Equipment and techniques for high-res planetary imaging

[bird (Anthony Wesley)]

Spent all of Feb in tassie last year, also went there on our honeymoon in '92. A good friend of mine from school lives down that way in Burnie.

Bird

[rumples riot]

Gary, I have noticed little or no difference in collimation from the horizontal to the imagined object with regard to collimation. This I suppose is particular to SCT's which are less susceptible to issues relating to flexure of the tube. The shorter tube has its benefits in this regard. That said collimation should not be undertaken when the scope is in direct sunlight. The tube currents will destroy the likelyhood of getting good collimation with the day star.

[bird (Anthony Wesley)]

Good info Paul, I know almost nothing about SCT's so it's good to hear from people that own them..

Bird

[robin]

Great stuff Bird. The issue Im facing is focussing.Finding it difficult to get a real nice focus thing going but i guess at the end of the day, the seeing will determine much of that.

[asimov (John)]

Hi bird.

Very nice article. "get to know your equipment" is one rule I try to live by. I'm a compulsive star test collimator & I will check collimation {& tweak if necessary} on every new object I look at. {this includes my refractor} If I'm looking at a planet I will goto the nearest star, check collimation & move back to the planet. One gadget I've found invaluable in star test collimation in ordinary-bad seeing conditions is an aperture mask {not to be confused with a hartmann} a 1 holed aperture mask, the hole being round.

I can't explain scientifically but it seems to add more contrast to the diffraction rings seen & hence their a lot easier to see. You have less time to workout which screw to turn....which way to turn....turn, then get back to the eyepiece & start over though, which COULD lead to the 'kicking the crap outa the OTA' scenerio if one's not very patient.

Well done & great to read your thoughts on a few issues.

[bird (Anthony Wesley)]

Hi Asi, an aperture mask is a good thing to have as you say. Thats one area where smaller scopes have an advantage, they perform better in bad seeing and also the diffration rings around stars are easier to see for collimation.

Bird