Quote:
Originally Posted by gregbradley
I am surprised by these results. I thought the whole point of an AO unit was to help get tight stars in weak seeing. If it doesn't do that and adds some CA then that is pretty pathetic.
Martin Pugh is getting amazing results from an SBIG AOX unit at Sierra Remote. Peter Ward's recent Eagle shows AO benefits even at moderate focal length.
So is this more the SX unit is not very good?
Greg.
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I don't think any of the Active Optics systems (SBIG or SX) out there truly correct for poor seeing, true Adaptive Optics systems that deform the mirror to cope with poor seeing do a great job, but we won't be seeing those in amatuer astronomy any time soon.
What they can do is correct way faster, with better accuracy and with less momentum shift than mount-motor corrections. This makes them very useful for slightly windy conditions when you couldn't otherwise image, and for where your mount is at the limits of its capability. Both situations are common in our hobby, and AO gives a real benefit.
With crappy seeing however, I just go back inside and catch up on IIS
AO works best when seeing is good, and when seeing is good, that is when you really want to be imaging, so it is a win-win to me.