Collimation Time

After some poor views with my scope Ive decided to purchase a laser collimator and try to give my scope its first service. Images of Jupiter had a sharp spike to one side which I soon learned was the give away that I need to collimate my scope to re align the mirrors...

Jupiter 2012

At last! Some clear skies give a great view of Jupiter...

New camera

First clear and cold night this year and a first chance to test my new camera. A Canon 1100d DSLR should allow me to capture so great images.

First up tonight, Jupiter, Torus the Bull and the Pleiades to the East.

Images of the Moon!

The xbox camera mod is finally showing results and tonight produced some good images of the moon...

Xbox Camera

After a sucessful test with the old webcam I was finally ready to adapt and use the better Xbox camera.

The main concern was keeping dust off the image chip so I was cautious throughout this mod. I decided to make a dust cap first for the telescope adapter:

Firstly I had to prise apart the camera... If done gently you can still keep the outer body looking tidy:

The front body requires a little "modding" to allow the adpater room to fit onto the image chip:

The a quick removal of the original lens:

and fit everything back together:

I also removed the base as it wont have much use now its ready for a telescope... Cant wait to try it and the forecast is good for tonight!

Will start with some images of Jupiter as I know from the old camera what to expect...

First Images Of Jupiter

Don't Laugh! This is my first ever image of Jupiter and taken with my 10yr old Logitech Webcam as a proof of concept. You can make out the moons of Jupiter but not much else... I now plan to modify and then use the better Xbox camera...

Webcam adapter

I now have an adapter for my webcam to fit securely to the telescope. Before using this it was a real struggle to line up the imaging chip with the focal point of the telescope.

This will be a trial before I start to use the Xbox camera which has a slightly higher resolution.

Webcams!

To produce some better results with my astro photography I have begun using a Webcam to capture images.

When attached to the telescope I can record short clips and then use software to "stack" the frames together to produce a photo...

Initially I have been using an old logitech quick cam express but I've struggled to get results:

So I've purchased a slightly better webcam with a higher resolution. Its actually intended for use with an Xbox:

Results to follow soon....

The Pleiades

This photo also has a the Pleiades in the upper right hand corner... Also know as the Seven sisters or M45

First use of the celestron laser Finder

Finally a chance to test the new laser finder!

So far really pleased with the laser. Its a joy to use and so much better than the standard Red Dot Finder! The mount I made seems to be nice and solid and easily adjustable to setup the laser.

Astro-photography

I now have a new T-ring adaptor for my camera. This will allow me to attach my S6500FD Fuji to my telescope. Hopefully for some fantastic images!
The revelation eyepiece kit also includes a few adaptors that will help...

Pics to follow!

Revelation Eye Piece kit

I have decided to purchase an eye piece kit for my telescope. So far it looks impressive. Good value for 

money, high quality EPs. 

Celestron Laser Finder Review

My New Celestron Laser Finder

Many people in astronomy seem to shy away from laser finders so I thought I share my experience.

I have just purchased a Celestron laser finder. In the UK you can find it for about £60 if you search enough. The first thing you notice is the quality feel. I expected nothing less from Celestron. The laser is heavy, solid and the mountings are tight and accurate.

Two brackets are included. The standard dove tail and a curved tube mount.

As my scope (130EQ MD) doesn't have a mount I was always going to have to drill a new set of holes for a solid fit. The first thing is to decide where to fit. I chose an area near the front of the telescope and close to my eye piece holder.

THIS IS NOT AS DAUNTING AS IT SOUNDS!

Firstly I stood the Tube on end to prevent any bits from falling near the mirror!

Mark up:

Two pilot holes and then open up to 5mm:

Two holes visible inside - The burd edges are a little pain. I smoothes them a little and then let the nut and washers flatten what was left.


Mount complete:

The completed laser mounted:

Now it needs aligning and testing!

Welcome!

Welcome to my new Astronomy blog!