CGEM Astrophotography- The Next Phase

Wednesday, 06 January, 2010 20:45 Written by Ray Shore 12 Comments

The next phase for me with my Celestron CGEM is to begin using it for astrophotography. I have done some webcam imaging of Jupiter with marginal results (not due to the CGEM, but other factors such as seeing conditions), but much of my interest is in imaging deep space objects such as nebula, star clusters, and galaxies. To start with, I will perform DSLR astrophotography with the Orion ED80. To get started though, I had to make an investment in some new gear!

Below is a photo of my astrophotography setup for the CGEM. There are four types of adapters involved. Most of them are ADM adapters for mounting the ED80 to the CGEM and the autoguider scope to the ED80 (piggybacked). The others came with the autoguider (guide scope rings and mounting bar). The DSLR is a Canon XSi. More detail on my astrophotography setup below.

CGEM Astrophotography Setup- Click to Enlarge

CGEM Adapters

I decided to mount the ED80 directly to the CGEM saddle plate. I had the ADM dovetail rings and adapter set already (previously used to piggyback the ED80 to the LX200 SCT) so it was a matter of purchasing the DMM7 from ADM. This allows me to mount the ED80 to the CGEM saddle plate.

Autoguiding

Another important component is a suitable autoguiding system. I’ve been hearing a lot about the Orion Awesome Autoguider Package so I made the purchase. It’s composed of a ShortTube 80mm refractor and StarShoot Autoguiding camera (for a very reasonable price I might add).

I needed a way to mount the autoguider to my ED80 dovetail rings so ADM set me up with two V-Series clamps that mount to each ring. This will allow the autoguider’s mounting bar to attach to the top of the ED80 dovetail rings. Thus, the Awesome Autoguider will be piggybacked to the ED80. It will be a nice light optical system for my CGEM.

Astrophotography Camera for the CGEM

I decided to upgrade from my Canon 300D and into the Canon 450D (XSi). I have been seeing some excellent astro-images with this camera (combined with the CGEM in many cases) so I’m going to give it a try! It is a 12.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor DSLR. A nice feature is the live preview mode which may help with focusing.

Bahtinov Focusing Mask

I’m also hearing a lot about Bahtinov focusing masks. Some imagers are making these masks themselves but a professionally made one is very reasonable. In fact, it was only $14.95 for the Bahtinov mask for my ED80 at telescopes.com. These masks allow fast and easy critical focus. It’s simply a matter of adjusting focus until a symmetrical diffraction spike pattern is obtained.

The Wait

Now I’m just waiting for my equipment to arrive and for some suitable weather! I haven’t been able to use my CGEM too much lately because of the bad weather. Hopefully we will get a break soon so I can get more experience with this awesome mount and start producing astro-images. I will continue to post my progress here on AstroPhotography Tonight so please keep checking back for updates!

Jupiter’s Changing Elevation

Friday, 28 August, 2009 18:47 Written by Ray Shore 3 Comments

If you are a planetary astrophotographer in the northern hemisphere, you have probably been frustrated with your attempts to acquire nicely detailed images of Jupiter in the last couple of years. Even if you obtained perfect telescope collimation, allowed your scope to reach thermal equilibrium, achieved critical focus, imaged during the best seeing conditions, etc., chances are you still did not get the results you hoped for.

Celestron EdgeHD Preview Video

Wednesday, 26 August, 2009 19:10 Written by AstroPhotography Tonight 0 Comments

You may have heard about a new and exciting product coming on the market from Celestron. It’s called the EdgeHD aplanatic Schmidt telescope. According to Celestron, this scope is “designed to produce aberration-free images across a wide visual and photographic field of view”. In fact, the EdgeHD performance is being compared to that of an astrograph when it comes to ”coma-free” optics . Astro-imagers cannot wait to see the first reviews come in for this new scope. Here is the official video preview of the EdgeHD:

Other Notable Features of the EdgeHD

Mirror Locks

Another interesting feature is the EdgeHD’s mirror locks that hold the main mirror in place. These locks should minimize image shift (caused by mirror flop) when rotating the tube. Image shift is a common problem with traditional SCT’s. It normally occurs during focusing (with the manual focus knob) or as the telescope optical tube crosses the meridian. Although Celestron has been able to keep much of the mirror shift to a minimum (e.g., their focusing mechanism is supported by two pre-loaded ball-bearings), they have incorporated mirror locks in the design of the EdgeHD scope. This is a very welcome improvement for astrophotographers.

Cooling Vents

Built-In Cooling Vents

Also, the EdgeHD optical tube has built-in cooling vents to help bring the optics to thermal equilibrium with the outdoor temperatures. Heat rising off of the primary mirror will cause distortions (like the mirage effect) and result in an unsteady image. This is a common problem that astro-imagers deal with if they are using closed tube systems. Waiting for the warm air to release from the tube takes away from precious imaging time. It will be interesting to see how effective these vents are for releasing warm air.

The EdgeHD SCT is exciting news for astrophotographers. The discussions will be numerous as these new scopes make their way into field. We can’t wait to see some of the results from the astro-imaging community! Feel free to leave comments regarding the EdgeHD in our comments section at the bottom of this post.

EdgeHd on Celestron's CGE Pro Mount

The EdgeHD will be available on Celestron’s new CGEM mount or heavier CGE Pro mount. Check each one out at Orion Telescopes:

Celestron EdgeHD 800 CGEM SCT

Celestron EdgeHD 925 CGEM SCT

Celestron EdgeHD 1100 CGEM SCT

Celestron EdgeHD 925 CGE Pro SCT

Celestron EdgeHD 1100 CGE Pro SCT

Celestron EdgeHD 1400 CGE Pro SCT

Bob Lindsay’s Roll-Off Observatory

Sunday, 26 July, 2009 10:24 Written by AstroPhotography Tonight 3 Comments

Bob Lindsay, former chemistry teacher in northeast Kansas, spends quality time in the coolest hangout a guy could ask for- a backyard observatory! Many astronomers and astrophotographers are adding an observatory to their wish-list of necessities. A backyard observatory eliminates much of the setup and take-down time of equipment resulting in maximum time for observing and imaging the sky.

Bob designed and built his 12′ x 20′ roll-off observatory himself (with the exception of pouring the slab and welding the rails) after studying various designs that he found on the Internet: “I looked at many observatories on the Internet that other amateurs had built and tried to benefit from their insights. I’m really glad they made the effort to share their pictures and experience with the rest of us”.

Attached to one side is a 6 1/2′ x 12′ control room where he operates his telescopes and cameras in comfort!

Click Photo to Enlarge

Housed within his observatory, is a Meade 10″ SNT on an Orion Atlas mount (on a homemade pier) and and a 4″ Sky Watcher refractor on a Meade LXD75 mount. Cameras for astrophotography include a Canon 10D, 20D, and 5D.

Bob has quite a history with building his own observatories. In fact, he has built four of them! He recounts his story to AstroPhotography Tonight:

It’s sort of a long story about astronomy and observatories with me. I built my first one (with my dad’s help) when I was in high school, in California. Woodland Hills, actually. It was a 12 foot diameter aluminum dome on plywood ribs. Pretty cool, but very basic. Then, when my son [Tom] was in high school, my dad took a skilsaw to that dome and brought it out to Kansas on a trailer. My son and I re-built it on a much more substantial building. Then Tom went off to college and so I lost interest (Not much fun to do astronomy alone). When we sold that place, it got left behind. Then, about 20 years later, we bought a cabin up in Holton [Kansas], and the sky was so dark and clear, and since the digital revolution had empowered us amateurs with such new capability to “see” things, I just had to get back into astronomy. I bought a Meade AR-6 refractor. Then I started thinking about an observatory. But I didn’t want to be restricted to seeing the sky through a slit, so I opted for a roll-off roof design. About the time the exterior was complete, we sold the Holton place (I’ll skip the story behind that), and moved to Dover [Kansas]. I never got to the point of doing any imaging with that telescope/observatory. After the move, I started the observatory all over again. So this is sort of my fourth observatory, and the first one that doesn’t have water problems.

As for the current observatory, Bob designed the building, poured the pier base, and finished the slab in the fall of 2007. That winter, he framed the walls and built the trusses in the comfort of his Morton building. He selected straight and lightweight 2×4′s to keep the roof from getting too heavy. Then in the spring of 2008, Bob hauled the framed walls out of the barn (where they’d been stored) and started putting the building together. He insulated it very well.

Bob likes the idea of being able to “play” in the observatory in all seasons, day or night. A sidewalk to it is the next project scheduled.

“As to why I am doing this, it’s sort of hard to say. It just appears that the Lord has wired me this way. I know He has created us all with interests and creativity, and this just seems to be how mine has been working out”. Bob Lindsay

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Interview with Ed Henry- Hay Creek Observatory

Saturday, 02 May, 2009 21:44 Written by AstroPhotography Tonight 3 Comments

AstroPhotography Tonight held this exclusive interview with astro-imaging expert Ed Henry of Hay Creek Observatory. Ed has been involved in astrophotography for a number of years and specializes in deep space imaging with SBIG cameras. He has an outstanding portfolio of high resolution images taken from his personal observatory in Wisconsin.

Please tell us about yourself. How did you get your start in astrophotography?

As a small child I looked through a couple of plain lenses- held up to look at the moon. I have been hooked ever since. I made my first telescope at about 10 by mounting these lenses in a toilet paper tube. At about 14 I ground my first mirror and made a 6 inch Newtonion that was mounted on a pipe fitting mount in the back yard. In high school we ground a 10 inch [mirror]. I knew then that I wanted to take pictures as laying on the cold ground to try and look through eyepieces was not my thing. However, the current technology of using film and guiding by hand was not appealing to me. That was about 1967.

What equipment did you learn on (i.e., camera, telescope)?

It wasn’t till about the year 2000 that I finally got back into things. I knew that the technology of the day was such that I could build an observatory and image with CCDs from the comfort of a control room, with computers, so I built my first observatory. I used a Meade LX200 12 inch and an SBIG ST7 camera to get started and learn the ropes.

Did you have any mentors or someone who inspired you during your early days in astrophotography?

I pretty much learned everything on my own from reading and online user group sites, but Rob Gendler has always been my “hero” LOL.

Please tell us about your observatory (dome type or roll-off, automated, heated, etc.).

I currently use a semi remote type setup with a 6 ft Home Dome, with a separate control room, heated and air conditioned, with two lazyboy loungers LOL . I can operate the whole setup from there including rotating the dome, which is done with a custom dome rotation setup I developed myself. See building and control room on Ed Henry’s website.

What equipment are you using today?

Although I have used several setups, including an LX200 12 inch, an RCX 12 inch, a TMB 130mm refractor and some smaller scopes, I currently use a Meade 10 inch SCT F6.3, with a FR to make a fast F4.9 mounted on a Takahashi EM200 and using an SBIG SAT4000 one shot color camera

What is your favorite imaging subject (planets, moon, nebula, galaxies, etc.)?

I think I enjoy galaxies and nebula equally. My current setup is not good for the moon or planets.

Do you belong to any astronomy related organizations?

I am a member of the Chippewa Valley Astronomical Society in Fall Creek WI.

Do you have any published works such as books, tutorials, videos, etc?

Although I have published several images both in Astronomy and Sky and Telescope [magazines], I do not have any published written works, although I have an image of a comet that appears on the cover of a complicated text book and comets and the origin of life on planets LOL.

What, in your opinion, is the toughest subject to image?

Hands down, high resolution imaging of galaxies is one of the most challenging things to do.

What do you consider to be your best work in astrophotography?

Two of my favorites are M106 for galaxies and NGC1333 for nebula (click links to Ed’s website for high resolution options).

: Galaxy M106 Credit: Ed Henry

: Nebula NGC 1333 Credit: Ed Henry

Astrophotography has a steep learning curve. What in your opinion is the most difficult part to master?

In my opinion, the using of cameras to record the images isn’t all that hard to learn.

What recommendations can you provide for those who are interested in entering the field of astrophotography?

Start with a high quality mount and use a fast scope . Low resolution imaging is much easier to learn, and most satisfying.

Is there anything else you would like to share with the astrophotography community?

Seeing [atmospheric] is everything LOL

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed our interview with Ed Henry of Hay Creek Observatory. For more information, please visit Ed’s astrophotography website. You will find an email link there if you wish to contact him.

Also, feel free to leave comments below!

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