ASTRONOMY
TECHNOLOGY TODAY Your Complete Guide to Astronomical Equipment ASTRO TELESCOPES 102-MMF/11 REFRACTOR • WILLIAM OPTICS DDG FOCUS SYSTEM THE IPAD AS A HIGH-END TELESCOPE CONTROLLER • EASY POLAR ALIGNMENT INEXPENSIVE ALTITUDE HUB BRAKING SYSTEM • HISTORY OF NEAF SOLAR STAR PARTY ROLLER BEARING FOR EASY TUBE ROTATION • ATM BABY-GUIDER
Volume 5 • Issue 2 March - April 2011 $5.00 US
We Stock More Than 3,500 Different Scopes, Parts, & Accessories! Spring is Around the Corner! We’re Stocking Up to Make Sure That We Have the Products You Want at the Best Possible Prices! Check Out our FUN List! Factory direct, Used and New (FUN)! Scores of New and Used Scopes, Optics, Parts and Hard to Find Items! Below are Just a Few of the 100’s of Items Available!: • Nikon 80mm F/15 Refractor on Original EQ Mount. Excellent Condition! $2,000 • Carl Zeiss Jena Binoctem, 7x50, Typlical Zeiss quality! $210 • Oculus Hoya, 12x50, Rare to See the Hoya Glass Maker Name on its Own Product! $79 • Zeiss Telemator 1990s 63mm, F/13.3 Refractor Made in Jena Germany. T-M Mount, Wooden Tripod. Original Eyepiece. $895 • Kalimar 60mm Refractor, Antique Made in Japan by Nihon Seiko (maker of Unitron) in the 1950s. Excellent Condition! $200 • 6.5" Aero Tesser by Pacific Optical. 24" F4/5, FL 804mm Refractor. Cold War Aerial Camera. 40lb Monster! Make Offer
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Contents Cover Story: Pages 35 - 38 Shown on the cover is the Teeter’s Telescopes 14.5-Inch Truss-Dob reviewed by Phyllis Lang, owner of Knightware (maker of Deep-Sky Planner and SQM Reader software). In the background is a panoramic shot of NEAF, taken at last year’s event. We first met Rob Teeter, owner of Teeter’s Telescopes, at NEAF as is the case with many people in the industry. ATT has been fortunate to be a part of NEAF for the last 5 years and we can tell you that there is no other event that allows enthusiasts greater access to industry leaders. You can literally spend the entirety of both days visiting with vendors and still not have enough time to talk to them all. People fly in from all over the world to attend NEAF and if you can do so, we assure you that, for those of us who are really into astro gear, there is no better trip to take. NEAF has grown in both size and stature, becoming the largest and most eagerly anticipated astronomical products trade show in the world. And with this being its 20th anniversary, you can expect it to not only exceed last year’s show in experiences and attendance, but also in products and information available. Leading the charge again this year is Alan Traino, who with each new edition of NEAF seems to top his previous efforts. We hope to see you there!
In This Issue
Industry News 15 ASTRONOMIK Improved CCD Filters 15 HUBBLE OPTICS Sourcing Hyperbolic Newtonian Optics 16 CLOUDY NIGHTS TELESCOPE REVIEWS Readers Choice: Gear of the Year 2010
17 RICK SAUNDERS A Full and Proper Kit 17 STRUCTURE LIMITED (UK) Introduces Practical Astronomy Magazine
12 Editor’s Note Our Intrepid Correspondent in Paradise By Gary Parkerson 35 The Teeter’s Telescope 14.5-Inch Truss-Dob A Critical Evaluation of a Teeter’s Dobsonian Structure By Phyllis K. Lang
18 SHARE ASTRONOMY New Site for Sharing Astro Projects, Images and Knowledge
43 The Astro Telescopes 102-MMF/11 Refractor A Modern Take on an Old-School Design By Gary Parkerson
57 An Inexpensive Altitude Hub Braking System An Alternative to Traditionally-Sized Altitude Bearings By Erik Wilcox
47 The William Optics DDG Focus System Carpe Telescopio? By Austin Grant
61 The Baby-Guider A Light-Weight, Low-Cost,ATM Guidescope By Rick Saunders
50 The iPad as a High-End Telescope Controller A Case Study By Tim DeBenedictis
67 The NEAF Solar Star Party A History of NEAF and the NSSP By Barlow Bob
s Issue
55 Easy Polar Alignment The Iterative Method By David Snay
72 Astro Tips, Tricks & Novel Solutions Just Add a Roller Bearing for Easy Tube Rotation By Tony Simon
19 KNIGHTWARE Three Free Astro-Software Titles
20 IP4AP Announces New S2N Series
Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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Contributing Writers Barlow Bob is a Central New York banker, with a passion since 1990 for promoting amateur solar astronomy and spectroscopy. He is a member of the Rockland Astronomy Club in Suffern, NY. For the last 19 years, he has provided safe solar observing through a variety of solar filters and spectroscopes at the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF). In 2006, the annual solar star party he created became the official NEAF Solar Star Party.
Contents New Products 21 CELESTRON New CGEM DX Mount
Tim DeBenedictis works with Southern Stars (formally Carina Software). He graduated from MIT in 1993 with a degree in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary science, and has worked at a number of Silicon Valley technology firms since then. Southern Stars has given Tim a chance to combine his work experience with a lifelong love of astronomy.
Austin Grant, a high-school Chemistry and Biology teacher, is a self-described perpetual hobbyist, experienced in such areas as building computers and repairing arcade equipment. Austin stumbled into astronomy several years ago and it soon became his primary interest. Being a child of the digital age, it didn’t take long for him to find digital astro-imaging and he sold his last pinball machine to fund his current imaging rig. Austin shares his passion for stargazing with his students and is in the process of building a school astronomy club.
Phyllis Lang is a software engineer and owner of Knightware, maker of Deep-Sky Planner and SQM Reader software. She has been a visual observer since 1985, has built 2 Dobsonian telescopes, and taught telescope mirror-making at North Carolina State University for 17 years.
Tony Simon has been an amateur astronomer for 41 years; living in Genoa, Ohio. Refractors are his main telescopes of choice. He has seen 6 total solar eclipses and is starting to get into astrophotography. As a former carpenter and machinist he loves to use these skills in the hobby of astronomy.
22 TEETER’S TELESCOPES Two New Lines of Telescopes 25 SOFTWARE BISQUE Gas Giants iPhone App 26 ASTRO-PHYSICS New Products and Mount Upgrades
28 ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS More Handy Accessories 30 STARIZONA Cool Edge SCT Cooler
Rick Saunders an amateur astronomer, inveterate tinkerer and member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, London Centre. His passion is DSLR imaging and on cloudy nights he spends his time designing and building equipment to help further that passion.
31 OFFICINA STELLARE Expands Ritchey-Chretien Telescope 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.
Erik Wilcox lives off the grid on the Big Island of Hawaii, and has been observing for over 20 years. When he’s not viewing from his dark backyard sky, he works for a natural foods chain, and spends his spare time hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, and performing music. He also runs the astronomy forum at: www.starstuffforums.com.
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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
32 WALTERLEE TECHNOLOGIES The soloFocus for Solar Scopes
The Supporting
CAST
The Companies And Organizations That Have Made Our Magazine Possible!
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 advertisers’ commitment to you by underwriting this issue of Astronomy Technology Today.
Apogee Instruments www.ccd.com page 6
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Meridian Telescopes www.meridiantelescopes.com page 41
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Optical Supports www.opticalsupports.com page 63
ATIK USA www.atik-usa.com page 60
HOTECH www.hotechusa.com page 25
Orion Telescopes and Bionoculars www.oriontelescopes.com page 77, 80
Stellar Software www.stellarsoftware.com page 19
Bobs Knobs www.bobsknobs.com page 59
iOptron www.ioptron.com page 7
Optic-Craft Machining www.opticcraft.com page 45
Stellar Technologies International www.stellar-international.com page 48
Camera Concepts www.cameraconcepts.com page 42
ISTAR Optical www.istar-optical.com page 18
Ostahowski Optics www.ostahowskioptics.com page 48
Teeter’s Telescopes www.teeterstelescopes.com page 49
Catseye Collimation www.catseyecollimation.com page 38
Jack’s Astro Accessories www.waningmoonii.com page 31
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Celestron www.celestron.com page 34, 51
JMI Telescopes www.jmitelescopes.com page 14
ProtoStar www.fpi-protostar.com page 48
Ceravolo www.ceravolo.com page 20, 78
Knightware www.knightware.biz page 18
Rigel Systems www.rigelsys.com page 4, 56
Chronos www.chronosmount.com page 59
Lumicon www.lumicon.com page 16
RSpec www.rspec-astro.com page 53
Dark Skies Apparel www.darkskiesapparel.com page 28
Lunatico Astronomia www.lunaticoastro.com page 70
ScopeGuard www.scopeguard.com page 17
Equatorial Platforms www.equatorialplatforms.com page 54
Magnilux www.magnilux.com page 58
ScopeStuff www.scopestuff.com page 38
Explore Scientific www.explorescientific.com page 74
Mathis Instruments www.mathis-instruments.com page 39
Shrouds By Heather www.scopeshrouds.com page 23
Skyhound www.skyhound.com page 68 SkyShed Observatories www.skyshed.com page 46 Southern Stars www.southernstars.com page 64 Starizona www.starizona.com page 3 Stark Labs www.stark-labs.com page 27
Tele Vue Optics www.televue.com page 8, 73 Unihedron www.unihedron.com page 63 Van Slyke Instruments www.observatory.org page 33, 38 William Optics www.williamoptics.com page 2 Wood Wonders www.wood-wonders.com page 38 Woodland Hills Telescopes www.telescopes.net page 24
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ASTRONOMY
TECHNOLOGY TODAY
Volume 5 • Issue 2 March - April 2011 Publisher Stuart Parkerson
Managing Editor Gary Parkerson
Associate Editors
Editor’s Note Gary Parkerson, Managing Editor
Russ Besancon
OUR INTREPID CORRESPONDENT IN PARADISE Art Director Lance Palmer
Staff Photographer Craig Falbaum
Web Master Richard Harris
3825 Gilbert Drive Shreveport, Louisiana 71104 info@astronomytechnologytoday.com www.astronomytechnologytoday.com Astronomy Technology Today is published bi-monthly by Parkerson Publishing, LLC. Bulk rate postage paid at Dallas, Texas, and additional mailing offices. ©2010 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.
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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
As much as I profess to enjoy astronomy and learning more about the tools we use to pursue it – and I do – my most lasting pleasure from this obsession has come from getting to know each in the remarkable cast of characters to whom astronomy has introduced me. A prime example: but for astronomy, I would never have known Erik Wilcox, whose “Wilcox Rings” innovation first brought him to the Astronomy Technology Today team’s attention, which innovation we’ve now personally applied to dozens of telescopes, to great effect. Erik covered his brilliantly simple and affordable solution to telescope tube rotation in the inaugural issue of ATT and his reports of more recent astro-equipment adventures have graced all but one issue of this magazine since, making him its most prolific contributor; a record he – fortunately for us – seems determined to maintain. When I first met Erik online, he lived in California’s crowded and chaotic Bay Area, and even then was talking about moving to the astronomy paradise of Hawaii’s Big Island. While to his face I might have offered, “Wow! Dude, that is so cool!” (or some other such gratuitous platitude), to myself I was undoubtedly thinking, “Yeah, right. Dream on, brother.” Well, it turns out that talented, energetic, focused, and driven optimists actually do get to live in paradise, while we
nay-saying cynics are left very far behind (although we are allowed to visit from time to time, albeit too briefly). Along with their many other mainland friends, I’ve been able to follow Erik’s Hawaiian saga with fascination – and envy – since he and his wife, Kate, made their permanent move. They have been generous in sharing their adventures in narrative and photos posted online or via email and I’ve marveled at their quiet determination and steady progress in meeting the challenges that come with any such life-altering move. Still, when Erik reported early last year that he planned on writing a book about their adventure, a bit of the old cynic remained, as in: “Okay, that could happen, but it isn’t likely.” I’ve some experience with writing and, although we’ve all got one or more great stories in us, few ever manage to actually write anything longer than an email. For most of us, writing a book sounds like fun, but turns out to be very hard work once the realities of the task confront us. And so, when Erik wrote to announce that his book was available on Amazon...well, the cynic dies hard, but I’ll learn to live without him. I immediately ordered a copy and...it was nothing that I expected and everything that I should have expected. Bear in mind that most hard data I’ve
received on Erik’s and Kate’s island experiences have been delivered in the form of photographs taken during what appeared to this remote observer to be their constant treks to an endless assortment of exotic spots on a very beautiful, very Big Island. There’s nothing like scraping snow off the observatory after viewing yet another photo – taken that very day – of happy people on some of the most amazing beaches this planet has to offer. Yeah, I see you standing there...all warm, tan, glowing, and happy! So, when his book arrived, I expected to see yet another photo journal of Hawaii sharing a personal anecdote or two relating to whichever sparkling vista graced each page. Instead, I was treated to page after page of the informal, conversational, and engaging narrative I’ve found so delightfully comfortable while working with Erik for what will soon be five years. Put simply, Erik Wilcox’s A Path to Paradise reads like an enchanting letter from an old friend – one you’ll want to enjoy again and again. If asked to write Erik’s story, few of us would get beyond the highlight reel: (1) Intelligent, loving, supportive, beautiful spouse? Check. (2) Backyard observatory under dark, clear, temperate skies, full of lots of great equipment? Check. (3) Did I mention that he gets to play with lots of really cool astro gear? Check. (4) Still has hair? Check. Sounds like happily-ever-after to me! Fortunately, A Path to Paradise is far more than a checklist of completed dreams. It vividly chronicles a tale of surprising complexity. There’s action, drama, and, yes, even references to astronomy. It’s a real story, a very human story, and one with lessons that may benefit each of us. I encourage you to experience Erik’s story for yourself. Just don’t read it immediately before scraping the snow off your observatory or you too might find yourself packing your bags for paradise. If you’d like to reach Erik, you can find him at www.starstuff-forums.com. Meanwhile, thank you, Erik and Kate, for all you’ve done for ATT and for providing inspiration to all who dream of escaping modern society.
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INDUSTRYNEWS
ASTRONOMIK Improved Astronomik CCD Filters During the course of late 2009 and early 2010, discussions of CCD-imaging filters increasingly involved the presence of problematic halos around bright stars. Indeed, even Astronomik’s industry-leading filter lines have, at times, been the subject of such discussions. When users see halos around images of bright stars, there are a number of possible causes for this, with the filter being only one of those possibilities. In recent years, very fast optical systems have become increasingly popular for imaging. The energy in a filterinduced halo grows exponentially as the fratio decreases. Additionally, the smaller the full width, half maximum (FWHM) band pass of the filter, the stronger the halo effect. The main reason for the presence of such halos is the use of less-thanoptimal coatings on optical surfaces in the imaging train. Usually, every surface gets an anti-reflection coating, but performance qualities of such coatings may vary significantly. Any less-than-optimal coat-
ing in the imaging train – particularly those closest to the imaging plane – will likely cause strong halos. These effects become more likely and more prominent when using any secondary optic such as a field-flattener, reducer, or coma corrector. When imaging with SLR lenses, you might discover halos with one lens and none with another, even when the lenses are from the same manufacturer. Over the past year, Astronomik has put significant effort into researching this topic. Its goal was to reduce the possibility of such halos being caused by any of its filters to a level where it would not noticeably affect imaging. By making a number of modifications in the coating of its filters, it was able to reach this goal. As a result of these efforts, Astronomik is now confident that images taken with any Astronomik filter currently shipping will show no such halos. While the halo effect was most noticeable in narrow-band filters, during its filter-development and -improvement
processes Astronomik also made improvements to its LRGB filter range as well, despite that few customers reported problems with LRGB filters. Nevertheless, Astronomik saw some potential for improvement and has taken the opportunity to assure that its highly-popular LRGB-series of filters remain halo free as well. The improvements made by Astronomik to its CCD-imaging filter lines did not require change of technical details such as FWHM, peak transmission, glass thickness, etc. Astronomik remains confident that its filters are simply the best commercially-available astronomical filters in the world today. It places extremely high importance on quality-control procedures, research and development, which measure allow it to offer a warranty of 10 years on all of its filters. For more information on this and other Astronomik filter improvements and innovations, visit www.astronomik.com.
The company reports that the design will provide superb on-axis image quality with Strehl ratios approaching 0.99 and better overall performance than parabolic mirror plus Ross corrector combinations of equal aperture. Hubble Optics also anticipates polychromatic performance equivalent to parabolic mirror plus Wynne corrector combinations, but with less potential ghosting and reflections. The HNA corrector is said to require less physical space than a Wynne, yielding a generous back focus of 130 mm. The HNA corrector is available in 3.5-inch versions specifically designed to match Hubble Optics hyperbolic primary
mirrors of 14, 16, 18, and 20 inches. The optics will be sold as complete sets, including a lightweight-sandwich hyperbolic primary mirror, a high-quality secondary mirror, and a matching custom corrector assembly. Delivery times of 2 months are anticipated and all components will be shipped directly from Hubble Optics’ Hong Kong facility. All Hubble Optics HNA primary mirrors have a focal length of approximately 1880 mm, such that focal ratios range from f/5.3 for the 14-inch primary to f/3.7 with the 20-inch. For more information, please visit www.hubbleoptics.com/HNA.html.
HUBBLE OPTICS Sourcing Hyperbolic Newtonian Optics Hubble Optics has announced the reintroduction of its Hyperbolic Newtonian Astrography (HNA) optical system designed for wide-field visual observation and atrophotography. The HNA design resulted as an outgrowth of the Alt-Az Initiative (starsociety.org) headed by Russ Genet and is based on a design originally developed Dave Rowe. Hubble Optics’ take on Rowe’s design combines the lightweight sandwich mirror blanks, for which it is best known, formed to a hyperbolic figure with a matching custom corrector to optimize wide-field performance in both visual observation and astrophotography activities.
Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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INDUSTRYNEWS
CLOUDY NIGHTS TELESCOPE REVIEWS Readers Choice: Gear of the Year 2010
We know of no Internet resource that better assists amateur astronomers in understanding and enjoying the often baffling assortment of equipment that goes with this hobby. While there are many others that serve amateur astronomy, Cloudy Nights.com remains the de facto international forum for interactive reviews and commentary on astro equipment and service. Indeed, CN’s influence in the industry is so strong that we have confessed before and are happy to declare again: but for the inspiration of Cloudy Nights, there would have been no Astronomy Technology Today.
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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
Once each year, in December and January, the editors of Cloudy Nights ask its members to nominate what they feel were the most important, influential, or, as they say, “plain and simply – just the best dang products of the last year!” For 2010, CN’s editors report that while the economy continued to drive many of the product selections; for some products – most notably the top choices of 2010 – forum members felt there simply were no acceptable substitutes, but in other areas, “value for the dollar” continued to be the watchwords. Top products for 2010 as defined by the Cloudy Nights member poll included:
Tele Vue - 3.7-mm Ethos SX, Paracorr Type 2, and 21-mm Ethos, Feather Touch SIPS (Collaboration with Starlight Instruments); Mallincam - Mallincam Xtreme; Astro-Tech - Ritchie Chretien (Various Sizes), AT65EDQ; Explore Scientific - 127 ED; Southern Stars - Sky Safari; SBIG - ST8300; Obsession - Ultra Compact Scope Line; Catseye - XLK Autocollimator; Lunt LS35Ha H-alpha scope; Dark Skies Apparel - Hooded Observing Vest. For more detailed information on Cloudy Nights’ Readers Choice: Gear of the Year 2010, please visit www.cloudy nights.com.
INDUSTRYNEWS
RICK SAUNDERS A Full and Proper Kit - An Introduction to the Gear of Astro-Photography Many of you have enjoyed the ATM projects offered by Rick Saunders in this magazine, including his article in this issue: “The Baby-Guider - A LightWeight, Low-Cost, ATM Guidescope.” Rick is a great example of the many hobbyists that we communicate with daily who, while not employed professionally in the astronomy products industry, enjoy innovating their own expert spins on technology and sharing their projects and ideas with other hobbyists. We recently received an innocuous email from Rick simply titled “Light Reading,” with the short explanation: “This was what I did while I was laid up” (Rick recently had surgery and was confined to the house for several weeks.) Included was a link to the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada -
London Centre website where Rick is an active member and supporter of the society’s outreach programs. We visited the website link, which featured a 155-page PDF document that Rick had written as an introduction to astro-photography gear. What Rick called “light reading” was a comprehensive, incredibly well written manuscript. There are almost 40 different sections to the document, including several DYI projects. Rick’s introduction perhaps best sums up his goal in writing the paper. “Like the young recruit in Kipling’s poem The ‘Eathen, a deep-sky imaging beginner starts with little in the way of equipment or skill. With ‘older’ imagers urging him onward, providing him with the benefit of the mistakes that they had made during their journey and allowing
him access to the equipment they’ve built or collected, the newcomer gains the ‘equipment’ he needs, be it gear or skills, to excel at the art. At that time he has acquired a ‘full and proper kit’ and ceases to be a recruit. This paper is a discussion of hardware, software, methods and actions that a newcomer might find useful. It is not meant to be an in-depth discussion of all forms of astro-photography; that would take many books and more knowledge than I have available. But I hope that my descriptions and graphics will help a newcomer to the art understand a bit more what is involved in this wonderful pastime.” And the best thing is that it is free for anyone to access. Simply go to http://www.astro.uwo.ca/~rasc/articles/F ull_and_Proper_Kit.pdf and download the article. Enjoy!
Kingdom-based eZine. Practical Astronomy was introduced in 2009 and has already produced ten periodic issues. It’s July 2010 issue includes tips on enjoying a “free trip” to Argentina for the 2010 solar eclipse, a stunning reader image gallery, tips for practical use of constellations
to guide viewing sessions, and useful sky charts. The overall presentation is attractively polished and, best of all, subscriptions which are normally $9.95 are for a limited time free! Visit www.practicalastronomy.com for more information
STRUCTURE LIMITED (UK) Introduces Practical Astronomy Magazine ATT has increasingly relied upon the term “Practical Astronomy” to distinguish the activities of avid enthusiasts from those of professional astronomers, while recognizing that the broad label of “amateur astronomy” is somewhat inadequate to the level of participation practiced by the majority of its readers. For that reason, and because we just can’t get enough of our favorite subject from whatever sources, ATT was pleased to discover Practical Astronomy, a new United
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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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INDUSTRYNEWS
SHARE ASTRONOMY A New Site for Sharing Astro Projects, Images and Knowledge Share Astronomy (www.shareastronomy.com) is a one-of-a-kind website designed for anyone interested in astronomy. The husband-wife team of Ken and Beverly Hudson created the site with the goal of encouraging amateur astronomers worldwide to share their astronomy projects, images, experiences and knowledge with others. Amateur astronomers typically communicate with each other through astronomy forums, Yahoo Groups, Google Groups, etc., which are excellent for their intended purpose, but have limitations when it comes to documenting projects or posting images in multiple sizes (including original) with user-defined galleries and full exposure/capture information. Share Astronomy makes these types of activities easy – and free. Its creators view Share Astronomy as a supplement to forums and user groups. The design goal for Share Astronomy was to build a site where sharing is easy and member creativity is encouraged. Nothing on the Share Astronomy site is exclusive. Members can still have their own web sites and are encouraged to include links to those sites if they desire. Said Ken Hudson of the service, “Ultimately, we would like to see the projects section used to document a wide variety of activities. For example, students could showcase their astronomy-related sciencefair projects and teachers could demonstrate
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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
amateur telescope making techniques to other teachers. Amateur astronomers could use the projects section to show how to: construct an observatory, build an Echelle spectrograph, leverage carpentry skills to build an observing chair, re-purpose a satellite dish as a radio telescope, etc.” The imaging section of Share Astronomy was designed to make it easy for advanced amateurs to show beginners “how it’s done” and for beginners to share their work with others and get feedback from those with more experience. Its designers encourage other creative uses of the imaging section, too. For example, they would like narrow-band experts to demonstrate to frustrated city dwellers that they too can produce beautiful images even if they’re living under light-polluted skies. And they encourage variable-star observers to document light curves on Share Astronomy and encourage others to consider the fascinating world of citizen science. Hudson explained further, “As the creators of Share Astronomy, we do our best to share information with other members, too. In addition to projects and imaging
sections, Share Astronomy has blog, articles and news item sections. Blog posts have included interviews with Alan Traino, Chairperson of NEAF (Northeast Astronomy Forum); Juan Conejero creator of PixInsight; Olivier Thizy, co-owner of Shelyak Instruments; David Kriege owner of Obsession Telescopes; Hanny van Arkel discoverer of Hanny’s Voorwerp; and many more. Other blog posts have described visits to businesses like PlaneWave Instruments and events like the Advanced Imaging Conference in San Jose, California and the Deepest South Texas Star Safari to Coonabarabran, Australia.” The articles section contains The Share Astronomy Guide to Observatory Site Selection, by Ken Hudson and Tom Simstad, a 14-page guide to selecting the best site for an observatory. Hudson concluded, “We believe amateur astronomers can share information and their experiences via their own web sites, forums and groups, but that Share Astronomy provides an exciting community where a wide range of activities can be documented and shared with an international group of friends and colleagues.”
INDUSTRYNEWS
KNIGHTWARE Offers Three Free Astro-Software Titles
Yes, free! And not just any titles, but three that you’re sure to use again and again. For example, KnightVision is a simple utility that changes your video card’s colorbrightness settings and can therefore be used to change video settings to something much less obtrusive to dark-adapted vision. Some cards don’t support this function, also known as “gamma ramping,” but most do. The program notifies you one way or the other. You can select predefined settings or create your own. The settings you select are saved so they can be applied the next time you run the program. Meanwhile, when you close the program, your computer’s video is restored to the original settings. You can also create a shortcut that starts the program in “quiet” mode – the program starts with previously saved settings and minimizes to the Windows task bar, which is handy from your desktop or the Windows startup folder. KnightVision works with Windows 7, Vista, XP, or 2000, and has been tested on 32-bit editions of Windows 7, Vista SP2, Windows XP SP3, and Windows 2000 SP4.
SQM Reader is another free Knightware package and allows the user to read and display data from Unihedron’s popular Sky Quality Meters (models SQMLE, SQM-LU, and SQM-LR) using the Ethernet connection, USB, or serial port of your computer. SQM Reader does not calibrate or otherwise alter the accuracy of the Sky Quality Meter. For more information, visit www.knightware.biz/sqm/reader.htm. And last, but certainly not least, is Knightware’s Deep-Sky Planner 5 Trial Edition, that allows its user to plan and log observations of the sun, moon, planets, asteroids, comets, G2V stars, and deep-sky objects found in the Messier and Caldwell catalogs (shown is the Deep-Sky Planner 5 desktop menu). Although the database and feature set are limited compared to those of the full edition, users can discover the ease of use and level of detail present in all editions. Full product documentation is supplied with the trial edition and all editions of Deep-Sky Planner 5 work with 32- and 64-bit Windows 7, Vista, and XP. You can learn more and download the software by visiting www.knightware.biz/dsp/trial.htm. Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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INDUSTRYNEWS
IP4AP Announces New S2N Series Image Processing for Astronomy, better known as “IP4AP,” has long been known as the go-to visual learning resource for all who’ve wanted to hone their abilities to “unleash the power of Adobe Photoshop” on their astro images. The original IP4AP tutorial series were recorded in Photoshop CS2, and, although all of the processing c oncepts demonstrated in that series are valid through the latest versions of Photoshop CS, it was time to update the series to better illustrate the most recent Photoshop advances, as well as developments in the many other powerful tools utilized by today’s most accomplished astrophotographers. And so, IP4AP’s new S2N tutorial series is in production with each new module being posted upon completion in a rolling release, of which six tutorials were already posted as of January 31, 2011. “S2N” equals “Soup2Nuts,” with Part 1
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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
of the series comprising the “soup.” A total of 24 modules are currently scheduled for Part 1 of the series. A comprehensive outline of topics to be covered is available at w w w. i p 4 a p . c o m / s o u p 2 n u t s . h t m . Meanwhile, here’s just a sample of what you will find there: SN-1: Introduction-What’s new at IP4AP; series goals for S2N; Camtasia Flash player. SN-5: Preprocessing Part 1Calibration/ Reduction theory and practical application; understanding Bias, Dark, FDefection Map, Flat, and Light frames; available software. SN-10: Astroart 4-Debayering DSLR RAW in Adobe Photoshop CS5, OneShot Color Flats explained. SN-17: Maxim DL2-Introduction to Maxim, Process/Stack and the Calibration Wizard. SN-24: Maxim DL8-The Filter Menu; FFT, Kernel, and Wavelet filters; High- and Low-Pass, Unsharp Mask, and Gaussian Blur; Part 1 wrap up.
Subjects to be covered in S2N Part 2 (affectionately known as the “Nuts”) will include: Object-Specific post-processing with included files. (For the first time, IP4AP will go back and walk you through the assembly of Master files and will then demonstrate processing them from Masters to Finished Photographs using some new techniques.); advanced techniques such as Ha+(L)RGB, and Mosaics. As always, IP4AP’s scripted content and high productions values promise to give you more information for your money – no wasted minutes as in off-the-cuff, disorganized presentations. Subscription to Part 1 of the S2N series during the rolling-release period is priced at $39.99, 20 percent less than the full retail, post-release price. For more information of IP4AP services, including to free tutorials and samples, please visit www.ip4ap.com.
NEWPRODUCTS
CELESTRON Introduces the New CGEM DX Mount The CGEM DX mount is the newest member of Celestron’s fully-computerized Equatorial-mount series capable of carrying Celestron’s high-end 11inch and 14-inch optical tubes. The CGE PRO-style, 2.75-inch leg tripod holds even their 14-inch optics securely while dampening vibration, which is ideal for both imaging and visual observing. Capable of holding 50 pounds of payload and slewing at 5 degrees per second, it will be able to instantly point to any of the celestial objects in the database. The CGEM DX was designed to be ergonomically friendly with large Altitude and Azimuth adjustment knobs for quick and easy polar alignment adjustment. The internal RA and DEC motor wiring provides a clean look and an easy and trouble-free set up. The CGEM DX series has a new innovative polar alignment procedure called All-Star which allows users to choose any bright star, while the software calculates and assists with polar alignment. Another great feature of the CGEM DX sure to please astrophotographers, is the Permanent Periodic Error Correction (PEC) which will allow users to train out the worm gears periodic errors, while the mount retains the PEC recordings. For objects near the Meridian, the CGEM DX will track well past the Meridian for uninterrupted imaging through the most ideal part of the sky. The CGEM DX mount has a robust database with over 40,000 objects, 100 user-defined programmable objects, and enhanced information on over 200 objects. Redesigned electronics deliver constant regulated power to the motors making them capable of driving the telescope even when not perfectly balanced. This allows the CGEM DX to have the
payload capacity of that of much larger mounts without sacrificing smooth tracking motion and pointing accuracy across the entire sky.
Other features include: flashupgradeable hand-control software and motor-control units for downloading product updates; steel worm gears and 90-mm pitch-diameter brass worm wheel; Low-Cog DC Servo motors with integrated optical encoders for smooth, quiet operation and long life (motor armatures are skewed to minimize cogging, which is required for low-speed tracking); internal cable wiring for trouble-free setup and transportation; designated six-pin RJ-12 modular jack; ST-4compatible guide port; Autoguide port and Auxiliary ports located on the electronic plate for long-exposure astrophotography; double-line, 16-character Liquid Crystal Display Hand Control with backlit LED buttons for easy operation of Go-To features; RS-232 communication port on hand control to control the telescope via a personal computer; NexRemote telescope control software for advanced control of the telescope via computer; precision-machined 40-mm diameter steel polar shafts supported by multiple tapered roller bearings and ball bearings; and GPScompatible with optional SkySync GPS Accessory. For more information about Celestron’s new CGEM DX, please visit www.celestron.com.
Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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NEWPRODUCTS
TEETER’S TELESCOPES Introduces Two New Lines of Telescopes Teeters Telescopes has introduced two new lines of Dobsonian telescopes, the TT/Sub4 product line and the Solid Tube Series (STS) product line. The TT/Sub4 scopes offer large apertures, very fast focal ratios and, best of all, short eyepiece heights! With focal ratios of less than f/4, this line of TrussDobsonians allows the unique observing experience of large apertures without a ladder for many observers. The “Sub4” line also yields stunning wide-field views of the Milky Way and larger deep-space objects like the Veil Nebula, the Rosette Nebula, the Pleiades Star Cluster and many others. Teeter’s has just completed its first 20-inch F/3.5 Truss Dobsonian from the new TT/ Sub4 product line (Image 1). This particular telescope, the new “flagship” of the company, will be accompany-
ing Teeter’s owner, Rob Teeter, at many of the large northeastern star parties this year. Other available sizes include 16-inch f/3.7, 18-inch f/3.7, 22-inch f/3.3, 24”-inch f/3.3 and 27-inch f/3.7. The TT/Sub4 structures are designed using AutoCAD and are milled from 5/8inch Baltic Birch utilizing a commercialgrade CNC Router. All corner joints are rabbeted, while the mirror box also employs an internal 5/8-inch baffle increasing stiffness and to act as a straylight trap. The zenith eyepiece height of
SFL Quantum Finished Telescopes and SFL Telekit for f/3 - f3.9 optics! STATE OF THE ART DESIGN Specifically for the special challenges of short focal length optics. New design features Our SFL Quantum finished telescope And SFL Telekit are full featured, easy To build, and highly portable truss Telescope available for 10" - 32".
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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
include finer focus with the standard Moonlight focuser or optional Feathertouch focuser. Finer thread pitch gives precise Collimation of the secondary and primary mirrors. Optical support components have been stiffened to hold critical collimation, plus more!
the 20-inch f/3.5 is only 68-inches, thus making this scope usable without a ladder for observers of modest height. Teeter’s unique “Truss Ring” allows all of its telescopes (12.5-20 inch) to be stored and transported in two main sections. With a large enough vehicle, the telescope can be transported in this two piece configuration, with the “Truss Ring”/Truss Poles/UTA assembly transported horizontally, as can be done with solid tube telescopes. Pricing starts at $9,500US for the 20inch f/3.5. Designed with apertures of 8 and 11 inches, moderate focal lengths and smooth Dobsonian mounts, the Teeter’s Telescopes Solid-Tube Series (STS) offers smaller apertures, faster set-up and breakdown times, and solid tubes versus the open trusses traditionally used with Teeter’s larger Truss-Dobsonian offerings. This line is perfect for the upper level budding astronomer or as a “Grab-andGo” compliment to a larger TrussDobsonian. Teeter’s STS scopes are well suited for observing planetary and lunar detail and will show very fine detail on the Moon and detail within the cloud bands of Jupiter when local seeing conditions
NEWPRODUCTS permit. The 48-inch tube length for the 8inch STS (52-inch length for the 11-inch STS) fits across most 2- and 4-door sedan backseats, while the 30-inch tall rocker box for both scopes fits in most trunks with room to spare. Or, put both tube and rocker box in the trunk and save room for passengers. The 8-inch scope (see Image 2) provides stunning views of the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars (during opposition) to fascinate the advanced beginner, while the f/5.7 focal ratio allows a smaller secondary mirror for optimum image contrast. The 11-inch aperture bridges the gap between 10-inch, which some might find too small, and 12-inch/12.5-inch, which many find too large and cumbersome. The f/4.5 focal ratio of the 11-inch STS allows for breathtaking rich-field views of the Milky Way and large deepspace objects. The Black Velvet optical tube assembly (OTA) interior offers an incredible boost in contrast for planetary detail and low surface brightness galaxy and nebula resolution. Both scopes feature a built-in primary mirror cooling fan which facilitates quick cool down without vibration or air turbulence affecting views at the eyepiece. Run the fan all
night long to keep your primary mirror tracking the falling ambient temperature, ensuring the best views possible. The 2-inch/1.25-inch Helical Focuser offers precise focusing of wide-
field 2-inch eyepieces, yet offers the economy to keep the scopes affordable. The
scopes are finished with the same highquality stains, sealer, and clear-coats as Teeter’s bigger Truss Dobsonians, so there is no need to worry about exposure to damp environments typically found at night. The STS tube construction includes primed and powder-coated 0.064-inch wall aluminum with “Silver Vein” finish; black-velvet interior, and end trim included. The rocker-box is constructed of CNC-milled 5/8-inch Baltic Birch. Also included are AstroSystems’ 4vane Spider/Secondary Holder, Rigel Sytems’ QuickFinder, and the altitude bearings are 10 inches in diameter and lined with Ebony Star laminate riding on Virgin Teflon for smooth tracking. The Waite Research primary mirror and Antares Optics secondary mirror provide these scopes with finely crafted optics. Magnifications of 40x-50x per inch of aperture are achievable on nights of steady atmospheric seeing conditions. All STS telescopes are tested a minimum of two nights under average or better seeing conditions to assess the optical train, mechanics, and collimation stability. Pricing for the STS line starts at $1,475US for the 8-inch STS. For more information, visit www.teeterstelescopes.com.
Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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NEWPRODUCTS
SOFTWARE BISQUE Introduces Gas Giants iPhone App
Software Bisque’s new application for iPhone, iPod, and iPad, Gas Giants, provides owners of those popular devices the simulated experience of viewing Jupiter and Saturn, together with their major moons, through a telescope, in real time, or as those planetary systems will appear at any user determined date and time.
This neat, affordable app allows users to select from among a large database of simulated telescope and eyepiece combinations to best match their existing equipment’s fields of view, or that of any other combination they might want to experience. Do you need to know how Jupiter and its moons will appear on a specific
future date, for example, to determine what date and time will be ideal for a public outreach event featuring Jupiter? Gas Giants will do the job! With Gas Giants, iPhone users can easily predict future or simulate past views of Jupiter and Saturn for any specific date and time from January 1970 to December 2050. Gas Giants displays Jupiter’s major moons, including Callisto, Io, Europe, Ganymede, as well as the major moons of Saturn, including Dione, Enceladus, Hyperion, Mimas, Rhea, Tethys and Titan. The app also allows users to time scroll through animations the moons’ orbits and to relive past, or predict future conjunctions between the planets and their moons. Gas Giants can also be used to visualize changes in the orientation of Saturn’s rings as viewed from Earth over time. Shown is a sample screen simulating Saturn as viewed on November 10, 2010, through a Celestron C11 and 3-mm Tele Vue Radian. How cool is that? The app is available at the iTunes store for $2.99US. For more information, visit www.bisque.com.
Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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NEWPRODUCTS
ASTRO-PHYSICS Announces New Products and Series-900 Mount Upgrades Series-900 Mount Upgrades Astro-Physics is now offering a variety of upgrades to owners of all previous Model-900 mounts. These upgrades provide owners the opportunity to bring their mounts to Astro-Physics’ current Model900 standards. For example, the 900 Declination-Axis Upgrade will allow full tracking and guiding with enhanced precision in all mount orientations, including upside-down operation well past the zenith. In addition, A-P will add a new spring-loaded bracket, modify the worm-bearing support for more precise worm reversals, and check-out all guiding functions with their test equipment. The 900 Declination-Axis Upgrade includes: add new thrust bearing to the Dec worm wheel; add preload system to shaft bearings; add spring-loaded motor box bracket; modify the worm bearing support and adjust preload; set all preloads to factory specifications; re-grease worm wheel and motor reduction gears; and test the fully assembled Dec axis for precise reversal motion. For owners who ask, “Should I upgrade my mount?” A-P advises that it is only when you are trying to control the mount to arc-second position accuracies in declination that it becomes important to have this axis modified to the latest configuration. If you don’t fit this profile, the upgrade is not necessary. Mounts that qualify for this upgrade include all 900 mounts with serial number 900450 and earlier numbers, as well as 900501. Mount models include 900HDA, 900QMD, 900SMD and 900GTO models. This upgrade is very time-consuming, so several mounts must be done at one time in order to be cost effective. A-P has created an upgrade schedule and asks that owners contact them to for more details on
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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
inclusion in the upgrade schedule. New A3512 Adapter Owners of Quantum Scientific Imaging’s 500 series WSG Cameras will be pleased to learn that A-P has added two new adapters to their product list. The new A3512 adapter connects their 2.7-inch and 4-inch Prime Focus Field Flatteners directly to the 2.156-inch threaded adapter plate of the QSI 500 series WSG cameras. Similarly, the new A3513 adapter connects A-P’s 160 Field Flattener and 160/155/140 Telecompressor-Correctors to these cameras. 10x60 Vario-Finder with Quick-Release Bracket Astro-Physics also now offers a new finder and bracket to replace their discontinued 8 x 50 finder. The new finder, a 10 x 60 Baader Planetarium Vario-Finder, uti-
lizes the newly-designed Astro-Physics Quick-Release Finder Bracket and is an erect-image finder that uses a 45-degree prism. The Vario Finder utilizes a highquality 2-element Zeiss objective and Baader Planetarium’s interchangeable T2 accessory system that allows the included 45-degree prism to be switched with userprovided 90-degree diagonals, or used in straight-through configuration, such as for use with a guide camera in baby-guider configuration. A-P 16-Inch Easy-Balance Dovetail Saddle Plate Several new mounting plate and accessory options offered by A-P include the 16-
inch Easy-Balance Dovetail Saddle Plate for the D-Series Style Plate - 900, 1200, 3600GTO, Mach1GTO. This saddle plate features three clamps and allows use of shorter D-Series Style Dovetail Plates such as A-P’s 12-inch version. A total of eight mounting positions are available to provide a “best possible” orientation for either front-heavy or rear-heavy instrument packages - especially useful for today’s heavy imaging instrument packages. This plate has an inherent 8.05-inch total offset capability, depending on how it is positioned on the mount. Due to the addition of a third center clamp, the DOVELM162 can now maintain at least two clamps engaged on any Loamandy “D-Series,” or other “Dstyle” dovetail plate 7 inches or longer. All of A-P’s dovetail saddle plates are very easy to attach; simply tilt your D-style plate, with scope attached, into position, then tighten the knobs. There is no need to struggle as you try to insert the Losmandy plate (with your heavy telescope attached) into the end of the dovetail saddle. A-P’s new 16-inch Versatile Dovetail Plate for D-Series Style Saddle Plate is exceptionally strong, providing a rigid structure to the heaviest payloads and offers universal appeal for owners of Takahashi, Stellarvue, TMB, APM, Astro-Tech, Tele
Vue, Astro-Physics and other telescopes. Astro-Physic’s Adapter Blocks for the 16-inch Versatile Dovetail Plate (Set of 2) provide the ideal solution for those who would like to mount a guidescope on a second pair of “floating” rings. Also offered are new Takahashi Adapter Blocks for the 16-inch Versatile Dovetail Plate (Set of 2) for owners of Takahashi Mewlon, BRC or FRC scopes.
NEWPRODUCTS 16.5-Inch Dovetail Saddle Plate for PlaneWave The 16.5-inch Dovetail Saddle Plate for PlaneWave 7.625-inch Dovetail Plates is a must if you plan to mount a PlaneWave Instruments 20-inch or 24-inch CDK on the 3600GTO mount or the 17-inch CDK on any of A-P’s 1200 mounts. The four clampdown knobs and robust construction of this plate will provide a solid base for these large instruments. A-P 27-Inch Dovetail Plate for 3600GTO Astro-Physic’s new 27-inch Dovetail Plate for the 3600GTO is similar to its 22inch version, however the additional 5inches of length makes it a great choice for extra-long instruments or side-by-side configurations. The massive and sturdy twopart telescope mounting system provides the convenience of a dovetail with the security of a fixed mounting plate and was designed for strength, rigidity and versatility. The dovetail system can be set up for tip-in or slide-in of the dovetail sliding bar. Safety slots on the saddle plate coupled with the sliding bar’s safety stop will help keep accidents from happening. For permanent installations, a series of matching through-holes in the saddle and tapped holes in the sliding dovetail plate allow the setup to be bolted into its final position through both plates once adequate balance is achieved. As an added feature, the saddle plate has two cable-routing channels on the eyepiece end, each 2 inches wide and approximately 0.5 inch high. These chan-
nels allow users to access the large opening at the top of the Dec axis to run cables through the mount. The dovetail plate is drilled on the underside of the eyepiece end for attachment of a plate as a cabling port. New A-P Adapter for Fluorite Flatfield Converter or BARCON
If you use a Fluorite Flatfield Converter (BPFFC) or 2-inch Convertible Photo-Visual Barlow (BARCON), you’ll be able to support your imaging train more securely with A-P’s Threaded 2.7-inch Extension with Internal T-thread. The internal T-thread on this extension allows you to attach your BPFFC, BARCON or other accessory with male T-threads INSIDE the 2.7-inch extension tube. In this way, the camera, filter wheel, off-axis guider, and/or other accessories are all supported by the much more robust and rigid 2.7-inch tube system, and the Barlow only
Foster Systems
needs to support its own weight inside the extension tube. 3.5-Inch Focuser-to-SBIG STL Adapter The new 3.5-inch Focuser-to-SBIG STL Camera-Adapter is designed for the 3.5-inch focuser that is provided on A-P’s 305-mm Riccardi-Honders Astrograph. It connects securely to the face plate of SBIG STL cameras using the included four 632x1/2-inch Sockethead Cap Screws. It then is inserted into the Ricardi-Honders focuser and the focuser’s three thumb screws tightened, anchoring securely into the circular dovetail of the adapter. The new circular dovetail style was developed to not only provide a secure method of attaching the extra weight of modern CCD camera systems, but to also provide an easy way to rotate them to any position and then to flawlessly lock attachments with zero tilt. For more information on these and other new Astro-Physics products, please visit www.astro-physics.com.
Serving Astronomers and Observatories Worldwide
FOSTER SYSTEMS is your remote observatory master control and integration headquarters. Whether it is weather, power, optics security, or automation, we have the solutions that make your investment more effective, reliable and enjoyable. Our line of AstroMC products are ASCOM compliant which gives you the assurance of compatibility and reliability.
Next Generation Roll off Roof and Dome Controllers are now available. Now is the time to automate your astrophotography! CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR ALL THE DETAILS! www.fostersystems.com Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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NEWPRODUCTS
ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS Introduces More Handy Accessories Orion Telescope and Toe-Saver Safety Lights
Ink-black darkness is exactly what we amateur astronomers are after for observing with a telescope and for astrophotography sessions. It’s hard to imagine any amateur astronomer complaining about it being “too dark” in the field. The only
exception would be immediately after a, shall we say, painful and abrupt meeting between a telescope tripod leg and your toes. After such a stubbing experience, you probably wished you had some way of knowing exactly where your astronomy equipment was, without disrupting your dark-adapted vision. Wish no longer. Orion Telescope and Toe-Saver Safety Lights can help you prevent accidental bumps in the dark by virtue of three lengths of flexible red electroluminescent wire which can be wrapped around each telescope tripod leg so you always know where to wander without endangering your toes or knocking your telescope out of alignment. Orion Telescope and Toe-Saver Safety Lights can help you avoid the worst case scenario of potentially knocking over your treasured telescope. During
star parties or group observing sessions, Orion’s Safety Lights will help make sure you and others avoid potentially painful – and costly – bumps, trips, and knockdowns in the dark. The handy included control box lets you adjust the red-light brightness to easily see where your astronomy gear is without disrupting your dark-adapted vision. The control box also allows you to choose between constant illumination or flash settings. The flash setting is useful if you prefer the safety lights to blink periodically during use. Three lengths of red electroluminescent wire are included to fit any tripod, and 4 hook and loop fasteners let you secure the lights in-place where you want them. The Orion Telescope and Toe-Saver Safety Lights system is powered by a single 9-volt battery (not included), and are priced at $39.95US. Orion StarShoot 0.5x Focal Reducer
With Orion’s StarShoot 0.5x Focal Reducer you can easily increase the versatility of any StarShoot Imaging camera equipped with a 1.25-inch nosepiece. The Focal Reducer provides a wider fieldof-view with any telescope. The total imaging area is increased by a factor of four when using the 0.5x Focal Reducer, allowing deep-space imagers to target larger galaxies, nebulas, and other deep space targets that would be normally be too expansive to be captured by standard imaging chips.
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NEWPRODUCTS The StarShoot 0.5x Focal Reducer provides a wider imaging field for Solar System imaging cameras so you can capture a wider area surrounding the planets you image, including orbiting moons in some cases. The focal reducer also enables you to acquire more light in less time, since it reduces the focal ratio by 0.5x. This can be especially helpful when imaging on evenings when good seeing conditions are fleeting. It is priced at $44.95US. Orion 2-Inch Precision Centering Extension Adapter
ed accessories with its nylon compression ring. The Adapter is especially useful for centering 2-inch eyepieces and imaging cameras on the center axis of a telescope’s light path. The adapter also provides 1.7inches of extension which is often needed when a star diagonal is not used with refractor or Cassegrain telescopes. It’s also ideal with reflector telescopes for critical centering of a collimating device. Made of machined, anodized aluminum with a knurled twist-lock ring, the adapter adds 1.7 inches (43mm) of extension. Its barrel is threaded for 2-inch Orion filters so you can easily switch accessories without having to reinstall the filter you’re using. It is priced at $44.95US. Orion Mini 50-mm Guide Scope
The Orion 2-inch Precision Centering Extension Adapter allows you to accurately center any 2-inch eyepiece or accessory in a 2-inch telescope focuser. Most standard 2-inch focusers use a metal thumbscrew to secure an inserted eyepiece or accessory in place, which can push the inserted barrel laterally, i.e., offcenter. This can make observations less than ideal, and can reduce the usefulness of collimating tools. The Orion 2-inch Precision Centering Extension Adapter employs a nylon helical compression mechanism that precisely centers the inserted accessory as it is tightened in place. The adapter fits in all 2-inch focusers and will not scratch your insert-
The Orion-designed Mini 50-mm Guide Scope is a complete and compact guide-scope solution designed for use with the Orion StarShoot AutoGuider (sold separately) or similar small-chip CCD autoguider devices. The Orion Mini 50mm Guide Scope is ideal for guiding long-exposure astrophotographs with imaging telescopes up to 1500 mm in focal length. Thanks to the high level of guiding accuracy offered by modern autoguider devices such as the Orion StarShoot AutoGuider, astro-imagers of today can use guide scopes with much shorter focal
lengths and smaller apertures compared to the large, bulky models used in the past. Using a more optically-“fast” refractor as a guide scope can save astro-imagers time, space, and money, but will still provide the unrivaled accuracy that only autoguiding can bring to long-exposure astrophotographs. Although modern dedicated autoguider devices allow small, optically-fast guide scopes to be used with excellent results, there is an unfortunate scarcity of quality offerings available. That is, until now. Orion’s new Orion Mini 50mm Guide Scope brings autoguiding into the realm of affordability for any astro-imager, and brings the guide scope to a position that was previously occupied by a telescope finder scope. Consisting of a 50-mm aperture, 162-mm focal length (f/3.2) achromatic refractor guide scope, an adjustable dovetail guide scope bracket, a 1.25-inch aluminum parfocal ring, a dovetail mounting base, and an adapter plate, the Orion Mini 50-mm Guide Scope makes it easy for any astro-imager to enjoy the precision of autoguiding in their images. All this pint-sized setup requires is a StarShoot AutoGuider (sold separately) or similar small-chip CCD autoguider and it’s ready to go. The guide scope bracket fits into the standard Orion dovetail finder scope base found on most Orion telescopes. Best yet, the featherweight guide scope tips the scales at a mere 16 ounces. This one-pound wonder Mini 50-mm Guide Scope features fully multi-coated optics and a focus-adjusting front ring with locking collar. The included parfocal ring makes it easy to repeat autoguiding performance night to night, by letting you set the ideal focus position of the autoguider. The Orion Mini 50-mm Guide Scope is priced at $89.95US. For more information on these and other new products from Orion, please visit www.oriontelescopes.com. Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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NEWPRODUCTS
STARIZONA Cool Edge SCT Cooler
The Cool Edge, the latest innovative product from Starizona, is designed to help rapidly stabilize your SchmidtCassegrain telescope to ambient air temperature. By moving filtered air through the optical tube, distorting tube currents and heat spikes are eliminated. The Cool Edge is designed with Celestron’s new EdgeHD optical system in mind. Because this telescope design has lens elements inside the primary baffle tube, it is not possible to use a traditional SCT cooler that pushes air through the back of the telescope. But the EdgeHD telescopes combine rear-cell air vents with Fastar-compatible optics, allowing the Cool Edge to work from the front of the scope. The Cool Edge will also work with any Fastar-compatible SCT by simply leaving the scope’s visual back open (by removing the diagonal) to allow the air to flow through the optical tube. The Cool Edge attaches to the telescope in the same manner as Starizona’s popular HyperStar lenses; simply remove the sec-
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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
ondary mirror and thread on the Cool Edge. All Fastar-compatible telescopes ship with easily removable secondary mirrors that allow the use of a HyperStar lens, which now also allows the use of the Cool Edge SCT cooling system. To use, remove the secondary mirror from the telescope, attach the Cool Edge to the front of the telescope, and reattach the secondary mirror to the Cool Edge. The Cool Edge will then move filtered, ambient-temperature air past the secondary mirror, into the telescope, and out through the air vents in the rear cell of an Edge HD or through the open visual back of a non-Edge HD scope. In just a matter of minutes, the telescope’s optics reach ambient temperature, eliminating distorting tube currents which degrade the image quality. The Cool Edge fits Celestron Fastarcompatible telescopes and features include: rapidly equalizes telescope temperature; eliminates tube currents and heat spikes; ventilates the telescope with filtered air, built-in holder for secondary mirror; and anodized aluminum construction. The Cool Edge is 4 inches in diameter x 3.75 inches tall and uses an included AC or DC 12v power supply. HyperStar 3 for C9.25 Owners Starizona also has announced that it is taking pre orders for the new HyperStar 3 Lens for Celestron 9.25inch telescopes. Now C9.25 owners can join the HyperStar imaging revolution! For more information, please visit www.starizona.com.
NEWPRODUCTS
OFFICINA STELLARE Expands its Ritchey-Chretien Telescope Line Officina Stellare has announced an update to its popular Ritchey-Chretien telescope line with the introduction of a new range of Pro R-Cs and three levels of options: Full, Premium and Pro. Officina Stellare’s Pro Ritchey-Chretien telescopes, while maintaining their well known optical and mechanical design, will now come equipped with a custom two-element flattener specially produced for each available mirror diameter. By adding the flattener to the R-C’s two existing hyperbolic mirrors, imaging performance is significantly enhanced. For example, the Pro R-C 400 f/8 detects stars of 1.5 micron RMS at 27 mm off axis, offering a new level of optical performance. As a result, astro-imagers will be able to obtain spectacular images at a higher resolution and with a higher limiting magnitude, even when using the largest sensors available today.
Another exciting innovation is the introduction of three new R-C Packages. In addition to the basic OTAonly option, Officina Stellare will now offer Full, Premium and Pro variations. These new packages allow you to personalize your R-C configuration quickly and easily using their outstanding focalplane equipment. The three package levels provide for different accessories and include a focuser (FLI Atlas), a field rotator (Optec 3inch Pyxis), an off-axis guider (Astrodon Monster MOAG), and advanced O.S. ATC02 electronics. All the components are preinstalled and calibrated at the factory, plus the setup includes an adapter for the most popular cameras. You just need to connect your favorite CCD for a complete image train optimized for field correction and illumination. The packages are: Full Package - OTA, FLI Atlas Focuser, and Camera Adapter;
Premium Package - OTA, FLI Atlas Focuser, Astrodon Monster MOAG OAG, Pyxis 3inch Field Rotator and Camera Adapter; and Pro Package - OTA, FLI Atlas Focuser, Astrodon Monster MOAG OAG, Pyxis 3inch Field Rotator, ATC-02 electronics, secondary motor shift, and Camera Adapter. All combinations of the new range of Pro R-Cs from Officina Stellare are available now worldwide through its network of expert Dealers. For more information, please visit Officina Stellare’s website at www.officinastellare.com.
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NEWPRODUCTS
WALTERLEE TECHNOLOGIES Taking PreOrders for the soloFocus for Solar Scopes Designed for use with Coronado SolarMax 40-, 60-, and 90-series Solar Telescopes, the new WalterLee soloFocus allows owners of those scopes to electronically “detune the H-alpha filter” for better views of solar flares and coronal mass ejections. The soloFocus system features a Rigel Systems hand controller and incorporates a custom machined 6061 aluminum shell clamp, brass parts, hot-coat powder finish, weight reduction holes and grooving, a durable pulley that maintains constant friction against tuner, and a soft
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protective covering on all inside surfaces of clamp to preserve the telescope’s finish in its original. Optional accessories include a wireless remote with 500 foot range, and computer-interface control. Versions of the WalterLee Technologies soloFocus system are also available for Lunt Solar Systems’ popular solar telescopes. Prices for soloFocus systems start at $169US. For more information, please visit www.astrof o c u s t e c h n o l o g y. c o m / soloFocus.htm
Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
The Teeter’s Telescope 14.5-Inch Truss-Dob An Evaluation of a Teeter’s Dobsonian Structure By Phyllis K. Lang
This article is intended to serve as a critical look at the Teeter’s Telescopes truss-style Dobsonian telescope. In particular, I evaluate custom-build #70, a 14.5-inch f/4.5 Ultra-Limited Edition delivered to me in October 2010. My goal in writing this article is to document the build quality and point out details that may be particularly interesting to telescope makers and advanced visual observers. This article explores the telescope structure only. My experience in telescope building includes assisting in building an 8-inch f/7.6 Dobsonian with a solid rotating tube and rebuilding a solid tube Tectron 20-inch f/5 Dobsonian into a truss design. In addition, I taught telescope mirror-making for 17 years at North
Carolina State University and have 25 years visual observing experience with telescopes. I enjoy deep-sky observing with an affinity for planetary nebulae. Fit and Finish The fit and finish of Teeter’s Telescopes enjoy a very positive reputation. While the finish is easy to evaluate, the fit determines how the telescope will perform. A careful visual inspection of the woodwork confirmed that all joints were tight and the hardware was mounted securely. I carefully measured hardware installation and the squareness of the structure with a drafting ruler and steel tape to make sure that collimation would hold to expected tolerance. The greatest
error in the centering of the spider in the upper tube assembly was one half millimeter. The greatest error in the centering of the mounted mirror in the cell from the sides of the mirror box was a little less than one millimeter on the ground side of the cell. The primary cell was placed perfectly parallel to the top of the mirror box. The distance from the top of the mirror box to the bottom of the upper tube assembly was equal all the way around. Finally, the spider was mounted precisely parallel to the bottom of the upper tube assembly. Rob Teeter has made the cherry finish a signature feature of his telescopes. While the cherry finish was gorgeous, I wanted a lighter color that would reflect heat a little better and not show dust. I Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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THE TEETER’S TELESCOPE 14.5-INCH TRUSS-DOB
Image 1
chose the light maple stain at Rob’s suggestion, and the result was beautiful. The Mirror Box The mirror box and rocker box are made of 3/4-inch birch plywood. It is solidly built and heavy for me to move alone. Fortunately, my husband is ready and willing to help with the heavy lifting.
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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
Image 2
My previous 20-inch Dob was also built with 3/4-inch plywood. I prefer the heavy structure because vibration from wind or hand movement is harder to induce and damps out more quickly than a lighter structure. I also believe the stiffer structure holds critical collimation better. A small fan is mounted behind the
primary to assist with cooling. It is an upgrade to the standard kit. It is neatly installed with wiring fastened with wire clips and an LED-lighted switch just beneath one of the collimation bolts. The fan is a quiet and blows 32 cfm. It induces no vibration at all into the optical system. I highly recommend this upgrade for use after the boundary
THE TEETER’S TELESCOPE 14.5-INCH TRUSS-DOB
Image 3
Image 4
layer fans have done their job. The Primary Cell The primary cell is made of 1.0-inch box-tube aluminum and 1.375-inch channel aluminum. The welds are clean and the riveting is tight. It includes an 18-point floatation system for the 14.5inch thin Pyrex mirror with adequate
travel on the collimation bolts. These collimation bolts have large knurledsteel knobs that turn very smoothly, allowing precise adjustments to primary mirror collimation. The cell is mounted firmly to the 3/4-inch plywood mirror box. Image 1 shows the rear of the mirror box: cell, primary and rear fan shown
The Tailgate Assembly The cell hinges out and down to allow the mirror to be removed. Image 2 shows the Glatter Cable Sling System, the 18-point floatation system, and the mirror retaining clips turned to permit mirror removal. The tailgate hinges on bolts buried in the sides of the mirror box. The tailgate is secured with 9/16-
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THE TEETER’S TELESCOPE 14.5-INCH TRUSS-DOB
Image 5
inch bolts through the mirror box and the aluminum frame of the cell. This cell isn’t going anywhere, and neither is the mirror when the clips are rotated to the “closed” position. The Boundary Layer Fans The twin boundary layer fans pull air into the mirror box, blowing down
Image 6
and across the face of the primary mirror (Shown Image 3). Two holes are cut in the mirror box opposite the fans to allow the moving air to drain. I debated the value of boundary layer fans years ago with my fellow mirror-making and telescope-making buddies. We determined then, and I remain convinced now, that breaking the boundary layer with fans
improves the quality of images significantly when atmospheric seeing is excellent. Image 3 shows the mirror box interior and boundary layer fans. These fans are intended for more than breaking the boundary layer. I call them turbo-blowers because they deliver 110 cfm each and cool the mirror box interior. I can attest that running the fans
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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
THE TEETER’S TELESCOPE 14.5-INCH TRUSS-DOB for 30 minutes after setup and before observing improves cooling of the primary and mirror box significantly. The fans induce vibration into the mirror box structure that definitely affects images. Teeter’s Telescopes does not recommend running these fans while observing, and I agree. Push-To Motion I am a “push-to” observer so the motion on the altitude and azimuth bearings is important to me. This telescope employs Ebony Star laminate and generously sized PTFE pads for the bearings. The azimuth bearing includes a large PTFE pad in the center. The motion in both altitude and azimuth is smooth. I have not decided whether the amount of “stiction” is perfect or just a tad too much in a high-power (e.g. planet) observing scenario. This is a critical adjustment in my experience – I once applied some Armor All-brand treatment to an azimuth bearing that resulted in an unusable tele-
scope. A friend recommended pure carnauba wax which I have found to be a better solution. If I do anything to the bearings, I will apply a small amount of carnauba wax. More About the Mirror Image 7 Box Nice touches typical of this telescope include the clamps that secure the fan wires, flocking material on the light baffle above the primary mirror and soft rubber bumpers on the mirror clips. Wiring is neatly controlled throughout the telescope. The flocking material is trimmed neatly and is installed with no bubbles or creases. The dust apparent in some of the photos is
stuck to the flocking material and can be blown out with an air bulb which I keep with my observing equipment. The mirror clips stay positioned to keep the mirror from tipping out of the cell when the telescope is horizontal. They passed an unintended test of this on the telescope’s second night out: the telescope tipped past horizontal while
Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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THE TEETER’S TELESCOPE 14.5-INCH TRUSS-DOB
Image 5
moving it with the wheelbarrow handles. There was no damage, but the mirror slipped forward in its cell. Once it was
Three Incredible Values, All Under One Roof!
repositioned properly in the cell, the clips gave ample clearance between glass and bumper. If a mirror fits tightly in the cell
or sling, the glass is pinched resulting in astigmatism. My previous 20-inch f/5 Dob (ca. 1989) had a seat-belt sling in it. While the belt was serviceable for years, I had problems with it slipping. If the belt wasn’t positioned correctly, astigmatism became apparent in the image. The old-style seat-belt slings were also susceptible to stretching. The Glatter Cable Sling System is a recently-developed solution to both problems and is available as an upgrade to the standard package. Image 4 shows the mirror box interior and cable sling close up. I use digital setting circles (DSC) in my “push-to” observing. The DSC swivel bracket (Image 5) is an upgrade that allows my DSC computer to be attached with Velcro-brand fasteners to an adjustable, convenient mount on the telescope. I can operate the DSC without detaching it and it remains at arm’s reach from the focuser. This is a recommended upgrade if you use a DSC computer.
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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
THE TEETER’S TELESCOPE 14.5-INCH TRUSS-DOB Ball-&-Socket Truss-Pole Connectors The ball-&-socket connectors for the truss poles (Image 6 shows the Moonlite Telescope Accessories truss pole connectors) are a huge improvement over the full-capture assemblies I used in the past. Truss poles slipped occasionally in the capture-style assemblies causing real problems at collimation time. The balls on the new telescope’s truss poles fit nicely in the sockets. My greatest concern is that the steel screws that tighten against the hard Delrin-brand-plastic balls will flatten out spots on the balls causing a misfit. Time will tell whether that becomes a problem; otherwise, this is a beautiful solution. The Truss-Ring System Teeter has an innovative system that joins the upper tube assembly to the mirror box, and it can speed up setup by as much as 10 minutes. Truss-pole connectors are mounted to the upper tube assembly as usual, but the connectors on the mirror box end are mounted to a 3/4inch plywood ring that bolts onto the mirror box. This allows the upper tube assembly and the truss poles to separate from the mirror box as a single unit. Image 7 shows the truss-ring system mounted on mirror box and Image 8 shows the truss-ring system separated from mirror box. The fit of the ring to the mirror box is tight and is secured by large rubber-coated hand knobs. This system is really convenient and rigid enough not to
Image 6
affect collimation. Of course, if you need to break the telescope down further, the truss poles can be removed from all connectors and stored separately. The Upper Tube Assembly The upper tube assembly (UTA) is also solidly built, but it can benefit from a single, simple change. The AstroSystems spider was centered in the UTA and the secondary holder was fastened tightly on the spider. Even so, the secondary holder could rotate within the spider with hand pressure, so I added a split washer between the nut and the flat washer that secure the secondary holder to the spider. Problem solved.
The secondary holder has four collimation screws that are easy to adjust with fingers (no gloves). The secondary holder also has a secondary dew heater to help with heavy seasonal dew here in North Carolina. The wiring is neatly routed on the spider with particular attention to flatness. The amount of diffraction induced into the image is minimal due to this careful detail. Image 9 shows the circle of flocking material opposite the focuser in the UTA that comes with the standard package. I inserted flocking material into my other telescope a few years ago, and I highly recommend this simple step to improve contrast in reflecting telescopes.
Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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THE TEETER’S TELESCOPE 14.5-INCH TRUSS-DOB
Image 8
Collimation I tested the telescope’s ability to hold collimation while moving it in altitude from zenith to horizon, and I observed a troubling shift of several millimeters in the beam of a laser collimator within the center spot on the primary mirror. I feared that this was due to flexure in the cell or the tube structure. Having made
Image 9
careful measurements of all components, it was not readily apparent what might be causing the shift, but it was large enough to affect images noticeably. I talked at length with one of my mirror-making friends who pointed out that the problem may be in the focuser or the laser collimator itself. I verified that the laser collimator beam was colli-
mated within the housing, so I removed the laser and inserted a CatsEye 2-inch Infinity XLK autocollimator. I watched the hotspot pattern in the autocollimator as I rotated the telescope on the altitude bearing. There was almost no movement, proving that the problem lay in flexure of the laser at the focuser, not in the telescope structure itself. Further experiments showed that when the collimator was in the focuser’s 1.25-inch adapter, the shift was huge – up to a centimeter. When the collimator was in its own 2-inch adapter and fitted very tightly in the focuser, the shift was tiny – not really measureable. Conclusion I am delighted with this telescope. Having examined it with a millimeter ruler, a carpenter’s square, a laser collimator and an autocollimator, I am confident that I have a well-built, sturdy telescope that should perform extremely well.
WHY BUY YOUR NEXT TELESCOPE FROM CCTS? 1. CCTS QUALITY CONTROL 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. 2. CUSTOMER SUPPORT At CCTS, the owners, Jeff and Greta, take a hands-on approach to customer service. We will personally make sure that your order is filled promptly and courteously. You will NEVER feel that your hard earned money is spent unwisely with a company that is too busy to take the time to see that you are serviced well. Need to Speak with the Owners? Here is a Direct Line: 631-335-1279.
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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
3. THE BEST EXTENDED WARRANTY IN THE BUSINESS CCTS provides customers with an elite level of service unlike any other company. Purchasing an Extended Service Contract from us means that you making an intelligent investment in the future of your optical equipment. We offer the most comprehensive AND the lowest priced warranties in the business: How about a 3 year extended warranty for only $49.95 on a $2000.00 telescope? None of our competitors even OFFER extended warranties! Protection for your equipment after the manufacturer's warranty expires AND You can transfer the contract to a new owner! 4. WE ARE NEVER UNDERSOLD! Enough Said!
THE ASTRO TELESCOPES 102-MM F/11 REFRACTOR A MODERN TAKE ON AN OLD-SCHOOL DESIGN By Gary Parkerson
For years, one of my favorite telescopes has been an excellent 102-mm f/9.8 achromatic refractor formerly produced by Vixen Company Ltd of Japan for distribution under the Celestron brand as the SPC 102. That long-discontinued 4-inch achromat had great optics and a durable tube assembly with remarkably effective internal baffling, but was originally restricted by its stock 1.25-inch rack-and-pinion focuser and relatively short, press-on dew shield. My SPC 102 was eventually modified by replacement of the 1.25-inch focuser with a 2-inch rackand-pinion, which greatly increased its overall utility, but left the scope with, for my purposes, one critical flaw. I used the scope on a German Equatorial mount, so the eyepiece could get in some decidedly uncomfortable positions depending on the quadrant of sky I was targeting. No problem, right? Just loosen the set screw on the visual back and rotate the diagonal until the eyepiece was within easy reach. Yes,
that would solve the problem, but when using a heavy wide-field eyepiece and 2-inch star diagonal, repeatedly loosening and twisting the diagonal-eyepiece assembly risked needless disaster. I ended up installing “Wilcox” rotation rings and rotating the entire tube assembly instead. I considered replacing the rack-and-pinion focuser with a more modern, rotatable Crayford, but decided against that solution since the cost of the replacement Crayford could easily exceed the value of the scope itself. A Fated Encounter Fast forward to NEAF 2010: As I reported in Volume 4, Issue 3 of ATT, one of the highlights of that event was comparing views through a Tele Vue TV85 and Al Nagler’s vintage 1882 Alvin Clark. As I reported last year, “Yes, the TV85 is truly an amazing instrument and produced a significantly coma-free image by comparison to the historic refractor, but I left the display still very
impressed with the capabilities of Clark’s now-ancient creation.” For me, the combination of large depth of focus and time-honored form produces a uniquely transcendent experience. So, it seemed fate had positioned Gary Hand’s new Astro Telescopes 102-mm, f/11 “Planet Killer” (AT102F11) by Kunming United Optics directly across the aisle from Al Nagler’s irreplaceable Clark. A quick glance revealed not only the gloriously-long tube that characterizes traditional refractors, but also a pleasingly-proportioned retractable dew shield, exceptionally-robust hinged mount rings, and even a fully-rotatable 2inch, dual-speed Crayford-style focuser. Be still my old-school heart! But how would its optics compare to those of the excellent SPC 102? Very well, as it turned out. The Mechanics The tube measures 10.5 cm in diameter and the dew shield measures 12.5 cm. Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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THE ASTRO TELESCOPES 102-MM F/11 REFRACTOR
Image 1: The AT102F11 with DYI Baader-film White-Light Solar Filter Attached
Both are dressed in a rich white finish with subtle hints of silver highlight that contrasts perfectly with black-anodized trim. Fit, finish, proportions – this is a gorgeous telescope! The retractable dew shield measures roughly 11.5 inches and compliments perfectly the 47-inch overall length of the tube assembly. The long dew shield not only provides an attractive form, but its interior surface is perfectly blackened so there is no chance for contrast-killing stray light to impact views at the eyepiece. The dew shield is fitted with a precision-machined threadon aluminum end cap more reminiscent of that of the high-end TV85 than anything I would previously have associate with popularly-priced achromatic refractors. The dew shield retracted smoothly but stayed firmly put when extended. The cell that suspends the doublet is also precision-machined and is a sophisticated bit of equipment that allows amply for adjustment of alignment of the optics, although none was needed in the case of the AT102F11 that I tested. Better yet, there was no pinching of the doublet. The AT102F11 is fitted with three knife-edge internal baffles that are precisely positioned to best eliminate any stray light that might get past that generous dew
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shield. Performance at the eyepiece confirmed the optimum contrast these mechanical features promised – pin-point stars against a black-velvet background. As said, the AT102F11 was in perfect collimation when I picked it up at NEAF 2010 and remained so when we made it home. I tested collimation after rotating the focuser through a full 360 degrees and all stayed in precise alignment regardless of angle of the focuser with respect to the tube. The focuser rotated smoothly when the locking screw was loosened and stayed firmly in place when that screw was retightened. Similarly, the scope held collimation throughout the full 85-cm range of the focus tube. Course and 11:1 fine focus remained very smooth, even when tensioned to hold my heaviest eyepieces. The 2-inch visual back features a brass compression ring and boasts three thumb screws spaced at 120-degree intervals around its circumference – nothing is going to slip within that grip. As noted, the AT102F11 ships fitted with two heavy-duty hinged mount rings. The machined-aluminum rings are 24 cm thick with 86-cm flats top and bottom, each of which feature five predrilled and tapped holes for mounting anything you
THE ASTRO TELESCOPES 102-MM F/11 REFRACTOR could need to place there. The “top” halves of the rings even have predrilled/tapped holes on the hinge-side flats in case you’ve managed to fill the top flats and still have accessories to mount. Each ring is fitted with a generous aluminum knob that matches those of the focuser perfectly. This is simply a beautifully finished and appointed scope. The AT102F11 even ships with a Vixen-style dovetail with counter-bored mounting holes (one slotted) so that the cap-screws do not protrude when the dovetail is attached to the rings. The rings and dovetail form a rigid cradle assembly and hold the scope firmly, without detectable flexure. Optical Performance The full multi-coatings on each of the four surfaces of the AT102F11’s doublet appear perfectly uniform and compared favorably to the single-layer coatings that were standard when the SPC 102 was produced. Whether due to actual difference in respective coating reflectivity or just my subjective expectations, I perceived slightly brighter stars against an equally dark background in the AT102F11 when compared critically to the SPC 102. I “star tested” the AT102F11 at 220X against Vega, as well as using a Hubble Optics artificial star of appropriate intensity, and detected no astigmatism or spherical aberration, and only the expected, acceptable degree of chromatic aberration. Star images inside and outside of focus were re-
markably consistent, demonstrating wellcorrected optics. I don’t know that I’ve ever used an achromat of comparable aperture that produced more impressive overall contrast, whether my target was the sun through a white-light filter, the moon at any phase, Jupiter, Saturn, Alberio, or the Double Double (which the AT102F11 split beautifully under steady skies). As for chromatic aberration or false color, I found none that diminished viewing enjoyment except on Sirius, against which I also tested the scope extensively with a variety of anti-fringing/minus-violet filters (more on that in a subsequent article), to great effect. When conditions permitted, I pushed the scope to 250X on several challenging targets without image breakdown. In sum, the optical performance of the AT102F11 exceeded my expectations. That said, the aspect of the AT102Fll that left the most vivid impression was the forgotten luxury of the huge depth of focus of a longer-than-f/10 refractor mated with a silky-smooth Crayford, an aspect that I found especially dramatic when studying double-star systems. Gone was the incessant tweaking of the fine-focus knob that I associate with fast optical systems. It was easy to determine when the scope was at focus and it held that focus firmly once there. Does the AT102F11 live up to the “planet killer” tag? Views of our moon were stunning – darkly-rich maria outlined by the crisp, lustrous platinum of the lunar
highlands; craters cast stark shadows and tack-sharp edges. Saturn was spectacular and Jupiter as glorious as through any midaperture achromat I’ve had the pleasure of using. But I spent far more time enjoying the Sun and binary stars than I invested in Jupiter, Luna, Mars, or Saturn. The only white-light solar filter I had on hand that was a reasonable match for the 12.5-cm dew shield was a homemade Baader-film contraption and...well, I couldn’t finish this paragraph without stopping to set the scope up for the hundredth time to experience, once more, the enthralling solar surface detail that combination provides! I’ve looked through a lot of solar scopes and simply don’t recall a white-light view that I’ve enjoyed more. I’m equally enthusiastic about the AT102F11’s performance on doubles. I was out just a few weeks ago with an observing buddy who had his very capable 8inch Newtonian trained on the Trapezium at 120X, or so, looking for the E and F. I aimed the long refractor at the same target, inserted an eyepiece that would match the magnification of his Newt, and invited him to take a look. His first impression had nothing to do with E and F: “Wow! The stars are much smaller and sharper.” Exactly! In sum, there’s a lot to recommend long-focus achromatic refractors and the AT102F11 is as fine an example of a 4-inch production achromat as I’ve come across since new Unitrons went the way of Dodos.
Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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The William Optics DDG Focus System Carpe Telescopio? Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m a fan of the Newtonian. As an aspiring astro-imager, I can’t resist fast optics and a high apertureto-price ratio. That said, Dr. James Dire’s recent article on the William Optics Megrez 120 really stirred some deepseated emotions in me. My first telescope was a 4-inch “Semi-Apo,” and I think I’ve subconsciously wanted to revisit refractors. Would the Megrez be a good fit? I read Dr. Dire’s article, and while the scope seemed to be a beautiful, solid performer, I was disappointed that the William Optics Digital Display Gauge (DDG) Focus System wasn’t covered. I would have to wait for the follow-up before making a decision. Then it hit me. (This reminds me of one of my favorite jokes. Sometimes I wonder, “Why is that Frisbee getting bigger?” And then it hits me.) Someone has to write the follow-up. Carpe diem! A couple phone calls, a lengthy journey by boat (for the scope, not me) and I am prepared to zero in on this focuser. The DDG Focuser is built into several of the William Optics refractors and is also available as a stand-alone component in both refractor and SCT form. It is
By Austin Grant
a great looking focuser and on this unit the fit and finish perfectly match the optical tube of the Megrez. It is a 3.5-inch model, with 2-inch and 1.25inch capabilities, that is equipped with a 1:10 dual-speed micro-focuser. By loosening a thumbscrew at either the front or back of the focuser, either the entire assembly or just the rear components can be rotated 360 de- Image 1 - The DDG-Focuser-Equipped William Optics 120 Megrez grees. I found this es- is shown carrying a WO AFR-IV flattener/reducer and the author’s pecially handy when I Canon DSLR. thermometer, but it is present in the wanted to rotate the camera but leave the stand-alone focuser. This may be a feature DDG readout in place. Speaking of the that will be added to other models. DDG readout, it is easy to read, and has So this thing looks great, but how did a built-in backlight. There are three butit perform? I put a diagonal and fairly tons below the readout: On/Off, Light hefty eyepiece on it, racked the draw tube and Zero. The Light button is slightly all the way in, and zeroed the DDG. I raised and easy to find in the dark. The then ran the alignment procedure on my model I tested didn’t include a built-in
Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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THE WILLIAM OPTICS DDG FOCUS SYSTEM
Image 2 - This image of the Leo Triplet was captured while testing the accuracy of the WO DDG Focuser. The stack of 10 images was minimally processed without flats or darks and was executed solely to determine repeatability of the digital focus system.
mount. I refocused between stars to get a feel for how smooth it was and to compare the digital readings. The focuser was smooth as silk, without rough spots like ones I’m more accustomed to. My focus readings were all within two-hundredths of a millimeter and I attribute most of that tiny discrepancy to the atmosphere. The graduations on top of the draw tube perfectly matched the digital readout and were large enough to be easily read if you didn’t want to use the digital function. The focuser performed flawlessly with an eyepiece, but how would it do with some imaging gear? I image with a DSLR, so my setup isn’t hefty compared to many of the CCD setups. I attached the William Optics AFR-IV Adjustable Flattener/.8x Reducer to the camera and it weighed in at just under three pounds. The focuser was just as smooth and precise as before. I had no problems using the fine focus knob and
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48 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
THE WILLIAM OPTICS DDG FOCUS SYSTEM found that I only had to loosen the focus lock by about 15 degrees. I zeroed the DDG and then achieved focus with Live View and the FWHM feature in BackyardEOS. I took some short exposures of several dense star fields. The focus was good and the flattener was great – pinpoint stars to the edges of the images. The accuracy of this focuser was fantastic, without a doubt. How was the precision? To test this, I removed the imaging setup and once again zeroed the focuser. I then reattached the imaging tools and returned the focuser to the exact position I had used before (as indicated by the DDG). The focus was perfect. I removed and replaced the camera/flattener several more times, slewed to other targets and even rotated the focuser to several different positions. Each time, replacing the equipment and returning to the same position resulted in perfect focus. That’s impressive!
Indeed, I couldn’t be more impressed with the DDG Focuser. It is well built and very reliable. The accuracy and precision exceeded my expectations and I’ll admit that those expectations were lofty. Before using the DDG system, I wasn’t sold on a need for this technology – I didn’t realize that my current setup severely limited my observing. With my existing setup, after setting up to image, I never remove the camera – too many factors could alter my results. But with William Optics’ DDG focuser, I could switch from imaging to visual on a whim with no doubt that everything could quickly be returned to the exact focus position as before the switch. Another fear I had was that temperature fluctuations would impact the accuracy of the DDG and therefore its usefulness. After some thought, though, I think the DDG could also be helpful even when used in varying temperatures. As-
suming the thermal expansion is linear, several focus point/temperature settings could be recorded and the remaining data extrapolated. How useful would it be to have the ability to predict the focus point based on temperature? All things considered, I’m sold. I’ve changed my tune and now know just how badly I need a high-quality William Optics refractor fitted with its DDG focus system. Is it December yet?
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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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The iPad as a High-End Telescope A Case Controller Study By Tim DeBenedictis
At Southern Stars, we have a knack for taking on projects that are sometimes more than we can chew off in one bite. This is not at all something to regret: experience has taught us that progress doesn’t take place without taking risks and that success requires persistent (and sometimes painful) experimentation. In 2009, we launched our first SkySafari iPhone app (then known as SkyVoyager), along with SkyFi, our builtfrom-scratch, Wi-Fi-based telescope controller. Despite challenges ranging from rejections by Apple’s app review board, to failure of our SkyFi prototypes to pass FCC certification (twice!), these products eventually proved to be phenomenally successful. In February 2010, the combination of our iPhone app and SkyFi won a Best of Show(TM) award at the MacWorld Expo. To date, over 200,000 copies of our SkySafari app have been downloaded. And as 2010 came to an end, we licensed SkyFi’s (fully-certified!) wireless technology to Orion Telescopes, who are exclusively selling it as the “StarSeek Wi-Fi Module.” Over the course of 2010, we gained a lot of experience with both products – in terms of technology, as well as the customers who use it. The majority of our users are new astronomers, with equip-
50 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
Image 1 - Gary Jaffe is shown holding an iPad in front of his Optical Guidance Systems fork-mounted 16-inch R-C and surrounded by Craig Combes and Craig’s son.
ment tailored to beginners – Meade ETXs, 8-inch and smaller Celestron NexStars are typical. There are a lot more non-astronomers in the world than there are astronomers and the usual pattern is that someone discovers our iPhone app, finds out it can control a telescope, and then purchases a SkyFi (and a telescope) to use it. It’s less frequent that an experienced observer with larger instrumentation approaches us. When this happens, I’m always eager to see how our solution performs with high-end equipment.
An unusual example of such an opportunity presented itself in September. Gary Jaffe, owner of the Jaffe Estates winery in Napa, California, is also an avid amateur astronomer. He enthusiastically shares his passions for both wine and astronomy with the public, offering wine tasting and star parties at his private observatory to local schools and charity groups. Gary’s observatory consists of a 16.5-foot Ash dome housing a 16-inch Optical Guidance Systems RC telescope on an Optical Guidance Systems 100 fork
THE IPAD AS A HIGH-END TELESCOPE CONTROLLER
Image 3 - The Jaffe Estate Winery Observatory at sunrise.
Image 2 - Gary Jaffe’s 16-inch fork-mounted Optical Guidance Systems R-C.
mount. The challenge Gary faced with his equipment was its control system. The PC-based software Gary used to drive the telescope was difficult to use and its wired connection to the mount made it awkward during public presentations. The control hardware eventually developed an intermittent failure that made the scope unusable. Gary is a donor to the Keck Observatory and communicated with some of his contacts there regarding his problem. A few peo-
Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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THE IPAD AS A HIGH-END TELESCOPE CONTROLLER
Image 4 - iPad screen shot of SkySafari mount set-up page.
ple at Keck recommended Craig Combes, a former member of the West Hawaii Astronomy Club, which meets at Keck headquarters and has a number of Keck employees as members. Since Gary had just received an iPad for his birthday –and loved it! – Craig did some searching to see if there was an iPadbased solution that might work as a replacement. Craig came across SkySafari, working in conjunction with a Sidereal
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Technology (SiTech) Dual-Servo Controller system. At the time Craig contacted us, our iPad app’s SiTech control code was still under development, and very “beta.” Although we made Craig aware of this, he and Gary decided to proceed with a SiTech installation, nevertheless. Craig replaced the previous control system with a SiTech Dual-Servo Controller, using servos available from SiTech, at a final gear reduction of 7200:1.
The project proved challenging: from the point of view of our iPad app, SiTech’s controller sometimes exhibited undocumented behavior. More disturbingly, our app frequently lost communication with the SkyFi wireless controller. Our initial guess, that this was exacerbated by the RFreflective environment inside the observatory dome, did not instill confidence. Despite repeated phone calls and emails, we were not able to isolate the cause. Fortunately, Gary’s Napa observatory is within driving distance of our office – and we decided to pay him a visit. Persistence solved both problems. A very helpful explanation of the SiTech controller’s communication protocol from Dan Gray, SiTech’s owner, solved the controller problems. The Wi-Fi dropouts were isolated to the iPad. This was both reassuring (it wasn’t the SkyFi that was failing!) and worrisome (we can’t debug Apple’s iOS operating system software to eliminate them!). But we eventually found a simple fix that allowed our app to work around the iPad’s periodic Wi-Fi dropouts. By November, Gary’s system was working smoothly enough to run a public demonstration. Gary reports: “SkyFi is now controlling the telescope very reliably and incredibly accurately both in terms of slew and go-to precision. It is really enhancing the observatory experience for students of all ages who come to learn about Astronomy from me at the family observatory. The time is now all spent observing and discussing and not with tinkering with the old telescope control system to get the celestial objects into the eyepiece image in a haphazard manner. Tracking is much improved – it still knocks my socks off! I never dreamed it could be so effortless and so accurate.” The lesson here is that perseverance pays off. A $15 iPad app and a $150 controller – and careful time and attention – rescued observatory equipment valued several orders of magnitude higher. As with most technological advancement, the real
THE IPAD AS A HIGH-END TELESCOPE CONTROLLER reward of our investment comes later. The fixes we developed for Gary’s setup rolled into the general SkySafari 2.1 release at the end of 2010. The experience also helped us develop SkyWire, an even simpler and more affordable wired alternative to SkyFi. Most importantly, we gained a friend. Astronomy isn’t just about science or technology. It’s a very human enterprise and the factors that lead to success in any human endeavor – good communication, solid teamwork, a willingness to take on risks and see through challenges – are what lead to success in our field as well. You’ll find those qualities in our company, in the work we’ve done so far, and in the new products we’re introducing in 2011. But more on that later. For more information on SkySafari and SkyWire, you can visit www.southernstars.com. For more on Gary Jaffe’s winery and observatory, go to www.jaffeestate.com.
Image 5 - iPad screen shot of SkySafari targeting the popular amber/blue-green double-star system, Albireo.
Colorful spectrums like the one above are rightly called the “fingerprints of the stars.” Spectrums reveal the composition, temperature, and movement of stars. In the past, only professionals had the skill and equipment to study spectrums. Recently, the cost and complexity of the necessary hardware and software has dropped enormously. Today, you can easily study the spectrums of stars and planets with a minimum of expense. If you have a telescope and a CCD camera (even a webcam or DSLR), then all you need is an inexpensive grating (mounted in a standard filter cell) and the RSpec software. It’s an exciting pursuit. We invite you to join the growing number of amateur astronomers who have discovered the thrilling adventure of spectroscopy!
See our website for video demos and trial version: www.rspec-astro.com Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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THE IPAD AS A HIGH-END TELESCOPE CONTROLLER
Craig Combes Shares his Perspective of the Project Craig Combes shares his perspective of the project as follows: “I received an email from a friend at the Keck Observatory that one of their foundation members was having some telescope drive problems. Given that I lived just over the hill and that I have experience with telescope drive systems, he asked if I would be interested in investigating the situation to see if I could help. I told him I would be happy to; so off I went to investigate. The telescope owner was Gary Jaffe of the Jaffe Estate Winery in Napa Valley. Gary has an observatory, which houses an Optical Guidance Systems 16inch R-C telescope. The mount is an equatorial fork and originally contained a Software Bisque MKS-3000 drive system, which was connected to a PC via a serial cable and controlled by The Sky planetarium software. The drive system had failed completely as a result of a blown fuse. I replaced the fuse and found that after tracking for a few minutes, the system would start tracking backwards in Right Ascension (RA). I made an attempt to repair the board, but was originally unable to find the fault (I later determined that the 5-volt power module was faulty and Software Bisque sent me a new one at no charge).
Since I originally believed that the MKS-3000 couldn’t be repaired and that the replacement, the MKS-4000 (the only option then available from Software Bisque), would cost $1,300, I decided to research potential alternative solutions. Gary had just received an iPad for his birthday from his wife Pam and really enjoyed using it. I was aware of a few planetarium software packages that were available for the iPad – the trick was finding one that would work with a “generic” telescope control system. I did some digging and discovered that Tim DeBenedictis at Southern Stars was beta testing SkySafari with the SiTech controller from Sidereal Technology. Tim advised me that the beta software was fairly solid and he offered to make us a beta site. I informed Gary that I had found a wireless, iPad-based replacement solution for his mount that I thought I could make work, and that the components (not including the iPad) would cost less than the MKS-4000 solution. He was thrilled, so we began the conversion. I ordered the SkyFi (serial-to-Wi-Fi adapter) from Southern Stars and the SiTech Controller and replacement servos from Sidereal Technologies. (The MKS-3000/4000 systems drive brushless servos and the SiTech controller
works with brush servos.) I consulted with Dan Gray at SiTech to determine the optimal gear ratio for the drive system. The original gear train included an 8:1 spur-gear reduction and a 360:1 worm-gear reduction. Dan’s recommendation required that I change the 8:1 spur gears to a 2:1 gear pair. Given that the new servos contained a 10:1 gearhead, this resulted in a total gear reduction of 7200. I also had to have some new brackets made to mount the new servos to the existing worm gear base. I worked through some issues with a few of the components, including some software modifications to SkySafari, but eventually got it all working. Of course, it took a bit longer than expected, but I believe it’s safe to say that everyone is extremely pleased with the final result. I feel the SkySafari software is by-far the best mobile planetarium software available and using it without cumbersome wires on an iPad, or iPod Touch, to control a telescope (including Go-To) is a wonderful experience. In addition, the SiTech controller is definitely a very powerful and flexible drive controller. The support from Tim DeBenedictis and Dan Gray was also exceptional. So if you’re looking for the latest and sexiest telescope control system, look no further. You can either attempt it yourself, or hire me!”
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Easy Polar Alignment The Iterative Method By David Snay
We all know that accurate polar alignment can significantly improve the tracking accuracy of your mount. For years I performed only the roughest of polar alignment by simply pointing my mount somewhere near North. At first I was not involved in astro photography, so it didn’t have any impact on my views. But that changed when I discovered astro photography. I learned about drift alignment, but was confused by the details of identifying an appropriate pair of stars. I understood at once that I wasn’t very interested in investing the time required to perform an accurate drift alignment. Plus, I felt that auto-guiding could negate any minor inaccuracy in my polar alignment. This
approach worked as long as I was using short exposures on my wedge based system, but the minute I decided to try longer exposures, the error in my theory was quickly exposed. I kept trying to master drift aligning and never really figured out how to make it work reliably. Luckily, Dr. Clay Sherrod (www.arksky.org) came to the rescue and introduced me to the iterative method of polar alignment. Basically, it comes down to performing a rough polar alignment, followed by using your hand controller’s sync function and your mount’s latitude and azimuth adjustments to fine tune your polar alignment. Here are the steps I use for polar
alignment after initial setup: 1 - Rough polar alignment; 2 - “Go-to” any star; 3 - Sync on that star; 4 - “Go-to” Polaris; 5 - Adjust your mount to bring Polaris half way to center of your eyepiece or camera image; 6 - “Go-to” the star from step 2; 7 - Repeat steps 3 through 6 until Polaris and the other star land dead center in your field of view. There are three keys to success with this method. 1 - Sync on the “go-to” star using the hand controller. 2 - Adjust the mount when correcting for Polaris’s location. You have to use the mount’s altitude and azimuth adjustments (wedge or EQ) for this. Do NOT use the hand controller’s input keys. 3 - Only bring Polaris half way to center until the final Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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EASY POLAR ALIGNMENT
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56 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
few adjustments (this is crucial!). My current mount has a built-in polar-alignment scope, which allows me to get pretty close to accurate polar alignment – it is not accurate enough for astro-photography demands, but it is certainly good enough for visual work or even planetary imaging, since neither of those activities require long exposure times. If you don’t have a polar alignment scope, then you can just use your finder scope. Dr. Clay has a very nice description of how to do this here: http://www.arksky.org/Kochab.htm. The first few times I used this iterative method it took me roughly 1/2 hour to get things well aligned. However, with a little practice I reached a point where it only takes a few minutes and I’m ready to go. I’ve tested my alignment using various techniques and have found this to be a very effective polar alignment method. For me the best part about this
method is that I can use virtually any star I want for polar alignment. This is huge for me as I can only “see” North through South and barely anything shines through the light dome produced by my neighboring city to the South. If you live in the southern hemisphere, you can’t use Polaris for this exercise. I think you will have to substitute Sigma Octantis for Polaris. Unfortunately, Sigma Octantis shines at only about Magnitude 5.5, so finding it for the first time could be a challenge. Sigma Octantis lays roughly half way along and 2 minutes 30 seconds above a line drawn between Delta and Beta Octantis, the two stars that make up the upper leg of the Octans triangle. So if you’re photographing the night sky and struggle with drift alignment (as do I), give the iterative method a try. Hopefully you’ll be pleasantly surprised by its simplicity and accuracy.
An Inexpensive Altitude Hub Braking System An Alternative to TraditionallySized Altitude Bearings By Erik Wilcox
One of the things I love about trusstype Dobsonian telescopes is their portability. Packing a huge amount of aperture into the trunk of a small car and being able to easily transport it to a remote site is one of the main reasons why truss scopes are so popular. But one of the largest parts on a truss scope in terms of diameter can be the altitude hubs. I took this into account when I was building my 16-inch truss scope. What started as a bulky Meade 16-inch Starfinder Dob eventually became my truss scope, in which the optics (which I had refigured) ended up as the only original parts from the Meade. When I was designing the truss scope, I considered the altitude hubs carefully. The typical rule of thumb with a Dobsonian telescope is that the altitude hubs should be sized approximately 1.5 times the aperture of the primary mirror. With a 16-inch telescope, that meant the ideal size of the alti-
tude hubs would be a whopping 24 inches! I thought about designing the altitude hubs to be removable with a couple of thumbscrews, but I wanted the scope to be easily assembled in the field at night without worry of losing small parts. And 24inch altitude hubs seemed so incredibly large! Wooden hubs this size might also be flimsy and 24-inch steel or aluminum hubs would be incredibly expensive. So I toyed with a few ideas and finally decided on 14.5-inch hubs, which would be as big as I could get away with without the edges of the hubs protruding from the scope and making it overly bulky. To help with the inevitable balance issues that I’d face, I ended up using a 3-pound Parks sliding counterweight. This solution worked in most situations, except when the scope was pointed near the horizon or at the zenith. With heavy eyepieces, the scope would often slip when it was slewed to these areas of the sky.
I learned to deal with this situation for a couple of years and generally avoided observing objects when they were located directly overhead or near the horizon. But given that the zenith is often the most transparent part of the sky (presenting the least atmosphere to look through), I began to think about finding a better solution. I’ve built quite a few different Dobsonian telescopes over the years. With apertures up to 10 inches, one can get away with using smaller hubs and tension springs as a system to increase the friction of the altitude bearings. Many entry-level massmarket Dobsonians use this technique with good results and I’ve found it adequate with some of the smaller scopes I’ve built over the years. However, with a 16-inch scope, tension springs aren’t really feasible – they would have to be extremely large and taut and would be difficult to install and remove with each observing session. Much strength Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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AN INEXPENSIVE ALTITUDE HUB BRAKING SYSTEM
Image 1
would be required to pull them over the attachment knobs where they would rest on the altitude hubs. Additionally, this amount of pressure on the altitude hubs and tele-
scope base would likely compromise the structural integrity of the entire instrument, unless a great deal of effort was put into reinforcing the mounting points with steel
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New MX-1 Telescope Adapter for iPhone! The MX-1 is an afocal adapter that attaches an iPhone directly to a telescope eyepiece for viewing and photography. It is rugged, lightweight and compatible with any model iPhone. It includes 3 felt-lined attachment clamps which will adapt to almost any standard 1.25" format eyepiece. It also can be configured to attach an iPhone to a standard photography tripod! Amateur astronomers will find the MX-1 a huge hit at star-parties allowing an iPhone to be used as an ultra-portable display for showing off your scope's view. The easy dock/undock of the cradle will even let others use their iPhones for a quick snapshot through your scope. And best of all, it’s offered at an introductory price of $44.95!
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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
plates or other “overbuilt” solutions. I simply wanted an effective way to increase friction so that the telescope wouldn’t slip. A member on my forum at www.starstuff-forums.com suggested an idea that he’d once seen someone post on Cloudy Nights. I dug around a bit and found a few designs that members there had fabricated and installed on their telescopes. There were many interesting ideas, one of which cleverly used a plastic cutting board that had been modified into an altitude brake. The idea was to use a large hand-knob that could be tightened against the plastic, thereby increasing friction. I considered this and decided to fabricate something similar, except that I would use wood. Why? Well, I didn’t care for the way plastic would look since it wouldn’t “match” the rest of the scope. Additionally, I was concerned about how well plastic would hold up over time and its varying characteristics depending on the temperature. It might become brittle in cold weather, as well as having more flexure and “give” in warm weather. Finally, I was much more comfortable working with wood than with plastic. My design was quite simple and required relatively little preparation. I simply ensured that the spot where I drilled the hole (where the altitude brake knob would be placed) was exactly the center of the scope’s altitude axis. To determine this, I simply used a level and placed a pencil against a spot at the center of the altitude hub. To make sure that this was the exact center of axis, I rotated the scope up and down and carefully watched to see if the pencil mark on the scope moved. I did this until I was sure that I had exact the correct spot where the mark wouldn’t change position when the scope was rotated. After I determined the mounting point, I drilled a 3/8-inch diameter hole in the side of the mirror cage where the bolt that connected to the tension knob would be mounted. I used a 2.5 inch long 3/8inch bolt with locknuts and steel washers installed on each side of where the bolt at-
AN INEXPENSIVE ALTITUDE HUB BRAKING SYSTEM
Image 2
tached to the mirror cage. I Googled “knurled aluminum knobs” and came up with a wide selection. I ordered a nice 2inch knurled aluminum knob for about $10 and it arrived a few days later. I used a piece of 3/4-inch hardwood plywood (the same type of wood that I’d used to build the collapsible telescope base that the scope rests on) and drew out a design. I wanted to be able to easily install the optical tube assembly onto the base, so I designed the braking system with a “V” shape cut into the wood. The knob would rest at the bottom of the “V” and it could be tightened against the wood to increase tension. I bought a couple of PTFE ring washers, but in the end these weren’t needed. After I cut the wood and installed it on the scope, I brought it outside to try it under the slightly moonlit sky. Orion was nearly overhead, so I slewed the scope over to M42. I installed my heaviest eyepiece (the 2-inch William Optics 28-mm UWAN). Despite the weight of the eyepiece and Paracorr sitting in the focuser, I was quite easily able to increase the friction so that the scope held position. This only required about a half-turn of the 2inch knurled aluminum knob, which was resting against the wooden brake I’d built.
Frankly, I was surprised at the small amount of pressure that was required to hold position. I tried a variety of scenarios. I was even able to hold position with the scope pointed at the horizon and moving the counterweight all the way forward; something that I’d likely never actually do during real observing. Despite the brake-equipped scope easily holding position, I could still move it “against its will” if I chose to. This was useful when observing objects for a long time or at high magnifications when the scope would have to be continuously “nudged” to keep the object in the field of view. The only way that I could even tell that
the brake was applied (aside from the scope holding position) was that the scope creaked and groaned a bit when it was moved with the increased friction. By experimenting a bit, I found that I could increase the friction just to the point that the scope would hold position, but not so tight that it would require more force to slew it. The altitude hub brake I installed has been the perfect solution for me. No longer do I have to consider not observing an object because of its location in the sky, or what eyepiece to use. With the brake installed, I can have my cake and eat it too. I have smooth motions while using a large aperture scope with manageably-sized altitude hubs. Now that I’ve tested the modification, I plan on removing the unit and varnishing and sealing the wood so that it matches the rest of the scope and will withstand dew and moisture. The entire altitude braking system set me back about $30, including the knurled aluminum knob, washers, and wood. This solution works so well that I’m planning on removing the sliding counterweight system, which has now become obsolete in my scope’s current form. I hope the photos and descriptions of my altitude braking system inspires other ATMers to do something similar. I’ve met numerous amateur astronomers over the years that have had problems balancing their Dobsonians and this is an easy and inexpensive solution. I’d only wish I’d done it sooner!
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The
Baby-Guider A Light-Weight, Low-Cost, ATM Guidescope By Rick Saunders
The advent of the affordable DSLR camera in the past several years has triggered an explosion in the number of astrophotographers. The long exposure times involved dictate that some form of guiding be used and it seems that every month new guiders are becoming available in the commercial stream. With a little thought, though, you may already have lying around the makings of a perfectly suitable auto-guider.
All auto-guiders function in the same manner: they take an image and measure the position of a star to use as a reference point. Periodically, new images will be taken and analyzed and if the star has moved from the reference point, they issue commands to the telescope mount to “nudge” it back into place. Most auto-guiders use a small refractor as their optical component. The fact that a large telescope isn’t needed was
demonstrated by SBIG in the 90s with its eFinder, a focal-reducing lens screwed into the front of a small tube. These mated with SBIG’s auto-guiders and did an admirable job with, as I recall, a focal length in the neighbourhood of 100 mm. Currently, small guiders are available from several vendors, almost all of which use a finder-scope-style tube assembly as the optical component. With this in mind, the idea of the Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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THE BABY-GUIDER
Image 1
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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
ATM Baby-Guider came into being. My friend, Doug, was having flexure issues with his setup (an Orion 80ED and an 8inch Newtonian) which, hopefully, a small, light guider would help to mitigate. I decided on a 50-mm finder-scope to be modified to hold a Celestron NexImage camera. This would make testing and adjusting easier as Doug is in Indiana and I’m not. Enlisting my best friend Dave, a master machinist, two of these were built: one on a disused Astro-Tech 50-mm finder and one on an Antares finder. The AT is the more functional of the two for these purposes as it has focus adjustment at the objective end, while the Antares uses a focusing eyepiece. This article will focus on the Astro-Tech version. The first thing that had to be determined is whether the finder would allow the camera to come to focus. To do this, the camera was plugged into my netbook and with the end plate of the finder unscrewed and holding the camera at the
THE BABY-GUIDER back of the finder, Dave and I managed to roughly determine where the camera would have to be placed. From our rough measurements we determined that the finder would have to be shortened by about 1/4 inch in order to place the focus adjustment in the centre of its range while focused at infinity. The threads that held the rear plate in place were (thankfully) cut much longer than needed and we were able to chuck the finder’s tube into the lathe and remove 1/8 of an inch of the threads. This left ample room for the rear plate to thread back into. For the other 1/8 inch that needed to be removed, we were able to thin the rear plate sufficiently. Once thinned, the eyepiece hole in the rear plate was opened up to 1.25 inch and then it was over to the mill to open up two places to put a pair of 6-32 thumbscrews. These would hold the camera. The finished Baby-Guider based on the Astro-Tech finder is shown in Image 1 riding on Doug’s Orion 80ED refractor.
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THE BABY-GUIDER
Image 2
The saucy red paint-job makes it stand out (my idea of pinstripes wasn’t accepted). To mount the guider, he pressed into use the clamshell from an old Tasco 60-mm
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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
Image 3
refractor that he modified to include six thumbscrews to both hold the guider and to allow some adjustment. A piece of dense maple, adequately sealed and paint-
ed, holds the clamshell to the 80EDs rings. After the requisite period of cloudy weather the Baby-Guider was finally able to be tested. Doug took a series of exposures with the BG using MetaGuide and a TOGA LX-Guider/Focuser. Doug’s mount is an old pre-go-to Orion Atlas that has been modified with Rajiva electronics and Conrad motors. Surely not a high-end rig, but the results were amazing. The first long test, a 15-minute exposure, showed that the whole setup worked wonderfully. The flexure issues were gone and the stars were round. Image 3 shows a crop from the centre of this test image at 100 percent. With proof that the guider would work, Doug then swung his rig onto M33 and started a series of 10 minute images through the 80ED. After two and a half hours with MetaGuide locked onto an 8.09-magnitude guide-star, ImagesPlus reported a total of only 4.76 pixels of translation and 0.11 pixels of rotation. How dim a star can the BG and MetaGuide lock onto? The 8.09-magnitude star was the dimmest that Doug used, but he mentioned that he saw a 9.4 magnitude star in the guider. In any
THE BABY-GUIDER event, finding a guide-star should not be an issue. An added bonus for those of us who do, on occasion, use lightweight mounts (my small mount is an HEQ5) is the relatively light weight of this guide-scope solution. My BG and NexImage weigh about 30 ounces, while my side-by-side unit 80-mm guide-scope and ST-4 head weigh about 14 pounds. Doug mentioned that his Atlas works much smoother with the lighter load of the 80ED and BG over the refractor-plusNewtonian load. The Antares version of the BG (Image 4) was a bit trickier. As mentioned above, with the eyepiece removed it has no focusing ability. For this finder, a fitting was made for the rear of the tube to replace the diagonal that came with the unit and allow the NexImage to be used. This was cut short of where we thought that focus would lie, but with enough of a nosepiece to allow spacers and shims to bring the camera to focus.
Image 4
To mount the Antares, we machined an “H-block” from aluminum (Image 4) and drilled and tapped a 10-24 hole in the finder’s optical tube to allow the block to be mounted. The other end of the block fit around the accessory bar on my Stellarvue SV102ED.
This has been an extremely satisfying project. From Doug’s tests in Indiana and tests with my Antares unit from the driveway in Canada, I don’t see any reason for anything more complex (or costly) being needed for short to medium focal-length imaging.
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NEAF Solar Star Party NEAF was inspired when Allan Green and Al Nagler, both of the Suffern, New York-based Rockland Astronomy Club (RAC), attended an astronomy-product expo in Connecticut organized by Bob Rinaldi of New England Astro, a Tele Vue dealer. The expo was held at a Connecticut hotel for a year or two before 1990 and the experience gave Allan the idea of hosting a similar event at Suffern’s Rockland Community College (RCC). Although Al guessed then that few would travel to Rockland for such an event, Allan would eventually prove him wrong. In 1991, the RAC sponsored its first amateur astronomy product trade show, dubbed a name that would stick, the Northeast Astronomy Forum (now more popularly known simply as “NEAF”). It was a modest event, featuring Tele Vue products and those of a few other vendors. A group of dedicated RAC members headed by Allan Green, NEAF’s first Chairman, and Don Urban launched this event
A History of NEAF and the NSSP By Barlow Bob
at RCC where the RAC held its club meetings. To better attract amateur astronomers from the northeast area, Al Nagler introduced Tele Vue’s annual “Scratch and Dent Sale.” The initial goal was to attract as many as 200 amateur astronomers to attend NEAF, and more than that attended the inaugural show. These first NEAF vendors displayed their products in the RCC’s atrium area, between its auditorium and cafeteria, while the large RCC auditorium provided the perfect venue for NEAF speakers. The cafeteria area provided the food service. NEAF was originally intended to provide a forum where northeast amateur astronomers could meet and exchange information. Free tables were provided where any local amateur astronomy clubs could promote their activities and swap tables were established where used astronomy equipment could be traded. These activities helped attract many local amateur astronomers.
I asked Al Nagler if I could demonstrate his new Tele Vue Solaris dedicated solar telescope with a DayStar H-alpha solar filter that year in the courtyard area next to the atrium entrance and with his usual generosity, Uncle Al provided the Solaris, a TV mount, Air Chair and several TV eyepieces. The Solaris telescope created breathtakingly-sharp images of the Sun in the red Halpha wavelength. Being a dedicated one-star solar stargeezer, I delighted in demonstrating the Solaris telescope from sunrise to sunset, but even I failed to anticipate the long lines of NEAF attendees that formed next to this lone solar telescope and that have continued to grow throughout the span of 20 NEAF events. I also failed to anticipate that this informal sidewalk solar display would, in 2004, be formalized as the annual NEAF Solar Star Party. When Allan Green moved to the dark skies of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Don Urban became the second NEAF ChairAstronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY
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THE NEAF SOLAR STAR PARTY
NEAF Chairman pauses for a solar view during NSSP 2006.
man and the event became even more popular under Don’s steady direction and organization. NEAF was moved to the nearby Suffern Holiday Inn and I set up my solar telescope (a TV Genesis fitted with a Solaris adapter kit and 0.7-angstrom DayStar Halpha filter) outside in the hotel parking lot next to the NEAF entrance and continued
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Barlow Bob (left) and Al Nager at NEAF 2005.
my sidewalk solar-astronomy educational outreach demonstrations. The hotel’s large catering area was divided into three rooms with vendors in the first, swap tables in the second, and amateur astronomy clubs in the third. Another large catering area was dedicated to speakers. As the number of NEAF vendors and attendees continued to increase from year to year, a large catering
tent was set up in the hotel parking lot to accommodate them and the next year an even larger catering tent was employed. The annual Tele Vue “Scratch and Dent Sale” became such a popular feature that it too was moved to an outside tent to accommodate the huge lines that waited patiently for TV bargains. Now, Barlow Bob is not stupid. I set
THE NEAF SOLAR STAR PARTY
Barlow Bob provides first views through Tele Vue “Scratch and Dent Crowds of NEAF attendees enjoying NSSP 2005. Sale” bargains.
up my new Tele Vue solar scope in the parking lot across from the long line of attendees leading to the TV sale tent and placed a large sign on the front of my scope advertising, “Complimentary test drive of your NEAF purchase on the Sun,” and during these early years many NEAF attendees got their first views through their new TV eyepieces in my solar telescope. Better yet, I got free test drives of a wide variety of great eyepieces. NEAF continued at Holiday Inn for several years until RAC needed a convention facility with a much larger area to accommodate the ever increasing annual crowds of vendors and attendees. A larger auditorium with better media facilities was also needed to more properly present the fine speakers that NEAF was attracting. The event was therefore returned to Rockland Community College and the exhibitor area moved into the extremely large RCC field house – a venue large enough to handle future growth of the increasingly popular event. By this point, amateur solar astronomers Greg Piepol, Alan Daroff, Vince Cianfichi, and Mark Rosengarten had joined the still-informal solar presentations. Greg Piepol shared views through his largeaperture Astro-Physics refractor with a Solar Spectrum narrow-bandwidth H-alpha solar filter and Vince Cianfichi demonstrated
sketching the sun. Mark Rosengarten also shared views of sunspots through a telescope equipped with a white-light filter and Bill Dean demonstrated a variety of Coronado’s dedicated H-alpha solar scopes. The folks at Questar even demonstrated that company’s unique solar spectroscope. When the preternaturally-energetic Alan Traino became NEAF Chairman, the event began expanding at a similarly frenetic pace, even attracting numerous international vendors. Soon, the cooperating
Northeast Astro Imaging Conference (NEAIC) was added to the venue to better promote astro-imaging products and related speakers. The NEAIC is now held in conjunction with NEAF on the Thursday and Friday before NEAF weekend. In 2004, the RAC decided to include our previously-informal solar event as an official NEAF activity. The now-formal NEAF Solar Star Party (NSSP) was moved to a new site inside of the RCC courtyard, where it will remain to host attendees of
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THE NEAF SOLAR STAR PARTY NEAF 2011. At the first official NSSP, Greg Piepol, Alan Daroff, Vince Cianfichi, Paul Hyndman, and I were joined by a small group of dedicated amateur solar astronomers, plus the Coronado NEAF solar exhibitor. The NSSP has continued to increase in size and is now what many consider the world’s largest solar star party. While NSSP volunteers receive free entrance to NEAF and other perks, their most coveted compensation is in the form of the bright-yellow official NSSP sportswear, consisting of a golf shirt, sweatshirt, and hat, which uniform has become the highschool-letterman-jacket equivalent of amateur solar astronomy. Each year, a number of attendees ask if they can buy the yellow NSSP sportswear and we humbly explain that the NSSP uniform can only be earned, not purchased. NSSP has become a remarkable ProAm solar outreach event that demonstrates equipment used by icons of amateur solar astronomy as well as the latest state-of-the-
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art solar observing and imaging systems exhibited at NEAF. NSSP amateur staffers have traveled to the annual event from 15 U.S. states and eight foreign countries and have been joined by NEAF exhibitors from eight U.S. states and five foreign countries. There is simply no better place than NEAF and NSSP for hands-on testing of the best equipment available to amateur solar astronomy. Weather for daily NSSP solar viewing has usually been good and when NEAF was expanded to a two-day event, the odds of significant hours of clear skies improved. But when someone complains about the weather conditions at NEAF, I tell them to speak to Alan Traino, its current Chairman. I only organize NSSP; Mr. Traino is responsible for providing clear skies for our daily solar observing. So, on the rare occasions when weather conditions do not permit solar observing, Alan provides the NSSP staff with an exhibitor booth in the RCC field house where they display their solar telescopes and pres-
ent a solar educational program which can be far more dynamic than you might think. For example, our display might demonstrate bright emission spectra lines of the sodium and mercury lights in the ceiling of the field house as displayed through a Shelyak Instruments Lhires Lite spectroscope. Meanwhile, weather permitting, attendees can observe and contrast the dark absorption lines of the sun using the same equipment. NSSP staffers explain how scientists using spectroscopy to analyze the emission spectra-line fingerprints of various elements in a laboratory, discovered that dark absorption lines in a star correspond to these bright emission lines. Alan Daroff is the most senior member of our NSSP Staff, with decades of amateur solar astronomy experience. He shares his considerable knowledge with NEAF attendees and, using a low-resolution prism spectroscope, demonstrates how an Halpha etalon works. I also present a similar etalon demonstration using a Lhires Lite high-resolution grating spectroscope.
THE NEAF SOLAR STAR PARTY Other examples of NSSP solar astronomy educational activities have included those provided by Larry Rand, a local teacher who utilizes his unique “Pipehenge” to demonstrate movements of the Sun through the seasons. Larry sets up the Pipehenge next to the NEAF Kid’s Corner where children can sit in its navigator’s seat at the center of several curved PVC pipes, representing the center of the Earth. Larry uses this product to explain how the Sun travels in the sky through the year in a movement known as Analemma. Please visit the pipehenge.com website to learn about this amazing product. Similarly, Marc Stowbridge has shared his “Walking the Analemma” demonstration at NSSP. He places a Meade ETX on the top of a tall PVC pipe mount. Marc attaches a green laser so that it points toward the rear of the telescope and programs the scope to follow the path that the Sun travels across the sky over the course of a full year, but in short, one-month steps. When the scope stops at each monthly step, the
laser forms a bright, green dot on the ground and a child places a small, yellow disc on the successive spot. When the telescope has completed twelve movements, the twelve resulting yellow discs have formed the distinctive figure-eight-shaped pattern of the solar analemma. When NSSP is closed due to inclement weather, he presents this fascinating exercise inside the RCC field house instead. The Kid’s Corner is a popular NEAF activity with engaging astronomy-related projects. Its staff also brings groups of children outside to enjoy NSSP where the kidfriendly staff help children observe the Sun through the remarkable solar telescopes gathered there. Of course, we also stress the importance of safe solar observing. Most of these kids (like most adults of our general population) have never observed the Sun. Perhaps a Kid’s Corner attendee who observes the Sun for the first time at NSSP will someday be a future member of the NSSP staff. Each year I create and distribute the
annual Barlow Bob’s Solar Star Chart at NSSP. It’s a simple chart and the 2011 version predicts the Sun’s position at RA: 1h, 37m, DEC 10 degrees, 06 seconds, at magnitude -26.8 and spectrum G2V. No, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to find the Sun in the sky, but if you are a rocket scientist, just plug those coordinates into your go-to telescope’s computer. Be sure to put a solar filter on the front of your scope before entering that go-to command. And feel free to create your own version of Barlow Bob’s Solar Star Chart to share with fellow amateur solar astronomers at your own solar star party. You’ll find solar coordinates at aa.usno.navy.mil. NSSP staffers have received many positive compliments over the year, but perhaps the ultimate came from the NEAF exhibitors at large the year Alan Traino instructed that we end NSSP early so the exhibitors would have NEAF attendees’ full attention at the closing hours of that event. Not bad for what started out 20 years ago as a one-telescope solar star party.
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ASTRO TIPS tips, tricks and novel solutions
Just Add a Roller Bearing for Easy Tube Rotation By Tony Simon Image 1
A friend wanted to make his Orion 8inch EQ mounted Newt a rotating-tube scope, so I came up with an idea using just one roller bearing attached to his tube. The total cost was less than $20.00. The only tools needed are a tape measure, drill, and bit. This should be something any amateur can do with no problem. Once we had the tube positioned for balance within the rings and after some careful measuring, a hole was drilled into the tube to attach the roller bearing. We took out the mirror for safety and that was
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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a good time to clean it. Make sure your drill bit is sharp and use a pilot hole of about 1/8 inch, then go to the finish-size Image 2
hole. In this case, I needed a 5/16-inch hole for the Allen-head bolt. I put a rubber washer up against the tube to conform to its curve on both the inside and outside of the tube as seen in Image 1. In Image 2 you will see the bearing doing its job. It is on a slight angle because of the rubber washer, but that does not affect the smooth action of the bearing when rotating the tube. All you do is loosen the tube rings, rotate the tube to the desired position and tighten the rings when repositioned. As you rotate the tube Image 3
Image 4
the bearing takes the load and also acts to keep the tube from sliding down. Images 3-5 show different rotated positions. Image 3 is the centered position, Image 4 is rotated 90 degrees to the west, and Image 5 is rotated 90 degrees to the east. Another thing you may need to do is replace the felt on the upper (moveable) rings with a different material. On my buddy’s scope, we used flexible cuttingboard material (0.190 inch thick) which is very smooth and slippery and allows better motion. One problem with the scope I worked on was that the tube wall was thin and not true in circularity. Using the flexible cutting-board material provided extra space for the high spots as the tube rotated and, being very slippery, cut down on friction as well. The thinner material did not affect the clamping pressure when the rings were retightened. My friend has been very pleased with the results he gets. At star parties, the scope better accommodates all sizes of viewers and sky positions. Image 5
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