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OUR OBSERVING AND IMAGING EQUIPMENT |
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Telescopes |
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| We have three telescopes, a 16 inch truss-tube Newtonian, a 14 inch Schmidt-Cassegrain and a 4 inch Takahashi refractor. We also have two German equatorial mounts, a Takahashi NJP and a Takahashi EM-200. Both mounts are fitted with Takahashi's Temma "Go-To" system. We also have two CCD cameras, an ST10-XME and an ST-8XE, both made by Santa Barbara Instruments (SBIG), and a Canon EOS 10D - 6.5 mega pixel SLR digital camera. | |||
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This is our 16 inch f/4.5 Newtonian (focal length 1830mm), supplied by Spacewalk Telescopes of Austin, Texas. The manufacturer, Miguel Betancourt is an extremely talented and high quality telescope builder and we are excited to have bought his first production model (Serial # 001), which he had been using as his personal scope. He named the scope "Canopus" and we are delighted to carry this name forward into its new life. The telescope was purchased in 2003. | ||
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This is our 14 inch f/11 Schmidt-Cassegrain (focal length 3850mm), made by Celestron Telescopes. We normally use it inside our Spanish observatory but removed it for this picture. The scope is mounted and guided by our Takahashi NJP mount. The telescope was purchased in 1998 and has been a superb instrument. | ||
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Here is the C-14 in its more usual location, inside the observatory. The ST10-XME camera is attached to the visual back ready for another nights imaging. | ||
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This is our f/5 Takahashi Fluorite Refractor - type FSQ-106 (focal length 530mm). This telescope was specifically purchased for wide field imaging with our CCD cameras, and many of the images on this site have been taken using this telescope. Characteristics of this type of telescope are extremely sharp images and better color when used visually. The telescope was purchased in 2001. | ||
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Fluorite Binocular |
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Purchased in January 2007, this magnificent 4 inch Miyauchi binocular has Fluorite optics and is their BJ-100iBF "Galaxy" model. Complete with interchangeable eyepieces giving x20 and x37 magnifications this binocular gives pin-sharp and wonderful views of the sky. | ||
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CCD Cameras |
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We have two SBIG (Santa Barbara Instruments Group) CCD camera which we use for imaging, an ST10-XME, purchased in January 2007 and an ST8-XE, purchased in December 2002. The ST10 has a pixel array size of 2,184 x 1,472 (3,214,848 pixels) and the ST8 an array size of 1,530 x 1,020 (1,500,000 pixels). Pixels on the ST10 are 6.8 microns in size and on the ST8 are 9 microns in size. Both cameras can be binned 2x2 or 3x3. The top picture shows the back of the ST-8XE, with cooling fan and water connections and the lower picture shows the ST10. See the section on imaging and image processing for more detailed information on how these cameras are used. | ||
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Digital Camera |
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This is our Canon EOS 10D digital camera. Purchased in November 2003, it is used to take pictures of the brighter celestial objects, such as the moon and planets. | ||
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The lens is removable as with any standard SLR, allowing us to attach a T-thread adapter and connect the camera to a telescope. | ||
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Settings are adjusted on the top, and the shutter speed can be varied up to 2.5 hours on one battery charge. We also have the AC adapter so that we can run the camera from mains power when imaging. | ||
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Images are first displayed on this screen at the back of the camera and are automatically saved to disc. The camera is fitted with a 1Gb flash card for image storage and we have an electronic timer to permit smooth shutter operation. | ||
| Additional Information and Photos | |||
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Proof that we own the original "Spacewalk Telescopes" scope - serial number 001. | ||
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With the Takahashi we have also purchased a Takahashi EM200 high quality mount to support our imaging program. In this picture you can see Earthling number one observing Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, M42 and M45 as we captured "first light" on 23rd February, 2001. The telescope performs flawlessly visually. One problem we discovered is that this design of telescope is rather "back-heavy" and with the CCD camera fitted to the back, it was impossible to balance the scope in declination. Our first idea was to make a counterbalance weight to fit to the front of the tube, but this proved unsatisfactory. |
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Balancing the Takahashi with the CCD camera fitted has been a big problem due to the short length of the tube. We fitted a Losmandy dove plate to the tube and a saddle to the head of the mount. This allows us to slide the whole assembly up and down, catering for all possible balancing situations. It's a shame the mighty Takahashi didn't think of this problem when they created their "Imaging Astrograph!" | ||
| The Takahashi NJP Mount | |||
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For several years we used the C-14 with a Losmandy G-11 mount, but although this combination was perfect for visual observing, the G-11 proved not to be suitable for CCD imaging, especially at long focal lengths. Therefore, in January 2002 we replaced our tried and trusty G-11 with a Takahashi NJP | ||
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This is close-up of the "Go-To" system on the NJP. The various inputs from the left are - 12 volt power supply; Hand Controller cable; RS-232C input from computer controlling the Go-To; Auto-Guider input from CCD camera. The RA motor can be seen above the Go-To unit | ||
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This is a close up of the declination motor and declination setting circle. The saddle plate and telescope assembly can be seen above the motor. One notable feature of the NJP is the powerful and sturdy motors, which drive the mount very smoothly both when tracking an object or moving to a new one. | ||
| Eyepieces | |||
| We have the following selection of eyepieces which we use interchangeably with all telescopes:- | |||
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| The Sky Tent - the Sky Tent is now FOR SALE | |||
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In May 2002 we bought a Sky Tent to house the large telescope and mount. Tired of trying to guide the C-14 in anything more than a slight breeze we made the investment, and what a super move it was. Here is our tent, at TSP 2002, alongside Randy Brewer's tent and with the domes of the McDonald Observatory in the background. | ||
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Here you can see the space we have inside, with the large NJP mount and the C-14, plus a work table, light and other equipment. The tent not only keeps wind off at night, but it protects the equipment from dust and direct sunlight during daytime. | ||
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The tent has a large door, and a slit which rolls back for full access to the sky. The dome rotates smoothly and can be zippered shut after work is finished. Simply zipping up and switching off before bed-time is a major boon. Unfortunately, Sky Tent has now gone out of business but this exclusive portable observatory is now for sale and priced at US$3,000 or equivalent currency. The Sky Tent is currently in Spain and purchaser must arrange shipping to their chosen destination. | ||
