Jan09

ASTRONOMY

TECHNOLOGY TODAY Your Complete Guide to Astronomical Equipment

PARKS GOLD EYEPIECES • THE LOSMANDY GM-8 THE VIRTUAL OBSERVER • AN ATM DEW CONTROLLER A NEW USE FOR THE RIGEL PULSGUIDE

Evolution of an Observatory Project From Roll-Off and Fork Mount to SkyShed POD and GEM Volume 3 • Issue 1 January/February 2009 $5.00 US

Contents Industry News

Cover Story -33 In the cover article of this issue, Max Corneau shares the lessons learned in planning, constructing and using his private observatory. While Max’s research eventually led him to install a SkyShed POD XL5 in place of a partially completed roll-off-roof observatory (which required demolition to make room for the POD), he evaluated all other options as well. Max was assisted in demolition of the existing structure by his daughter, “AstroGirl,” who shares his passion for astronomy, as well as by some surprisingly expert friends.

Max’s observatory is located at the Texas Astronomical Society’s 40-acre dark-sky site in southwest Oklahoma, about two hours north of Max’s home in Dallas. TAS has designated a significant portion of the property to pad sites that are available by lease to TAS members.

Max also describes the events that led him to replace his computerized SCT fork mount with a German Equatorial Mount and how that has affected use of his imaging system within the POD. He also shares some previously “secret” aspects of the POD that many readers will find entertaining as well as informative.

The background image of M81 was obtained from the observatory using a Meade 10-inch LX200 operating at f/42 with a Takahashi 0.67 reducer/flattener and carried on the SkyWatcher Pro EQ-6 GEM that ultimately replaced the LX200 fork mount.

In This Issue 8

Editor’s Note Things True and Mildly Embarrassing

By Gary Parkerson

33 Evolution of an Observatory Project From Roll-Off and Fork Mount to SkyShed POD and GEM

By Max Corneau 45 Parks Gold Eyepieces Still Golden Performers

By Erik Wilcox

68 Astro Tips, Tricks, and Novel Solutions A New Use for the Rigel Pulsguide: LXD Polar Scope Illuminator

By Norman Lloyd

11 BAREKET OBSERVATORY Offers Online Use of Telescope

11 VIC MENARD AND CATSEYE COLLIMATION Updates Classic Collimation Text 12 JMI Redesigns DRO Hand Unit 14 MALLINCAM Final Touches on New VideoFinder

15 ASTRODON Adds ASCOM Driver to TAKometer Camera Rotator

49 The Losmandy GM-8 A Solid, User Friendly Equatorial Mount

By Don Schwab 57 The Virtual Observer What We “See” with a Telescope

By Roger Blake 65 An ATM Dew Controller ATM Projects Don’t Have to Stop with the Telescope!

By Rick Saunders

15 DEEP SKY PRINTING Astro-Photo Printing Services 16 S&T Announces 2009 Hot Products

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

5

Contributing Writers Roger Blake is a retired nuclear engineer with a degree in physics from Drexel University in Philadelphia. He has been an amateur astronomer and astrophotographer for 30 plus years. Roger spent his early years in research, but later migrated into the nuclear power industry, responsible for the computer modeling and analysis of reactor physics behavior and thermal margins. He now applies his modeling skills to several astronomy related research and development projects, including the creation of the new Dark Sky Maps and the Virtual Observer.

Max Corneau is Vice President and a Life Member of the Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas, a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and Senior Army Space Operations Officer. Max possesses a Master of Science Degree in Engineering from Boise State University, and has served as a visiting astronomer at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, DC. His astronomical images can be seen at www.geocities.com/astrodad32

Norman Loyd lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and is a retired weather forecaster who worked for Environment Canada in Alberta, the Yukon and Northwest Territories. His first telescope was a Unitron/Polarex Model 152 4-inch Equatorial, in Whitehorse, YT (1974). For the past few years he has used a Celestron C9.25 on a Meade go-to GEM. Norman’s astronomy interests include visual observing, imaging and gadget making.

Rick Saunders is 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.

Contents New Products 19 DAYSTAR FILTERS Revamps SolaREDi

20 WILLIAM OPTICS Several New Products for 2009 22 CRITERION MACHINE COMPANY Introduces V-Tube 23 TETON TELESCOPE Introduces Line of Rapier Newtonians 24 FISHCAMP ENGINEERING New Starfish Pro Camera 26 ASTRONOMY TECHNOLOGIES Paradigm Dual ED Eyepiece Line

Don Schwab has been fascinated by the night sky all of his life and as he states “Nothing sums up my feelings better than the words of the late Thomas M. Back ‘Don’t worry about what telescope you own, or its quality. Just get out under the night sky and enjoy God’s wondrous universe.’”

Erik Wilcox has been observing the sky for more than 20 years. In addition to being a longtime moderator on the popular astronomy forum at www.cloudynights.com, he recently started a new forum at www.starstuffforums.com. When he’s not viewing the sky, he sings and plays guitar in a rock band.

SUBSCRIBERS can now renew their subscription online!

27 ASTRO HUTECH Adds Canon 50DH and 5DH Mark II to SE DSLR Lines 29 APM TELESCOPES Introduces LW-Photo Apos

29 ASTRODON High-Transmission UVenus Filter 31 IOPTRON The New CubePro

For more information go to our website. www.AstronomyTechnologyToday.com 6

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

31 ASTRO HUTECH Reflection Suppression Color Filter Set

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.

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Deep Sky Instruments www.deepskyinstruments.com page 60

Obsession Telescopes www.obsessiontelescopes.com page 50

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Oceanside Photo and Telescope www.optcorp.com page 38

Shrouds By Heather www.teeterstelescopes.com/shrouds page 35

Astro Domes www.astrodomes.com page 60

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Optec www.optecinc.com page 19

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Optical Mechanics www.opticalmechanics.com page 35

Astro Physics www.astro-physics.com page 9, 46

Equatorial Platforms www.equatorialplatforms.com page 40

Orion Telescopes and Bionoculars www.oriontelescopes.com page 64, 72

AstroSystems www.astrosystems.biz page 59

Farpoint Astronomical Research www.farpointastro.com page 58

Optic Wave Laboratories www.opticwavelabss.com page 58

Astrozap www.astrozap.com page 53

Glatter Collimation www.collimator.com page 16

Ostahowski Optics www.ostahowskioptics.com page 66

Sirius Observatories www.siriusobservatories.com page 63 SkyShed Observatories www.skyshed.com page 47 Starizona www.starizona.com page 3 Stark Labs www.stark-labs.com page 22 Stellar Technologies International www.stellar-international.com page 52

Backyard Observatories www.backyardobservatories.com page 16, 17

Great Red Spot Astronomy www.greatredspot.com page 36

PlaneWave Instruments www.planewaveinstruments.com page 44

Bobs Knobs www.bobsknobs.com page 66

Half Hitch Telescope www.halfhitchtelescope.com page 43

ProtoStar www.fpi-protostar.com page 15

Camera Concepts www.cameraconcepts.com page 26

Hands On Optics www.handsonoptics.com page 48

Quantum Scientific Imaging www.qsimaging.com page 30

Catseye Collimation www.catseyecollimation.com page 51

InnerPlanetary Products www.innerplanetaryproducts.com page 43

Rigel Systems www.rigelsys.com page 24

CCD-LABS www.ccd-labs.com page 53

iOptron www.ioptron.com page 25

ScopeBuggy www.scopebuggy.com page 39

Celestron www.celestron.com page 32

Jack’s Astro Accessories www.waningmoonii.com page 22

Scope City www.scopecity.com page 14

Chronos www.chronosmount.com page 37

JMI Telescopes www.jmitelescopes.com page 18

ScopeGuard www.scopeguard.com page 34

Wood Wonders www.wood-wonders.com page 551

DayStar Filters www.daystarfilters.com page 5

Meade Instruments www.meade.com page 4, 6

ScopeStuff www.scopestuff.com page 11

Woodland Hills Telescopes www.whtelescopes.com page 12

Stellarvue www.stellarvue.com page 28 Telescope Stability Systems www.telescopestabilitysystems.com page 15 Tele Vue Optics www.televue.com page 70, 71 Unihedron www.unihedron.com page 61 William Optics www.williamoptics.com page 2

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ASTRONOMY

TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Volume 3 • Issue 1 January-February 2009 Publisher Stuart Parkerson

Managing Editor Gary Parkerson

Associate Editors Russ Besancon Karol Birchfield Jessica Parkerson

Art Director Lance Palmer

Staff Photographer Jim Osborne

Web Master Richard Harris

3825 Gilbert Drive Shreveport, Louisiana 71104 info@astronomytechnologytoday.com www.astronomytechnologytoday.com Astronomy Technology Today is published monthly by Parkerson Publishing, LLC. Bulk rate postage paid at Dallas, Texas, and additional mailing offices. ©2008 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

Editor’s

Note

Gary Parkerson, Managing Editor

THINGS TRUE AND MILDLY EMBARRASSING Past versions of this column have been based on a simplistic formula: tell a story that shares something true and mildly embarrassing about ATT and something true and truly admirable about others. I’ve forgotten who first proposed this. But whether something I dreamed up, or a gift from another, it has served me well as I face the task of filling this space each month. It provides a starting point, which, no matter how tenuous, is a very nice thing to have, and helps me stay focused on the people side of our subject, lest this column read far more like the lawyer boilerplate I’m trained to spew.

I may have deviated a bit from the safety of that formula when the primary topic was magazine housekeeping matters and that may happen again this month. We’ll see, for what I need to discuss is the changing economies of print periodicals and the challenges ATT faces in an economy in turmoil.

The specific format of this magazine was designed to do two things: (1) provide you entertaining and informative content at a ridiculously low price, and (2) provide the industry a cost effective advertising alternative. As to the first goal, our subscription pricing was designed to be so low that you wouldn’t face an “either, or” choice – we did not wish anyone to consider nonrenewal of another subscription to justify investment in ATT. Frankly, we’re fans of the other astro print publications too. So, despite a slight increase from its original prices, ATT is still a great value.

Our theory regarding efficiency of ATT ads was as simplistic as my formula for this column. The content and format of ATT was designed to be most attrac-

tive to the 20 percent of astronomy enthusiasts who buy 80 percent of the stuff; e.g., folks like you and me. So, ad space here was intended to be an efficient means of reaching those who are most likely to invest in astro products. And, while that theory may have been simplistic, it also proved to be accurate!

Advertising here has been surprisingly effective for many companies – so much so that, for much of 2008, demand for ad space has exceeded supply.

But things have changed significantly during the short existence of this publication. The cost of producing, printing, and distributing the monthly magazine have exploded. Due to a number of factors, it simply costs far more to deliver this magazine to you today than it did two years ago.

The rules of the game have changed even more dramatically for advertisers.

The owner of a small company that produces a limited line of highly-specialized astro products called in the fall of 2007 to report that, due largely to his ad in ATT, he had never been busier.

Indeed, he was having a hard time meeting demand and we discussed how he might best decrease it! When I spoke to him in November of 2008, he reported that demand for his products had fallen significantly since the economy began changing. The only change from 2007 to 2008 is the economy, or at least our perception of it.

Here’s my theory: the personal characteristics of focus, discipline and innate curiosity that attract most of you to astronomy are generally shared by responsible sorts. Your reactions to plummeting 401(k)s and the predominately negative economic news endlessly pro-

claimed by major media is to hunker down and conserve. Many of you are waiting for the rest of the economic shoes to drop before deciding on that next major astro investment, and when the 20 percent of you who buy 80 percent of the stuff stop, you have major impact on this relatively small market.

That’s not to say that all is doom and gloom with astro products – far from it – virtually every company we have talked to has told us that they are well positioned to survive and even thrive in this economy and those of us that use these products are lucky that we can depend on these companies to continue to provide us with new, innovative astro gear. But this market is, as a whole, facing unique, albeit temporary challenges, and ATT’s loyal advertisers have earned its help in meeting those challenges. It can only do so by becoming even more efficient, and we’ve come up with only one way to do that to any significant extent.

Henceforth, ATT will be published on a bimonthly schedule. As a result, this will be my final monthly note – you won’t hear from me again for two months. We’ve searched souls, faced harsh economic facts, and this is our conclusion: a bimonthly publication schedule provides more significant, additional efficiencies than any other option available to us.

Your existing “annual” subscription will still yield 12 issues, but those will now be delivered over two years. Similarly, an existing “two year” subscription will still provide 24 issues. New subscribers who purchase an “annual” subscription will receive six issues and if your subscription is up for renewal, you can take advantage of this new subscription format.

So how’d I do? Did you find something here that’s true and mildly embarrassing, plus something true and admirable about others? I did. Many of you will surely have questions or comments, and those are most easily addressed on the ATT Yahoo Group (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/astr onomytechnologytoday/?m=0). I hope to see you there.

AT ww pa

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1200GTO German Equatorial Mount

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Incredibly Rugged Incredibly Versatile Ultimate in Portability Operate with AC power or 12 volt battery Clutches and setting circles allow manual operation if power is not available Image past the meridian for a long series of exposures without stopping to flip sides Easy alignment for non-critical viewing Components are modular for ease of servicing The keypad is a handheld computer, an external computer not needed Free keypad firmware updates Remote control with personal computer, if desired

With the advent of the CCD camera, amateurs are exploring the skies to an ever increasing level of precision. This new level puts a higher demand on the precision of the equatorial mounting. Many of the finest imagers today have been using our GTO mounts as a solid platform for a wide variety of instruments.

For moderately large instruments, the ultimate in capacity and portability is the 1200GTO.

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

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Don’t Miss A Single Issue!

www.astronomytechnologytoday.com

INDUSTRYNEWS

BAREKET OBSERVATORY, ISRAEL Control a Professional Telescope Half a World from Your Desktop The Bareket Observatory of Israel was originally established to provide an educational resource for Israeli schools, but has always been open to anyone who shares an interest in the night sky and wishes to learn about the universe in a scientific setting.

Bareket is the largest such resource in Israel and has long cooperated with a number of international astronomical and educational organizations. It recently took another step toward international cooperation by making its principal telescope available for remote use via the Internet. This later development will be of particular interest to U.S. astronomers, educators and students, because it provides night views in real time during daylight hours in the U.S. Indeed, Bareket offers a number of state-of-the-art on-line interactive activities that are designed to compliment remote use of its telescope. Ongoing, established programs include data collection and analysis using the Bareket Radio Telescope, spectroscopy, a Mars Rover simulation and astro-robotics instruction, supernova searches, asteroid monitoring, meteor detection, and sprite follow ups.

The observatory’s main telescope is a custom built 15-inch f/2.8 astrograph

VIC MENARD AND CATSEYE COLLIMATION New Perspectives on Newtonian Collimation, Fifth Edition

equipped with a temperature compensating focuser, SBIG ST8XE CCD camera, a 10position filter wheel with Schuller and AstroDon photometric and narrow-band filters, including spectra grating for spectrometric measurements, all on a Paramount ME mount.

The telescope, mount, focuser, camera, filter wheel system is fully Internet controllable by students and teachers and the control is very straight forward and requires no third-party software – all that is needed is a standard web browser, such as Internet Explorer. The facility also makes its Celestron C14, modified to operate at f/8.7, available for remote imaging as well.

The online system provides the teacher or student full control over the observatory, including auto focus, exposure times, binning, external auto guiding, target selection, and so forth. The observatory features an online high-sensitivity video fisheye camera and Boltwood Cloud Sensor II so that users can “see” the telescope as it works and to provide better remote “sense” of current weather conditions. The facility has already been used by teachers and students from throughout the world, including many from the U.S., and welcomes all who are interested in its resources and programs.

For more information, please visit www.bareket-astro.com.

There are few names more closely associated with the art of collimation than those of Vic Menard and Catseye Collimation.

Their resources have now been paired for the publication and distribution of the longawaited fifth edition of Menard’s classic Newtonian collimation reference manual.

This comprehensive text represents the first major rewrite in more than 10 years, with 80 pages, 16 chapters and 30 new illustrations and images that are sure to make optimum collimation within reach of even the least experienced novice.

The fifth edition of New Perspectives on Newtonian Collimation refines and distills new insights gained from more than five years of online discussions into how to most effectively communicate sound techniques for aligning the optical elements of Newtonians. The new illustrations and images are the result of more than five months of collaboration between Vic Menard, Jim Fly and Jason Khadder and combine with the clear narratives of the updated text to finally remove all vestiges mystery that may still surround the art of collimation.

New Perspectives on Newtonian Collimation, Fifth Edition, is priced at $15.50US. For more information, please visit www.catseyecollimation.com.

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www.scopestuff.com 512-259-9778

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

JMI has redesigned its Digital Readout (DRO) Hand Unit to optimize functionality with its new Event Horizon Focusers (EV), as well as with its long-standing line of Next Generation Focusers (NGF) and all other JMI MOTOFOCUS equipped focusers.

The new DRO Hand Unit features a red LED four-digit numeric digital position display and two directional focusing buttons, plus a variable speed control.

The DRO Hand Unit also features a dimmer control and a control for zeroing the display.

Shown is the JMI DRO Hand Unit and its popular EV-2cM focuser.

One end of the included cable attaches to the hand unit and the other to the encoder assembly of the controlled focuser for ultra-precise focus control. The DRO Hand Unit is connected to the motor and encoder assemblies of the JMI EV-2cM focuser using a standard flat phone cable and connectors.

The new DRO Hand Unit provides a ready, stand-alone means of repeating focus to a precision that visual and analog methods simply cannot match. The new JMI DRO Hand Unit is priced at $148US. For more information, please visit www.jmitelescopes.com.

INDUSTRYNEWS

MALLINCAM Making Final Touches on New VideoFinder MallinCam is putting the final touches on what promises to be a whole new concept in finding our way around the night sky. The new MallinCam VideoFinder combines a highly sensitive video camera and a newly developed lens system to produce a live-image, wide-field “finder” view that is easily aligned with the optical axis of any telescope or wherever else a super-sensitive finder is needed.

The unique lens system is fully adjustable from 5 to 50 mm at f/1.4 with manual iris, manual zoom function and manual focus. Plus, when the camera’s electronic zoom is activated, an effective focal length of 100 mm is possible.

The camera is equipped with a 1/3inch EXview HAD Sony black and white CCD sensor with spectacular sensitivity.

When coupled with the MallinCam High

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Gain Circuit, the camera is capable of achieving a sensitivity of 0.008 Lux in normal video mode and up to 0.0001 Lux in extended shutter mode of up to 2 seconds integration, making it possible to actually see many deep-sky objects live.

The MallinCam VideoFinder will be

fully controllable via RS-232 and will be delivered complete with all cables needed and ready to install on most telescopes.

MallinCam anticipates a release date for the MallinCam VideoFinder of Early 2009. For more information go to www.mallincam.tripod.com.

INDUSTRYNEWS

ASTRODON

DEEP SKY PRINTING

Adds ASCOM Driver to TAKometer Camera Rotator

Astro-Photo Printing Services

Astrodon recently added an ASCOM driver to its popular TAKometer Camera Rotator. The TAKometer is designed to provide remote camera rotation for Takahashi refractors that feature 4inch focusing tubes as currently used on the FSQ106, FSQ-ED, TOA130F and TOA150F. The motor plate clamps to the 4-inch focusing tube and a large gear clamps to the Camera Angle Adjustor (CCA). A timing belt connects the two and is driven by Technical Innovations’ ROBO-FOCUS system with easy-to-use Astrodon software. This system can also be adapted with special connectors to attach to other telescopes, such as SCTs. Seasoned astrophotographers have long used remotely controlled rotators for cameras mounted on large telescopes to better frame targets, such as elongated galaxies, galaxy clusters or extended emission nebulae. Also, a slight rotation may helpful in bringing a guide star onto the guide detector. Rotation is, of course, the key for this.

Now that growing numbers of astrophotographers control their imaging systems remotely, even when only in the backyard 50 feet away, having a remotely controlled rotator becomes important, especially on cold winter nights. The

We are pleased to announce a new resource that combines years of professional photo finishing experience with specialization in astrophotographs to provide a uniquely effective photo-printing service to astrophotographers. Deep Sky Printing is a division of Printmakers, Inc., a professional photo finishing lab that works directly with astrophotographers to offer specialized services that best capture the essence of their images.

Each image is personally analyzed on state-of-the-art Kodak DP2 production software and printed on Kodak metallic paper. Metallic paper retains the full blackness of night, while displaying the remarkable shimmer of stars. You may upload images through Deep Sky Printing’s EFTP at any hour of the day.

Deep Sky Printing offers metallic enlargements ranging in size from 7x10 to 24x100. The surface of its standard metallic paper is glossy and the metallic flecks glimmer in the light, providing a uniquely beautiful presentation of astro images. Deep Sky Printing also offers high-resolution scans from negatives, transparencies or photographs (up to 11x14), mounting, pro-edging and Giclee Canvases, as well as processing of any film that is C41 process, including any color and BW negative film that is labeled for C41 processing.

For more information please visit www.deepskyprinting.com.

TAKometer was specifically designed to provide this capability for users of Takahashi’s popular Apo refractors. The addition of an ASCOM driver now makes this valuable tool compatible with many popular telescope control programs.

The TAKometer clamps onto the CAA and focusing tube and adds only 1/2 inch backfocus (critical for the FSQ106). It is easily installed at home, can be operated electronically at the telescope, and offers 18 steps per degree of rotation. It includes a timing belt and pulley gear with tensioner, ROBO FOCUS motor and relay box.

It comes with Astrodon TAKometer Control Software and an ASCOM driver and is supported by CCDAutoPilot, CCD Commander, and can be used with Astrodon MonsterMOAG. For more information, please visit www.astrodon.com.

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INDUSTRYNEWS

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ASTRONOMY

TECHNOLOGY TODAY

SKY & TELESCOPE S&T Editors announce Hot Products for 2009 Like other astro-tech enthusiasts, we anxiously await each annual announcement of the Sky & Telescope Editors’ Choice Hot Products list and that for 2009 did not disappoint. We wish to commend S&T on the excellence of its choices and to extend a special congratulation to each of the following companies (whose support has helped make the publication of ATT possible) for the selection of their products.

Orion Telescopes & Binoculars has three entries this year: the StarShoot Pro Deep Space Color CCD high-resolution, 6.1-megapixel, one-shot color, cooled camera, the Premium 190-mm f/5.3 Mak-Newt Astrograph, and its ultra-compact and lightweight StarShoot AutoGuider. (www.oriontelescopes.com) Adirondack Astronomy’s new and innovative FireballCam also captured notice. This wide-field, fully enclosed and weatherproofed, heated and cooled video system is optimized to record fireballs, meteors, and such exotic events as “Sprites,” “Elves,” and “Blue Jets.” (www.astrvid.com) Deep Sky Instruments’ (DSI) RC10 TrueRC also garnered mention. The 10-inch f/7.3 DSI10 features optics by Star Instruments, maker of RC optics for over 30 years and is available as the RC10C which adds a corrector to remove off-axis, wide-field

D O B S E R VAT O R Y

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

astigmatism and to flatten the field of curvature. The RC10 is featured in ATT 07/08. (www.deepskyinstruments.com) ChronosMount’s harmonic-drive based mounts are truly unique. Imagine equatorial mounts rated for loads from 125 to 1000 pounds without counterweights, clutches, or meridian flip! Read more about ChronosMount in ATT 11/07. (www.chronosmount.com) The versatile new David H. Levy Comet Hunter from Explore Scientific features a 152mm f/4.8 Mak-Newt design and state-of-theart construction and components, with carbon-fiber tube, 10:1 2-speed Crayford, 8x50 correct-image, and illuminated-reticle finder. (www.exporescientific.com) S&T has, for the second year, designated Tele Vue’s Ethos Eyepieces as a Hot Product, with 2009 adding new focal lengths of 6, 8 and 17 mm. See ATT 04/08 for feature coverage of the 8-mm Ethos. (www.televue.com) ScopeStuff’s Negative Profile Eyepiece Adapter earned its Hot Product standing by doing something very simple very well. The adapter allows 1.25-inch eyepieces to be inset toward the objective, yielding 0.75 inch of additional in-focus, and we’ve all needed that from time to time. (www.scopestuff.com)

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

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

Why Backyard Observatories?

S&T recognizes the QSI 500 series’ newest innovation, the QSI 500wsg, that introduces a built-in off-axis guide port that positions the pick-off prism in front of the integrated filter wheel, where filters cannot diminish guide star intensity and the shutter cannot block it. The QSI532ws is featured in ATT 02/08. (www.qsimaging.com) Lunt Solar Systems was recognized for its new LS35THa. This dedicated Hydrogenalpha telescope is simply the most compact, portable 35-mm etalon system currently available! With a bandpass of <0.75 Angstroms, it will reveal both solar prominences and fine surface detail. (www.luntsolarrsystems.com) PlaneWave Instruments broke new ground with its 20-inch CDK, a modified or “corrected Dall-Kirkham” optical system invented by Dave Rowe and executed to perfection by PlaneWave. PlaneWave’s new CDK12.5 is designated a 2009 Hot Product and is the smallest of the growing CDK family of premium astrophotography-optimized telescopes. (www.planewave.com) iOptron’s original Cube captured a 2008 Hot Product notice, and S&T now recognizes the larger iOptron MiniTower for 2009. The MiniTower ups the payload to 25 pounds, while maintaining the uniquely compact

form. (www.ioptron.com) Unihedron’s Sky Quality Meter (SQM) has proven a very hot product indeed, enabling users to quickly and accurate measure changes in sky darkness at different locations as well as from night to night at a fixed location. The new SQM-L is recognized for adding a lens that allows users to narrow the area of sky measured, while the SQM-LE can also be operated remotely. (www.unihedron.com) S&T grants The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide by Terence Dickinson and Alan Dyer high praise indeed when it concludes, “If you were to own only one book on amateur astronomy, this is it.” (www.backyardastronomy.com) JMI Telescopes has scored another Hot Product award with its Train-n-Track (TNT) system for Meade LightBridge Dobs. This easy to install and operate system provides handcontrolled motor drive for both axes, with adjustable or “trainable” tracking and motorized slewing to 7x. (www.jmitelescopes.com) The Apogee AI-FW50 Series Filter Wheels from Apogee Instruments garners the Hot Product designation due largely to the design’s unique indexing feature with precise, positive stops at each of the nine 50-mm round filter positions or seven 50-mm square filter positions. (www.ccd.com)

CLUB MODEL

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

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

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

BYO EXCLUSIVE

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

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

FACTORY INSTALLATIONS

BACKYARD OBSERVATORIES

NEWPRODUCTS

DAYSTAR FILTERS Revamps SolaREDi into 60-mm Aperture Wonder When DayStar Filters’ new SolaREDi dedicated Ha solar scope was introduced in this column of the April 2008 issue of ATT, it was in the form of an entry-level priced, multi-function, ready-to-use solar telescope featuring 35-mm aperture as well as a front mounted 35-mm blocking filter. That original version also featured a 1.25-inch focuser. So much has changed between that earliest version and the currently “revamped” offering that it now qualifies as an altogether new product.

The current SolaREDi sports a greatly increased clear aperture of fully 60 mm to bring the solar image to focus at the 35mm blocking filter! Yes, it’s still a multifunction, ready-to-use dedicated hydrogen alpha solar telescope, but that and a shared name are all that compare to its original namesake.

The new design yields a focal length of 1375 mm in a very compact assembly. It is designed to operate effectively from a wide temperature range of 50 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit and features a wavelength shift range of approximately 2.5 Angstroms.

The versatile optical tube assembly will reach focus using most 1.25-inch and 2-inch eyepieces, as well as a variety of imaging cameras, including ToUcam, Lumernera, SBIG, SLR, DSLR, afocal, CCTV Video, together with 2x to 5x Barlow lenses combined with any these listed products. The SolaREDi has been performance engineered for flexibility and rigorously tested for ease of operation,

function, reliability and adaptability with a full range of cameras.

The current version of the SolaREDi also features a dual-speed, 2-inch Moonlite Focuser (beautifully anodized in red), and ships with a 12-mm eyepiece, solar finder and combination dovetail and 1/4-20 threaded mounting foot.

Pricing starts at $1795US for the SolaREDi Alpha 0.7 Angstrom Hepta.

For more information, please visit www.daystarfilters.com.

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ASTRONOMY

TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

19

INDUSTRYNEWS

WILLIAM OPTICS More New Products for 2009 William Optics has introduced several new products for 2009. Included is the WO 2-inch Dura-Bright Dialectric Diagonal, a new premium diagonal that differs from William Optics’ standard 2inch carbon fiber diagonal in two very important aspects. First, the DuraBright diagonal features a high-precision mirror with a surface accuracy of 1/10 wave flatness and a thickness of 15 mm; that’s 50 percent greater than the 10-mm thickness of most standard 2-inch diagonals and a significant increase in stability of the substrate.

Second, the Dura-Bright diagonal’s 2inch brass clamping ring features two thumb screws positioned 120 degrees apart – not just one – for maximum security, a configuration that causes the brass ring to clamp the inserted eyepiece, adapter, or other accessory at three evenly spaced pressure points that completely surround the inserted accessory.

Like the WO standard dielectric diagonal, the Dura-Bright boasts ultra-high reflectivity mirror coatings that yield 99 percent reflectivity, is threaded for filters (48-mm), and features real carbon-fiber side plates. Plus, the new 2-inch Dura-Bright diagonal is produced with the same meticulous craftsmanship you’ve come to associate with all William Optics products. Introductory pricing for the new 2inch Dura-Bright Dialectric Diagonal is $168US. We first reported on William Optics’ new carbon fiber tube FLT-98 in the September 2008 issue of ATT and it has since announce the introduction of a new aluminum-tube FLT-98. What we wrote in September about the FLT-98’s STM coated, air-spaced triplet objective still holds

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

true: “[It] is simply among the finest William Optics has ever produced – extremely sharp, with the optimum color correction that is ideal for astrophotography.”

While the carbon-fiber version sported William Optics’ new 2.5-inch LinearPower focuser, the newest aluminum-tube version features an extra-smooth 3.5-inch, 10:1 dual-speed rotatable Crayford with twin locking screws. The patented design of the focuser features stainless-steel reinforcement inserts and optimally placed ball bearings to better support the extreme loads of imaging accessories. The focus tube even includes a precision graduated scale for camera focus and alignment assistance.

The Aluminum Tube FLT-98 offers 98 mm of aperture, an f/6.3 focal ratio and a focal length of 618 mm. The tube length is 503 mm (19.08 in.) fully retracted, 600 mm (23.6 in.) fully extended and the tube weighs 4.6 kg (10.2 lb).

The tube and included mounting rings are precision CNC-machined and finished in a truly beautiful white powder coating. The optical tube is equipped with sliding dew-shield and the package even includes a custom aluminum case for safe storage and transport of the telescope. A dedicated field flattener is also available. This new aluminum-tube FLT-98 comprehensive package is currently priced at $1998US. Also new for 2009 is William Optics’ FLT 110 Triplet Apo Light, a telescope which

is sure to be everything you always wanted in a refractor. The FLT 110 Light matches a topquality Flouro-Star 110-mm f/7 triplet airspaced, SMT objective with WO’s extrasmooth 2.5-inch LinearPower, 360° rotatable focuser. It weighs in at only 5.3 kg (11.6 lb) and is 652 mm (25.6 in) fully retracted.

The tube, retractable lens cell and included 115-mm heavy-duty mounting rings are precision CNC machined, and the package even includes a custom aluminum carry and storage case. The new FLT 110 Triplet Apo Light is currently priced at $2398US, which price includes free shipping within the U.S. We previewed William Optics’ new multi-purpose ZenithStar 70ED Apo in the September 2008 issue of ATT and it is now available for shipment and currently priced at $380US, with free ground shipping within the U.S. The versatile ZS70ED is ideal for travel astrophotography, piggybacking, or for use as a spotting scope.

It offers 70 mm of aperture, an f/6.1 focal ratio, and a focal length of 430 mm. It is an air-spaced doublet with SMC coatings and features a retractable lens shade. Included is a 2-inch Crayford, dual-speed, 360° rotatable focuser. The tube length is 308 mm (12.13 in) fully retracted, 370 mm (14.57 in) fully extended and 2.3 kg (5.07 lb). The backpack dimensions are 31.8x44.5x16 cm (12.5x17.5x6.2 in) and it weighs 1.84 kg (4.05 lb).

For more information go to www.williamoptics.com.

NEWPRODUCTS

CRITERION MACHINE COMPANY Introduces V-Tube The “V” in Criterion Machine Company’s new V-Tube stands for “Variable,” as in “variable extension tube,” and offers a handy solution to those of us who have in the past resorted to collecting several focus extension tubes of various lengths to assure that we always have one of the proper dimensions at hand. Criterion’s new V-Tube covers the most popular extension lengths ranging from 2 inches to 4 inches in a unique variable format.

The extension features a side flat that the focuser set screw presses on and that, when properly installed and used, renders the V-Tube captive. Although the V-Tube was specifically designed for use with MoonLite’s 2-inch, non-compression ring CR focusers, it is also compatible with other brands of 2-inch focusers, although the full, captive 2-inch to 4-inch range may not be usable in other applications.

The new Criterion V-Tube is priced at $50US. For more information, please visit www.criterionmachine.com.

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Call or Write for Our MallinCam/POD Package Discounts!

985-863-2165 • www.WaningMoonII.com 22

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

NEWPRODUCTS

TETON TELESCOPE Completing Assembly of New Line of Rapier Newtonians We’ve come to associate Teton Telescopes with its growing lines of Maksutov-Newtonians, MaksutovCassegrains and Apochromatic Refractors with premium Russian crafted optics and it still offers an increasing number of options in those fine designs.

But despite the success of its existing lines, Mark Rieck, owner of Teton Telescopes, has long wanted to produce a new line of equally premium Newtonians to be consistent in every way with the quality of the famed products that he already offers.

To that end, he has designed a new series of Newtonians to be marketed as the Rapier line. Rapiers will combine the highest quality parabolic primary mirrors sourced from both Mike Spooner and Intes Micro, and a well thought out tube

design with heavy duty ring sets and precision spider assemblies and cells, provision for primary mirror cooling, light traps and rear baffles, quality finder scopes, premium Feather Touch focusers, and a few revolutionary design features that will not be announced until the first production units are ready for delivery.

Experienced astronomers have long known that there is no more effective design at mid-apertures than Newtonians, but premium commercial options in all but a relatively few “standard” aperture/focal ratio combinations have become increasingly scarce.

Rapier Newtonians will be offered in a wide range of apertures and focal ratios that is sure to provide an instrument that is appropriate for the most specific applications, while providing upfront for

many items that have traditionally only been addressed in upgrades and revisions to non-custom options.

Apertures and focal ratio combinations that are slated for the earlier releases are 6"f/9.2, 6.5"f/8.5, 7"f/7.8, 8"f/6.9, 10"f/5.5 from Mike Spooner Optics and 6"f/5, 6"f/8, 7"/f7, 8"/4, 8"f/6, 10"f/5, 12"f/5 from Intes Micro Optics.

Because each Rapier will be custom built, any special requirements or accessories can also be addressed upfront and integrated into the overall system design and construction, resulting in an instrument of unique quality and balance.

The first Rapier Newtonians are being assembled as this issue goes to publication and are anticipated for delivery by early to mid January 2009.

Watch Teton’s website at www.tetontelescope.com for more details.

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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NEWPRODUCTS

FISHCAMP ENGINEERING To Debut New Starfish Pro Camera Fishcamp Engineering has billed its increasingly popular Starfish camera as “The ‘Swiss-Army Knife’ of AstroCameras” in recognition of the versatility of that imaging platform.

The standard Starfish is designed to serve as both auto-guider and planetary imager and features a cooled 1/2-inch format, 1.3-megapixel resolution, CMOS sensor in an integrated system with onboard CPU, frame grabber, and USB interface, all in a package that fits into a beautifully machined 2.75-inch by 3.125-inch anodized housing. Embedded image processing allows for a more balanced system that relieves the host computer of significant workload by directly handling functions such as image statistics calculations, bias frame subtraction, and guide command timing operations.

In designing the new Starfish PRO camera, Fishcamp used the core design of the original Starfish as its starting point, modeling the Starfish PRO enclosure after the remarkably compact and lightweight housing of the standard camera. The result is a Starfish PRO design that is both 30 percent smaller by volume and 30 percent lighter than most popular options. Each facet of the design was simulated and fine tuned using sophisti-

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

cated CAE and CAD modeling tools, yielding a camera that produces images of the highest quality that the CCD sensor is capable of producing, with camera electronics that are fully as capable as the sensor they support.

The first member of the new Starfish PRO line is anticipated to be available by early 2009 and will utilize the 4-megapixel Kodak KAI-04022 image sensor. 1megapixel and 2-megapixel versions of the new camera are planned as well.

The Starfish PRO line is designed bottom up to be used as a primary imaging camera, with high-performance analog front-end to the image sensor.

Fishcamp started with a 16-bit ADC and married that with a very low-noise analog

signal processing chain. Fishcamp’s unique digital post-processing logic is built into the camera’s image processor to achieving an enviable level of image quality.

Fishcamp has also increased the size of its frame buffer and added a super-fast USB interface capable of uploading images at 20 megapixels per second.

Finally, it has increased the cooling capacity for the sensor by utilizing a 2-stage TEC cooler and integral cooling fan, yielding extremely low dark noise.

The result is an integrated imaging system that makes capturing high-resolution, multi-megapixel images a breeze.

For more information visit www.fishcamp.com.

NEWPRODUCTS

ASTRONOMY TECHNOLOGIES New Paradigm Dual ED Eyepiece Line The new Astronomy Technologies (Astro Tech) Paradigm Dual ED eyepieces feature a six-lens optical system which includes two ED elements for a truly unique design.

The six-lens/four-group design yields exceptional color fidelity while minimizing chromatic aberration and is, therefore, particularly well suited to detecting the subtle color differences in binary star pairs as well as teasing fine planetary detail.

Each Paradigm focal length is designed to produce an exceptionally flat 60-degree field of view, particularly when matched to scopes of focal ratios of f/5 and above in which the eyepieces are reported to produce uniformly sharp images from edge-to-edge, with remarkably low astigmatism. The unique design also minimizes barrel distortion.

All Paradigm eyepieces are fully multi-coated for optimum light transmission and contrast. Lens edges are blackened to eliminate internal reflections and further enhance contrast delivered to the viewer’s eye. The 1.25-inch chrome barrels are threaded for filters and feature a wide, shallow safety groove.

All focal lengths of Paradigm eyepieces are designed to be parfocal, requiring minimum refocusing when switching from one eyepiece to another.

The precision machined bodies are clad in shock-absorbing rubber that features scalloped groves for maximum hand grip. The eyecups incorporate an internal twist-up design that allows the

The Largest Telescope & Binocular Dealer in the New York Metropolitan Area Fast Delivery Same Day on Many Products

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www.cameraconcepts.com At CCTS, the owners, Jeff and Greta, take a hands-on approach to customer service. Call them direct at 631-335-1279

• Feathertouch Focusers in stock • Digital Camera Adapters • Denkmeier Binoviewer Cosmetic defect units available great price • Desert Storm Covers are Back Starting at Only $25 • Universal Astronomics Unimount Light Deluxe Only $299.99 • Celestron BIG Binos at a Small Price Tag • Fingerless Astro Gloves with Built in Thinsulate Mitten Only $18.00 • CCTS Twist Pack Eyepiece Cases • And So Much More We’re Overflowing

We travel coast to coast to over 20 star parties and events a year - check out our website for the schedule.

We’ll see you there! Or Visit us at 10 South Ocean Ave Patchogue, NY 11772 • 631-475-1118

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

those who view while wearing eyeglasses.

The new Astro Tech Paradigm Dual ED eyepieces are available in focal lengths of 5, 8, 12, 15, 18 and 25 mm and are currently priced at $79.95US. For more information, please visit www.astronomics.com.

CCTS

YOU NAME IT…WE HAVE IT! • Televue 13mm and 8mm Ethos in Stock and Ready for Free Shipping • Full Line Meade Telescopes and Accessories Dealer • Full Line Coronado Dealer • Full Line Daystar Dealer • Celestron Premier Showcase Dealer • Full Line Orion Dealer - Buy Direct from Us at Reduced Shipping Charges • Largest Library of Astronomy Books in the Northeast • Dew-not Heaters • Baader Solar Filters • Arcturus Exclusive Photo/Visual Accessories

viewer to raise or lower the eyecups for maximum viewing comfort. Eye relief ranges from 13 mm to 15 mm and is therefore ample for most users, including

Arcturus Optics A CCTS Exclusive!

The only 5 element APO Barlows on the market today! As low as $129 Ultra Wide eyepiece with a whopping 20mm of eye relief!

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NEWPRODUCTS

ASTRO HUTECH Adds Canon 50DH and 5DH Mark II to SE DSLR Lines Astro Hutech’s growing list of Spectrum-Enhanced Digital SLR Cameras now includes the recently introduced Canon 50D, with APS-C sensor, and 5D Mark II, with full-frame sensor.

Older models available from Astro Hutech have included the Canon Digital Rebel (300D), Rebel XT (350D), Rebel XTi (400D), Rebel XSi (450D), and Rebel XS (1000D), as well as Canon’s professional level 20D, 30D, 40D, and 5D cameras.

Astro Hutech Spectrum-Enhanced Canon DSLRs make full use of the bandwidth of Canon’s sensitive CMOS sensors through use of custom filters.

Standard Canon Digital SLR cameras, like most modern digital cameras, incorporate IR-cutoff filters that also cut into the deep-red end of the visible spectrum, greatly reducing response to a scientifi-

cally significant portion of the visible and IR spectrum – the portion of that spectrum that is especially valued by astrophotographers.

Astro Hutech’s new SpectrumEnhanced Canon 50DH and 5DH Mark II cameras are brand-new units and carry an Astro Hutech warranty that covers the original camera and enhancement for 12 months.

The Canon 50D features a 22.3-mm by 14.9-mm CMOS sensor with approximately 15.10 megapixels in a 3:2 (horizontal:vertical) aspect ratio and sports Canon’s new DIGIC-4 Image Processor and a 3.0-inch, 920K dot (VGA) LCD monitor with Canon’s Live View Function. The new 5D Mark II ups the sensor pixel count to a stunning 21.1 megapixels in a full-frame, 36-mm by 24-mm CMOS sensor, also with a 3:2

aspect ratio and also with the 3-inch VGA monitor with Live View Function.

The 5D Mark II also features Canon’s highest ISO range to date, with standard incremental settings of 100 to 6400.

The Astro Hutech Canon 50DH is currently priced from $1795US, with pricing for the 5DHII available on request.

Please visit www.hutech.com for the full list of Astro Hutech SpectrumEnhanced Digital SLRs.

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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STELLARVUE ADVANCED SERIES

STELLARVUE DOUBLET REFRACTORS SV70ED Priced from $399 SV80/9D Priced from $399

OUR FINEST APO TRIPLETS Deliveries begin this year on the most advanced apo triplet refractors we have ever made, the Stellarvue Advanced Series. Working in partnership with LZOS, the largest optical manufacturer in Russia, Stellarvue has developed these telescopes over a three year period to provide the highest level of visual and photographic performance.

SV80ED Priced from $699 SV102ED Priced from $995

SV102ABV Priced from $2195 STELLARVUE HAND CRAFTED APOCHROMATIC TRIPLET REFRACTORS

Stellarvue embarked on this long term project to produce the highest quality apo triplet refractors second to none. We made a decision to pull out all the stops, improve on every area of performance and leave nothing out. We realized that this would result in telescopes that would have to sell for a slightly higher price, but we decided that if we were going to leave a legacy, this would be it.

Since these telescopes are assembled at our facility in California one at a time, we can customize them to meet your requirements at no additional cost. This includes custom tube length to meet specific needs (bino-viewing or astro-photography), custom tube diameter for lighter weight, and custom labeling. We make these for you. So once you order, Stellarvueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s owner, Vic Maris, will contact you personally to discuss your requirements. We promise, you will obtain the finest apo triplet refractor made to meet all of your specific needs.

CUSTOMIZED PERFECTION

SV115T Apo Triplet Priced from $2995

SV90T Fluorite Apo Triplet Priced from $1995

SV4 Oil Spaced Apo Triplet Priced from $2695

SV130T Apo Triplet Priced From $4995

SV160 Oil Spaced Apo Triplet Priced from $8990

NEWPRODUCTS

APM TELESCOPES Introduces New LW-Photo Apos APM has in recent years produced its remarkable Apochromatic refractors in two basic configurations: the CNC and the LW. More recently, APM Apos were offered in a third basic configuration, the CNC-LW II. The current APM 105/650 LW (105mm f/6.2) features a 2-inch Feather Touch focuser and an ultra-compact, lightweight tube assembly, while the current CNCLWII version sports heavy-duty tube construction and a Starlight Instruments 3.5inch Feather Touch focuser to better handle extreme loads.

The new LW Photo version of the 105/650 will feature a newly designed retractable dew shield and a 2.5-inch Feather Touch focuser with sliding drawtube to better facilitate quick focus changes. The design of the sliding drawtube allows it to move into the main tube

on new Teflon straps and secures rigidly with locking hand screw without any hint of flex or tilting. The combination of the new retractable dew shield and sliding drawtube make for an ultra-compact, airline portable scope when in fully collapsed transport configuration.

The unique focuser also makes for a very binoviewer friendly telescope – most binoviewer designs will achieve focus without resorting to optical path correctors. The 105/650 is also compatible with the Tele Vue 0.80x field flattener for optimum imaging performance.

The new LW Photo configuration is currently available in the 105/650, as well as in optical sets of 115/805, 130/780, and 130/1200. All feature optics that exhibit exceptional chromatic and spherical correction that, in excellent seeing, will enable users to push magnification beyond traditional limits for planetary and double star observing with highest contrast and resolution available at each aperture.

For more information on the new APM LW Photo Apos, please visit www.apm-telescopes.com.

light in the 300- to 400-nm region.

Astrodon’s new UVenus filter is guaranteed to achieve better than 90 percent transmission, with actual scans transmitting as much as 98.2 percent from 325- to 381-nm, while minimizing out-of-band light leakage. This outstanding performance will save significant time when imaging weak UV signals, while maintaining high contrast by minimizing undesirable light leakage. With the UVenus filter, you will not need to resort to a separate filter to block NIR. The UVenus filter is available in 1.25-inch mounted and 49.7-mm unmounted diameters. It features 3.000mm +/-0.025-mm substrate thickness, single striae-free fused silica substrate,

1/4-wave substrate prior to coating, < 0.5 arc-minute parallelism before coating, is hard coated to the edge, and is guaranteed to > 90%T peak transmission (>94% typical), <0.01%T 285-305 nm; <0.1%T 420 - 1100 nm.

The 1.25-inch UVenus is currently priced at $140US and the 50-mm version at $300US and is available from your favorite Astrodon dealer.

For more information, please visit www.astrodon.com.

ASTRODON High-Transmission UVenus Filter Astrodon began operation in 2002 with the primary mission of offering products that simplify astrophotography conducted for both “pretty picture imaging” and scientific research. Its product lines have expanded amazingly since then to include not only filters, but also imaging hardware as well as software to simplify its use.

One of Astrodon’s most recent additions to its innovative filter lines is the UVenus Filter, which is, as its name implies, a UV filter that is perfect for capturing detail of the cloud structure of Venus.

The UVenus is a durable, hard-coated UV filter offering the maximum quality and transmissions available. The Astrodon-Schuler UV filter has been a favorite for imaging Venus, but transmits only roughly 65 percent of incoming UV

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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NEWPRODUCTS

IOPTRON The New CubePro iOptron’s latest innovation, the new CubePro, is now available from your favorite iOptron dealer for immediate shipment.

Like its predecessor, the Cube, the CubePro is a goto alt-azimuth mount that is the ideal travel platform for compact telescopes such as the increasingly popular 66to 80-mm ED refractors, 90- to 100-mm Maks and 114-mm Newtonians. It can also be used to mount a variety of solar scopes.

Of course, the original Cube’s defining characteristic was its rare combination of full go-to capability and remarkably compact design, features that continue in the new CubePro. The CubePro also features iOptron’s SmartStar computerized control system supporting go-to to 130,000 objects via the 8-line, backlit LCD screen of the well thought out hand control. The CubePro integrates a 32-channel internal GPS for easy initial alignment and accurate go-to and auto-tracking with minimal setup.

The new mount’s 1-inch stainless steel tubular tripod legs feature a metal platform and hinges, making for a very sturdy support for the mount.

The compact design of the tripod and mount makes for a very travel-friendly system that takes less than 5 minutes to assemble. Its standard dovetail also makes the mount compatible with a variety of popular optical tube assemblies.

The CubePro is fully compatible with all ASCOM compliant planetarium programs and many others such as The Sky X, Starry Night, and Voyager.

It has a 12-pound payload and weighs 11 pounds fully assembled. I features internal GPS, an 8401 controller with USB port and 130,000 object database, accurate SmartStar go-to and auto-tracking, and a 1 or 2 star alignment procedure.

The CubePro offers tapered bearings, metal worm/gear, automatic over-current protection, automatic clutch protection for both axes, 1-inch stainless steel legs with all-metal hardware, and includes one 1.5-kilogram counterweight. It is powered by 12-volt DC (tip positive) or through the included AC adapter.

The introductory price for the new iOptron CubePro $480US. For more information, please visit www.ioptron.com.

ASTRO HUTECH Reflection Suppression Color Filter Set Astro Hutech’s new IDAS RS (Reflection Suppression) technology filters are specifically designed to address the phenomenon of internal reflections common in filtered CCD images when bright stars are present in the field of view, a problem that is especially common in wide-field images. The IDAS RS filters are specifically engineered to reduce surface reflections to less than 4 percent of those of conventional dichroic filters such as IDAS Type II LRGB sets.

The obvious benefits of the new IDAS RS filters are perhaps best demonstrated by direct comparison of images

taken by Jim Windlinger using the IDAS Reflection Suppression filter set and repeated using a competing interference filter set. The reflection haloes that surround bright stars are painfully obvious in the image taken with the conventional RGB filters, but closer comparison of the two images also reveals that dim stars are significantly sharper, with cleaner edges, in the IDAS RS image. These comparison images can be viewed at http://www.sciencecenter.net/hutech/idas/rsfilter/compare.htm# and can be “blinked” by simply moving the cursor on and off of the default image.

In addition to the suppression of reflections, the IDAS RS filters feature gentle, overlapping bandpasses, which match the response of the human eye more closely, making color balancing for realistic color far simpler.

The complete set of four Astro Hutech IDAS RS includes a luminance (L), as well as the RGB components.

Addition of a UV-blocking filter is recommended if the user’s camera (example SBIG STL) does not include a UVblocking coating in the optical train. The four-filter set (RS-48) is priced at $1095US and a complimentary IDAS UV-cut filter for the SBIG STL, with built-in D-block, is available for $89US. For more information, please visit www.hutech.com.

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Miss A Single Issue!

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Evolution of an Observatory Project

From Roll-Off and Fork Mount to SkyShed POD and GEM

By Max Corneau

This is the story of my personal observatory, a project spawned from a vision to build a roll-off observatory at my astronomy club’s dark-sky site. What started as “The Roll-Off Project” with a fork mounted LX200 telescope, ended up instead as a SkyShed POD with a German Equatorial mount. As the story unfolds, you may learn firsthand about several heretofore-unknown secrets of the SkyShed POD and hopefully gain a better appreciation of the requirements for observatory construction and the trade-space compromises required for telescopes of various focal lengths.

Start With the End in Mind Before embarking on any project, especially a technical construction effort, one of the best practices is to precisely define the requirement, or said another way, what you want the system to accomplish. My desired end state for my first observatory was to permanently mount my ten-inch LX200 along with a second telescope that would enable deep-sky narrow-field and widefield imaging and science.

Site Selection: The Pad In 2003, I joined the Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas (TAS). Besides a cadre of over 500 members and a history that dates back more than 85 years, the crown

jewel of TAS is its 40-acre dark-sky site in southeastern Oklahoma. When a group of visionary TAS leaders purchased the property a quarter century ago, they set aside a significant quantity of land for members to lease and develop their own observatories.

The concept was and remains today, to use the lease fees to offset the cost of operating the dark-sky site.

Knowing fully that I wanted to build a facility that would support at least my 10inch Meade LX200 GPS telescope and allow me and one of my children to sleep inside after observing sessions, I leased one of the club’s 20-foot by 20foot pads. Site selection criteria included elevation, location on the site and proximity to the site’s WiFi access point. The only available site meeting my criteria was an uncompleted, abandoned roll-off shed on a 4-inch thick concrete slab with a 31inch diameter central hole for a pier.

The construction project actually commenced as a demolition project as I had to remove the unusable but substantial structure that was al-

ready bolted to the site pad. Throughout time, fathers and daughters have bonded in many ways. My daughter, AstroGirl, had a blast with power tools and banging things as we cut, ripped, and otherwise destroyed the unfinished structure to make room for the future roll-off. At the beginning of the day it looked like someone’s old, overgrown shed.

The Line of Truth Immediately after demolition, as part of site preparation, I laid a true-north line.

As a matter of full disclosure, I spent nearly

Figure 1. Original Roll-Off Observatory Layout Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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EVOLUTION OF AN OBSERVATORY PROJECT

Figure 2. Demolishing the Old Structure Day One

Figure 3. AstroDad and AstroGirl After Demolishing the Old Structure

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a year in Washington DC where, in my spare time, I observed and led tours at the U. S. Naval Observatory (USNO) for the greatest public affairs officer in the U. S. Navy, Mr. Geoff Chester. Geoff is a friend and the great grandson of a previous Superintendent of the USNO, Rear Admiral Colby Chester, so he is truly at home at the USNO. The point to this digression is that at USNO I learned to appreciate the practical nature of astronomy and the various tools used to measure time, distance, and location to extremely high degrees of accuracy.

After some deliberation I conceived of using the Solar Transit method to determine the local true north line, referred to as the “line of truth” for the remainder of this story. Simplicity is beautiful when it works and laying the line of truth was a beautiful thing.

With the help of friend, HubbleJim, and AstroGirl, we erected a ladder on the south side of my slab, propped it at a 60 degree angle using 2x4s, hung a plumb bob from one of the upper ladder rungs, and adjusted everything so the shadow fell across the pier hole. HubbleJim admitted later that he thought I was a bit “touched” until he saw the chalk line appear. My daughter ably manned the chalk line as I dialed my cell phone to the speed dial entry labeled “Time Hack” on my cell phone. The number, (202)762-1401, accesses the USNO master clock time. I laid the phone down on the concrete as AstroGirl aligned the chalk to the shadow. When I announced “snap” at the precise moment of solar transit, she snapped the chalk line beneath the shadow of the line of truth. We later replaced the chalk line with outstretched twine and spray painted it in place. The resulting line of truth is dead-on!

Designing the Roll-Off To this day, the page on my website devoted to my observatory is titled “Roll-Off Project” because a roll-off observatory was my initial vision. After reviewing several designs, I decided to purchase the plans to

EVOLUTION OF AN OBSERVATORY PROJECT

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Image 4. HubbleJim and AstroGirl after Laying the Line of Truth

build a SkyShed out of wood and make it look very nice with the planter boxes and shutter options. Walking around the dark site one day with a long-time TAS member, a single word profoundly changed the direction of this project.

This old salt who owns an observatory himself, casually suggested that the SkyShed plans supported a proven observatory that would allow me to build out of metal as easily as wood. I stopped dead in my tracks – actually in the tall, itchy grass – and asked why anyone should consider metal construction. His one word answer spoke volumes then and continues to repeat its wisdom today. “Critters” he said. Presently, Barry’s observatory is out of commission, awaiting repairs because the critters ate

through the telescope control wiring in the main control room.

Critters The 100-minute drive from the TAS dark site to my home near Dallas allows for considerable contemplation. On this particular ride home, one word kept echoing through my head: “Critters.” After learning that the price of metal construction exceeded my budget, I began to question the entire project. Nearly on a lark, I followed a link on the SkyShed page to their SkyShed POD (POD is the acronym for Personal Observatory Dome) site. The systems engineer in me approached this project as a requirements-driven effort from day one.

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EVOLUTION OF AN OBSERVATORY PROJECT Polyethylene (HDPE) construction of the POD answered my new concerns regarding critter invasions, plus offered other peculiar benefits in this application, as you will soon see.

Image 5. Pier Hole Substructure with Conduit and "Pier Roots" Sticking Straight Up

Soon I found that the largest SkyShed POD, the five-bay XL-5 option, would support all of the major requirements of size, system compatibility, and sleeping.

Indeed, the POD stirred lots of interest in the amateur community due to claims of

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Enter the POD Though not one to fear spending money on astronomy gear, I undertook a day of research and sent out a flurry of inquiries to POD owners before ordering my own SkyShed POD XL-5. In the process of ordering, I recognized that the very large shipment far exceeded what my minvan could transport and ran into a bump in the road.

Enter my pal and fellow TAS member HubbleJim. HubbleJim actually spent a couple decades managing systems and programs on the Hubble Space Telescope for the prime contractor. After a happy career, he retired from the city life and, in a true case of life imitating art in the form of the Green Acres sitcom of the 1960s, Jim bought a farm. One of the added

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EVOLUTION OF AN OBSERVATORY PROJECT benefits of HubbleJim’s farm is that it is located less than two miles from our club’s dark site.

After a quick phone call, HubbleJim agreed to have his farm be the shipping destination for the POD. Little did I know that Mrs. HubbleJim would be the one to download the boxes from the UPS truck because Jim had been called back out of retirement to Colorado to fix a problem with the WFPC-3. I make it a point to still bow in the presence of this fine lady and am eternally grateful to her for receiving my POD shipment.

The POD’s on-schedule arrival induced a nearly biblical flood of rain in southeast Oklahoma. Due to work schedules, the boxes sat on HubbleJim’s trailer for several weeks getting soaked and breaking down. Ultimately, the dome lost some of its shape due to improper handling on my part as it sat on the trailer in collapsed boxes. Wayne Parker, owner of SkyShed, assured me that the inherent memory characteristics of the POD’s HDPE material would cause the dome to return to its original shape and he was absolutely correct. As soon as the Oklahoma sunshine hit the dome in earnest, it did exactly that.

Digging Holes, Rebar, Concrete, the Pier and Plate The concrete pad I leased from the club was in great condition and already had a 31-inch diameter central hole to ground that facilitated digging a deep hole in which to build an isolated pier. Rather than spend $400-$500 on a metal pier that would attach to the ground, I built the pier in three sections: (1) lower mushroom and “stool legs,” (2) mid-mushroom and the concrete pier, and (3) the upper or finishing surface.

Here’s some advice: when digging such holes, find the biggest, best power tools available and avail yourself of the technology. I rented a 13-horsepower hydraulic auger with 12-inch and 4-inch bits and had a heyday chumming through

Image 6. The POD Field, HubbleJim's Trailer and Our Instructional Viewing Theater (My Minivan)

the thick alluvial clay that dominates southeast Oklahoma. My intent was to build the inverted mushroom four feet below ground, but I ran into a pre-existing concrete base that someone obviously had already placed as a would-be pier base.

In response, I dug around the base and then dug four “stool legs” at 60-de-

gree angles to the base down to a depth of four feet. The rebar infrastructure tied into the existing pier base-plate and then I tied that into each of the stool legs with 3/8-inch rebar. At this point, I filled the base with concrete and had four rebar “roots” sticking straight up that would form the base of the rebar in the pier.

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EVOLUTION OF AN OBSERVATORY PROJECT Putting It All Together on a Cold Day Besides being a “Good-News Story,” my POD adventure is also somewhat of a comical adventure. Picture a couple of rocket scientists all geared up and ready to assemble a new high-tech observatory the first week of December, 2007. Computer simulations were used to place the POD precisely with respect to the pier – literally no detail was overlooked in assembling the POD. Unfortunately, the rocket scientists didn’t have a hard copy of the assembly instructions, nor did they have a compatible DVD player to view the ultra high-tech step-by-step assembly video.

Fortunately for our comedy team, AstroDad’s minivan provided an onboard DVD player, so we could all huddle in the van to figure out what to do next. In addition to HubbleJim, my pal Jordan was invaluable with his fundamental wisdom in helping assemble the POD on this cold day.

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All kidding aside, assembling the POD is simple and straightforward. Few tools are required, video instructions provide “pointy-talkie” instructions, and there’s really no heavy lifting required. My only remaining wish is that, rather than saving his customers a few bucks by not printing an instruction manual, Wayne and his folks provide an abbreviated set of assembly instructions. Indeed, I’m told that Wayne and his team will soon be doing just that and are already at work on a manual that integrates screen shots from the DVD with detailed text instructions.

LX200 in the POD: Shake Rattle and Roll One week after assembling the POD, I hoisted my Meade 10-inch LX200 GPS onto the custom-built Milburn Pier top head-plate that was bolted to the j-bolts now part of the concrete pier. Ken Milburn builds some of the most solid and finest quality hardware in the business and he custom-built a matching head plate to

secure my Milburn Wedge to the pier.

Fortunately, the head plate was absolutely level and equally as true to north. Perhaps I over-engineered the level and directional accuracies, because the Wedge has adjustments for error, but in my book, there is no such thing as too level or too true to north.

On December 16-17 the observatory and scope saw first light. My goals were simple: align, polar align, and drift align, and then lock it all down. Despite a bonechilling 25-degree night, all the goals were achieved and the scope was readied for imaging. Note in Image 7 that there appears to be considerable fog in the picture.

Actually, this phenomenon occurred shortly after I removed my gloves to shoot the picture, because my hands warmed the surrounding air and produced a localized fog.

Like a fine lady in waiting, the POD sat patiently on the observing field in Oklahoma until January 13-14, 2008, when I returned to spend my first night

EVOLUTION OF AN OBSERVATORY PROJECT imaging and sleeping in the POD. I slept well, but the imaging part left a lot to be desired. This event foreshadowed the next several months of “fighting the forks” of my LX200. Although the 10-inch model is the size around which the entire LX200 line was designed, the forks and long focal length are considerably less forgiving than my 600-mm refractor on a German Equatorial mount.

After countless attempts at autoguiding, I coined the term “shake-rattle-roll” to describe the absolutely stochastic behavior of guide stars in both my SBIG ST2000 and PHD guide windows. In short order I began to notice the RA slipping occasionally. Armed with this pearl of wisdom, my assessment was that the RA-set worm gear had become loose and was no longer in constant contact with the drive gear. After an initial and successful attempt at tightening the worm, my Meade guide and I managed to slam the LX200 so hard against the hard stop that it snapped it and short-circuited the main board. That was the final straw that when broken, caused me to look seriously at mounting my LX200 on a GEM. Secrets of the POD Before taking you to the final chapter of this story, it’s most appropriate to share with you what I call “The Secrets of the POD.” What kind of secrets could possibly be sequestered in this equipment? In no particular order, here are some I’ve discovered.

Have you ever seen those sound collector dishes the networks use at sporting events that enable broadcasters to eavesdrop on huddles or on-field action? Those little parabolas are at most 24-inches and seem to work pretty well. Try being at the focus of a 7.5-foot half-dome sound collector such as this.

Not only is this sound collector perfectly aligned for ground line of sight collection, but it rotates easily through 360-degrees of motion. I now know who has been saying what about me and my

Image 7. First Light and 25 Degrees during the Second Week of December

“playground equipment.” Ha! Conversely, as one of my pals pointed out, the dome creates an excellent “band shell” that reflects the cosmic sounds produced from within by my Sirius satellite radio. On cold, windy nights, or just plain-old clear,

windy nights, I simply rotate the dome to block the half of the sky from which the wind is driving and life is good.

Perhaps the most striking fact from the dominion of PODs is a function of geometric perspective. To the person,

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EVOLUTION OF AN OBSERVATORY PROJECT servatories, especially those far away from their urban dwelling operators, suffer from moisture and mildew issues with equipment and optics. Mildew can destroy precision optical systems. But, the POD does not suffer from moisture issues because it “breathes” from around the base of the dome through a 1.5-inch gap between the dome and base.

The unique design of the POD offers still more benefits. On really cold nights, I fire up a little space heater and aim heat at my feet and legs without impacting imaging. Finally, the POD maintains an exceedingly high “cool-factor” that embodies the best of an open sky roll-off and the astro-coolness of a dome.

Image 8. The POD Dome as Sound Collector, Band Shell, Anti-Wasp Barrier and More...

everyone who has ever come into the POD or even visited from the outside has remarked, “It’s so much bigger inside than it looks from outside!” And yes, they usually make this an exclamatory statement. I thought about this fact and it makes perfect logical sense that most people sense this same thing. You see, from outside the POD, one can only see a maximum of three POD bays. However, from inside, one is surrounded by every bay and all the free space they provide. Hence, the POD is “so much bigger” when viewed from inside.

Here’s another quirky secret: The

plastic material used in the POD is an unfavorable medium for the notorious Oklahoma wasps to attach a nest. As the TAS Observatory Steward, I’m constantly battling new wasp nests during spring and summer at our site in Oklahoma. However, I have yet to see even a hint of a wasp or hornet’s nest attached to my POD. Others have reported that the HDPE surface of the POD is “self-cleaning,” in recognition that, as with wasp-nest anchors, dust and debris do not adhere well to it and any that do are washed away by occasional rain.

Yet another secret: Many amateur ob-

The Decision Point: Knives, Spoons, and No Forks As stated earlier, when I removed the LX200 from the POD my intent was to tighten up the RA worm and then reinstall the entire system. Unfortunately, we did more damage than repair, so once again, my initial vision was corrected.

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Image 9. Mount Mate Adapter Secured to Milburn Pier Top Plate that Attaches to the EQ-6 Mount Mate. The Losmandy Dovetail and ADM Saddle Plate Are Also Integral to the Mount.

form. Brief analysis indicated that, meeting my own requirements for such a rig, would necessitate an extensive list of adapters, balancing, and mount improvements.

EQ-6 Pro Mount Mate and Adapter from Telescope Stability Systems - Earlier in this story I commented about the high quality of Ken Milburn’s work. Tim Ray, owner of Telescope Stability Systems (TSS) also produces incredibly high-quality equipment to improve or adapt telescope mount systems. Most of Tim’s products relate to the Orion Sirius/Atlas line or the EQ-5/6 line. For my needs, Tim produced his first powder coated white Mount Mate Adapter that attaches to the Milburn pier top plate. Additionally, Tim sold me an identically matched Mount Mate that attaches to the EQ-6 Pro and then secures to the Mount Mate Adapter.

ADM Saddle and Losmandy Dovetail - Tim Ray notes that the EQ-6/Atlas mounts generally have three weak areas: (1) the tripod to head attachment, (2) the counterweight shaft, and (3) the saddle

Image 10. LX200 10-inch OTA with Losmandy Dovetail, ADM Saddle on the EQ-6, and Moonlight Focuser during Transitional Period

plate. Attaching my mount to the pier top plate using Tim’s Mount Mate system mitigated one of these weaknesses. To eliminate the second, I substituted the “stock” saddle plate with an ADM saddle plate. Installing this unit required me to fit the underside of my 10-inch LX200 OTA with a Losmandy dovetail plate. The newly integrated system is absolutely rock solid.

Shooting for the Moon with a Focuser - Unfortunately, removing the OTA from the LX200 forks eliminated the ability to use the Meade electronic focuser. Although the 10-inch LX200 does not suffer from extremes of either mirror flop or image shift, the single-speed “mirror jack screw” is hardly an ideal solution for astrophotography. My choice for a new focuser after assessing price, performance, availability, and of course aesthetic appeal, was a Moonlight CS-2. Although this class of focuser is not inexpensive, the actions are so smooth that one is apt to gratuitously focus or rotate the image.

Pier Plate Conversion - The first time I

hoisted this new EQ-6, LX200, Moonlight system enabled by Tim Ray’s Mount Mate, ADM and Losmandy devices, it was late on a Friday night immediately following one of the TAS general meetings. Since I’m the Vice President, responsible for programs, it’s somewhat incumbent upon me to actually show up for the program portion of the meeting.

On nights like October 31, when we hosted Drs. Bob Jedicke and Will Burgett from Pan-STARRS in Hawaii, I even had to show up for dinner beforehand. After Bob’s wonderful program on PanSTARRS’s NEO detection mission, I bolted from the University of Texas at Dallas campus with the telescope system in my car and put it all together at the POD. The integration effort began at about 10:30 p.m., and the only issue was that, as I suspected, the Milburn plate attachment holes did not match all the TSS Mount Mate holes. However I matched two of three holes and was able to carefully fire up the scope, polar align and run through a variety of go-tos.

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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EVOLUTION OF AN OBSERVATORY PROJECT The next morning, I got an early start with every intention of driving to Shawnee, OK, to pick up a new portable EQ mount for home use. Unfortunately, the night before on the ride into the dark site, I must have hit a hazard and had a tire blow out.

Since everything indeed happens for a reason, in my quest for a tire shop, I found an outstanding metal shop just down the road from our dark site and had a new hole bored through the Milburn pier top plate to perfectly match the EQ-6 to its new pier mount.

Image 11. M81 at f/42 Using the LX200 with a Takahashi 0.67 Reducer/Flattener

Image 12. Various Fields of View with the Instruments in My POD

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Achieving the Desired End State For several months I searched for a lightweight, refractor of 60 mm or so of aperture to piggyback on the LX200.

This scope would serve double duty as both a guide scope and a wide-field imager. Given these requirements, my ultimate choice was an Astro-Tech AT-66 ED refractor with a dual-speed, rotating focuser.

One of the smartest features of the AT-66 setup is the ring set sold by Astronomics. The rings mount to the standard LX200 finder scope attachment points without modification and are rock-solid. The 400-mm focal length AT-66 will be a very forgiving instrument for astrophotography. The true test of how well the mount works emerged from the LX200. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pleased with the first galactic image from the LX200 shown in Image 11. For a full resolution version, please see http://www.geocities.com/ astrodad32/M81_LRGB30ea_ddp_proc_ ano.jpg.

Applying requirements to achieve a desired objective works only if one abides by the appropriate restrictions and boundary conditions. Most of us are restricted by cost and a variety of other factors. The most critical restriction facing this system in its final evolution is weight. Most mount manufacturers hesitate to quantify a maximum load for astrophotography purposes. This is because factors such as

EVOLUTION OF AN OBSERVATORY PROJECT balance, focal length, type of guiding applied, and moments of inertia all vary widely and greatly impact any mount’s operational capabilities. My self-imposed maximum load on the EQ-6 is 40 pounds and the whole rig, including my SBIG ST2000XM with CFW-8, weighs almost exactly that.

Extending the M81 example, let’s examine the instruments in the POD and their field of view. Once again, a picture is worth a thousand words and Image 12 sums up the practical field of view quite well. Consider the canonical galaxy grouping of M81 and M82, so inviting in common 12-inch and larger short focal length Newtonian telescopes. The system in my POD makes handy work of either the pair in wide-field or a detailed, individual galactic examination.

My first observatory project has been successful to this point as it is both aesthetically pleasing and achieves the objectives I originally prescribed. I’m smiling all the way…

Image 13. The Final Result: a Scope that Looks Good and Meets All Requirements Brings a Smile

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Parks Gold Eyepieces Still Golden Performers

By Erik Wilcox

The Parks Gold eyepiece line has been around for years and has always been recognized as providing capable performance at great prices. A number of years have passed since I last used any of the Parks Gold eyepieces, but with all the new eyepiece designs that have been introduced since, I thought it would be interesting to see if the Parks Gold eyepieces still seemed as good as I remembered them to be.

I picked up the entire set of Parks Gold eyepieces from Sam Sweiss, manager of Scope City in San Francisco, CA. I compared these eyepieces with several other brands and designs in similar focal lengths and had the eyepieces for several

months, so got to use them in quite a few scopes, including the Parks 8-inch Astrolight and Vixen VMCL 200 scopes I recently reported on in these pages, as well as my own 16-inch f/4.5 Dobsonian, to name a few.

The entire Parks Gold line offers fully-multi coated optics, and a 52-degree apparent field of view (AFOV) (except for the 35 mm, which is barrel limited and thus has a 49-degree AFOV). While the AFOV of the Parks Gold eyepieces may be similar to that of standard 4-element Plössls, the design is not. The Parks Gold series utilizes a 5-element design, except for the 5-mm and 3.8-mm focal lengths which share a 7-element design. All eye-

pieces come with a removable winged eye guard, and the overall build quality is very nice.

I had originally planned on writing a “mini-review” for each eyepiece in the series, but I found that performance of each eyepiece in the line is remarkably consistent with that of the others. I suspect that the Parks Gold eyepiece use a “scaled design,” which would explain the performance similarities. So I will instead focus on things that stood out about some of the focal lengths, as well as how they compared overall to other designs.

When comparing the Parks Gold eyepieces to several inexpensive Plössls, the first difference I noticed related to light Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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PARKS GOLD EYEPIECES throughput. The Parks Gold eyepieces showed dim stars a bit more obviously, and perhaps more importantly, stars were often detected with averted vision that were invisible in the lesser design.

Indeed, the Parks Gold Series eyepieces all have exceptional coatings and also produce “whiter” star images than most of the other eyepieces I compared them to. This was true when I compared the Parks Gold to some very sophisticated wide-field eyepieces as well. I felt that the Parks Gold showed a “colder” tone than most of the other eyepieces I put them up against. Some may prefer a “warmer” tone, but unless one is critically comparing star colors, many users may find the performance of the Parks Gold line to be particularly effective. The colder tone increased my perception of contrast, making stars and other objects stand out more readily against the dark background sky.

For low power, the 30-mm and 35mm Parks Gold focal lengths are very nice indeed. In my fast, Tele Vue Paracorr-

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

equipped 16-inch Dobsonian, only the very edge showed any sign of aberration, with a bit of astigmatism right near the field stop; this small edge-of-field aberration disappeared altogether at focal ratios of f/6 and slower.

The only remotely negative things I can find to say about the low-power eyepieces relates to eye relief – that of the 35mm version felt a bit long to me as eye placement became much more critical with this particular eyepiece. I also experienced a bit of “blacking out” with the 30mm eyepiece (although more so with the 35-mm Parks Gold) when used without the included eye guard.

As for the eye guards, I’d rather see a more conventional cupped eye guard design rather than the winged guard that ships with the Parks Gold line, but many prefer the unique, removable winged version that is included. For my part, I found the winged eye guards to be a bit cumbersome to use and ended up simply not using them at all, which is an option,

PARKS GOLD EYEPIECES since they are easily removed. I generally prefer the more intimate feel of an eye guard that completely surrounds my eye during viewing, but this is a personal taste that will vary with each observer. In the shorter focal lengths, an eye guard isn’t really necessary unless stray light is a problem.

I found the 20-mm and 15-mm Gold Series eyepieces to be particularly comfortable to use, and, like the rest of the line, they performed very well in fast and slow scopes alike. For high power and planetary use, I really enjoyed the shorter Parks Gold eyepieces. Some may scoff at using a 5- or 7-element design on the moon and planets, but I found the performance of the 10-mm and 7.5-mm Parks Gold eyepieces to be quite acceptable for that application.

One of my favorite eyepieces from many years ago was a 7.5-mm Parks Gold eyepiece combined with an 8-inch scope I once owned, and using the current version of that eyepiece brought back memories

of all the great nights of observing I had enjoyed with it. With the 7.5-mm eyepiece, eye relief was just long enough that I could comfortably take in the entire field of view without having to press my eye right against the glass. But, I suspect it might be a bit tight for those who wear eyeglasses during observing.

The two shortest focal lengths in the series utilize a slightly different design.

The 5-mm and 3.8-mm eyepieces add a two-element internal Barlow, which is why these two focal lengths contain 7 elements, rather than the 5 elements used for the rest of the line. Achieving the short focal lengths by use of the internal Barlow lens has the effect of extending eye relief so that too short eye relief isn’t the issue that it is with Plössls and Orthos of similar focal lengths.

I did find that, on certain objects, the Barlow elements of the 5-mm and 3.8mm Parks Gold series eyepieces added a slight bit of scatter and glare that was most noticeable on Jupiter and very bright stars,

such as Sirius. Because the 10-mm and 7.5-mm Parks Gold eyepieces are identical to the 5-mm and 3.8-mm focal lengths, but for the internal Barlow, comparing the performance of those eyepieces provided evidence that it was indeed the internal Barlow elements of the shorter focal lengths that introduced this slight scatter and glare. When I paired my own 2x Barlow with the 10-mm and 7.5-mm eyepieces, that bit of additional scatter and glare that I had noticed in the 5-mm and 3.8-mm eyepieces was not present.

Overall, the Parks Gold eyepieces have aged very nicely and have stood the test of time. They offer great performance at a reasonable price and work well in scopes of any focal ratio. Because of their excellent light throughput, they are especially useful for viewing deep-sky objects, but are also very competent for planetary viewing as well. If you’re looking for good, all-purpose eyepieces that won’t break the bank, it’s hard to go wrong with any of the Parks Gold series eyepieces.

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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The Losmandy GM-8 A Solid, User Friendly Equatorial Mount

By Don Schwab

I have used a variety of designs of German Equatorial Mounts (GEMs) from different makers and my biggest problem has always been frustration with fiddling with the right ascension and declination locking levers in the dark. With most designs, to slew the scope by hand, we must first unlock both axes of rotation, reposition the scope, and then relock both axes to hold the position and allow proper tracking. For me, this can be a real pain-in-theneck...literally!

Of course, if you’re using automated goto controls, you don’t necessarily have to lock and unlock the axes – just perform the required alignment procedures, push a few buttons on a hand controller, and the electronics will take you to your selected astronomical object.

But I’m not a go-to guy. So, I started

searching for a noncomputerized mount that would require the least amount of manual dexterity to navigate the heavens. I also wanted an equatorial mount that was capable of handling the load of a mid-sized refractor (4 inches) together with a DSLR camera for imaging.

Because of the additional demands of as- Image 1. The large knurled declination clutch knob is located trophotography and where the substantial counterweight shaft meets the declination keeping in mind the housing. weight capacity guidetwice the load of the scope and imaging lines recommended by many experts, I components that I anticipated placing on it. searched for a mount that was rated to carry My intention was to permanently Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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THE LOSMANDY GM-8

Image 2. This view of the Right Ascension clutch knob shows the spring washer that maintains the clutch load set with the knob.

locate the mount, scope and related imaging gear in my garage rooftop observatory.

Because of vibrations I create when in the small observatory room and garage, I

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

wanted to be able to center the target, focus, set the auto-exposure timer, and make a quick exit completely away from the garage, leaving the undisturbed mount to track, un-

guided, while the camera snaps relatively short exposures. While waiting for completion of the imaging routine, I could be in the yard with the grab-n-go setup I use for visual work.

After researching all alternatives, the specifications of the Losmandy GM-8 impressed me and, after checking out what a number of GM-8 users had to say online, I placed my order with an authorized Losmandy dealer. The price was higher than most other brands claiming a 30-pound or greater weight capacity, but I really liked the fact that the GM-8 features adjustable slipclutches rather than the more common axis locks. I was also very impressed with the quality of the machining of the GM-8â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aluminum and stainless steel components, as well as the overall fit and finish of the assembled mount.

The Losmandy GM-8 has proven to be an excellent mount for my application. The slip clutches are a real plus - no more grasping blindly for knobs in the dark and repeated unlocking and locking of the axes. If

THE LOSMANDY GM-8

Image 3. The tiltable drive corrector provides 6 slew rates: 0.3x and 0.5x for guiding and 2x, 4x, 8x and 16x for faster slewing. There are 4 tracking drive rates: Sidereal, King, Solar, and Lunar. The corrector also features PEC, TVC, and provision for operation in both Northern and Southern hemispheres.

Image 4. The compact hand controller features an intuitive “diamond” push button pattern.

the tension needs to be adjusted on the clutches, the large knurled knobs (shown in Images 1 and 2) are easy enough to find, grip and adjust in the dark, even with gloved hands.

The tripod is very stout as delivered, but I have added a homemade, hardwood accessory tray for convenience and even greater stability. I’ve also fixed each tripod leg to the floor of my 6-foot by 6-foot observatory space. With such tight quarters, I wanted to make sure that bumping a tripod leg would not mess up my alignment and this has proved to be a wise precaution – I have the bruises on my legs to prove it!

With the adjustable height tripod, laserengraved latitude scale, built-in tripod level, and user-friendly azimuth and altitude adjustments, polar and drift alignment is a breeze! As mentioned earlier, I do not use auto-guiding and I find that the GM8 does a superb job of tracking, even without such assistance. With my 10-pound refractor, finder, counterweights, and camera

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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THE LOSMANDY GM-8

Image 5. The declination analog setting circle is laser engraved in increments of 2 degrees.

riding on the capable mount, I’m able to capture very decent images by taking relatively short exposures.

My exposures are normally 120 to 180

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

seconds and 95 percent (approximately 19 out of 20) of the raw images that I capture show no signs of tracking errors. The mount has provision for a Periodic Error Correction

(PEC) routine, but I find it too time consuming to bother with, given the success I’ve had without it. Because PEC isn’t stored between sessions, it has to be reset for each new session and I simply see no reason to invest that additional time and effort.

The GM-8 also has provision for Time Variable Compensation (TVC), a function that may be useful for some, but again, I choose not to use it because of the time involved. TVC is designed to minimize backlash in the declination motor, but, like the PEC function, has to be reset each time you power up the drive. Here in Northern Michigan, clear skies are rare. So, when the opportunity for observing and imaging does present itself, I want to spend my time doing just that rather than PECing and TVCing. For those whose astrophotography requirements are more strenuous than mine, I’m sure that both functions would be very helpful and well worth the time and effort.

The build quality of the GM-8 is “top notch” and the drive corrector features four basic quartz tracking rates: Sidereal, King (a modified sidereal rate), Solar, and Lunar.

Among the other user friendly features of the tiltable control panel (Image 3) is a dimmer button to adjust the intensity the red LED control lights, or to turn them off completely, which is very useful for preserving night vision.

Image 4 shows the compact handcontrol box. It fits my hand comfortably and has a nice slewing feature that I find very useful – while pushing a directional arrow button to move an object in right ascension or declination, you can temporarily increase the speed to 16x by simultaneously pressing a corresponding button. This does not permanently change the tracking speed – once the buttons are released, the 12-volt DC stepper motors automatically resume the correct tracking rate.

Even though there is a $1,000 option for adding the go-to Gemini system to the GM-8, I chose to stick with the manual route. It seems that the majority of telescope users prefer go-to systems and, I sup-

THE LOSMANDY GM-8 pose, that’s the reason that many small to mid-size GEMs are only equipped with small, hard-to-read setting circles. The Losmandy GM-8 features 3.5-inch diameter setting circles (Images 5 and 6) that are actually quite functional. The GM-8’s analog circles are laser engraved for both Northern and Southern hemispheres, of adequate size, and accurate enough to routinely get me within finder or low power eyepiece range of those elusive DSOs. The Right Ascension circle is marked in increments of 6 minutes, while the Declination circle is marked in increments of 2 degrees.

Now I certainly don’t claim to be an expert at astrophotography – far from it – but the GM-8 and my simple gear have allowed me to have great fun and to capture images of God’s universe that I feel are worthy of sharing with family and friends. Images 7 and 8 are “fun”images that demonstrate the unguided tracking accuracy of the Losmandy GM-8. Image 7 is an unguided, 3-minute exposure of M27, the Dumbell Nebula, and Image 8 is a “stack” of unguided, 2-minute exposures of M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy.

In the time that I have owned the GM-8, I’ve done nothing to modify or improve the gears – I'm happy with the way the standard configuration performs and firmly believe in the old adage, “If it ain’t broke…don’t fix it!”

In my opinion, the fine craftsmanship and tracking accuracy of the Losmandy GM-8 make it a very attractive choice for anyone wanting a German Equatorial

Image 6. The easy to read and very functional Right Ascension setting circle is laser engraved in increments of 6 minutes.

Mount for user-friendly visual observing, or for astrophotography work. In the latter role, it is fully capable of carrying the more

than 15 pounds of telescope and related imaging gear plus counterweights that I load mine with.

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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THE LOSMANDY GM-8

Image 7. This unguided, 3-minute exposure of M27 was captured with the author’s 4-inch refractor and DSLR using the GM-8.

FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS Equatorial Head • All machined components of stainless steel or black anodized aluminum • All stainless steel hardware • One 2.10-inch diameter needle thrust bearing • One 2.00-inch diameter needle thrust bearing • Two 1.50-inch diameter needle bearings • 2.812-inch diameter, 7075 aluminum worm gear, 180 teeth • Dual supported, ball bearing housed stainless steel worm, heat treated and ground • Variable slip clutch on both axes,

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Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

each with single-knob adjustment • 1.25-inch diameter aluminum shafts • Fully locking, tangent-arm design altitude adjustment from 0-64 degrees with large knob for easy alignment • Laser engraved latitude scale in 2-degree increments • Single knob azimuth control, bi-directional +/- 8.5 degrees • 3.50-inch diameter laser engraved setting circles with 6-minute R.A. / 2-degree DEC engravings. R.A. circle engraved for both Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

• Porter slip ring design.

• 160 ounce/inch stepper motor, 1.0 arc-second step • Spit Dovetail saddle-plate design.

Accepts Losmandy “D” series dovetail plates.

• Removable stainless steel weight shaft w/safety knob • 7-pound counterweight included, 11-pound and 21-pound extra counterweights available • Through-the-axis polar scope, works in Northern and Southern hemisphere. Polar scope optional • Instrument weight capacity: 30 pounds • Equatorial head weight: 21 pounds

THE LOSMANDY GM-8

Image 8. A “stack” of unguided, 2-minute exposures of M51.

Dual-Axis Controls • Diamond push button pattern hand control with R.A and DEC re versing switches • Three guiding rates: 30%, 50% and 2x sidereal rate • Three slew rates: 4x, 8x, 16x sidereal rate, plus super fast 32x HST (high speed transfer) • Quartz tracking rates: sidereal, solar, lunar, king • Periodic Error Correction (PEC) • Programmable DEC. Backlash Compensation (TVC) • Control panel dimmer • Accepts auto-guider systems

• Northern and Southern Hemisphere operation • 12 volt DC, 500ma power use • Tiltable control panel for easy access • Small hand control box for comfortable use Tripod • Constructed of black-anodized, machined aluminum • Tripod height adjustable from 27 to 43 inches • Fold-up tripod design for easy transport • Weight: 15 pounds

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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www.astronomytechnologytoday.com

THE VIRTUAL OBSERVER What We “See” with a Telescope

By Roger Blake

In the September and October issues of ATT, I introduced the “Virtual Observer” (VO), a new and unique computer simulator of visual telescope observations. I also put out a call for help in the final stage of research and development of the VO model. This month I will provide a brief review of the VO project and objectives, an update on the status of the ongoing research, a restatement of my call for research help, and finally, provide some more detail on how the model works and how we “see” dim deep space objects at the telescope.

Virtual Observer (VO) Project & Objectives The VO computer model traces the light from a celestial object, through the atmosphere, through the telescope and eyepiece, and then into the eye. At its heart, VO also has a human model component that evaluates how the mind “interprets” the light that falls on the retina in terms of actual image visibility.

The purpose of this new software is to provide a tool that would enable one to test drive any telescope, with any eyepiece, under any sky conditions, to “see” dim

deep space objects like galaxies and nebulae. VO would also be a very useful educational tool to experimentally demonstrate how key parameters such as telescope type, size, focal length, focal ratio, optical coatings, eyepiece design, filters, sky transparency, and light pollution, affect what one actually sees in the eyepiece. It would also be useful for planning observing sessions by providing expectations of eyepiece views for specific targets, eyepieces, and observational conditions.

Research Status In the prior articles I also put out a call for help in this final stage of research and development of the VO model. Independent observers were asked to make controlled observations of a few selected galaxies and nebulae, and report the results back to me. At this point I have collected more than 40 observations from about a dozen observers, with more expected. My goal is to simulate each of the observations with the VO model and compare the results. These comparisons will be reported in a future article sometime in the next several months.

Call for Continued Research Assistance Most of the observations received so far are from larger telescopes in the 11-18 inch diameter range, under pretty dark skies. These are great, and I would be very happy to get more. But, I would also like to get more from the smaller scopes and also under more light polluted conditions.

I’m trying to define visibility boundaries.

To do this I need observations on both sides: some that report some level of object detail, and also some that say it’s just barely visible, or not visible at all.

Anyone who would like to participate can get a data pack from my website with targets and instructions. Go to www.taurus-tech.com and click on “Virtual Observer - Free Data Pack” to download the latest targets and instructions. If you have questions, email me at VO@taurustech.com.

How We “See” at the Telescope Most discussions about the visibility of galaxies and nebulae focus on object brightness. Although brightness is important, it is only part of the visibility story.

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

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THE VIRTUAL OBSERVER

Figure 1 A. Disk Brightness: B1 = 150, Background: B0 = 9.4, Contrast = 15.00.

B. Disk Brightness: B1 = 150, Background: B0 = 130.3, Contrast = 0.15.

C. Disk Brightness: B1 = 50, Background: B0 = 3.1, Contrast = 15.00.

The other key issues are size and contrast.

What we see in the eyepiece is delicate balance of all three parameters: brightness, size, and contrast.

Contrast is a measure of the difference in brightness between an object and its background. A simple example of the interplay between brightness and contrast in determining visibility is illustrated by the three images of Figure 1. Images A and B have the same disk brightness (B1), but very different contrasts and visibility.

58 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

Images A and C have the same contrast, but different brightness. All three images have different levels of visibility.

Figure 1 offers an illustration of the interplay between brightness and contrast – neither aspect, by itself, determines the degree of visibility. The disks in Images A and B have the same brightness, but different contrasts. Those in Images A and C have the same contrast, but different brightness. All three images have different levels of visibility. Contrast = (B1

- B0)/B0 where B1 and B0 are in linear flux units.

What we see in the eyepiece of a telescope depends on the size, brightness, and contrast of the image that is projected onto the retina. The quantitative relationship among these three variables is defined by the “Blackwell curves.”

These are the numerical relationships among the three variables as determined

by H. Richard Blackwell, entitled “Contrast Thresholds of the Human Eye,” and published in the Journal of the Optical Society of America, Volume 36, Number 11, November 1946. This is a complex relationship, so I won’t get into the details here. But there are some important general features that can be discussed.

It is probably intuitively obvious that the best eyepiece view results when all three parameters are maximized. But it may not be very clear how best to accomplish that. We all know that a telescope can increase the apparent size of an object.

THE VIRTUAL OBSERVER But can a telescope increase its brightness?

Can it increase its contrast? It may be surprising to learn that the answer to both questions is, “No.” Let's take these issues one at a time, and relate them to what you see in the eyepiece.

Size/Magnification Everyone knows that a telescope makes objects appear bigger. The exact magnification is determined by dividing the focal length of the telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece, and the result is expressed as “power.” An 8-inch f/10 telescope has a focal length of 80 inches, or 2032 mm. If one uses a 15-mm focal length eyepiece, then any object viewed would be at a magnification of 135x “power.” So what does this tell us about the size of the object?

The first question is: “What do we mean by size?” The size of celestial objects is almost always defined in terms of the angle it subtends at the eye. As an example, the Owl Nebula, M97, is described as having a diameter of about 3 arcminutes (60 arcminutes equals 1 degree). For reference, the full moon has a diameter of 30 arcminutes, or about 10 times larger than the Owl. So, what does 135x tell us about the size? It’s simple: it means that the angular size of image projected by the eyepiece onto the retina of the observer's eye is 135x larger than the naked eye angle. The Blackwell curves are defined directly in terms of this angle. So, for the purpose of determining visibility using the Blackwell curves, one just multiplies the actual angular size of the object by the magnification. For the Owl nebula, the actual size is 3 arcminutes, and at 135x the size of interest is 405 arcminutes.

Contrast Each celestial object has its own intrinsic brightness and contrast spatial distribution. A calibrated brightness distribution for galaxy NGC 6946 is shown in Figure 2. The question is:

“What things affect contrast?” To answer this I will trace the light from NGC 6946, down through the atmosphere, and through the telescope, and point out the effects on contrast.

To begin, I’ll start by describing the contrast above the atmosphere.

Figure 3 is the brightness profile along Line A shown in Figure 2. The large peak labeled “arm” corresponds to the bright arm shown in Figure 1.

The approximate size and contrast of the arm are annotated in Figure 3. Note Figure 2. NGC 6946 Calibrated Surface Brightness Analysis. that the contrast of the This is the first step in the VO visibility analysis. arm is not its relationship rest of the galaxy adjacent to the arm, to the background sky around the galaxy, which I have estimated as 22.5 mpsas for which is 24.0 magnitude per square arcthe purpose of the example. second (mpsas), but relates instead to the

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THE VIRTUAL OBSERVER

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Next I’ll show the same type of brightness profile for NGC 6946 below the atmosphere, at the earth’s surface. As the light beam from NGC 6946 enters the atmosphere, two things happen. First, some light is lost due to scattering and absorption. Second, the brightness of earth’s night sky is added to the beam. The added light comes from two sources. In the absence of civilization, the atmosphere has a natural low level of brightness that is always present. Add to this the light pollution from any towns and cities within 50 miles and the sky can become very bright.

The light from the atmosphere that is added to the beam is added equally to all regions of the image. This has the effect of brightening the overall image, but dramatically reducing the contrast.

Four brightness profiles are shown in Figure 4. The black line is above atmosphere and is the same as Figure 3. The blue, green, and red lines represent the NGC 6946 image brightness as would be seen from very dark, moderately dark, and not so dark locations respectively. The sky brightness of 21.5 mpsas associated with the blue line is nearly as dark as it gets anywhere, and the red line is a typical suburban/rural location. Most people live under skies that are much brighter than the red line.

Notice the reduction in contrast.

Even at the darkest sites, the natural sky glow alone causes a 4x reduction in contrast (Blue line relative to black). A 17.4x reduction (red vs. black) occurs at suburban sites. These three lines represent the light that enters the telescope.

The next question is: “What does the telescope do?”

Everyone knows that telescopes magnify, and that images get dimmer as magnification increases, but some may not know that the image contrast is not affected by magnification. Unless one uses a filter, the contrast of the image exiting the eyepiece is the same as entered the telescope.

THE VIRTUAL OBSERVER Light pollution filters are ineffective at enhancing the contrast for galaxies and star clusters which have a broad, continuous light spectrum. They are more effective when used for emission nebulae, because all their light occurs in narrow regions of the spectrum. But even for nebulae, LP filters block only a fraction of the man-made portion of sky brightness. If you use an LP filter at a suburban sky site (red line in Figure 4), you might increase the contrast to something closer to the green line. If you use it at a green-line site, you might improve to something midway between the green and blue lines, but never all the way to the blue.

Summary - Contrast, Size, Brightness For any given target, contrast is unaffected by the telescope. Without filters, it is entirely determined by the light pollution at the observing site. Light pollution filters may partially compensate for some of the light pollution effects when used to view nebulae, but not galaxies. The loss of contrast due to light pollution is a primary cause of image degradation.

The size of the image on the retina is entirely defined by the telescope magnification.

At any given magnification, brightness of the image on the retina is controlled almost entirely by the size of the clear aperture of the telescope. Image brightness increases as the square of the aperture (double the aperture, quadruple

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THE VIRTUAL OBSERVER

Figure 5. DSS image of NGC 6946.

Figure 6. 1st try with the VO software at predicting the eyepiece view of NGC 6946 for the specific observing conditions and equipment used for the sketch shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7. Actual sketch of NGC 6946 by Iiro Sairanen, an amateur astronomer in Finland. Telescope: 16 in. (406 mm) Newtonian. Magnification: 146x. Sky: NELM = 6.5.

the brightness). Example: an 8-inch telescope at 80x will deliver an image that is 4x brighter than a 4-inch telescope at the same magnification. The reason is obvious. The size of the image on the retina at 80x is the same for both telescopes, but the 8-inch scope gathered in 4x more light

to produce it.

A telescope cannot brighten an object. The image projected on the retina by the eyepiece of a telescope can never have a greater surface brightness than the naked eye brightness of that object. In most cases of practical importance, the image bright-

ness on the retina will always be much dimmer than naked eye.

Brightness is also affected by atmospheric transparency and altitude angle above the horizon. The lower the object, the more air the light beam traverses, and the more light is lost.

62 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

THE VIRTUAL OBSERVER So What Do We See? The above discussion only addresses the quality of the image that is projected on the retina by the telescope and eyepiece. Next, I’ll discuss how the eye processes this information.

As stated above, what we “see” in the eyepiece of a telescope is a delicate balance of the three parameters: brightness, contrast, and size. The image on the retina can be considered as a composite of subregions of various sizes, each with a unique brightness and contrast relative to its neighboring regions. Given this perspective, the Blackwell data is direct, experimental evidence of the thresholds of visibility of each sub-region relative to its neighbors. Applying the Blackwell data to one sub-region at a time, one can imagine how the eye decides which are visible and which are not. This is in fact how the Virtual Observer software works. In this way, the eye transmits an image to the brain in which, generally, much of the retina image is missing. In addition to this sub-region

deletion, there is another level of distortion for dim objects.

For very dim images, one can only see the image with averted vision. There are two types of receptors in the eye: rods and cones. Cones are high resolution, low sensitivity, and see color. They are located in the center of the eye and responsible for normal well lighted (photopic), direct vision. The rods are low resolution, high sensitivity, and see only black and white.

They are located mostly on the periphery of the retina and are used under dim light (scotopic), with averted vision.

The distortion for averted vision is due to low resolution. The greater sensitivity of averted vision relative to direct, or cone vision, results from the fact that the rods are tied together in large groups, but cones are wired individually.

The signals from all rods in a given group are added together to send a single signal to the brain. For those familiar with the concept of “binning” in CCD imaging, this grouping is exactly the same

thing. With CCD’s, binning is typically restricted to groups of 4 to 9, because larger grouping causes a noticeable reduction in image quality. Compare this averted vision, in which the binning typically involves groups of 120 or more rods. The result is the “fuzzy” image referred to in the “faint fuzzies.”

Although the Virtual Observer computer model is still under development, I’ll show one example of its current capability. I used the VO model to simulate an actual observation and sketch made by Iiro Sairanen, an amateur astronomer in Finland. The simulation includes both the sub-region deletion and binning fuzzy effects discussed above. The results are shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7. I believe these results are very good. The agreement is remarkable, considering the difficulty in making a freehand sketch of an exceedingly dim object, in the dark.

I hope to show a more comprehensive comparison of observations and model predictions in the next several months.

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ASTRO TIPS tips, tricks and novel solutions

A New Use for the Rigel Pulsguide: LXD Polar Scope Illuminator

By Norman Llyod A short while ago, I emailed Leon Palmer at Rigel Systems, inquiring as to the possibility of an adaptor that would allow me to use my PulsGuide Illuminator (PGI) with the polar-finder scope of my Meade LXD55 mount. The stock Polar Scope Illuminator (PSI) used an odd-size threaded hole that the PGI (and most other illuminators) did not fit. The original PSI was an off-on unit with no brightness control, and quickly ran batteries down. To be safe, I always removed the batteries between uses.

I first substituted an LXD75 PSI, which had variable brightness control, and this worked OK. But I’ve always loved the variable flash pulse of the PGI and wanted to use it instead. I tried making an adaptor from nylon tubing – which worked – but the threads are soft and I worried about eventual damage.

Leon suggested using small rubber stoppers with the proper size hole drilled through the center, and even went to far as

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to send me a few. I tried using them several ways: (1) I screwed the stopper onto the PGI and then into the PSI hole – not easy, but a good fit in the end. (2) I push-threaded the stopper into the PSI hole and then screwed the PGI into it – very workable. (3) I push-threaded a stopper into the hole backwards, i.e., the wider end first, and then screwed the PGI into it. This was a bit more work, but once the PGI was all the way in, it provided the tightest fit.

Whichever of these three methods you use, the end result is just what you are looking for: a relatively tight fit that doesn’t slip out; a very good adaptor, at minimal cost. I rate the last method as best; it allows me to easily remove the PGI for use with my reticle eyepiece. You might find another method works for you, but this solution doesn’t damage anything, is reversible, and doesn’t cost much.

Small rubber stoppers are usually

tapered. Find one that’s a tight fit and carefully drill a hole through its centre that fits the PGI tightly. The stoppers are cheap, so don’t worry if you ruin a few before you get it right. The rest is simple assembly.

The PGI adds to the usefulness of the Polar Scope as the variable intensity and pulse rate provide a much better view of the field. The choice of yellow or red illumination that the PGI provides is a plus as well. I thought the yellow would be horrible, but on trying it found it works best for me. Once you have used the PGI, you’ll have a hard time going back to a standard illuminator, and given the ease of adapting it to the popular Meade LXD mounts, there’s little reason not to try one.

Thanks again to Leon and Rigel Systems. Sometimes the simplest solution is indeed the best! Clear skies and dark nights.

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