Apr08 by Astronomy Technology Today

ASTRONOMY

TECHNOLOGY TODAY Your Complete Guide to Astronomical Equipment

PIER TECH’S STAR TRAVELER MOBILE OBSERVATORY • APM’S MAXLOAD ATL-AZ MOUNT OBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMY FOR THE VISUALLY-IMPAIRED • TELE VUE’S ETHOS RIGEL SYSTEMS’ RS SPECTROSCOPE • VIXEN’S NEWTONIAN REPLICA TELESCOPE

The Borg 101 ED F/4 Astrograph “It’s a Borg – Resistance is Futile!” Volume 2 • Issue 4 April 2008 $5.00 US

Contents Industry News

Cover Story Images - 33 The background image of the Rosette Nebula is one of the full-field frames taken by Craig Stark on the first night of imaging with his Borg 101ED f/4 astrograph and a CCD-labs Q8-HR one-shot color camera. Other equipment used includes a Takahashi EM-10 Temma German Equatorial Mount, an 8x50 finderscope converted into an imaging guide-scope with guiding performed with a Fishcamp Starfish guide camera and Stark Labs' PHD Guiding program. The resulting image was captured and processed using Stark Labs' Nebulosity software. The Rosette Nebula is a large, circular cloud of gas and dust ASTRONOMY that is associated with the open star cluster NGC 2244, having TECHNOLOGY TODAY an apparent dimension greater than one degree across, aptly demonstrating the expanse of imaged field of which the very fast Borg 101ED f/4 astrograph and large format CCD-labs Q8HR combination is capable. Total exposure time for the background image was in excess of 2 hours. In the foreground is shown the Borg 101ED with optional Starlight Instruments Feather Touch focuser and 4-element ED super reducer with built-in filter holders and camera rotator. So configured, the Borg 101ED f/4 astrograph has an effective focal length of 410 mm, is a mere 520 mm in overall length, and The Borg 101 ED F/4 Astrograph weighs just 2.3 kilograms (5.1 pounds). “It’s a Borg – Resistance is Futile!”

11 SHUTAN CAMERA Bob Shutan Receives LakeSky Star for Support of LCAS 11 SKYSHED POD Adds New Options for POD

Your Complete Guide to Astronomical Equipment

Volume 2 • Issue 4 April 2008 $5.00 US

In This Issue 8

Editor’s Note We Get Mail! By Gary Parkerson

33 The Borg 101 ED F/4 Astrograph “It’s a Borg – Resistance is Futile!” By Craig Stark 41 Pier Tech’s Star Traveler Mobile Observatory An Observatory That can be Driven at 60mph Down the Highway! By Vito Rotondi 47 APM’s MaxLoad Alt-Az Mount Knowing Something Special When You See it! By Mark Riek 51 Observational Astronomy For The Visually-Impaired Technical Advances and Mainstream Products Help a Dedicated Astronomer Remain an Active and Engaged Observer By Mark Stephenson 55 Tele Vue’s Ethos If Tele Vue Introduced an Eyepiece with a Wider Apparent Field of View, it would have to Come with a Rear-View Mirror! By Vic Menard

59 Viewing in Suburbia Poor Skies Don’t Have to Keep You from Observing! By Erik Wilcox 61 Rigel’s Systems’ RS-Spectroscope The Affordable Solution to Decoding the Messages in Starlight By David Snay 65 Return of the Original “Newtonian” Vixen Optics Introduces Historically Correct Replica of Isaac Newton’s Original Reflector Telescope By Brian Deis 68 Astro Tips, Tricks, and Novel Solutions Think Betsy Ross’s Mob Cap for Cleaner Optics By Robert Royce

14 ASTROPHOTO INSIGHT MAGAZINE Announces a New Website and Service Levels 16 STELLAR PIERS A New Source for Telescope Pier Solutions 17 DENKMEIER OPTICAL Announces Product Enhancements

18 SKY CHANNELS Live Deepsky Network 18 BURGESS OPTICAL Refinements Announced for Burgess/TMB Planetary Eyepieces 19 STARIZONA Introduces Website Dedicated to HyperStar Imaging

19 ATT Corrections 19 CAMERA CONCEPTS Moves to New Location Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Contributing Writers

Contents New Products

Brian Deis is the owner of Vixen Optics and has been an amateur (although his wife says obsessed) astronomer for the last 30 years. He started out with a department store telescope and eventually aperture fever took over. He is active in astronomy outreach and has given hundreds of multimedia lectures to school groups and other organizations. Vic Menard has been an amateur astronomer since 1967. In 1983, he founded The Local Group of Deep Sky Observers, an astronomy club in the Sarasota - Bradenton (Florida) area. He was the founding president of Tectron Telescopes in 1987. With Tippy D’Auria, Vic co-authored Perspectives on Collimation, in 1987. The fourth edition was released in 1998. After almost twenty years observing with various 20- and 22-inch telescopes, Vic compiled The List (My Favorite Deep-Sky Go-To Tour) which was published in 2001 in Amateur Astronomy magazine.

20 ASTRO HUTECH Two New Borg Mini-Astrographs Are Now Available 20 ASTROSYSTEMS LED Red Crank Flashlight 22 DAYSTAR FILTERS Introduces New SolaREDi Series Telescope

Mark Riek is the owner of Teton Telescopes located in Rigby, Idaho. He has been an an avid astronomer for many years and is a self labeled “equipment junkie.”

Robert Royce is president of R.F. Royce - Precision Optical Components located in Northford, Connecticut. Having begun as an amateur telescope maker at 13, he went to Itek Laboratories after high school in 1965 where he worked on a variety of optics up to 60 inches in diameter. In 1998 he entered the optics business full-time and began the present company. Since then he has worked for a variety of government and private customers, as well as supplying amateur astronomers with specialty optics of all kinds. Vito Rotondi is a degreed mechanical engineer, living with his family in Illinois where he operates Pier-Tech Inc which he started in 1999. Vito was awarded a US patent (US Patent#7,048,238) for a height adjustable telescope pier for use in astronomy in 2006. Since starting his company, Vito has added fifteen new products to the PierTech product line.

David Snay is a retired software engineer living in central Massachusetts. He graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and has been an astronomer and astrophotographer for more than 10 years. David currently pursues fine art photography, specializing in traditional black/white images.

Craig Stark, Ph.D. is, by day, a professor whose research involves trying to pull faint signals out of noisy, moving images of people’s brains. By night, he is an amateur astrophotographer and operates Stark Labs which provides software to help users pull faint signals out of noisy, moving images of the heavens. Dr. Mark Stephenson is a Senior Research Audiologist at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, where he coordinates the Institute’s research to prevent occupational hearing loss. Prior to joining NIOSH in 1993, he served for 20 years in the United States Air Force. He has been an amateur astronomer since childhood. He and his wife Carol are currently active members in their local astronomy club, the Mid-Western Astronomers. Erik Wilcox works for a natural foods distributor in South San Francisco, California, and is a long-time moderator on the popular astronomy forum, “Cloudy Nights.” He enjoys star parties and public outreach and, in addition to amateur astronomy, he spends his time playing in a rock band.

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

23 GLATTER COLLIMATION A BLUG for Closed Tube Reflectors 25 ADVANCED TELESCOPE SYSTEMS Portable and Permanent Piers for the Astro-Physics 3600GTO 25 VIXEN OPTICS Announces New 30x125 Binocular Telescope 26 MEADE INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION Announces an ACF Version of its Popular LX90 Series 27 WILDCARD INNOVATIONS Encoder Kits for the 16-inch Meade Lightbridge 29 CATSEYE COLLIMATION Introduces Summit Observing Chair 30 HOTECH CORPORATION Introduces the Astro Aimer G3 31 AURORA ASTRO Offers Two New Sky Charts 31 UNIVERSITY OPTICS New 2.2 Klee Barlow 31 AGENA ASTROPRODUCTS Introduces GSO Dual Speed Focuser Upgrade Kit

The Supporting

CAST 20/20 Telescopes and Binoculars www.2020telescopes.com page 46 Adirondack Astronomy www.astrovid.com page 49

The Companies And Organizations That Have Made Our Magazine Possible!

Catseye Collimation www.catseyecollimation.com page 35 Celestron www.celestron.com page 32

Alpine Astronimical www.alpineastro.com page 53 Alvin Huey Observing Guides www.faintfuzzies.com page 64

Amateur Astronomy Magazine www.amateurastronomy.com page 63 APM Telescopes www.apm-telescopes.de page 28

DayStar Filters www.daystarfilters.com page 12, 13 Denkmeier www.denkmeier.com page 29 Durango Skies www.durangoskies.com page 56 Equatorial Platforms www.equatorialplatforms.com page 60

Astro Telescopes www.astrotelescopes.com page 22 Astro Domes www.astrodomes.com page 48 Astro Hutech www.hutech.com page 58

AstroPhoto Insight Magazine www.skyinsight.net page 63

Meade Instruments www.meade.com page 4, 69

Scope Trader www.scopetrader.com page 31

NEAF www.rocklandastronomy.com/neaf page 54

Shrouds By Heather www.teeterstelescopes.com/shrouds page 25

MoonLite Telescope Accessories www.focuser.com page 50

SkyShed Observatories www.skyshed.com page 36 Sierra Stars Observatory www.sierrastars.com page 22

Obsession Telescopes www.obsessiontelescopes.com page 67 Oceanside Photo and Telescope www.optcorp.com page 66 Optec www.optecinc.com page 25 Optical Mechanics www.opticalmechanics.com page 37

Far Laboratories www.farlaboratories.com page 30

Ostahowski Optics www.ostahowskioptics.com page 30

Farpoint Astronomical Research www.farpointastro.com page 38

Peterson Engineering www.petersonengineering.com page 26

Glatter Collimation www.collimator.com page 11 Great Red Spot Astronomy www.greatredspot.com page 44

Astro Physics www.astro-physics.com page 9, 42

We wish to thank our advertisers without whom this magazine would not be possible. When making a decision on your next purchase, we encourage you to consider these advertisersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; commitment to you by underwriting this issue of Astronomy Technology Today.

AstroShorts www.astroshorts.com page 63

Green Bank Star Quest V www.greenbankstarquest.org page 69

AstroSystems www.astrosystems.biz page 19

Jackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Astro Accessories www.waningmoonii.com page 52, 62

Backyard Observatories ww.backyardobservatories.com page 26, 27

JMI Telescopes www.jmitelescopes.com page 15

Blue Planet Optics www.blueplanetoptics.com page 72

Khan Scope Centre www.khanscope.com page 44

Bobs Knobs www.bobsknobs.com page 57

Lunt Solar Systems www.luntsolarsystems.com page 3

ProtoStar www.fpi-protostar.com page 30 Quantum Scientific Imaging www.qsimaging.com page 57 Rigel Systems www.rigelsys.com page 23 Round Table Platforms www.roundtableplatforms.com page 20 Rubylith www.astro-rubylith.com page 20 ScopeBuggy www.scopebuggy.com page 18

Starizona www.starizona.com page 48 Stark Labs www.stark-labs.com page 48 Starlight Instruments www.starlightinstruments.com page 14 Stellar Piers www.stellarpiers.com page 30 Stellar Technologies International www.stellar-international.com page 56 Stellarvue www.stellarvue.com page 24 Surplus Shed www.surplusshed.com page 10 Tele Vue Optics www.televue.com page 71 Thousand Oaks Optical www.thousandoaksoptical.com page 37 Van Slyke Instruments www.observatory.org page 21 Vixen Optics www.vixenoptics.com page 40

ScopeGuard www.scopeguard.com page 34

William Optics www.williamoptics.com page 2 Woodland Hills Telescopes www.whtelescopes.com page 16

ScopeStuff www.scopestuff.com page 31

ZCO www.zco.com page 43

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ASTRONOMY

Editor’s

TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Volume 2 • Issue 4 April 2008

Note

Publisher Stuart Parkerson

Managing Editor

Gary Parkerson, Managing Editor

Gary Parkerson

We Get Mail! Associate Editors Russ Besancon Karol Birchfield Jessica Parkerson

Art Director Lance Palmer

Staff Photographer Jim Osborne

Web Master Richard Harris

3825 Gilbert Drive Shreveport, Louisiana 71104 info@astronomytechnologytoday.com www.astronomytechnologytoday.com Astronomy Technology Today is published monthly by Parkerson Publishing, LLC. Bulk rate postage paid at Dallas, Texas, and additional mailing offices. ©2007 Parkerson Publishing, LLC, all rights reserved. No part of this publication or its Web site may be reproduced without written permission of Parkerson Publishing, LLC. Astronomy Technology Today assumes no responsibility for the content of the articles, advertisements, or messages reproduced therein, and makes no representation or warranty whatsoever as to the completeness, accuracy, currency, or adequacy of any facts, views, opinions, statements, and recommendations it reproduces. Reference to any product, process, publication, or service of any third party by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply the endorsement or recommendation of Astronomy Technology Today. The publication welcomes and encourages contributions; however is not responsible for the return of manuscripts and photographs. The publication, at the sole discretion of the publisher, reserves the right to accept or reject any advertising or contributions. For more information contact the publisher at Astronomy Technology Today, 3825 Gilbert Drive, Shreveport, Louisiana 71104, or e-mail at info@astronomytechnologytoday.com.

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

As I type these words, the mailperson has already come and gone today and I still haven’t received the copy of the March 2008 issue of ATT that was mailed to my home outside of Shreveport, Louisiana, from the main post office in Dallas, Texas, exactly three weeks ago today. Of course, I’ve long since seen other copies of that issue, but my copy – that I collect – has yet to be delivered. Ditto the copy addressed to our publisher. It appears that, for the first time, Shreveport area subscribers have drawn one of the shorter delivery straws. During the earliest months of distribution of this magazine, I tried to personally field all subscriber email and much of it shared the above complaint. I did my best to read and respond to all such mail because I knew that you wouldn’t bother to write if this publication wasn’t important to you – I want-

ed to ensure that we were as responsive to you as possible. Eventually, as this magazine became more popular, the volume of subscriber email grew to far more than I could manage. Between the increasing backlog of unread mail and that lost to the vagaries of SPAM filters and other glitches, we were not as responsive as we could have been. I’d become a bottleneck in the mail process. So, general mail now goes directly to those on the ATT team who are most competent to respond and I no longer see all of your messages. I miss that, because most of you were not only admirably courteous, but also took time to share your unique, personal connections to the subject of this magazine and each story was truly interesting – at least to this fellow astro-techno-geek. Fortunately, the team shares the mail that they think I’d want to see and, in many cases, to surprising

Seated: John Barnett. L-R: Prashant Reddy, John Raymond, Calvin Pletcher, Jim Blowers.

benefit. For example, on January 20, 2008, we received the following: “I am thrilled with the availability of the on-line version! I am legally blind. However, I am still an avid amateur astronomer. I use a variety of technologies to “stay in the saddle” and be able to observe with my 15-inch f/5.5 and 10-inch f/8 dobs. Because I have virtually no central vision, my wife (also an amateur astronomer) would read your magazine to me. Now, I can use my computer (with text-to-speech software) to “read” the magazine for myself. Even better, because of my software, I can see photos and advertisements much better. THANKS! - Mark Stephenson.” Stuart, our publisher, distributed the message to the rest of the team under the subject: “This should make us all feel good!” And you know what? – It did! Our subsequent exchanges with Mark resulted in an article that appears in this issue of ATT and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did. We also look forward to future installments from Mark on a variety of subjects. Like many of you, he has much to share that will be of peculiar interest to this audience. Then there’s the note that we received on February 17 of this year (found much later in a SPAM cache) from John Raymond, to which was attached the photograph shown on the opposite page. The photo was taken at the Richmond Telescope Party (emphasis added – you’ve got to love that name!) on the previous day and I learned that the event, now in its fifth year, “…is an informal gathering for those with a sincere interest in telescopes and observing. No telescope or experience necessary. Newcomers welcome to attend. Location: my house in central Chesterfield County, off Route 10. Coffee, hot tea and hot chocolate provided. Bring a chair and a coffee mug.” I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s something about the photo that tells me it’s a gathering we all would have enjoyed. Although we still get more than our fair share of mail, please don’t hesitate to write. We really do enjoy hearing from you and you never know when a perfectly wonderful article will result.

The new Astro-Physics 6" Eagle Adjustable Folding Pier is a versatile work-of-art as well as a totally practical tool for the advanced imager. The one piece assembly sets up quickly in the field and allows adjustment of pier height, leveling of the mount, and eases the process of polar alignment.

www.astro-physics.com • 815-282-1513 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

The Supporting

CAST 20/20 Telescopes and Binoculars www.2020telescopes.com page 46 Adirondack Astronomy www.astrovid.com page 49

The Companies And Organizations That Have Made Our Magazine Possible!

Catseye Collimation www.catseyecollimation.com page 35 Celestron www.celestron.com page 32

Alpine Astronimical www.alpineastro.com page 53 Alvin Huey Observing Guides www.faintfuzzies.com page 64

Amateur Astronomy Magazine www.amateurastronomy.com page 63 APM Telescopes www.apm-telescopes.de page 28

DayStar Filters www.daystarfilters.com page 12, 13 Denkmeier www.denkmeier.com page 29 Durango Skies www.durangoskies.com page 56 Equatorial Platforms www.equatorialplatforms.com page 60

Astro Telescopes www.astrotelescopes.com page 22 Astro Domes www.astrodomes.com page 48 Astro Hutech www.hutech.com page 58

AstroPhoto Insight Magazine www.skyinsight.net page 63

Meade Instruments www.meade.com page 4, 69

Scope Trader www.scopetrader.com page 31

NEAF www.rocklandastronomy.com/neaf page 54

Shrouds By Heather www.teeterstelescopes.com/shrouds page 25

MoonLite Telescope Accessories www.focuser.com page 50

SkyShed Observatories www.skyshed.com page 36 Sierra Stars Observatory www.sierrastars.com page 22

Obsession Telescopes www.obsessiontelescopes.com page 67 Oceanside Photo and Telescope www.optcorp.com page 66 Optec www.optecinc.com page 25 Optical Mechanics www.opticalmechanics.com page 37

Far Laboratories www.farlaboratories.com page 30

Ostahowski Optics www.ostahowskioptics.com page 30

Farpoint Astronomical Research www.farpointastro.com page 38

Peterson Engineering www.petersonengineering.com page 26

Glatter Collimation www.collimator.com page 11 Great Red Spot Astronomy www.greatredspot.com page 44

Astro Physics www.astro-physics.com page 9, 42

AstroShorts www.astroshorts.com page 63

Green Bank Star Quest V www.greenbankstarquest.org page 69

AstroSystems www.astrosystems.biz page 19

Jackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Astro Accessories www.waningmoonii.com page 52, 62

Backyard Observatories ww.backyardobservatories.com page 26, 27

JMI Telescopes www.jmitelescopes.com page 15

Blue Planet Optics www.blueplanetoptics.com page 72

Khan Scope Centre www.khanscope.com page 44

Bobs Knobs www.bobsknobs.com page 57

Lunt Solar Systems www.luntsolarsystems.com page 3

ScopeGuard www.scopeguard.com page 34

William Optics www.williamoptics.com page 2 Woodland Hills Telescopes www.whtelescopes.com page 16

ScopeStuff www.scopestuff.com page 31

ZCO www.zco.com page 43

TO ADVERTISE CONTACT advertise@astronomytechnologytoday.com

INDUSTRYNEWS

SHUTAN CAMERA Bob Shutan Receives LakeSky Star for Support of LCAS

Marlon Cowart, shown right, presents Bob Shutan with LakeSky Star award. (Photo credit: John Hansen)

In presenting its latest LakeSky Star award, Marlon Cowart, President of the Lake County Astronomical Society, has officially acknowledged what the Society recognizes as the “…exemplary efforts of Bob Shutan in his support of LCAS and astronomy in the Northeastern Illinois area.” Says Cowart, “Shutan Camera has been the gateway for many astronomers in the area, including many LCAS members. Bob and his staff have patiently educated newcomers on the aspects of astronomy. They present information on the benefits, costs and choices for high quality optics that provide the best views of celestial objects.” Aside from his retail services, Bob has been a supportive sponsor of LCAS events. He has donated telescopes as door prizes for LCAS Astronomy Days, pro-

vided gift certificates for meeting awards and for astrophotography contests, and presented programs about astronomy equipment to LCAS meetings. The Lake County Astronomical Society (LCAS) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that serves its members and the public in northeastern Illinois. LCAS was founded in 1982 with a charter that includes the commitment to “...promote the science of astronomy...” The LakeSky Star award is a special honor for individuals and/or organizations that make a distinctive contribution to the promotion of astronomy. Cowart concluded, “Bob’s consistent and generous support of astronomy in the area and his support of LCAS has earned recognition and applause.” For more information go to www.lcas-astronomy.org.

SKYSHED POD Announces New Options for POD SkyShed has announced new options for its popular SkyShed POD. The company will soon offer a new black lined POD Bay. Customers who have PODs on order that have not yet shipped will be given the opportunity to add this option to their order and the option will, of course, be available on all new orders. The price of this option begins at $60 per bay. The black lining is made of 100 percent virgin black polyethylene that is heavily UV resistant, and adds 15 lbs to the weight of the Bay, making the new Bay even stronger than the POD Bay currently available. The black lining is melded with the white and will not scratch off or peel over time. It prevents IR waves from penetrating into the Bay,

reducing heat from IR, and also better blocks unwanted light from entering or leaving the Bay. SkyShed has also announced that the option of foam insulation filled wall panels will soon be available. These developments, combined with SkyShed’s success in applying Krylon paint to the interior surfaces of its PODs, will better provide a more complete heat and IR/UV solution for high temperature environments. Customers who do not choose the Bay lining option, or who currently own non-lined Bays, can realize some of the benefits of this option by applying a Krylon coating to their Bay interiors. For more information, please visit www.skyshedpod.com. Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

INDUSTRYNEWS

ASTROPHOTO INSIGHT MAGAZINE Announces a New Website and Service Levels Al Degutis, Editor-In-Chief of AstroPhoto Insight Magazine, has announced the launch of the new AstroPhoto Insight Magazine website: www.astrophotoinsight.com. The move to a dedicated website allows the online magazine to provide easier access to the magazine and additional features and services. One of the key features of the new website includes one time registration (free) to get access to the current issue. This improves upon the old approach of making each current issue available to readers only after registering to receive each new issue – now, register once and you can login and download each current issue at any time. All back issues are available as PDF downloads to Gold Members. A Gold Membership is normally $29.95 USD annually. A Platinum Membership provides access to all of the magazine’s online content with full size images. Can’t remember which issue you saw that Canon article? Just do a search for articles on ‘Canon.’ Need access from another computer (e.g. work, friend’s home, or observatory)? Login and access all of the articles online. Platinum members also have access to all of the back issues as PDF downloads, plus access to a dozen image processing tutorials, with more on the way. In addition, AstroPhoto Insight presents limited time, special offers to Platinum members on astronomy/astrophotography items. This month you can save from 20-25 percent on the A Guide to Astrophotography with Digital SLR

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Cameras ebook by Jerry Lodriguss, GradientXTerminator plug-in for Photoshop from Russ Croman, and Nebulosity capture and image processing software from Stark-Labs. The Platinum Membership is normally $49.95 USD annually. To summarize, the Platinum Membership provides: (1) Current issue as a free download; (2) All back issues available for download (PDF); (3) Processing tutorial videos; (4) Exclusive offers from astrophotography vendors, providing 20 to 25 percent savings; (5) All articles online, including full-size images and searchable text; and (6) Access from any computer at any time. Introductory membership prices are currently available at reduced pricing, but will expire without further notice, so don’t delay. Another new feature of the new website is the AstroPhoto Twitter, a short post on some of the news and notable images of the day. The AstroPhoto Twitter is available to the public and can be seen at www.astrophotoinsight.com/twitter. If you already have a Twitter account, simply add AstroPhoto to the ‘tweets’ that you already follow. Additional features and services will be added to the website in the months to come. Lastly, AstroPhoto Insight asks that those who had previously registered for announcements do so again on the new website to continue receiving announcements of upcoming magazine issues and website services. For more information, please visit www.astrophotoinsight.com.

INDUSTRYNEWS

STELLAR PIERS A New Source for Telescope Pier Solutions

Don’t Miss Our Triple Reward Sale Jan 18,19, 20!

Limited Time - 10% Off Tele Vueʼs Top-Rated APO Refractors! Tele Vue-60 2-el. APO 1¼” Focuser $745 OTA Tele Vue-76 2-el. APO 2” Focuser Starting at $1,190 OTA Tele Vue-85 2-el. APO, 2” Focuser Starting at $1,575 OTA

Tele Vue-102 2-el. APO, 2” Focuser Starting at $1,995 OTA

Tele Vue-102iis 2-el. APO, 2.4” Focuser $2,685

Tele Vue-NP101 4-el. Flat-Field APO, 2” Focuser $3,295

Tele Vue-NP101is 4-el. Flat-Field APO 2.4” Focuser $3,585

Tele Vue-60is 2-el. with Flattener APO 2” Focuser $1,525

Tele Vue-NP127is 4-el. Flat-Field APO 2.4” Focuser $6,285

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Stellar Piers is a new company established by Tim Brown of Iowa, Louisiana, and is dedicated to the manufacture of affordable, custom-quality steel piers for Meade and Celestron telescopes, as well as Mitty Evolution equatorial wedges. Each Stellar Piers product is designed to minimize vibrations and reduce setup time. Piers are available in standard sizes from 30-inch to 42-inch from $525. Custom sizes are also available upon request. All Stellar Piers products are powder coated to provide a beautiful, durable finish, while minimizing the potential for corrosion. Standard colors include Dark Blue, Black, and White, or piers can be coated to a customer’s custom specifications. Each pier package comes complete with all hardware required to bolt the pier to an observatory floor or concrete foundation. The pier tubes are constructed from 1/2-inch steel and the base plates feature 1/2-inch thick steel plate. The pier is attached using provided 5/8-inch x 10-inch L-bolts and a template of the bolt pattern is provided to facilitate bolt alignment during foundation preparation. For more information go to www.stellarpiers.com.

INDUSTRYNEWS

DENKMEIER OPTICAL Announces Product Refinements In July of 2007, Russ Lederman, President of Denkmeier Optical, Inc., took sole ownership of the company. Denkmeier Optical is well known for producing very high quality binocular viewing devices and Optical Corrector Systems (OCS). The OCS systems include Power Switches and these inventions were awarded a patent in 2007. Russ has reported several important changes designed to make Denkmeier products even better. “I now personally assemble every binocular viewer, carefully setting the prisms and collimating each binoviewer,” he said. “While this is a very time consuming operation, I know that it must be done correctly every time, or the system will be uncomfortable to use. Properly setting the prism beamsplitter using a special diagnostic, and then collimating the eyepiece holders while using very high powers, requires a lot of experience. Since binocular viewers allow observers to use both eyes for the purpose of increased comfort and acuity, it makes no sense to leave collimation to chance. An inaccurately collimated binocular viewer would be less comfortable than viewing with a single eyepiece. A properly collimated system, on the other hand, offers a great increase in the comfort factor.” He continued, “I supply a signed and dated certificate with every single binoviewer, stating that I have assembled and fully tested the system. This is my quality assurance to all of our customers, whether they have purchased our introductory Big Easy Binoviewer, Standard Power x Switch, or our Denk II Premium Binoviewer System.” Russ also assembles all Denkmeier Eyepieces and then tests them as matched

pairs. “Again, it is imperative that our binocular systems and their eyepieces are tested for symmetry of right and left sides,” he stated. “I have no plans for discontinuing this undertaking myself. It is just too important. Mike Stevens is my right hand man and he collimates star diagonals and assembles many of the peripherals, such as Power x Switches for the binoviewers and Star Diagonals, Filter Switches, and optical cells. However, I star test all OCS optical cells, noting extra-focal diffraction patterns and in-focus images using a fluorite refractor.” The latest Denk II glass prism sets have some important new features as well. “I’ve worked on eliminating out-of-field reflections caused by bright objects,” said Russ. “These artifacts are present in all binocular viewers to one degree or another. In an early and very thorough review by Jim Gutman, Binoviewer Shootout in the Desert, the tendency of binoviewers to produce arcs or spikes of light caused by bright objects that were still out of the field of view was noted. Originally, we decided to use a special plating process on all of our aluminum tubes in addition to the anti-reflective grooving machined into the inside walls. This was effective in mitigating the problem. However, it did not eliminate these artifacts. During a recent delay of the production of our Denk II prisms, I decided to test some ideas that promised to eliminate the reflections. While brighter objects created glare that was easy to see, it is logical that dimmer objects, such as stars and background sky brightness, would also degrade contrast of the image. In late

November of 2007, I discovered a unique solution and immediately implemented this design change during the production of all new Denk II prism sets.” Russ also discussed the positive results of a further coating refinement he has worked to perfect in recent months. "There are many versions or ‘recipes’ for coating a beam splitter wall. The 45degree internal wall is designed to reflect and also transmit the incoming light in a 50/50 split. Most binocular viewers employ a hybrid dielectric/metallic coating on this wall. While this results in an equal split of light in various wavelengths of the visible spectrum, these hybrid coatings will absorb a large percentage of light. Light that is absorbed or scattered cannot contribute to the final image. Our 100% dielectric beam splitter coating is not prone to this shortcoming. However, it has been very difficult for us to create a beam splitter wall that produces a symmetrical split all along the visible spectrum. The result was that a color difference occurred if the right reflection view was compared with the left transmission view. Of course, the views are always to be combined when using both eyes, so these overlaid views restored the natural color of the final single image experienced by the observer. We now have a new beam splitter recipe that is not only 100% dielectric, but also effectively transmits and reflects through the visible spectrum adhering very closely to the 50/50 split. The result is that the right and left side views appear visually identical in color and brightness.” Russ concluded, “We are continuing to work with new ideas and our mission is to improve the amateur astronomy experience with innovative products. We hope to introduce many new products to ATT readers in the near future.” For more information go to www.deepskybinoviewer.com.

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

INDUSTRYNEWS

SKY CHANNELS

BURGESS OPTICAL

Live Deepsky Network

New Refinements Announced for Burgess/TMB Planetary Eyepieces

There’s a brand new website available for those of us who’ve always wished we could more easily experience dark skies views from around the world - at least vicariously. Sky Channels presents a growing collection of live-video produced by astronomers world-wide who are dedicated to providing others a view of their night skies. The site makes it possible to experience the images generated by several scopes at once – and all in real time. The primary imaging tools used by the astronomers gathered there are MallinCam, StellaCam, and other astro-video CCD observational

systems. We were introduced to this new resource by Brian Reed of Roundtable Platforms who described the site as, “Kind of an International Star Party!” Site participants include Jack Huerkamp of Jack’s Astro Accessories, the U.S. distributor of the MallinCam astro-video imagers, and Rock Mallin, creator of those products. The site is presently dominated by North American astronomers, but its list of astronomers from other continents is growing. The site is the creation of Neil Horne and can be found at http://www.deepsky.dk/.

ScopeBuggy MAKING VIEWING EASIER! • • • • • • • • •

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Burgess Optical has announced several improvements and refinements to its popular TMB Designed Planetary eyepieces. The changes include treatment of the inside the eyepiece housing to better eliminate any internal reflections, improved coatings on the optical elements, and different anodizing on the outside of the eyepieces. One readily apparent change will be the replacement of the chrome barrel with a black anodized barrel with an improved wedge-type undercut, such as that already in use on the company’s Paragon eyepieces. Burgess Optical plans to sell an interim version of the improved Planetary eyepieces, which version will include all the improvements described above, but will still have the original chrome barrel. Burgess Optical plans to offer this interim version to allow anyone wishing to fill out their existing set of Planetary eyepieces, to do so with the new version, while matching the chrome barrels. After all the interim version eyepieces are sold, only the new version with the black anodized barrel will be available. For more information, please visit websites at www.burgessoptical.com.

INDUSTRYNEWS

STARIZONA New Website Dedicated to HyperStar Imaging Due to the ever increasing popularity of its HyperStar Imaging systems, Starizona has created HyperStarImaging.com. HyperStar is Starizona’s multiple-lens corrector which quickly and easily replaces the secondary of a SchmidtCassegrain telescope, converting it to an ultra-fast, f/1.8 to f/2 astrograph. The well designed, dedicated website includes an extensive collection of incredible user astrophotos, all captured with HyperStar equipped

SCTs and a variety of CCD imagers, and a growing list of Flash video tutorials covering subjects such installing HyperStar, strategies for imaging with the HyperStar system, and collimating that system, as well as basic and advanced image processing with MaxIm DL and Photoshop. The site also provides a forum for exchange of user experiences with HyperStar imaging. The site address is www.HyperStarImaging.com.

ATT Corrections Astro-Physics’ New Mounting Adapters In the March 2008 issue of ATT, we correctly described two new Astro-Physics products, mount/tripod adapters for marrying A-P and Losmandy mounting products. Unfortunately, the photo that accompanied that announcement was not of the LT23ATM

adapter, as claimed, but of the LM2APT adapter. Peters Astro Web Address Misstated Our February 2008 announcement of Peters Astro’s Photoshop actions misstated the services’ web address. The correct address is http://petersastro.50webs.com.

CAMERA CONCEPTS Moves to New Location Camera Concepts and Telescope Solutions (CCTS) has announced the relocation of its headquarters and showroom to a new location, 10 South Ocean Ave in Patchogue, New York. CCTS owners, Jeff and Greta, take pride in their hands-on approach to customer service and are dedicated to personally making sure that each order is filled promptly and courteously. Says Jeff, “Every telescope we receive is physically and optically inspected by our experts for proper collimation and flawless operation. We take the time to make sure that the scope you receive is the best instrument you can get!” CCTS not only serves the New York Metropolitan Area, but also presents a substantial sampling of its astronomy inventory at the more than 22 annual star parties and major astronomy events that it attends each and every year. Please visit www.cameraconcepts.com for a schedule of events that CCTS plans to attend in 2008. Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

The Supporting

CAST 20/20 Telescopes and Binoculars www.2020telescopes.com page 46 Adirondack Astronomy www.astrovid.com page 49

The Companies And Organizations That Have Made Our Magazine Possible!

Catseye Collimation www.catseyecollimation.com page 35 Celestron www.celestron.com page 32

Alpine Astronimical www.alpineastro.com page 53 Alvin Huey Observing Guides www.faintfuzzies.com page 64

Amateur Astronomy Magazine www.amateurastronomy.com page 63 APM Telescopes www.apm-telescopes.de page 28

DayStar Filters www.daystarfilters.com page 12, 13 Denkmeier www.denkmeier.com page 29 Durango Skies www.durangoskies.com page 56 Equatorial Platforms www.equatorialplatforms.com page 60

Astro Telescopes www.astrotelescopes.com page 22 Astro Domes www.astrodomes.com page 48 Astro Hutech www.hutech.com page 58

AstroPhoto Insight Magazine www.skyinsight.net page 63

Meade Instruments www.meade.com page 4, 69

Scope Trader www.scopetrader.com page 31

NEAF www.rocklandastronomy.com/neaf page 54

Shrouds By Heather www.teeterstelescopes.com/shrouds page 25

MoonLite Telescope Accessories www.focuser.com page 50

SkyShed Observatories www.skyshed.com page 36 Sierra Stars Observatory www.sierrastars.com page 22

Obsession Telescopes www.obsessiontelescopes.com page 67 Oceanside Photo and Telescope www.optcorp.com page 66 Optec www.optecinc.com page 25 Optical Mechanics www.opticalmechanics.com page 37

Far Laboratories www.farlaboratories.com page 30

Ostahowski Optics www.ostahowskioptics.com page 30

Farpoint Astronomical Research www.farpointastro.com page 38

Peterson Engineering www.petersonengineering.com page 26

Glatter Collimation www.collimator.com page 11 Great Red Spot Astronomy www.greatredspot.com page 44

Astro Physics www.astro-physics.com page 9, 42

AstroShorts www.astroshorts.com page 63

Green Bank Star Quest V www.greenbankstarquest.org page 69

AstroSystems www.astrosystems.biz page 19

Jackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Astro Accessories www.waningmoonii.com page 52, 62

Backyard Observatories ww.backyardobservatories.com page 26, 27

JMI Telescopes www.jmitelescopes.com page 15

Blue Planet Optics www.blueplanetoptics.com page 72

Khan Scope Centre www.khanscope.com page 44

Bobs Knobs www.bobsknobs.com page 57

Lunt Solar Systems www.luntsolarsystems.com page 3

ScopeGuard www.scopeguard.com page 34

William Optics www.williamoptics.com page 2 Woodland Hills Telescopes www.whtelescopes.com page 16

ScopeStuff www.scopestuff.com page 31

ZCO www.zco.com page 43

TO ADVERTISE CONTACT advertise@astronomytechnologytoday.com

NEWPRODUCTS

ASTRO HUTECH

ASTROSYSTEMS

Two New Borg Mini-Astrographs Are Now Available

LED Red Crank Flashlight

45EDII

Astrophotographers are generally familiar with the Borg 77 mm, 101 mm, and 125 mm astrographs supplied by Astro Hutech, but now there are two new “mini” versions of Borg astrophotography optimized telescopes: the 45EDII f/4.7 and the 60ED f/3.8. Both astrograph systems produce a 30-mm image circle suitable for APS type sensors and are capable of the long backfocus required to accommodate a full range of CCD camera/filter wheel combinations, as well as DSLR cameras. Like all Borg telescope systems, the 45EDII f/4.7

60ED

and 60ED f/3.8 astrographs can be configured to create the ideal custom fit for any user’s application. The basic 45EDII f/4.7 system consists of the following Borg components: 2046 - the Mini 45EDII objective assembly, 7860 – Borg’s M57 Helical Focuser DX LII, 7604 – an M57/60 Extension Tube L, and 7866 – the 0.66x Triplet Super Reducer for the Mini Borg Series. Purchased as a package, the 45EDII f/4.7 components are priced at $895. The 60ED f/3.8 system consists of Borg components 2260 – the Mini 60ED Objective Assembly, 7458 – Borg’s M57 to M57 EDII, as well as parts 7860, 7604 and 7866 described in the 45EDII f/4.7 package. The 60ED f/3.8 package is priced at $1,150. Please visit www.astrohutech.com for more information, including configurations to fit your specific CCD or DSLR.

AstroSystems new LED Red Crank Flashlight provides the dark-adapted, nightvision friendly light you need to read that star chart, find that dropped end cap, or just to walk from place to place without bruising your shins, and all without ever having to replace a battery. The Crank Flashlight features two brightness settings – press the switch once and the center LED illuminates; press it a second time and all three LEDs provide the additional light needed to avoid those shin bruising obstacles. The crank folds tightly against the body of the light and that body features non-slip grips and is perfectly contoured to fit comfortably in your hand. All of the AstroSystems Crank Flashlights feature red LEDs, but the units are available in two body colors: red and blue. The overall length of the Crank Flashlight is 5.5 inches and it weighs just 5.57 ounces. For more information on this and other unique AstroSystem products, please visit www.astrosystems.biz.

Rubylith Saves Your Night Vision! Rubylith comes in 15×20 inch sheets and can be used to cover anything that emits light. It’s sturdy enough to be reused and flexible enough to cover flashlights, led lights, etc…and of course it’s ideal for computer monitors. It actually increases contrast on monitors for better seeing in the dark!

www.astro-rubylith.com 20

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

NEWPRODUCTS

DAYSTAR FILTERS Introduces New SolaREDi Series Telescope Daystar has announced the production release of its new SolaREDi series of telescopes. Its first telescope, already in production, is the entry level 35-mm αlpha solar imaging telescope. The αlpha telescope incorporates the same professional DayStar design standards used in academic and space applications for over thirty years, but is available now for entry level users. The SolaREDi αlpha scope offers a variety of new features for today's solar observer. The telescope comes fully assembled and ready to go straight out of the box and requires no power to operate. The αlpha offers a full 35-mm aperture through and through; including 35-mm blocking filters. This offers full camera chip coverage for the first time in an entry level hydrogen alpha solar telescope. The SolaREDi αlpha scope also offers a choice of viewing configurations - all included in one package. Visual observers may choose full disk or high resolution eyepiece views through the included 1.25-inch

focuser and image erecting diagonal. Webcam clients, and even digital SLR users, can use the SolaREDi straight out of the box with the included 2-inch helical focuser. Because of SolaREDi's included 35-mm blocking filter and 65 mm of back-focus, imagers can increase power with Barlows, Tele Vue Powermates and eyepieces. The SolaREDi αlpha scope's focal ratio is f/9, with a focal length of 320 mm, and a diffraction limited resolution of 4.7 arcseconds. Also included standard is a sun finder, 1/4-20 dovetail mounting foot, and 12-mm eyepiece. The DayStar SolaREDi αlpha telescope is available today in 3 bandpass widths: the 0.7Å αlpha septa for $1799; 0.5Å αlpha penta for $2,599; and 0.3Å αlpha tria for $5,399. For more information, please visit www.daystarfilters.com..

Sierra Stars Observatory Now YOU Can Have Access to a World Class Automated Robotic Observatory System SPECIAL TRIAL RATE FOR FIRST-TIME USERS! For a limited time we are promoting a special onetime rate for new customers using the Sierra Stars Observatory for the first time. For $50 you get 50 minutes (83 credits) of imaging time. That's more than a 40 percent discount below our base price.

www.sierrastars.com 22

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

NEWPRODUCTS

GLATTER COLLIMATION A BLUG for Closed Tube Reflectors Howie Glatter has introduced two new products that combine to bring the full benefits of the unique BLUG to closed-tube reflector owners. The original BLUG is designed to mount inside of the telescope tube, at the bottom of the focuser drawtube, with the white display surface of the BLUG facing the rear of the scope, within easy view of the user while adjusting collimation of the primary of open tube, truss-style Dobs.

Heretofore, owners of many closed tube reflectors had to face the BLUG to the open front of the telescope tube and walk to the front of the scope to view the image of the primary mirror center spot on the BLUG face. This procedure worked, but required steps that owners of truss-tube Dobs did not have to make. The new products, a side-cutout-tube and “tuBLUG,” combine to bring the face of the BLUG outside of the focuser, within easy view of the user from the rear of the scope, while adjusting collimation of the primary. The tuBLUG installs inside the sidecutout-tube and the side-cutout-tube installs in the eyepiece end of the focuser. A laser collimator is placed in the top of the sidecutout-tube and the assembly presents a Barlowed laser reflection of the primary mirror center spot (typically a “donut”) onto the white face of the BLUG, making it very easy to see the results of collimation adjustments of the primary while making those adjustments, without the need of walking to the front of the tube. The 2-inch tuBLUG is priced at $55 and the 2-inch side-cutout-tube just $60. Introductory pricing of the combination is just $100. For more information or to order, please go to www.collimator.com.

www.rigelsys.com NEW! RS-Spectroscope Attaches to a eyepiece to spreadlight from stars and nebulae into a rainbow of colors, colors that provide a whole new way to enjoy astronomy. Works with most digital cameras. $299.95 Visit our web site for stellar spectra photographs

NEW! QuikAdapt

PulsGuide + 12.5 mm Guiding Eyepiece PulsGuide pulses reticle illumination to let eye rest between pulses, for increased contrast between reticle & faint guide stars. The result? Easier guiding. Eyepiece has excellent eye relief & sharp double cross hairs.

$119.95

Skylite & Starlite mini

$79.95 Universal digital camera adapter for Astrophotography. for both eyepiece projection & prime focus. Works with digicams and DSLRs. One handed easy-on & easy-off, easy camera alignment, rigid durable aluminum. Our original astro flashlight, much imitated

QuikFinder Compact reflex sight. One tenth the size and weight of the other "reflex" sight, makes aiming your telescope easy with its wide-open right-side-up view. Projects 1/2 and 2 degree red circles, Pulsed or continuous illumination of reticle. AA Battery pack option extends battery life. Quikfinder $39.95 QuikFinder AA Battery Pack $9.95

but never duplicated, is back! More compact at only 3.5 inches long. Skylite isswitchable between white and red, Starlite is red only. Other LED color combinations available (blue, green, red, ir, white) Skylite mini $24.95 Starlite mini $20.95

nFOCUS + focus motor

nFOCUS controller fits in the palm of your hand and provides two directions at low & high speeds with only two buttons using advanced logic & high torque 12V pulse. For GSO, Stellarvue, WO &Televue. nFOCUS alone. $49.95 nFOCUS + DC Motor $129.95

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

NEWPRODUCTS

ADVANCED TELESCOPE SYSTEMS

VIXEN OPTICS

Portable and Permanent Piers for the Astro-Physics 3600GTO

Announces New 30x125 Binocular Telescope

Advanced Telescope Systems, Inc. (ATS), maker of premium portable and permanent telescope piers and mounting accessories, has announced a series of portable and permanent piers sized specifically for the new Astro-Physics 3600GTO â&#x20AC;&#x153;el Capitanâ&#x20AC;? German Equatorial Mount. ATS recommends its massive 12-inch (outside diameter) pier tube to support the massive, 205 pound el Capitan and its 250 pound payload Roland and Marj Christen capacity. of Astro-Physics The portable pier is available in standard lengths of 30 to 54 inches in 6-inch increments, with custom lengths available. Pricing for the portable pier starts at $1,895. The load rating of the 12-inch diameter portable pier is 550 pounds, far more than required to support the 3600GTO and its payload. The permanent pier is available in standard heights from 30 to 48 inches, also in 6-inch increments, and available in custom lengths, with pricing starting at $1,695. For more information, please visit www.advancedtelescope.com.

Vixen Optics has announced the introduction of its new 30x125 Giant Astronomical Binocular Telescope. The 125-mm aperture of these specialty binoculars ensures incredible resolution and bright, detailed images. The new binoculars feature fully coated, Vixen quality lenses having a focal length of 625 mm and f/5 focal ratio. Internally baffles are optimized to insure peak contrast. Inter-pupillary distance is fully adjustable and eye relief a generous 20 mm. The eyepieces produce a 1.6 degree true field of view and 4.2-mm exit pupil, and are configured to provide a comfortable 45degree viewing angle. The binoculars also feature fully-corrected BAK4 prisms and are sold complete with a sturdy Fork Mount and Vixen AL130 Tripod, which combine with the 45-degree viewing angle to ensure ease of viewing whether pointed straight up at zenith or the distant horizon. The Vixen Optics 30x125 Binocular Telescope, Fork Mount and Tripod are priced at $2,999. For more information, please visit www.vixenoptics.com.

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

NEWPRODUCTS

MEADE INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION Announces an ACF Version of its Popular LX90 Series Meade’s Advanced Coma-Free Optics are now available in an ACF version of its popular LX90 series of telescopes. All telescopes in the LX90 line (8 inch, 10 inch and 12 inch) now feature Meade’s unique f/10 ACF optics, making the new LX90 line of scopes the perfect platforms for the most demanding visual observers and imaging enthusiasts. Meade’s LX90-ACF telescopes feature GPS alignment. Turn the telescope on and the built-in Sony GPS sensor sends date, time and location to the AutoAlign system, which completes the alignment routine. AutoAlign automatically chooses two alignment stars that the user simply centers to fine tune alignment. That’s it! All LX90-ACF telescopes also feature oversized primary mirrors (the primary of the 8-inch XL90-ACF is actually 8.25 inches in diameter) to insure a wider, fully illuminated field-of-view. These telescopes also feature Meade's SmartFinder as well as an 8x50 optical finder. The rigid, cast alu-

D O B S E R VAT O R Y

Our newest offering, the Dobservatory is specifically designed for the low pivot point of DOBs allowing you to view near the horizon. The Dobservatory is available in sizes from 7'6" x 7'6" to 15'6" x 15'6".

minum fork mount is capable of slew speeds of a very fast 7 degrees per second, meaning more viewing time of more objects than with standard speed mounts. The same sturdy field tripod as featured with Meade's LX200-ACF series telescopes comes standard with each LX90-ACF as well. The mount also features Meade's Smart Drive with full Periodic Error Correction in polar mode, minimizing guiding corrections required during long exposure astrophotography sessions. Each LX90-ACF telescope includes Meade's upgradable AutoStar Controller. Meade’s LX90-ACF Telescopes are priced as follows: 8-inch $1,999, 10-inch $2,699, and 12-inch $3,299. For more information, please visit www.meade.com.

The Home Model is the perfect design of form, function and, of course, pricing with every feature you’ll need for the ultimate in observing! The Home Model is available in sizes from 7'6" x 7'6" to 15'6" x 15'6".

HOME MODEL

From Maine to California, Montana to Texas, BYO builds the highest quality roll-off roof observatories on the market today. We are now beginning our 6th year of providing turn key observatory solutions throughout the U.S. and have gained experience second to none.

Why Backyard Observatories?

WILDCARD INNOVATIONS Encoder Kits for the 16-inch Meade Lightbridge Wildcard Innovations has announced that it is now shipping an encoder mounting hardware kit specifically bundled for custom application to Meade’s new 16-inch Lightbridge truss-Dob. The encoder kit contains all hardware required for mounting the encoders, two optical encoders (10,000 steps effective for both axes), and an encoder cable for interfacing the Argo Navis to each of the supplied encoders. The new Wildcard Innovations Argo Navis Digital Telescope Computer not only provides highly accurate positioning information, but also displays enormous data on tens of thousands of celestial objects, including position, magnitudes, surface brightness, size, common names, stellar classifications, luminosity classifications, double star separations, and much more.

More options, Most roll-off roof experience, 25 years construction experience, Turn-key installation, Ever customizable designs, Highest quality residential specs (not shed type construction), Heavy duty industrial capacity roller system design, Exclusive m1 OASYS roof automation, Standard and Heavy Duty roof motor designs, Big Bear Piers, Warm/Control room options, Plans available created by an experienced builder/astronomer with DIYers in mind, Our observatories have been chosen 10 to 1 over other commercially built observatories at Deerlick Astronomy Village.

BYO EXCLUSIVE

The kit is easy to install and includes simple installation instructions, including diagrams. Pricing for the 16-inch Meade Lightbridge encoder kit is $323 AUD (approximately $300 USD as of March 2008). Please visit http://www.wildcardinnovations.com.au for more information on this and other Wildcard Innovation products.

CLUB MODEL

Our Club Model is quite probably the largest home observatory available and more bang for the buck than anything else out there! The Club Model is available in sizes from 16' x 20' to a whopping 24' x 32'!

WWW.BACKYARDOBSERVATORIES.COM • 330-667-3214 WWW.M1OASYS.COM

m1 OASYS A Backyard Observatories Exclusive! The m1 OASYS system is the ultimate Roll-OffRoof Observatory Automation/Security System. This very flexible and robust system is a must-have tool for anyone wishing to secure, monitor, and remotely control their telescope observatory and best of all, you can install it yourself! Go to www.m1oasys.com for more info.

Factory authorized sales and installations of Technical Innovations’ Home Dome, Pro Dome and other fine observatory products.

FACTORY

BACKYARD OBSERVATORIES

NEWPRODUCTS

CATSEYE COLLIMATION Introduces Summit Observing Chair CATSEYE Collimation and its partner, Ron Burrows of Wood Wonders, have literally “gone one step farther” with the creation of the new CATSPERCH SUMMIT Observing Chair.

Optional 3D Back-graphics

Says CATSEYE’s Jim Fly, “The ‘cat’s meow’ on this model is the novel additional second ‘mid’ step included for ease of reaching the SUMMIT perch; once you’re there, the standard CATSPERCH footrest feature at the ‘top’ insures your seated comfort. For many large scope owners, the availability of the SUMMIT now means no more awkward ‘rung ladder’ viewing as you stoop or strain somewhere ‘in between’ the best viewing position; as with all CATSPERCH Observing Chairs, the SUMMIT puts you at the right height, sitting comfortably and enjoying the views.”

For just $25 more, one of three 3-D Astronomy graphics can be CNC-carved into the main backboard. The optional professional, vinylupholstered seat cushion ($76) for the SUMMIT gets you The New CATSPERCH the ultimate in Summit Fully observing com- Assembled fort for maximum enjoyment and the perfect seated view at new-found heights.

The SUMMIT is available now in kits ($238), assembled/unfinished ($288) and turnkey finished ($363), plus shipping and handling. For more information and ordering go to www.catseyecollimation.com.

Using the CATSPERCH Summit to Full Advantage

The Unassembled Summit

Now the tallest model of the CATSPERCH line, the SUMMIT has an adjustable, unobstructed seat height ranging from a very low 8 inches to a “summit” of 52 inches, and can accommodate scopes with an eyepiece height of up to 80 inches at zenith. This new model weighs in at just 21 pounds, features a handhold cutout for more convenient carrying, and incorporates a wider front footprint for added stability. Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

NEWPRODUCTS

Stellar Piers Quality Piers at an Economical Price Piers are available in the standard sizes of 30" to 42" for $545 which includes shipping to the continental United States. Custom sizes are available upon request.

www.stellarpiers.com

Parabolic & Spherical optics Elliptical Diagonal Flats Complete interferometric data 27 years (full-time) experience

www.ostahowskioptics.com fineoptics@dishmail.net 951-763-5959

HOTECH CORPORATION Introduces the Astro Aimer G3 Hotech Corporation’s newest version of its popular Astro Aimer combination green laser/flashlight, the G3, is also water resistant. Now you can take the Astro Aimer anywhere, including the dewiest of star parties – it's perfect for camping, hiking, and rafting - use it in the rain, or for any emergency situation in almost any environment. Its “Laser ON” light indicator let’s you safely determine whether laser is turned on, even under the brightest background conditions. A blue LED light located under the laser switch illuminates to show you the green laser is on – you need not risk accidentally point it at others or yourself. The Astro Aimer G3 also functions as a red or white LED flashlight. This function is controlled by the knurled-finish flashlight cap and features variable brightness modes for the red LEDs: low and intermediate for reading a star chart and high brightness mode (4,000 mcd) for night illumination without disrupting other star gazers’ dark adapted vision. The high efficiency, superbright white LEDs are bright enough for all indoor and outdoor conditions, making the G3 the perfect illumination tool for packingup, searching for lost items, or identifying

Eclipse Special Edition Red Illuminated Keyboard

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

colored objects. A time delayed on/off switch is included for easy telescope aiming. It frees both hands – no need to hold a laser momentary “ON” button, unlike many green laser pointers. A universal six-point mount is available for affixing the Astro Aimer G3 to most telescopes. Also, the G3’s one-inch diameter fits nicely into most existing 6x30 finder-scope mounts, and its standard 1/4-20 tripod mounting hole provides for ready attachment to any camera tripod or ball mount. The Astro Aimer G3 features a precision machined housing, fashioned from aero-space grade aluminum and anodized for a rugged and lasting, finely crafted instrument. Extra-long battery life is achieved with the use of three economical AAA batteries, providing approximately 20 continuous hours of operation. The G3’s convenient field carrying package includes a belt clip pouch and detachable 15-inch adjustable wrist or neck strap. The overall length of the Astro Aimer G3 is 5.74 inches and it weighs a mere 5.3 ounces, with batteries. The Astro Aimer G3 should be available from your favorite Hotech dealer as early as May. For more information, including current pricing, please visit website at www.hotechusa.com.

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The Borg 101 ED F/4 Astrograph

"It's a Borg – Resistance is Futile!" By Craig Stark

If you could design your own refractor, what would it be? An achromat? An apochromat? Something small for travel or something larger to bring in the faint fuzzies and give more resolution? Would it be in a normal tube or an extra-short one to allow for binoviewing? Something geared for astrophotography or more for visual use? We all have different answers to these questions and many of us will answer these questions differently when asked at different times. Unfortunately, when we buy a refractor, we’re pretty well stuck with it. A focuser swap is about all we can do and that’s not usually easy or affordable. I know - I just sold an excellent scope because I wasn’t happy with the focuser when it came to using it for astrophotography. Into this quagmire, enter Borg Telescopes, sold in the USA by Astro Hutech (www.hutech.com), also known for their IDAS filters. Borg takes a different approach to telescope design than any other manufacturer. Borg telescopes are completely modular, made up entirely of interchangeable parts. Want a shorter main tube? Order a shorter main tube (or order both so you can have your choice). Want to start with an achromat and upgrade later to an APO? Order the achromat objective initially and later order the APO version. This approach is wonderfully versatile,

but this versatility is what can put people off of Borg telescopes. Put simply, when you order a Borg, you’re designing your own telescope from a long list of parts. Reviewed here is a Borg 101 ED f/4.1 astrograph. Or, more precisely, it is a: 2101 + 7135 + 7749 + 7835 + 7704 + 7920 + 7601 (2 of these) + 7522 + 7505 + CB101 + 7083 + 7755. Imagine the following encounter at a star party, “Hey what do you have there?”,

“Why it’s a 2101 + 7135 + 7749 + …” That’s not going to go over too well or impress your guest very much. Having gotten my feet wet with the Borg system, I now simply reply, “It’s a Borg – resistance is futile.” What’s in the Box Open up a new telescope and you expect to see, well, a telescope. Open up your box from Astro Hutech and what you see is,

Image 1

The box of boxes that make up a Borg telescope as you receive it. This doesn’t quite look like a telescope yet. But, have no fear, this collection of parts is soon to transform into a telescope.

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

THE BORG 101 ED F/4 ASTROGRAPH

Image 2 The Borg 10 minutes later, fully assembled, looking like a telescope and not a collection of parts.

well… boxes (Image 1). Yes, this is a telescope and no, it’s not in the black case there. The telescope comes as a collection of parts. Fortunately, Astro Hutech provides documentation and there are diagrams in there (and on the website) to show just how everything can fit together for the configuration or configurations chosen. About 10 minutes or so after I took the first shot here of all the boxes, I took this second shot of the fully assembled scope (Image 2). Assembly was smooth and painless and everything fit together perfectly – a testament to the consistent, precision machining and manufacturing of the parts. There were no extra screws, no time spent scratching my head, and no panicked calls to Ted at Astro Hutech. It really couldn’t have been much simpler. What’s shown here is the scope I wanted, configured the way I wanted it with the optics I wanted, the reducer I wanted, the focuser I

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wanted, and the camera mounting gear I wanted. Nothing more, and nothing less. Deciphering the Parts List: How I “Built” My Borg OK, so it went together easily and there were no missing or extra parts. How did I get here? First, I did my homework. (As a professor, I’m convinced this is one reason Borgs aren’t wildly popular – nobody likes to do homework…) The Astro Hutech website shows a number of “standard configurations.” These are basic templates or starting locations. I do wish that they would list all the parts that go into each scope they show. Coverage here on the website is a bit spotty and, if improved, would go a long way to making the decisions easier. I started with the page on the “f/4 Astrographs” as I was in the market for something with a nice, wide field to mate with my APS-sized camera (CCD Labs Q8-HR) for

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very wide shots. In the PDF that describes the dedicated reducer that makes the second heart of the system (more on this later), you’ll see a typical Borg system diagram like the one shown in Image 3. What this shows is that if I choose the 101ED lens as my objective, I should mate this with the 7135 tube and drawtube, the 7749 draw tube holder, the f/4 reducer (consisting of the 7704 front, and 7704 rear), my choice of the 7835, 7837, or FTF-M57 focuser, and a camera adapter. Now, how do we know things like the 7835 is the focuser (apart from guessing based on its location?) Well, the full Borg parts list is linked under “Telescope components,” giving you a long list of part numbers with prices, brief descriptions, and links to product pages with more of a description. In addition, the full catalog (circa 2003) is available in PDF format, organized by part type (with indices) and containing a good bit of information on each part. In my case, since I wasn’t going to use this much with a DSLR, but with a CCD that uses T-threads, the camera adapter wasn’t needed. Their site listed a 7920 + 2x 7601 + 7522 as the correct choice for a Starlight Xpress setup. That served as a starting (and in my case ending) place for choosing the bits and pieces needed to get my CCD the correct distance from the reducer lens. A few other bits and pieces (rings, finder mount, etc.) and I was prepared. Once I had my list of parts, I contacted Ted Ishikawa at Astro Hutech. Since I live just down the road a bit, I drove up to Astro Hutech to meet him and make sure I was getting the right set of parts. For those not so close, Ted is very responsive by e-mail and phone. He’s also incredibly helpful and patient and clearly wants you to end up with the system that is tailored to your needs. He never tried to sell me extra bits and bobs and handled all of my questions well (I might add that at the time, he had no idea I was contemplating writing a review.) 101ED Lens+f/4 Super Reducer The Borg f/4 Astrographs are designed around the f/4 Super Reducer. This is a two-

34 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

THE BORG 101 ED F/4 ASTROGRAPH

Image 3 The “system diagram” showing the components and options available when using the f/4 Super Reducer. Note, when not using the f/4 reducer, a wider array of options is available. Diagram used with permission from Hutech.

component assembly (one on each side of the focuser) that forms a four-lens system (with one element being of ED glass). This is designed to work with doublets such as the 77 EDII, 101 ED, and 125 ED Borg lenses such that together, they form a very flat, well-corrected 6-element system. (Note, I am not qualified to determine if this is a “true” Petzval, an “advanced” Petzval, or something just Petzval-esque.) In my case, it turns the 101 f/6.3 objective (640 mm) from a standard doublet capable of visual or photographic work into an f/4.1 (410 mm) astrograph. Of course, when I say it “turns it into” such a system, one can turn it back easily enough by just unscrewing a few parts from the focuser

and replacing the focuser – something that would take just a few minutes. The Super Reducer has a few twists. One of them, a literal twist, as it gives you the ability to rotate your camera free of any focus shift. It also has a filter slide that lets you slide 52-mm or 48-mm filters in and out of the light path (extra slides are available to keep your filters mounted). The only downside to this system that I found was that it was not wide enough to accept my Baader 2-inch filters. This issue is not unique to the Borg. The Baader filters are thicker than most by a good margin and also do not fit in the Astronomik filter drawer system. Borg is one of the few telescope manu-

facturers who put any performance data on their site and, to my knowledge, only AstroPhysics consistently provides comparable amounts of performance data (Canon, to their credit, publishes MTF curves on their lenses). For example, the current 101 f/4 system has the following published graphs (note, there is an older objective + f/4 reducer set also on the site, but one designed for 6x7 film), shown in Image 4 shown on next page (color added for clarity). On the left we have plots of the spherical aberration for four different wavelengths of light (often labeled the longitudinal aberration plot). This shows where different colors reach focus (c=656 nm, d=589

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

THE BORG 101 ED F/4 ASTROGRAPH Image 4

Spherical aberration (left), astigmatism (middle) and combined percent-illumination and MTF data for the Borg 101 f/4. Diagram colorized and used with permission from Hutech.

nm, g=435 nm, F=486 nm). A perfect system would have all lines cross at a single point. In cases where they don’t, some colors will be in focus and others will not. The result of this is chromatic aberration. Visually, since we will

36 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

focus most likely on green light (where our eyes are most sensitive), this will often lead to the “purple halo” as violet light is not in focus. This isn’t quite on level with the highest performing triplet Apos out there and is why

some reviews have noted a touch of chromatic aberration on bright objects at high powers. But, this is a 400-mm f/4 astrograph. In this setup, you’re not using it as a high-magnification lunar or planetary scope, but as a widefield (“low power”) scope. The proof will be in the pictures to see if this introduces enough chromatic aberration to be picked up with typical pixel sizes and targets. In the middle, we see the astigmatism plot (M and S refer to directions meriodonal / tangential and sagittal / radial). The astigmatism plot shows a lot of information here. The bottom of the plot is the center of the image and the top is at the edge of a 22-mm image circle (i.e., 11 mm from the middle). A perfect lens system would show two vertical lines atop each other. If M and S diverge, we will see misshapen, astigmatic stars. If they track with each other, but deviate from 0, we will see the softening as the focus point has shifted. What we see here is that M and S are effectively atop each other and that there is only a minor deviation from vertical (approximately 0.1 mm). One could split the differ-

THE BORG 101 ED F/4 ASTROGRAPH ence in focus and focus 5 mm from the center and balance this out. But, the stars should remain round to the edge. On the right we have a combined %-illumination and MTF plot. The numbers on the bottom and the red line show the %-illumination at several circle-sizes (diameter). We see that for a 14-mm circle, the edge is 93% illuminated and for my 23-mm x 15mm (27-mm diagonal) chip, I should expect illumination around 80% (I measured 85%). The MTF, or Modulation Transfer Function, describes how “sharp” a lens is. The form here shows how much contrast there is in an image of a fine a line grating (100 and 40 lines / mm) as a function of distance from the center (x-axis) and angle of the lines (M = oriented perpendicular to the line from the middle of the image to a given point, S = oriented or parallel to that line). This shows us just how much off-axis “softening” of the image we can expect on high frequency (100 lines/mm, green lines) and low frequency (40 lines/mm, blue lines) components of the image. This is a very nice curve, letting one see that not much softening occurs out at 27 mm. One could go even beyond this before it would become objectionable. Note, these are extremely high-resolution targets. Canon is to be applauded for publishing MTF curves like these on their lenses, and they make very fine optics, used by many for wide-field astrophotography. But, they chose 10 lines/mm as their low frequency target and 30 lines/mm as their high frequency target. If you attempt to compare curves, keep in mind that the Canon’s high-resolution target is lower resolution than the Borg’s low-resolution target. In the Field I’ve gotten the Borg out on a number of occasions now and am pleased to report that I am quite impressed. I have gone through at least four refractors and three field flattener / reducers in an effort to find something I would be happy with and keep. The Borg is a keeper. Here’s why. Physical Characteristics The Borg is about the same size and

weighs less than a very nice triplet 80-mm scope I had. Yet, it gathers over 50% more light. It weighs only 5.5 pounds, making it easy on the mount and it fits inside a very svelte case. Want to travel with it? Unscrew the objective and put it in its nice bag and everything fits in even a small carry-on without concern. Despite weighing next to nothing and having a main tube the size of many 80-mm scopes, the thing is solid. There is no flex that I can find in it. In part this is due to the fact that for photography, there is no need to ever resort to a 2-inch or 1.25-inch eyepiece barrel. Everything screws in (with a very smooth feel). The one thing that does slide in and out (the main tube’s drawtube) is clamped in place by two screws at 120 degrees (with the opposing side making the third contact point). Focuser The helical focuser works like a charm. Many readers have bad visions of helical focusers as they imagine the camera rotating during focus. The Borg helical focusers don’t rotate the camera / eyepiece (one very low-cost one, the #4317 does, but this is the exception). Think of a SLR camera lens (before auto-focus or think of the zoom on your autofocus DSLR). You rotate a ring and it changes focus. The “standard” model I chose has had no issue with camera load and it’s almost impossible (if not impossible) to get it to move by any means other than rotating the ring. What’s more is that it has no backlash I can detect at all. Oh, and it has index marks every 80 microns. So, as you’re evaluating focus at various positions, you can return to the same spot within 80 microns (0.08 mm) just by using the index marks. If you feel you must have a Crayford style focuser or the ability to connect to your computer for auto-focus, Astro Hutech offers a Feather Touch model that can be used instead, screwing straight into the 57-mm threads on the drawtube. While I love a Feather Touch focuser (I had one on one of my various small refractors I’ve gone through), for my purposes the helical was the better choice.

Images: On and Off-axis Sharpness, Color, Etc. There’s not much point to good mechanics in a scope if the optics don’t hold up under scrutiny. Sure, it looks pretty and feels nice, but if the scope doesn’t have it where the photons hit the silica, it’s not of much use. I’m pleased to report the Borg passes here with flying colors (and really only colors that are meant to be there). While not as bright as Venus or the Moon, few would argue that M45 isn’t bright. In Image 5 shown on next page, we have some bright stars

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THE BORG 101 ED F/4 ASTROGRAPH Image 5

Crop of the core of M45 showing performance in the center of the field on a target with wide dynamic range. Stars are crisp with no obvious issues. Reflections around brighter stars are off of the CCD coverslip, not off of anything in the Borg.

amidst a sea of blue reflection nebulosity (with some nice bright ones on a dark background). It’s a non-trivial target for scope and camera alike and presents a good test of real-world control over chromatic aberration and contrast.

38 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

The images in Image 6 were taken on a CCD Labs Q8-HR (DSLR sized chip) using Nebulosity, guided on a Takahashi EM-10 guided using PHD Guiding, an 8x50 finderscope cum-guide scope, and a Fishcamp Starfish. A total of 120 minutes (40 frames at 3 minutes each) were used. Bad Pixel Mapping was used in lieu of darks and processing was done in Nebulosity, PhotoShop, and PixInsight. No noise reduction, smoothing, or anything “local” was done and nothing was done that would specifically enhance or obscure chromatic aberration. First up, we have a crop of the core shown in Image 5. If I am truly obsessive I can just barely pick out a ring of violet around the stars on the black background. I have to be looking hard for it and zoom way in, and then I can only see it on a few stars. I can see the reflections off of the Sony ICX453’s cover glass on the Sisters here. The fact that the reflection halos aren’t centered on the stars indicates that my CCD isn’t perfectly square. Despite this, the stars are nicely round. Round stars in the center aren’t tough to come by. What is tough is keeping them round

as you move way out in the corners of a goodsized chip. While not the biggest chips out there, DSLR-sized (APS-sized) chips put a lot more demand on your optics off-axis performance than more modest sized chips. They often expose flaws you never knew you had. How does it do at the corners? Here, we have full-size crops from all four corners in Image 6. Stars are round with no noticeable aberrations. We’re sharp to the edge. While sharp to the edge, we’re not 100% illuminated to the edge. I recorded a drop to about 85% illumination at the corners of the frame. This was easily taken out with a flat frame (real or artificial). At f/4, your focus is critical. On my Vixen R200SS 8-inch f/4 Newt with a Baader MPCC, I actually use the fact that off-axis aberrations show up easily when out of focus to help fine-tune my focus. I tried that trick here, only to discover that, unfortunately, the Borg 101 doesn’t make odd-shaped stars in the corners when slightly out of focus. They’re just slightly out of focus. Here, in Image 7, we see the corner of a shot of the Rosette with the

THE BORG 101 ED F/4 ASTROGRAPH whole frame just a touch out of focus. Summary There are many excellent refractors out there these days at many different price points. The Borg 101 ED f/4 has a lot in common with other telescopes out there. It is portable (though more so than any other 4-inch I’ve seen), can put up very nice views (without the f/4 reducer, it’s a fine visual scope), and should set the owner up for years of enjoyment. It has a number of things that set it apart from other scopes, however. Most notable is that it isn’t one scope. It’s whatever scope or set of scopes you want it to be. If I were hopping on a plane to Australia for a vacation, I’d love to bring a scope with me. I’ve never seen Omega Centuri and couldn’t pass up the chance. Were the Borg purely an f/4 astrograph, I’d consider something else. But, in a few minutes, it’s an f/6.3 scope that is easily packed in carry-on. If I have a camera here with a very different internal back-focus, it’s simply a matter of swapping out extension tubes to get it to the right distance. Heck, if I decide that I want to be able to go wider, I can swap in a 77-mm objective to get to 330 mm. Decide to put a tax rebate to something bigger? I can swap in a 125-mm objective and a new tube, keeping the rest of the scope. Headed backpacking and don’t want to take the nice ED objective with me? Swap in an achromat and consider it an insurance policy. The point here is that the Borg can be anything you want and can change as your needs or desires change. The versatility here is almost limitless. No other scope / scope system on the market offers this kind of versatility. Versatility without performance would be useless, but the Borg delivers here as well. On axis and off, with a good-sized chip, the Borg delivers clean stars and nice contrast. Its mechanics make it very well suited to astrophotography to boot. So far, I’ve yet to say anything really negative about the Borg. Were there things I would change if I could? Sure, but most are far from reasonable (it’s not reasonable that it should cost $20 for example). Here’s the small, semi-reasonable, nit-pick list: 1) I wish the fo-

Image 6

Crops of the four corners of the same shot of M45 showing performane at the edges of an APS-sized frame (27 mm diagonal). Stars are sharp and round with no obvious aberrations.

cuser had a bit more travel. The drawtube setup works well to give you a rough focus, but more travel is never a bad thing. 2) It still does vignette a bit on the APS-sized chips, so I still need flats. 3) It would be nice if the filter slide held my Baader filters, but in my book, Baader gets the blame here for making filters a lot thicker than others. That’s the list in its entirety and none of these are large issues or unexpected issues. In closing, while one often doesn’t show “first light” images, Figures 8, 9 and 10 (shown in the online magazine version of this article at www.astronomytechnologytoday.com) are the very first images I took one with the Borg (apart from one night of about 20 minutes of quick test shots to determine the optimal set of spacers for my camera). The fact that there were no kinks to work out, no mechanicals to rework, no duct tape to apply, etc. for it to perform this well speaks volumes.

Image 7

(Corner_Slight_Defocus) Crop of a corner of a shot of the Rosette Nebula taken with a slight defocus. While stars are softer than optimal and careful inspection can show the defocus, there are no other readily apparent aberrations. Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figures 8, 9 and 10

Sample full-field frames taken on the first night of imaging with the Borg. Total exposure time for each was 2-3 hours on a CCD Labs Q8-HR. Other equipment used: Takahashi EM-10 Temma, 8x50 finderscope converted into guide scope, Fishcamp Starfish guide camera, Nebulosity image capture software, and PHD Guiding.

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Pier Tech’s Star Traveler Mobile Observatory

An observatory that can be driven at 60mph down the highway!

By Vito Rotondi

I was contacted by Texas A&M University because of its interest in the TeleStation2 fixed observatory with fully remote capability, for its United States Air Force project, which involves imaging of geosynchronous satellites. The fixed observatory, a 10-foot by 10-foot Tele-Station2, was to house a 16-inch Meade LX200. The fixed observatory was not a challenge, since it is a Pier-Tech standard offering. The challenge came in the university’s next requirement – another observatory, in the same construction as the Tele-Station2, except mobile! Also, and most importantly, the observatory had to house the same class of telescope, the Meade 16-inch LX200, and the pier

and telescope had to be isolated from the observatory floor while in operation. The need for mobility was to establish a baseline for the data that the university will use in their project. Their requirement is to operate one telescope in the fixed observatory along with another telescope in the mobile observatory simultaneously as a single optical system. The baseline is created by moving one of the telescopes, in this case the mobile observatory, to various positions on the Texas A&M University grounds. The challenge for us was to isolate the pier, in this case the Pier-Tech3 pier, from the floor of the observatory, and to build an observatory that can be driven at 60mph down the highway! Needless to say, we were suc-

cessful in accomplishing their requirements. Construction The Star Traveler Mobile Observatory which was built for Texas A&M is now available for the consumer market. The construction of the observatory starts with the trailer. Since Pier-Tech uses aluminum in the construction of all of our observatories, we had to find a trailer that was all aluminum and to stay within the same class of component materials. The trailer that we chose is made by a company called Triton. The trailer is equipped with more safety lighting than their competitors, and the framing on the trailer is very robust and durable, matching our obser-

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PIER TECHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S STAR TRAVELER MOBILE OBSERVATORY

10x10 Tele-Station2 (in foreground) with Star Traveler Mobile Observatory. Location: Texas A&M University

vatory construction very well. The first process is to drill the isolation platform access holes in the trailer floor. These are three holes drilled directly thru the aluminum trailer floor, positioned to avoid all of the tubing and wiring located beneath the trailer - a very nice challenge, that required documenting all the wiring and tubing locations before drilling. Once the holes are drilled, a forklift comes into play. It is needed to lift the isolation platform into position. The platform, which is very heavy, is placed in

42 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Holes drilled in the trailer floor

position directly over the three drilled holes. Once the isolation platform is in position, the rest of the observatory can be constructed. The construction of the Star Traveler Mobile Observatory is similar to that of Pier-Tech's fixed Tele-Station observatory models, with the primary difference being the trailer. We start with an all aluminum frame as a base, mounted on top of the all aluminum trailer. The frame is formed with 3-inch by 3-inch aluminum members that are fastened with stainless steel

Isolation platform being put into position with forklift

screws. Once the frame is secured to the trailer bed, we start building the wall sections. The wall sections are constructed with aluminum panels (available in 12 colors), that are inserted into the aluminum framing and secured with a rubber gasket. The gasket serves to keep the wall panels firm and water tight. This is repeated for all four walls. The entry door is also constructed in the same manner and has a lockable door handle. Once the walls are erected, the roof slide beams are placed in position.

PIER TECHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S STAR TRAVELER MOBILE OBSERVATORY

D th g o yo se in Isolation platform in position, bottom framing started

The roof slide beams are made of 3-inch by 3-inch aluminum members similar to those used in the base frame. The roof slide beams slide in between over-andunder roller brackets that are mounted to the top of the two side walls. Once the beams are in position, the rest of the roof framing can be assembled to create a full box-frame for the roof panels to mount to. The roof panels are also made of formed aluminum sheets that interlock at the seams for complete water tightness. Depending on the observatory size, the

Wall assembly started

roof panels are a minimum of five pieces (four main sections plus a center roof cap). The roof panels are bolted together with stainless steel screws and neoprene washers to seal the mounting holes. Isolation Platform The isolation platform incorporates three pods that lift the whole platform off of the trailer floor. The pods are positioned through the three 6-inch holes that are drilled through the trailer floor. The isolation platform is made of steel

Wall assembly, built in shelf, shown on both sides

plate that is flame cut to its triangular shape. This shape allows maximum foot clearance for walking around the trailer. The weight is crucial in allowing the platform to remain stable when it is isolated from the trailer floor. Without the weight, the pier would be unstable, since top loading the pier with a heavy telescope would make the whole assembly top heavy. Remember that we had to support a 16-inch SCT on top of a height adjustable pier that would extend to 60 inches above the trailer floor.

10 Tr Te

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

PIER TECH’S STAR TRAVELER MOBILE OBSERVATORY

Roof framing assembly started; roof motor in top left

Road Vibration and Shock Isolation Platform You are probably wondering right about now, what happens to the bumps and shocks that you encounter while driving down the road and how they affect the telescope and mount that is attached to the pier? Well, we came up with something to eliminate that issue. We call it the vibration isolation platform. It’s another new product for us, created during the Star Traveler development. We use

Roof framing assembly, back view

helical isolators sandwiched between two plates – one plate mounting to the top of our pier, and the other supporting the mount and telescope. The number of isolators and isolator stiffness is dependent on the weight that the pier must support. The helical isolators allow the load to sway and return to the original position under bump and shock loads, but keep everything solid and stiff when shock and bump loads are not present.

Roof top view, with solar panel shown, roof closed

Azimuth Adjustment Included as a standard component with the Star Traveler is an azimuth adjustment adapter that allows rotation of the whole mount and telescope assembly 360 degrees. This is crucial to allowing quick polar alignment of the setup after parking the Star Traveler. Wiring There are many options available with the Star Traveler Mobile Observatory

ASTRONOMY PRODUCTS We are now a dealer for iOptron’s Alt-Azimuth mount, “The Cube”. One of the most functional and flexible mounts on the market!! Starting at Features Include: $243.00 • Heavy duty stainless steel tripod • Alt-Az Telescope Mount– The Cube™-- The only mount of its kind for ultimate rotation • Includes the GoToNovaTM Controller. The most intuitive controller on the market. • 50,000 object database plus 256 user-defined objects Check Out • The largest LCD screen on the market with 8 lines and Our Zhumell 21-character Hand Control with backlit LED buttons. • USB Port for PC Laptop control and firmware upgrades Dob Telescopes (ASCOM protocol) Affordable • Drive motor with 9-speed setting for precise tracking Quality • Dual-axis Servomotor • Standard-equipment AC connection (Optional DC adaptor 8 Inch - Only $324! available) 10 Inch - Only $499! • 32-Channel GPS • Payload: 7-11 lbs, depending on tubes and attachments 12 Inch - Only $799!

44 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

PIER TECH’S STAR TRAVELER MOBILE OBSERVATORY

Pier isolation pods deployed. Pier and scope isolated from Vibration and shock isolation platform trailer floor. Orange pads are fastened to pods – there is no need to crawl under observatory to place pads in position.

from an electrical standpoint, but among the electrical hookups that are standard is wiring of the pier isolation platform pods. The electrical system is powered with a 12-volt deep cycle battery and the battery is rechargeable by either an optional solar panel or a standard battery charger. The solar panel allows a more convenient means, and is free energy. It also allows the Star Traveler to be self-dependent if parked in a remote area. Controls An optional control package is available with the Star Traveler Mobile Observatory, as well as our Tele-Station2 and Tele-Station3 observatories. We call it the Advanced Observatory Controller. It offers push button control of the roof open/close and pier raise/lower, and the cloud sensor input functions to lower the pier and close the roof automatically, in sequence, if clouds show up. The controller also has an input for the mount parked position. It comes with industrial grade limit switches for roof open/close and pier up/down positional feedback to the controller. It also allows Wi-Fi and cell tower communication with the available optional modules. It is ASCOM compatible and works with CCD Autopilot software and ACP. It’s basically everything that you need to park the Star Traveler in a remote, safe site and operate it from

The solar panel is sized to power the motorized roof, the height adjustable pier, the pier isolation platform and the observatory controller with cloud sensor and weather station.

your home, thousands of miles away, or from your home with the Star Traveler parked on your driveway mere feet away! Summary The Star Traveler Mobile Observatory is a true mobile observatory in every sense. You can keep your telescope and mount attached to the pier and simply drive your whole astronomy setup to dark sky locations, fully assembled and ready to enjoy. Setup takes approximately 10 minutes and consists of simply securing the trailer and deploying the pier isolation system to start your observing sessions. It is available with many options including true remote operation. Since our first Star Traveler Mobile Observatory was delivered in November of 2007, a second Star Traveler has been delivered to Miami, Florida this past January, and we have sold and are producing even more units. It fills a niche for people who don’t live under very dark skies, and want to maximize precious viewing time, allowing easy and quick transition to dark sky sites and star parties. For those who want to share their passion for astronomy, it provides the opportunity to more easily bring astronomy to others at astronomy club outreach programs. Of course, the Star Traveler Mobile Observatory is also an excellent platform for professional research.

Roof Open, Pier raised. Meade LX200 16” SCT

Advanced observatory control package with roof and pier limit switches

Control module, Solar panel regulator, cloud sensor block and fuse box

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

APM’s MaxLoad Alt-Az Mount Knowing Something Special When You See It! By Mark Reik

Have you ever had one of those moments where you knew instantly you were dealing with something special? When it comes to astronomy gear, those special moments have happened to me several times, which actually isn’t much, since I’m a true equipment junkie. I had another of these moments this past December when I got my first chance to use the new MaxLoad Alt-Az mount from APM. It wasn’t just that odd sensation in my gut or head that cued me to the presence of something special. A telltale sign that also accompanies such experiences is being compelled to spend a lot of time just sitting down and analyzing. I’m not sure why this happens, but will speculate that it’s simply the result of natural curiosity – the need to understand what I’m experiencing. What makes this piece of equipment special? How did the designer and manufacturer do the things to set it apart? In the case of the MaxLoad mount, I didn’t come up with any revolutionary departure from the conventional. What I did find was extremely precise machining and a well conceived and implemented design. Alt-Az Mount Design Alt-az observing is nothing new, but as

with all the equipment we use to meet our ends, the alt-az class of mounts has seen many phases in its evolution. The first popular design used a cradle to support the scope. These were very intuitive to use, but had to employ offset axes to insure clearance when pointing near the zenith. Because of that, balance points could change and therefore became an issue to some. Other designs utilizing a single vertical or diagonal arm have also seen widespread use. Like many amateurs, I’ve tried them all. Like many others, I’ve found designs that utilize intersecting axes to best suit my needs. Some even offer the capability of using two or more scopes at the same time, which I find very handy. The APM MaxLoad Alt-Az Mount APM Telescopes’ Markus Ludes realized there was a void in the alt-az marketplace and has addressed it with an all new, from-the-ground-up design. Focusing on both the pros and cons of previous and current mounts, the MaxLoad was conceived. Load on the azimuth axis is easily distributed by using a large surface area; hence the MaxLoad’s large bearing. Doing

the same on the altitude axis would result in a very large mount, along with further distancing the two axes, which has consequences of its own. A roller bearing on the azimuth axis would result in too free of motion, resulting in uncontrollable movement with even the lightest touch. The elegantly simple solution for the altitude axis utilizes a 50-mm axial needle bearing that is preloaded by the weight of the beefy altitude housing and shafts. As payload is increased, so is the torque that can be applied at the instrument, since distance from the axis usually increases incrementally. In short, the forces oppose each other, resulting in remarkably linear ease of motion. The APM MaxLoad mount features the intersecting axes design. The azimuth axis utilizes an amazingly large, 180-mm (7.1-inch) PTFE bearing to provide maximum payload capacity, as well as a 45-mm needle bearing where the mount halves attach. I have seen mounts that rely on precision machine metal surfaces and lubricant for the bearing interface, as well as mounts that rely on PTFE bearings for load distribution. The former can be extremely smooth, but regardless of the shear strength of the lubricant, ultimate payload capacity is limited by the design. Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

APM’S MAXLOAD ALT-AZ MOUNT friction reducing where load cannot be distributed - a nice touch.

The latter design can increase payload, but is subject to roughness or wear over time if machined surface tolerances are not exacting. Ultra-precise machining, when combined with a PTFE bearing, is simply hard to beat. Payload goes way up, while motions remain smooth and predictable. In the case of the APM MaxLoad mount, the small bearing where the mount halves attach provides an appropriate method of

Testing the MaxLoad Mount I opted not to play fair with the mount during my initial evaluation. That was done by not using any counterweight at all while installing a 30-pound Intes-Micro MN76. I’ll be honest - I expected to feel a bit of stiction when first applying pressure to induce movement in the azimuth axis. Many mounts may seem to move smoothly after motion is already under way, but getting them started often results in a ‘jump,’ requiring more initial force than that needed to continue motion. This often results in a tendency to

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overshoot the intended target. I ended up trying the motion of the azimuth axis several times, because I wasn’t feeling what I had expected to feel. Not only was there no jump or ‘stiction’ to begin a motion, there was also no ‘stick’ to end it! I moved on to the altitude axis and experienced the same results. To me, that’s a characteristic that’s consistent with every really nice alt-az mount I’ve had the pleasure of using. What I had not seen before was that result with zero counterweights and at 30 pounds no less! At the Eyepiece I thought that was nice, but know full well anything less than the smoothest of motions will rear its ugly head most clearly at the eyepiece’s tiny field of view. I had to wait a couple of weeks for clear skies before a chance to give the same mount/scope combination a run for its money in a real world application. Initial testing had been performed

APM’S MAXLOAD ALT-AZ MOUNT indoors on carpet. The concrete surface I selected for the at-the-eyepiece test was going to be more demanding. I thought about adding vibration suppression pads under the tripod (an Oberwerk HD surveyor tripod), but opted not to in order to continue with the ‘testing under the most adverse conditions’ theme. The most remarkable comment I can offer about that observing session is that there were no singular, remarkable moment – the mount simply got out of the way and allowed me to enjoy the viewing experience. After about half an hour of concentrating on the motions of stars before, during, and after a slew, I found myself fully absorbed with enjoyment of the quality of images that the Intes Micro MN76 is capable of providing. The MaxLoad mount is one of those rare pieces of astronomy equipment that reveals its quality by doing what it does while never bringing attention to itself. I can’t think of any higher praise.

Conclusion As proprietor of Teton Telescopes, I was already very proud to be a full service dealer of APM’s unique line of premium astronomical products. My experience with the MaxLoad mount satisfies me that our customers will share my appreciation

of its performance and value. Indeed, I was so excited about this new product that I asked ATT to permit me to share my experience in these pages, until such time as it can publish the independent impressions of a fellow astro-gear enthusiast. Clear skies!

Specifications: MOUNT: Base diameter 180 mm/7.1 inch. Horizontal axis: 50-mm shaft diameter Stainless Steel V2A, 50-mm ID axial needle bearings. Vertical axis: 180 mm/7.1 inch on PTFE bearing. Mount halves attached via preloaded 45-mm /1.772-inch axial needle bearing. Telescope attachment arm: diameter 60 mm/2.362 inch AlMgSi1. Distance from center of mount to end of arm: 200 mm/7.874 inch. Height from base to top of alt adj/lock screw: 160 mm/6.3 inch.

Length from side of counterweight shaft attachment to end of telescope arm: 305 mm/12 inch. The telescope arm features two M6 threaded holes with center to center spacing of 35 mm. Weight: 8.15 kg/17.93 lbs. COUNTERWEIGHT SHAFT: Stainless Steel V2A. Diameter: 30 mm. Length: 277 mm/11.9 inch. Weight 1600 grams/3.52 lbs.

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OBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMY FOR THE VISUALLY-IMPAIRED Technical Advances and Mainstream Products Help a Dedicated Astronomer Remain an Active and Engaged Observer By Mark Stephenson

It was early September, 2003, and the opposition of Mars was fast approaching. I had some good laughs at the emails some of my non-astronomy friends had sent me asking if I knew about the impending approach of Mars, and how it would be as large as the full moon. Still, I knew this would be one of the special oppositions where Mars really would be close enough so that amateur astronomers were eagerly anticipating spectacular views of polar caps and surface details on the Red Planet. There was only one problem, I had lost most of my central vision – in fact, I was legally blind. As a research scientist serving on active duty in the USAF, I had volunteered for Hazardous Duty which involved my serv-

ing as a “human crash dummy.” I worked in the Air Force laboratory which developed and tested ejection seats for high performance aircraft. After over 100 ejection seat tests, I noticed a distortion in my visual field. Being an active amateur astronomer and pretty well versed in physiological optics, I knew right away things were not “okay-dokey.” Apparently I had an undetected genetic weakness in my retina which was exacerbated by the experimental impacts I sustained. We’ve all noticed the “graying” of amateur astronomers. It turns out that my visual capabilities are similar to those of someone with age-related macular degeneration (one of the leading causes of blindness). I want to share my story with other readers of Astronomy Technology Today. In telling my story, I hope to encourage those who might develop this – or any other disability – not to give up astronomy as a hobby. With

today’s technology, there are tools and equipment which can be brought to bear to keep you at the eyepiece. None of the tools or equipment which I use are uniquely designed for a visually-impaired observer. In fact, ATT readers will probably be familiar with most of them. But, when combined, they have given me the ability to continue to observe just about every object a normallysighted person can observe. So, here it was, summer of 2003. I had not used my 14.5-inch f/6 Dobsonian since Comet Shoemaker-Levy plowed into Jupiter nine years earlier. In the nine years since observing Shoemaker-Levy, my telescope sat in the garage, gathering dust, while I became an armchair astronomer, and not much of one at that. I just didn’t see how I could pursue my love of astronomy as my central vision went from 20/20 to less than 20/400. But, as the autumn of 2003 rolled around, I thought about Mars and wondered just exactly what I could see with my remaining vision. Even though I didn’t have much central vision to speak of, I had reasonably good Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

OBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMY FOR THE VISUAL-IMPAIRED peripheral vision. The 2003 Mars opposition did not prove disappointing. In fact, I found myself amazed both at how much I missed observing, and how much I enjoyed what I still could see. I compared my views of Mars through my 14.5-inch Dob with those I experienced with a high quality 6-inch Newtonian during the 1969 close opposition of Mars. I was thrilled to discover I could still pick out Syrtis Major and a polar cap. Okay, so I couldn’t see the details my wife could, but how many of you remember your first exciting views of Mars, the other planets, and the moon through a “smaller” telescope? I felt like kicking myself for having abandoned observing and resolved to renew my pursuit of amateur astronomy. It turns out Rip van Winkle had nothing on me. Much had changed in the nine years that had elapsed since I put my old telescope to bed. Do you remember the first time you saw a green laser pointer? I went to a public star gaze at a local park.When someone turned on their laser pointer, I

turned around expecting to see Luke Skywalker. I had a lot of catching up to do. But where should I start? One look at my mirror and I knew the first step was to get it recoated. It was 13 years old and badly in need of recoating. It was my very good fortune to live just a few miles from Richard (Dick) Wessling, a professional optician and expert telescope maker. I had heard of Dick through a mutual friend and active telescope maker, Ron Ravneberg, but I had never met him. I called Dick to introduce myself, and he suggested I bring the mirror over to let him test it before I sent it off for re-coating. A few days later, he called me with the results. My first question to him was, “Did you test the front or back of the mirror?” Dick then offered to help me get back into the hobby, and this began the start of an exciting journey to acquire a telescope and accessories that would meet the needs of a visually impaired observer. I knew that, in order to effectively utilize my residual vision, I needed to have excellent optics. I found this argument worked

quite well with my wife on other things as well: e.g., “Honey, in order to watch TV, I need a large-screen TV.” But, I digress. In addition to optical considerations, there were mechanical issues too. Simple things like installing the truss tubes in the right order, and mounting the mirror cage, were things I could not do without assistance. Although my wife, Carol, has recently become an enthusiastic amateur astronomer, and was always there to help, I wanted to be able to do these things for myself. My wife and I considered having Dick Wessling re-do our mirror and modify our telescope, but in the end it turned out that Dick had a 15-inch f/5.5 Dob for sale that met our needs. Besides having excellent optics, it had a onepiece truss assembly, shown in Image 1. With this design, I could easily and quickly disassemble and reassemble the telescope by myself. So far, so good. Now, how do I find stuff? That’s a good question for all of us. But, it was a particular challenge for me because I am unable to see constellation pat-

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OBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMY FOR THE VISUAL-IMPAIRED Image 1

terns. Being a long-time amateur astronomer, I know the order and location of the constellations, and many of the brightest stars. I also know how the brightest stars should appear with respect to their color and brightness. Still, I find it is very useful for me to plan an observing session by using a planetarium software program to fine tune my orientation to the sky before an observing session. I’m currently using Stellarium, but have told Santa Claus I wouldn’t mind getting a more powerful planetarium program. Because I have a wide-screen 32-inch monitor and special software for the visually impaired, I’m able to navigate my way around a computer screen quite well. So, I find planetarium programs very useful. After confirming which objects are available to observe, I still have to find them. At various times, I make use of a laser pointer, a Telrad, and a 12X60 right angle finder. We also installed a Sky Commander on our scope. Perhaps I should say, John Pratte, one of the other members of our astronomy club, the Mid-Western Astronomers, installed the Sky Commander. My wife won’t let me use power tools any more (go figure). However, finding alignment stars proved to be an unexpected challenge. Polaris is not visible from where we usually observe, so I must locate not just one, but two guide stars that are reasonably far apart. Capella, Aldebaran, Betelgeux, Sirius, Deneb, Vega, Altair, Spica, Antares,

Regulus, Pollux, no problem. Hmmm, is that Castor or Pollux? And, maybe it’s just me, but where the heck are Zaurak, Zozma, and Ras Alhague? Beats me. My wife is just starting to learn the night sky, so finding guide stars is not always easy for her either. To solve this problem, we got a Celestron Sky Scout and attached a laser pointer to it. With this arrangement, it’s not a problem for the two of us to find guide stars. However, that is only a partial solution. I want to be able to find objects by myself, and I can’t read the screens on the Sky Commander or the Sky Scout. I think a solution is just around the corner. We bought a Meade mySKY. One of its nicer features is that it will speak the names of objects it finds. I’m waiting for a third party vendor to produce an attachment for a laser pointer. Then, I’ll mount the mySKY on a tripod, and get a laser pointer with a button that can switch the laser on. When the mySKY announces that an object has been found, I can turn on the laser pointer. Then, I’ll be able to use the laser pointer on our telescope to bring the object into the eyepiece field of view. I should note that in place of the more common 5-mw green lasers, I use 20- to 30mw lasers. The extra power definitely increases the laser beam visibility. In a light polluted area, or at twilight, the additional power may make the difference in whether or not the beam is visible to me. Laser specifications are also important to me when collimating my primary and secondary mirrors. Howie Glatter manufactures a 635-nm red laser collimator. This is noticeably easier for me to see than the typical 650-nm red laser pointer (which Howie also manufactures). Still, collimating is on the edge of my visual abilities. I probably should switch to one of Howie’s 532-nm green laser collimators (another present from Santa?).

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OBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMY FOR THE VISUAL-IMPAIRED Image 2

I’m sure it will come as no surprise to ATT readers that wide-field eyepieces make a huge difference in my observing experience. With no central vision, the wide field of view is nothing short of essential for me. This is where a good star party can really help. Before plunking down an automobile payment for an eyepiece, it’s nice to try one out. I have found that I do most of my observing with a Tele Vue 2X PowerMate and four eyepieces: 9-mm, 13-mm, and 22-mm Tele Vue Naglers, and a 30-mm Arcturus UWA. We all know that the brain “sees” better with binocular views. This past year I added a bino-viewer to our gadget bag. Alas, on our telescope, it can’t be used without a Barlow, so low power viewing is not possible. But it works great at higher powers. On nights when seeing permits powers greater than 300X, it definitely has its place. In particular, it provides lunar views that are breathtaking. I won’t take the space here to describe some of the nuances associated with bino-viewing, but readers can feel free to contact me for additional details. With only peripheral vision, focusing is also a challenge. I’ve found that a Feather Touch focuser is more than just a “nice to have” accessory. Aside from its low profile, its smooth motion enables me to rack in and out of focus without vibrating or jarring the visual field. Its fine focus

54 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

capability is also extremely smooth and lets me make those frequent focusing tweaks and adjustments that are necessary for planetary viewing. For me, filters are especially useful. My visual impairment (as is also the case with impairment due to age-related macular degeneration) reduces both contrast and color separation. I make it a point to stay abreast of what filters are out there. Such efforts have paid off as I find that the two filters I use most often are not the most commonly seen filters. For nebulae such as the Veil, M42, M8, and M27, I get the best results with an Astronomik UHC. For Mars, I get the best results with a Sirius Optics Planetary Contrast Filter. Everyone’s eyes and observing circumstances are unique, so trial and error can be especially valuable in picking out filters. Carol and I use one of Tom Ozypowski's (Equatorial Platforms) dual-axis aluminum platform to track objects. When I’m by myself, a tracking platform is more than just “nice-to-have.” Switching eyepieces, filters, and other gadgets can take enough time so that, even with wide-angle eyepieces, objects can drift away. To some, it might appear as if our particular tracking platform is overkill. But, we are planning for the future. Eventually, we want to be able to observe remotely on my wide-screen monitor from inside our house. Having a dualaxis platform with a remote control is essential. Hmmm, speaking of remote controls, I guess Santa will have to bring that new remote control for Feather Touch focusers. That Santa is going to be a busy fellow! So far, all of the accessories and attachments I’ve discussed are commercially available off-the-shelf items. Our telescope does have one custom-fabricated item. I need to be able to move the telescope from the

garage to the patio by myself. I don’t feel comfortable lifting the mirror box and rocker box on and off of the tracking platform without assistance. Once again, fellow Mid-Western Astronomer, John Pratte, came to the rescue. John designed and fabricated an aluminum base on which to mount the tracking platform. The base can then be firmly attached to the rocker box and is shown in Image 2. The base also has a steel axle and pneumatic tires which enable me to easily roll the telescope out to our patio without needing to disassemble the telescope. This base only weighs a few pounds and, because of John’s ingenious design, it adds less than 2 inches to the height of the telescope. When taking the telescope out to a dark observing site, everything can easily be disassembled, or the base can be used to hold the tracking platform and rocker box together so they can be moved as one unit. The reader may be wondering why I’ve not just chosen to get a go-to telescope. First, in order to see much of anything, I need a lot of aperture. As the saying goes, aperture rules. The closest go-to which would match the visual performance of our 15-inch Newtonian would be a 16-inch SCT. It’s fair to say that our scope and accessories cost only a fraction of a comparably outfitted 16-inch SCT go-to telescope. Moreover, I can move our telescope by myself. The same cannot be said for a 16-inch SCT. Finally, I’d be willing to bet a Nagler that our 15-inch Newtonian will visually out-perform current commercially available 16-inch SCTs. So, how well does all of this stuff of ours work? Well, during Mars’ recent opposition, even though it was considerably smaller than during the 2003 opposition, I could still pick out Syrtis Major and other surface detail. In fact, when viewing was favorable, I could pick out not just the North Polar Cap, but also the much smaller South Polar Cap. Not bad for a blind guy! If you have questions for Mark please email info@astronomytechnologytoday.com and they will be forwarded to him.

Tele Vue’s

Ethos If Tele Vue introduced an eyepiece with a wider apparent field of view, it would have to come with a rear-view mirror! By Vic Menard

I’ve always been a big advocate of Tele Vue’s Nagler eyepieces and the Paracorr coma corrector. I find that combining the two with modern fast focus Newtonians delivers a synergistic optical improvement that’s difficult, if not impossible, to duplicate with other eyepieces. I purchased my first Nagler eyepiece at the 1987 Texas Star Party (TSP), a 13-mm Type 1 that would change my expectations of wide-field performance forever. As I recall, two years later, back at the Texas Star Party, Tom Clark and I got a sneak peek at an early production Paracorr. But at f/5, in my 20-inch Dobsonian and Tom’s 25incher, I didn’t realize the full impact of how this new accessory would help evolve the Dobsonian telescope. Ten years later, I sold my custom 20-inch Tectron Dobsonian and took delivery on a 22-inch f/4 StarMaster - and with a Paracorr and a 31-mm Type 5 Nagler - enjoyed the ultimate “richest field” experience. Over the years my Type 1 and Type 2 Naglers have been replaced with Type 5s and Type 6s , and I replaced my StarMaster 22 with a new StarStructure 22 last year. But in April of 2007, the discussion boards were hinting that something special from Tele Vue would be announced at the

Northeast Astronomy Forum, and on the 28th of April, the 100-degree apparent field of view 13-mm Ethos eyepiece was introduced, and Tele Vue had “done it again.” Field reports followed from TSP and the Riverside Telescope Makers Conference in June, and I read my first Ethos review a few days later in Cloudy Nights Forums, an online discussion board. It took three more months to find out the anticipated selling price, $620. Ethos reviews continued to filter in from select “testers” across the country, and in late August, Sky and Telescope magazine rated the Ethos optical performance as 5 stars, “Sensibly perfect. No meaningful improvements possible.” I hadn’t looked through one yet - but I already wanted one! I attended the Peach State Star Gaze (PSSG) from October 10th through the 14th. This was the first year the event would be held at the Deerlick Astronomy Village about 90 miles east of Atlanta, and the weather gods were kind - the skies were spectacular! The scuttlebutt at the site was that one of the PSSG attendees had an Ethos with him, and I was motivated to find out who, and to see if I could beg, borrow, or steal a few minutes of “Ethos time.” As luck would have it, John and Jane

Kuehn were quite interested in my new 22inch StarStructure, and we ended up spending several hours observing together. What’s particularly interesting about this chance meeting is that John had made his Ethos purchase, from Camera Concepts, at the star party on the day I arrived! What’s even more interesting is that he didn’t buy just one - not when he could have two at twice the price - John and Jane are Denkmeier fans! We observed until we were exhausted, and then we observed some more. I think the most memorable view was M57, it truly felt like I was floating in space above the nebula - the telescope had disappeared! I ordered my Ethos eyepiece when I returned home, an early Christmas present from my wife, Lynne. Unfortunately, success breeds backorders, and mine arrived after Christmas, but well in advance of The Winter Star Party. At the 2008 Winter Star Party, I hooked up with Bob Gulley, a fellow Local Group astronomy club member who was also at the PSSG and who, like me, ordered and took delivery of his Ethos eyepiece within days of mine. Together, we approached Mike Harvey and convinced him to remove the MallinCam from his 28-inch StarStructure and load up our two Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

TELE VUE’S ETHOS Ethos eyepieces in his Denkmeier binoviewer, recreating the PSSG experiment. The rest, as they say, is history, and is why I find myself writing this review. Of course, Lynne and I, and several friends from the Charlotte Amateur Astronomers Club, spent a fabulous night observing with the new Ethos in the 22-inch StarStructure (single eyepiece, monocular view), collecting views of diffuse nebulae (NGC2467, 2359), galaxies (NGC3115, 4565, 4631, 5128, M51, M83), globulars (M5, M13, M92, Omega Centauri), planetary nebulae (NGC2437, 2440, 3132, 3242), a variety of open clusters, a few carbon stars and color doubles, and of course, Saturn (but we bumped the magnification up to 370X with a 7-mm Type 6 Nagler for a tack-sharp, Winter Star Party, planetary view.) I feel pretty confident we'll be discussing this observing session with the Ethos eyepiece in great detail at the Southern Star star party hosted by CAAC this April. Looking back over my “Ethos time”, I have a few personal observations. First, there’s been a lot of discussion about Ethos reviews containing too much emotion and the need for more dispassionate, objective commentary. Don’t count on it. The immersive view delivered by the Ethos’ 100-degree field of view combined with its amazing clarity and pinpoint definition is like putting an IMAX in your telescope. Simply stated - nothing compares. Until you’ve actually looked through one, you can’t imagine the difference. Al Nagler calls it “The Majesty Factor.” I call it “The Tele Vue Advantage” - and it keeps getting better, and better... Second, there’s been some discussion about the eye relief of the Ethos (15mm) and the ability of the observer to “see” the entire field of view. My first experience with the Ethos at the Peach State Star Gaze was moving into the field of view, and at about 80-degrees apparent field of view - you know, a Nagler field of view - realizing I hadn’t moved in all the way yet! As I moved fully into the pupil, I could clearly see a sharply defined edge encircling the field of view. I could still see parts of the front cage of the scope peripherally beyond the edge

o ir

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f f

TELE VUE’S ETHOS

Majesty Factor Visualization: 13-mm Ethos (left) and 26-mm Plössl (right) have same true field of the Double Cluster. But Ethos has twice the power factor and four times the contrast factor. Ethos therefore has a Majesty Factor of eight relative to the Plössl's Majesty Factor of one. For reference, the 0.9° true field shown could be produced by a 14" f/4 telescope using the 100° Ethos at 109x with a 3.2mm exit pupil or the 26-mm 50° Plössl at 55x with a 6.5mm exit pupil. (Image and text courtesy of Tele Vue.)

of the field of view. I also noticed that the entire field of view was so well resolved that I naturally started “looking around” to critically examine the abundant detail. At the Winter Star Party, Mike Harvey and I compared views in a 20-mm Nagler and a 13mm Ethos and were surprised to find the true field differed by about 0.1-degree, while the magnification with the Ethos was fully 50-percent greater! The increase in detail and contrast was so obvious it left us both a bit overwhelmed. Finally, yes - you can binoview two Ethos eyepieces. But if you want to look at

anything other than the bright stuff, you’re going to want to have some serious aperture to throw at this combination. I felt like the light was being drained out of my 22inch scope. Mike’s 28 seemed to have more than enough aperture to really go deep with the binoviewer Ethos combo. Be forewarned - with the binoviewer Ethos combo, the edge of the field of view seems to expand out beyond the peripheral view of the front cage and the scope really does get out of the way. It’s a view you may decide you absolutely must have. It’s certainly a view you’ll never forget!

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Poor skies don’t have to keep you from observing! By Erik Wilcox

One of the most frustrating things that many of us as amateur astronomers have to deal with is light pollution. Traveling to darker skies is the obvious solution, but with a busy schedule and little free time, this isn’t always an option during the week. In large metropolitan areas, dark skies can be hours away, so even weekend trips aren’t always feasible. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, my local sky conditions are very poor, and even mediocre skies are over an hour away. From my home, the Milky Way is never visible, and light domes dominate the horizon in every direction. Yet, 90 percent of my viewing is done at this spot. I’ve found several tricks for insuring productive observing sessions even under these challenging conditions. The most important strategy is getting one’s eyes dark adapted. It’s really not pos-

sible to get fully adapted in severe light pollution, but what does help is choosing a viewing spot that’s free from lights shining directly in your eyes. In order to make adaptation easier, I often wear an eyepatch over my observing eye prior to going outside. Glasses with red lenses are also available and help maintain dark adaptation. Another strategy I've found effective is to observe after sleeping. Sometimes, I get up early before dawn to observe, and these are often my most productive sessions. If avoiding a direct light is impossible, a light shield or observing hood can also help. An extension shield, like those used on SCT’s as dew shields, can also help block stray light from reaching the eyepiece and most mass produced Newtonians would benefit from an extension/dew shield. For maximum effectiveness, the dew shield should extend out far enough so that the total dis-

tance from the secondary mirror to the end of the shield is twice the size of the scope’s primary mirror. For example, on an 8-inch scope with an OTA that extends 6 inches past the secondary mirror, you’d want a dew shield that extends out another 10 inches, for a total of 16 inches (twice the size of the 8-inch mirror). This is just a guideline, of course, and care should be taken to avoid the dew shield “sagging” into the light path. But using one certainly helps avoid ambient light sources entering the OTA. In skies where there are light domes everywhere, I’ve found it best to concentrate on objects nearest the zenith. This obviously limits the number of potential objects I can view at any given time, but since this type of observing is done at home, I can go out at a moment’s notice and view for a short period of time if I wish. Another benefit of observing near the

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VIEWING IN SUBURBIA zenith is that there is less atmospheric turbulence to look through. So, the views will always be better than viewing the same object low in the sky. I also enjoy observing after a good rain, when there tends to be less dust and debris in the air. Of course, I’ll gladly view on any clear night, regardless of the seeing and transparency conditions! There’s an old myth floating around that says that aperture is “wasted” in light polluted skies. Nothing could be further from the truth. A large scope collects more light than a small scope, so objects will always be brighter. While it is true that the background sky will also be brighter, I’ve found that using more magnification on certain objects (like brighter galaxies) can dim the background sky, while still leaving the object visible. With a scope of medium or large aperture, many different varieties of showpiece objects can look nice in poor skies. Globular Clusters, many open clusters, and bright planetary nebulae stand up especially well to light pollution. Certain

60 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

brighter, condensed galaxies also stand up fairly well. Dim, extended objects are usually affected most by light pollution. Sometimes, even greater aperture cannot overcome the effect of light pollution on these objects. Filters can offer a huge improvement, though, in my opinion, this improvement is usually limited to nebulous objects. Broadband filters are thought of as being able to improve galaxies and star clusters, but I’ve never found that to be the case. In fact, on those objects, the view is usually better without the filter. A narrowband and/or OIII filter can help substantially on nebula in severe light pollution. Even in a mag-4 sky, objects like M42 look almost photographic in my 16-inch Dob with a narrowband or OIII filter. As I mentioned earlier, brighter planetary nebulae can be viewed in light polluted skies, and an OIII filter really helps on many of these objects. Nebula filters don’t make the object brighter; rather, they can increase the con-

trast by blocking out certain wavelengths of light, and only allowing specific wavelengths to come through. Of course, the moon and bright planets are good targets, even in bright skies. Even though I’m more of a DSO guy, I always take advantage of any visible planets, and the large amount of detail that they have to offer. Double stars are always an option as well. Light pollution is actually a primary reason for my interest in double stars, as I first started observing them because of the limited number of other objects I could see in these conditions. But now I enjoy them quite a bit, and though my eyes are somewhat color challenged, I’ve gotten better at discerning the different hues. Although light pollution can limit the number and quality of objects you can see on any given night, it doesn’t have to stop you from observing altogether. And regular viewing under these conditions makes those dark sky trips even more precious!

RS-Spectroscope The affordable solution to decoding the messages in starlight By Dave Snay

Rigel Systems has long been known for useful and well-constructed astronomical accessories. Therefore, when I heard that it had developed a spectroscope (the product name is RSSpectroscope), I thought it would be interesting to try one. Knowing almost nothing about spectroscopy, I decided I should learn at least something about the science before the RS-spectroscope arrived. The Rigel web page, http://www.rigelsys.com, provides several references to information regarding spectroscopy. There is a great deal of helpful information, both on Rigel’s site, as well as on the links it provides. Rather than going into all the details of spectroscopy and risking reproducing everything I read, I will just say I learned how the

spectra of any given object provides insight to it’s composition as well as temperature, rotation, relative velocity and ionization, and indirectly its luminosity, mass, age and distance. When I first opened the box I saw what looked like a 45-degree diagonal that someone tried to straighten out. My first thoughts were something like, “What the heck is this thing?” and “What are those thumbscrews for?” Well, it turns out that you attach the RS-Spectroscope to the top of any flat topped eyepiece by removing the eye-cup of the eyepiece and then using the thumbscrews to fasten it to the ring that formerly held the eye-cup. Rigel recommends an eyepiece with long

eye relief such as a Tele Vue 55mm Plossl, which is available as a package with the RSSpectroscope. I successfully used various Meade Plossls. As you can see from the image above, the RS-Spectroscope is really just a barrel with a 23-degree angle. There are three thumbscrews near the bottom. Inside the barrel is a permanently mounted grating protected by two plates of glass. Included with the RS-Spectroscope is a widener, seen in Image 2 on the following page, which inserts into the opening and serves Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

RIGEL SYSTEMS RS-SPECTROSCOPE

Image 2 to widen the image of the spectrum into spectral lines. Depending on what you want to do, you can use the RS-Spectroscope in either configuration. If you want to see the range of light wavelengths being emitted or reflected by an object, then you can

leave the widener out. If instead you want to see the spectral lines, then insert the widener. By widening the image, the spectral lines can be seen much more easily, allowing you to determine which wavelengths are either not present or are being absorbed by the object. To use the RS-Spectroscope, simply locate and focus the object normally, then attach the RS-Spectroscope to the eyepiece barrel using the three thumbscrews. Now you can look through the RSSpectroscope with your eye aligned with the angle of the barrel to see the spectrum. If you look through the RSSpectroscope with your eye aligned with the telescope, you will see a fainter view of the image left by the light that is not spread by the grating.

The barrel has that angle to it for a reason. The grating spreads about twothirds of the incoming light at about a 23-degree angle. The rest of the light exits straight out the barrel. This allows you to leave the RS-Spectroscope in place when moving from target to target. Because some of the light is not spread, it is best to start out with bright objects like Sirius and Vega until you're better practiced at locating targets. I started with Sirius and then moved to Betelgeuse and some fainter stars in the area. I chose stars of varying colors to see if their obvious color differences produced different spectra. Each star produced spectra with a slightly different range of colors and spectral lines. It was very intriguing to see the differences displayed. After a few stars, I targeted the Orion Nebula. The image produced there was a huge surprise. I saw red, green and blue images of the nebula, representing the

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RIGEL SYSTEMS RS-SPECTROSCOPE Image 3

brightest emission lines of the nebula. That explains why the nebula shows varying detail depending upon which narrowband filter you use for viewing and imaging. That was very cool to see and learn. The RS-Spectrometer can also be used for scientific research. All you need is a digital camera that can achieve focus at very short distance as well as allow several second exposures, and an adapter which will hold the camera in place for afocal imaging. For example, you can easily determine the composition of an object by capturing a spectral image and then analyzing the data either manually or through software packages available on-line. The process of capturing suitable images is not complicated. You simply locate your object, attach the camera, turn off tracking and fire away. The reason you need to turn off tracking is to allow the spectral image to widen a little

bit as the star drifts, so that you end up with a wide enough image to easily identify the lines. Unfortunately, my digital camera is not up to the task, so I was unable to directly perform any research. However, I saw many images during my research for the project that were taken using a Nikon Coolpix and the manual for the RS-Spectroscope contains images taken with a Coolpix-995. Image 3 is a montage of images provided to me by the good folks at Rigel. As you can see, each star produced very different results. It is also pretty easy to see why stars like Betelgeuse and Aldebaran appear so red in the sky, while Sirius looks more blue. Conclusions If you are interested in the science of spectroscopy, the RS-Spectroscope can be a very useful tool. It provides clear and clean spectral images with little effort. The ability to acquire new objects with-

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out removing the RS-Spectroscope is a very nice feature. It will save you time when moving to new objects and you’ll be able to keep the spectroscope-eyepiece combination together if you decide you want to switch between traditional viewing and spectroscopy in one session. There are two design decisions regarding the RS-Spectroscope that I question: the potential for glass to metal contact between the top of the eyepiece and the glass that protects the grating, and the three-screw method of attaching the spectroscope to the eyepiece. The first seems likely to damage the protective glass over time and the second can mark the top of the eyepiece where the three set-screws contact the inside of the eyecup retaining lip. I suspect any damage to the protective glass will be outside the light cone and therefore of no real consequence and that any marks left on the eyepiece by the set-screws will not be visible when the eye cup is re-installed (but

you’ll know they are there). The marking on your eyepiece can be prevented by adding rubber caps to the set-screws or by replacing the set-screws with replacements made of Delrin or Nylon (the materials used to make many of the mounting-screws used in guide scope rings). Neither of these issues had any effect on the usefulness of the spectroscope and you will likely dedicate one eyepiece to this task, so the marks there will not matter. One thing I haven’t mentioned is how immensely popular the RSSpectroscope will be at star parties. If you have one of these trained on a nice bright star, you will most likely have the longest line of all the stations. Kids will be clamoring for a look once the first few start spreading the word about “the totally cool colors you can see in that guy’s telescope.” Who knows, you might just inspire some budding astronomer to study spectroscopy!

Return of the Original "Newtonian" Vixen Optics Introduces Historically Correct Replica of Isaac Newton’s Original Reflector Telescope By Brian Deis

As a telescope enthusiast I am personally thrilled that Vixen Optics has introduced a historically correct replica of Isaac Newton’s original reflector telescope. This limited edition telescope replicates the material and handmade technology that existed in Newton’s era and allows the owner to view the skies as Newton did in 1672 with this operational replica. It’s an amazing piece of technology, blending Newton’s ground breaking design with today’s state of the art optics. The Newtonian replica comes complete with a fully functional optical tube incorporating Vixen’s highest quality mirror technology, two eyepieces and an ash wood globe pedestal mount. The complete package is wrapped in waxed parchment paper reminiscent of the era and enclosed in an antique style cargo box. Prior to Newton’s introduction of his reflector, refractor types telescopes focused the various colors of light at different loca-

tions from the lens, which produced chromatic aberration (color blur). Attempts to correct this produced longer telescopes that were difficult to stabilize and focus. Newton realized the limit of the telescopes that existed and searched for a solution. An 1866 graduate of Cambridge University, Newton’ solution was driven by a breakthrough discovery about telescope design. He realized that the color spectrum was seen when light passes through a prism. At first, Newton predicted that this “rainbow,” which consisted of different colors, was not due to the characteristic of the prism, but due to the characteristic of the light. He also reasoned that a white-colored light was a combination of light rays of different colors. Next, he discovered that the white light split into the rays that have different foci as it entered the prism. Finally, he discovered that the size of the spectrum depended on the prism. He concluded that when a weak prism was used, light was

bent by a small angle and the rays of different colors were dispersed in a short spectrum, but when a prism which deflected light at a large angle was used, the dispersion of the color spectrum also became large. The conclusion drawn from these observations by Newton was based on the refractory telescope designed by Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens, who discovered Saturn's moon, Titan, in 1655. The refractory telescope was limited in its performance due to the objective lens used. Since the light from a star focused at different locations from the lens, chromatic aberration was inevitably created. Also, the focal distance became longer if a weak prism was used to reduce the color blur.. Even if the telescope were designed with great precision, or if an excellent lens was manufactured, the telescope required great length to produce better optical performance.

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RETURN OF THE ORIGINAL “NEWTONIAN” Based on these parameters, Newton created his reflecting-type telescope. His solution was to use a concave mirror to collect light and focus the light at one point instead of using a prism. A lens focuses the various wavelengths of light at different focal points, but a mirror focuses the light at a single focal point. Thus, the Newtonian telescope does not create the chromatic aberration produced with the refracting telescope. There had been earlier attempts to design a telescope made of a mirror instead of lens. An Italian physicist, Nicolas Zucchi, and a French mathematician, Marin Mersenne, wrote theoretical papers about a telescope made with a mirror. However, their theories were not satisfactory since a mirror reflected the light that hit it and required an observer to look in the mirror to see the images. Consequently, the observer’s head blocked the light coming from sky. Newton found a solution to the problem in which a small secondary mirror was placed above the mirror to reflect light one more time. After solving these problems, the Newton telescope was presented to the Royal Society Conference in 1672. The Royal Society was impressed with Newton’s design and he was elected as a special member of the Royal Conference. For more than 60 years prior to this invention, astronomers were striving to explore the universe by increasing the size of Galilean telescopes while still realizing the limitations of a refractory telescope. The stellar images obtained by this telescope were always blurry, because no sophisticated lens manufacturing technology existed at the time. In addition, the field of view of the telescope became significantly narrower as the magnification increased. Despite this disadvantage, the refracting-type telescopes continued to improve as a result of German astronomer Johannes Kepler’s design in which two convex lenses were combined and by an improvement made by Huygens. But the improvement always required a large optical tube. In

66 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

RETURN OF THE ORIGINAL “NEWTONIAN” 1656, for example, a telescope designed by Huygens had an enormous length of 37 meters. Scientists were unable to develop improvements that could be made on a giant telescope because of its size rather than the optical limitations. Newton’s reflecting telescope, with a compact size of only 30 centimeters, was unprecedented and made the giant-sized telescopes obsolete. It was the beginning of a new era in telescope design that has blossomed into the incredible range of technology available to astronomers today. The introduction of the Vixen Optics limited edition replica is a unique opportunity for any enthusiast (like myself!) who will find that it is both a beautiful conversation piece warranting a position of honor in the library and a fully functional telescope that will draw a crowd at any star party. The Newton telescope is available from Vixen dealers in the US and Canada. For a dealer list visit www.vixenoptics.com.

Specifications: Optical Tube Type: Flexible-Tube Focus Adjustment Type Primary Mirror Diameter: 70 mm Focal Distance: 280 mm Magnification: 14x (K 20 mm) / 28x (K 10 mm) Optical Tube Material: Aluminum Alloy Coating: Triple-layer antique color hand-coating Mount Type: Globe Pedestal Mount Material: Pure ash Coating: Antique-color varnish Storage Box Material: Plywood Coating: Antique cargo box coating Optical Tube Length: About 300 mm Optical Tube Diameter: 90 mm Globe Diameter: 100 mm Pedestal Diameter 220 mm Total Height: About 305 mm (Optical tube at horizontal position) Storage Box: Width 370 mm X Height 355 mm X Depth 240 mm

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ASTRO TIPS tips, tricks and novel solutions Think Betsy Ross’ Mob Cap for Cleaner Optics By Robert Royce My wife says it looks like Betsy Ross’s mob cap, but I call it the breather cap. It’s a cloth cap with an elastic band sewn into the perimeter that fits over the open end of a closed-tube reflecting telescope. Think of it as a shower cap made of loose, black, cotton cloth that allows air to pass through when a fan is sucking in, but filters dust, pollen and other debris out. Dust and dirt on your optics is not recommended and frequent cleaning can be destructive. The trick is just to keep the open end of the telescope covered when not

Submit Your Astro Tip! Astronomy Technology Today regularly features tips, tricks, and other novel solutions. To submit your tip, trick, or novel solution, email the following information: • A Microsoft Word document detailing your tip, trick or novel solution. • A hi-resolution digital image in jpeg format (if available). Please send your information to tips@astronomytechnologytoday.com

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observing and thus keep the optical surfaces clean. These breather caps come as standard equipment on my 10-inch closed tube Dall-Kirkhams, but you can make one for yourself – or get a local seamstress to do it, like I do. They really work great. Of course, you'll need to arrange your cooling fan(s) to suck air down and out of the tube. The fans installed in my DallKirkhams are positioned to not only draw air down and out of the tube, but also to create laminar flow across the primary. Optimum fan positioning needed to create such laminar flow in other closed tube reflectors will vary from scope to scope, but is easily

accomplished once you approach the problem with that goal in mind Without the fan, a defocused star image produced by my Dall-Kirkhams can actually be flat at the top as the result of trapped, warm air. Turning the fan on instantly causes the defocused rings to become circular and clear. There is no doubt as to the efficacy of fans when properly applied.

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Introducing the New Constellation View 2340 Binoculars! These new high quality 2.3x40 binoculars are light weight (10.4 oz) and feature eye relief of 7 mm and an amazingly wide FOV of 1370 ft@1000 yards! Each CV 2340 ships complete with lens caps and a leather case, all at an introductory price of only $99!

Coming Soon

are solar & nebula filters for the remarkable CV2340!

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