I'm new here and not sure if this is the right spot for my question, I have just gotten a GSO Ritchey-Chritien scope and reading online about how they have to be collimated and I have taken an image and I'm not sure if it's fine how it is or is there more to do to it or just leave it.
I'd like to get into astrophotography more down the line, I'm still getting use to how to make things work.
Welcome Roy
Looking at the out of focus image you posted it does seem that there is a slight flare to the left side of the star donut and the dark shadow of the secondary is ever so slightly off centre. Does the slight flare change sides when you move the focuser past the focal point to either inside or outside of focus. I'm not familiar with RC scopes and their colimation but would not be dissimilar to newtonian collimation. I'm sure that there are several owners of GSO RC scopes on the forum that may advise of the techniques required but I wouldn't worry about the collimation for now.
Learn how to use the scope and camera before fussing over fine details like possibly slightly out of round stars in your images. Enjoy the learning process.
I would have advised to stay away from an RC straight off the bat as learning collimation can be tricky. I've owned 2 RC's and was only able to get a decent collimation after purchasing both a tak collimating scope and a laser collimator, and even then it wasn't perfect.
RC scopes imo tend to be a money sink, but can be extremely worth it with the images you can potentially take. My RC8 cost me $1300, but I had more invested into the miscellaneous items to actually get it to be decent (upgraded moonlight focuser, reducer, collimating tools etc all costing close to $2000). If you're prepared to invest money into the scope, the outcome will be very pleasant and rewarding for astrophotography.
Hi Roy
Welcome to Iceinspace it is great to have you as a new member...besides the astronomy stuff we have a general chat where you can discuss a lot of stuff...its like going to the pub but there is no beer☺
May I suggest you get a focuser mask ... if you want while waiting for one in the post you can make a simple but very effective focuser mask using a disk the size of your app (you can drill holes in your lens cap which I have done☺ but a disk two 1 inch holes opposite each othe an inch from the outter edge...when you look at a bright star it will only appear as one star when in focus ...so focuse until the two disk you will see if not focused become one.
Probably helpful with such a mask to take in focus photos but get a set for comparison taken after the disk has been rotated 15 degrees past its last photo position...that may show focus is fine in one position but not good in another position.
And focus takes a huge effort to get right and in my view takes a great deal of practise...thinking more you could do those photos at various scope angles and detect flex or as a like to think find that sweet region the scope really works well.
I dug out one I used a decade ago...all thats important are the holes☺ the other stuff is a cross brace that is now broken an some little bags of moisture absorbent☺
Anyways grab a corn flakes box cut out a disk and some holes and try it out☺
Alex
What camera did you use for this? You can also try pointing towards the core of the Milky Way and do a longer exposure to get stars across the FOV as well.
I thought I put up this photo but obviously I did not.
Here is a mask ten years old that you make out of any old carboard to check it out...works rather well...maybe bigger holes that U first suggested...heck naje a couple☺
Alex
I picked it up very cheap Jacob, I'm yet to get a Takahashi collimation scope and laser. Most of what I did was by eye by a method I'd seen online, I can't remember who it was by.
I was looking at the DSI method and tried to tweak like they said but actually made that appearance, like it is now worse, it referred to de focus by 50 or something like that but no measurement of what that size is. I'll spend some more time when I can, do those artificial stars work well?
