessment and intervention supports, to deliver comprehensive solutions for social-emotional well-being in K-12 schools. The partnership was announced today at the 2023 Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health in New Orleans.

Key Points: 
  • The partnership was announced today at the 2023 Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health in New Orleans.
  • Together, eLuma and Aperture will offer schools a more affordable and scalable multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) for mental health and social-emotional competence.
  • "Schools have unrealized needs to fulfill tiered mental health support, and evaluating students' needs is not a straightforward process," said Jeremy Glauser, founder and CEO of eLuma.
  • eLuma's partnership with Aperture gives schools the tools to develop comprehensive, school-based mental health systems and practices.

Toll Brothers Campus Living and The Davis Companies Joint Venture to Develop 680-Bed Luxury Student Housing Community in Orlando, Florida

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 7, 2023

Toll Brothers Campus Living develops communities that combine modern amenities and strategic community design to fit the needs and lifestyle of students.

Key Points: 
  • Toll Brothers Campus Living develops communities that combine modern amenities and strategic community design to fit the needs and lifestyle of students.
  • Toll Brothers Campus Living will manage the property’s development, construction, and asset management, as well as handle marketing and leasing in partnership with Davis.
  • John McCullough, President of Toll Brothers Apartment Living, said, “We are excited to expand our student housing presence in Florida with the development of Aperture near the University of Central Florida.
  • “We are confident that our expanding portfolio of student housing developments will provide key value for our investors and are glad to continue our long-term partnership with Toll Brothers through the delivery of this best-in-class student residence.”
    Aperture is the second Toll Brothers multifamily project in Florida and joins the growing Toll Brothers Campus Living student housing portfolio nationwide.

Committee for Children Joins Forces with Aperture Education to Integrate Assessments and Curriculum to Build Social-Emotional Skills

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 7, 2023

CHARLOTTE N.C. , Nov. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Aperture Education, a Riverside Insights company and the leading provider of social-emotional skills assessment and intervention solutions, and Committee for Children, the leading provider of social-emotional curriculum programs in the U.S., announced today that they will partner to offer four co-developed assessments to support schools in demonstrating the impact of evidence-based social and emotional programs.

Key Points: 
  • By having integrated assessment and curriculum tools, educators can gain valuable insights from reliable, real-time data about instructional effectiveness and the impact of SEL curriculum on students.
  • "As schools introduce social-emotional learning into their curriculum, it's imperative to show how these investments translate into improved outcomes for their students.
  • Years of evidence show how Second Step improves critical life skills and mental wellbeing," said Riverside Insights CEO Vivek Kartha.
  • "We are proud to collaborate with the Committee for Children and contribute to improving student outcomes by aligning our gold standard DESSA assessments with their world-class curriculum."

Frost & Sullivan Honors Komodo Health with Technology Innovation Leadership Award for Its Data-Driven Platform to Improve Patient Care

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, November 2, 2023

SAN ANTONIO and SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan recently researched the real-world evidence (RWE) IT solutions industry and, based on its findings, recognizes Komodo Health with the 2023 North American Technology Innovation Leadership Award. Komodo is an American software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider that converts vast amounts of data into meaningful insights to increase productivity and deliver exceptional value to its healthcare customers.

Key Points: 
  • Moreover, Komodo's solutions are fully scalable and customizable and can integrate seamlessly with today's technology and business tools.
  • "Essentially, it offers a seamless way for clients to integrate their IT systems with its platform without a rip-and-replace approach.
  • Thus, Komodo prioritizes providing a scalable and efficient platform that delivers customer satisfaction by leveraging technology and providing thought partnerships where necessary," said Ojaswi Rana, Best Practices Research Analyst at Frost & Sullivan.
  • Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in various regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development.

Frost & Sullivan Honors Komodo Health with Technology Innovation Leadership Award for Its Data-Driven Platform to Improve Patient Care

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, November 2, 2023

SAN ANTONIO and SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan recently researched the real-world evidence (RWE) IT solutions industry and, based on its findings, recognizes Komodo Health with the 2023 North American Technology Innovation Leadership Award. Komodo is an American software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider that converts vast amounts of data into meaningful insights to increase productivity and deliver exceptional value to its healthcare customers.

Key Points: 
  • Moreover, Komodo's solutions are fully scalable and customizable and can integrate seamlessly with today's technology and business tools.
  • "Essentially, it offers a seamless way for clients to integrate their IT systems with its platform without a rip-and-replace approach.
  • Thus, Komodo prioritizes providing a scalable and efficient platform that delivers customer satisfaction by leveraging technology and providing thought partnerships where necessary," said Ojaswi Rana, Best Practices Research Analyst at Frost & Sullivan.
  • Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in various regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development.

Cadent Adds Proximic by Comscore to Cadent Aperture Platform for Enhanced ID-Based Audience Targeting

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, October 31, 2023

NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cadent, the largest independent solutions provider for advanced TV advertising, and Proximic by Comscore, a division of Comscore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) and leading provider of audience and content targeting solutions for programmatic activation, today announced a two-part partnership, beginning with the now live integration of Proximic by Comscore's ID-based audience suite into Cadent Aperture Platform. The second phase will integrate Proximic by Comscore's Predictive Audiences and content targeting tools into the Aperture Converged TV DSP.

Key Points: 
  • The second phase will integrate Proximic by Comscore's Predictive Audiences and content targeting tools into the Aperture Converged TV DSP.
  • This partnership combines the capabilities of Aperture Platform and Proximic by Comscore to provide enhanced ID-based and ID-free audience targeting across linear and advanced TV, including addressable TV and CTV viewership audiences.
  • "By integrating Proximic by Comscore, we are enabling holistic targeting and measurement with their syndicated and custom audience segments."
  • Following the launch of Proximic by Comscore's ID-based audience suite in the Cadent Aperture Platform this fall, additional Predictive Audiences and content targeting tools are set to roll out in the coming months.