Focus Focus FOCUS

Another fully automated night last night under clear clear skies (about 40% new moon).

Still have focus issues - or rather automation ones - the FocusMax routine is not reliably adjusting the focus and, if it fails, it reverts to the previous setting so the consequence is that as the temperature drops and the telescope contracts in size the focus shifts and the images get steadily

worse. The best of the images is on the left - nice and tight. The overall colour image, right, looks far too soft though... (RGB 30:30:30)

M16 is the same....(30 mins Ha)

Keeping cool and dry....

Once of the issues with an observatory is keeping the equipment in good condition and also keeping an eye on temperatures too. In the winter there are massive potential condensation issues when the observatory is closed up.
Condensation can be controlled by the use of a dehumidifier. Modern dessicant dehumidifiers will operate efficiently at cold temperatures, are fully automatic in operation and drain the water away continuously. A dehumidifer controlling the humidity in the observatory stops all the corrosion and damp problems completely. Have a look at http://www.dry-it-out.com for more information on dehumidifiers for your observatory.

In the summer it is important to keep the telescope and equipment cool. If the equipment has got hot during the day then as the temperature drops at night the telescope radiates heat. This causes heat shimmer and upsets the seeing and quality of any images produced. The secret is to cool the telescope down to the same temperature as teh night sky. This can be done by opening the observatory 2 or 3 hours before you start imaging and running fans in the equipment to circulate the air. Commercial observatories go one better - they kdeep the temperature inside the observatory cooled using air conditioning during the day so the equipment does not heat up. This is entirely possible for the amateur to do as well - modern portable air conditioners can be used to great effect. Again have a look at the link above for more information.

First ACP auto run - I went to bed!

As it is now light until close to 11pm local time I have been pushing to try to fully automate the imaging so I can GO TO BED!

Last night I decided to run a fully automated sequence using ACP including duskflats and 2 hours each on M57 and M27. (It's getting light at about 3.30am BST so there's only about 4 hours of imaging time available per night at this time of the year).

The M57 data failed - ACP failed to track a guide star. The M27 data however was usable and the image above is the result - you can clearly see the gas clouds stretching far beyond the main nebula.

There is clearly a focus/collimation/alignment issue in the system somewhere though as the left side of the image is clearly out of focus yet the right is fine - more investigation needed!

Welcome to Dingle Astronomy

This is my attempt to get organised - or rather to get the astronomy side of my life organised!

First things first - I do NOT perform well with a lack of sleep..... strange hobby to have then eh????
I am an astro IMAGER not a 'look through the eyepiece and see what's there' visual viewer. Yes, I do look visually as well but using basic equipment like binoculars. My primary time and effort is put into astro imaging and the equipment is all optimised for doing this.

My interest started relatively recently actually. A friend and colleague, himself a keen astro imager, aroused my interest when he emailed across some of the images he had taken. This was about 3 years ago now. I loved these photo's and this made me start to look upwards at night with a little more interest. I had a simple point and shoot digital camera and was really enthused when, with it mounted on a tripod, I actually managed to get star images!

Then, of course it all goes wrong... I want to get zoomed into the action - I need a telescope - I want to take long exposures to pick out the faint details and colour - I need a motorised mount - and on it goes - Aperture fever it's called in the astronomy community - bigger telescope = more light = fainter detail = MORE MONEY!!!

A major leap forward in practicality and efficiency was made this spring with the building of a permanent observatory to house the equipment.
The hexagonal shape was a bit of a headache to design as the roof has to slide off completely. The roof and part of four sides slides off together with the tops of the remaining two sides capable of being lowered separately. This gives the telescopes a pretty much clear view all round (limited by the trees and vegetation!).

The site is very good for astronomy - well away from towns and villages, no street lights and good clear views - all essential factors in obtaining the best from the equipment.