Day Night Viewing

Experimenting with the Moon. A red or dark red filter
will increase the contrast of a blue sky in the daytime.
Experiments with a filter to let through infrared light
and block other wavelengths will also help clear up the
image and increase contrast. Image by Mike Otis

Which is better? Day or Night?

These are some ideas on Wednesday, July 29th, 2020

Light pollution is very strong at night, greater than Bortle 9, and only one star and a planet are visible. I got an idea this afternoon.

After a big rain yesterday, the blue sky is beautiful and very clear today. Rare wind has taken the edge off high humidity levels. Using a red filter, some bright stars, planets, and the Moon are visible in the daytime! Which is better, day or night? There is no artificial light pollution in the daytime and only natural solar light prevails. Some current daytime objects to view are planes, satellites, the Sun, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury and the Moon. The idea is to increase sky contrast and subtract some solar light to a point where the observation becomes useful. Using GOTO and filters, I wonder if the brightest deep sky object can be teased into view? Certainly planets and the Moon have great potential. Depending on how this works out, I might switch to day viewing and imaging.

Monday July 27 2020 Update

July 27 2020 Update
The Celestron equipment basics are finally deemed working without WiFi, however the local temperatures have settled in around 119 deg. F. more or less. Seeing conditions are fantastic as usual, but ultra heat and humidity is not fit for human or animal. With heat stroke a real danger during extreme heat and humidity, I can only wait for less hot days and nights to set up the rig configurations, and perform imaging.

Unfortunately Jupiter and Saturn in the morning sky are rapidly moving out of range of the deck observatory view. Venus filters were not shipped so it's doubtful a meaningful Venusian study would ensue. By the time weather cools a bit, Venus will move out of the morning sky and have blockage from the skyscraper. The only remaining planet is Mars and the upcoming month of August will be equally hot and humid, limiting any activity. With opposition in early October, it will all depend on the position of Mars as the West direction is not visible. Planets are very high in the sky, seeing is superb, and Mars won't have have any altitude problems from this Pacific Ocean location which is more near the equator compared to the USA.

Visual observations were fleeting and yielded an eyeful of amazing detail on Jupiter and Saturn. It shows just how good the seeing is at ocean island locations. Recently the upper level extremely light haze appears to have something to do with improving viewing. The intense heat has an effect on ground based locations, perhaps creating a gradient of reduced air pressure which also improves seeing conditions.

The heat creates a cycle of storms on a regular basis during the day, every day, resulting in hot rain that washes out dust from the sky. However, by the time of nightfall, the storm is over and lighter clouds pass overhead creating large pockets of clear sky. Only one or two mosquitoes appear, but they are dangerous, carrying Dengue Fever which a handful of local people have contracted. So this is a big seasonal concern as well.

Currently construction of the large new telescopes are cancelled and focus will now remain on the observatories two largest telescopes. In the case of the largest telescope, the new high tech amplifier will be attached to multiply performance. Telescopes have a backlog of experiments, to be completed when seasonal temperatures are reduced.

Atmospheric Lensing Effect Discovered

Pacific Oceanic Upper Atmospheric Lensing Effect Discovery

by Mike Otis

ABSTRACT

I have discovered an oceanic upper atmosphere lensing/filtering effect that takes place with a layer of light haze above Pacific Ocean regions of the Earth.

The upper level haze, in its light state, is comprised of a semi-spherical plane of co-existing thin water droplets causing a lensing/filtering effect that contributes to telescopic function. Generally this can vastly improve "seeing conditions" and imaging results.

This giant lens can cover the entire sky or sky sections around clouds at any given time. The density of haze and water vapor determines some lensing/filtering properties. Studies show vast improvements in telescope seeing, a widespread phenomena recorded across various oceanic locations 1,2,3,4.

Water droplets are not the conventional pure H2O composition. With seawater evaporation and saltwater proximity, some intermixing levels of salt dissipate into the upper atmosphere, producing lensing cells of NaCl with a ratio of 1:1 of sodium and chloride ions. This composition propels the lensing effect of which the telescope becomes the primary and the hazing is a tertiary filtration lens. In another analysis, the atmosphere hazing curvature becomes the primary objective of specified index and the telescope an ocular of specified magnification.

Sea coast data examples confirming the effectual phenomena that results in exceptional imaging are by (1) D. Parker, Coral Gables, FL USA, Atlantic Ocean, (2) C. Go, Cubu, Philippines, Camotes Sea, Pacific Ocean, (3) M. Otis, Taiwan, Pacific Ocean, and (4) D. Peach, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Atlantic Ocean. Additional confirming data sets available.

Celestron CGXL Mount Part 7

Let's take a look at what Celestron has to say about their own CGX-L Mount

CGX-L EQUATORIAL MOUNT AND TRIPOD $3599 July 2020
Item #: 91531 Warranty: 2 Years
Celestron's CGX-L Computerized Equatorial mount is the latest addition to our fully computerized equatorial mount series. Capable of carrying Celestron’s largest optical tubes with ease, CGX-L is designed for backyard observatories and remote imagers looking for exceptional load capacity to weight ratio, compact design, and innovative features that fully support large telescopes, imaging kits, and the latest in wireless tech accessories.

Key design goals included larger 144mm diameter worm wheels which provide smoother operation and can more accurately drive heavier loads, longer 270mm dovetail saddle to support larger optical tubes, remote operation friendly features such as home and limit optical sensors, easier polar alignment adjustments, and better cable management overall. In addition to that, we’ve made mechanical and ergonomic improvements throughout to make the mount sturdier, easier to use, and easier to transport. COMPACT. ERGONOMIC. INNOVATIVE.

Mount Type - Computerized Equatorial
Instrument load capacity - 75 lbs (34 kg)
Height adjustment range (includes mount and tripod) 908.05mm - 1339.85mm (35.75" - 52.75")

Tripod Leg Diameter - 69.85mm (2.75")
Steel tripod with graduated markings on lower section
Latitude adjustment range - 3° - 65°
Mount Head Weight - 52.6 lbs (23.8 kg)
Accessory Tray - Yes
Tripod Weight - 46.2 lbs (21 kg)
Weight of Counterweights - 1 x 22 lbs
Slew Speeds - 9 slew speeds
Slew max speed - 3°/second
Tracking Rates - Sidereal, Solar and Lunar
Tracking Modes - EQ North & EQ South
GPS - N/A
Dovetail Compatibility - Dual saddle plates (CG-5 and CGE saddle)
Number of Auxiliary ports - 4 Aux ports (Hand Control can use any Aux port, 2
are located near the dovetail saddle for optional accessories)

Autoguide port - Yes, 2 ports (one is located near the dovetail saddle)
USB Port - Yes, input for Mount and Hand Control
Power Requirements - 12V DC, 3 amps
Motor Drive - DC servo motors
Alignment Procedures - 2-Star Align, 1-Star Align, Solar System Align, Last Alignment, Quick Align

Periodic Error Correction - Yes
Computerized Hand Control - 2 line x 18 character backlit Liquid Crystal Display - 19 LED backlit buttons, USB 2.0 port for PC connection
NexStar+ Database 40,000+ objects, 100 user defined programmable objects. Enhanced information on over 200 objects

Software - CPWI Telescope Control Software, Celestron Starry Night Special Edition Software, SkyPortal App

Total Kit Weight - 120.8 lbs (54.8 kg)
Included Items - CGX-L Equatorial Head | CGX-L Tripod | Accessory Tray | 1 x 22 lbs counterweight | NexStar+ Hand Control | DC Power Cable (item# 18769) | 8mm Allen wrench (contained in rear carry handle)

Summary
Increased 75 lb load capacity
Exceptional load capacity to weight ratio
Additional Aux accessory ports and autoguider port on the Dec axis for better cable management

Larger 144mm diameter worm wheels to better and more accurately drive heavier loads

Longer 270mm dovetail saddle to better support larger optical tubes
Massive 70mm stainless steel tripod legs with a wider stance for improved stability under heavy loads

Accessory tray holds three 1.25” and two 2” eyepieces with an upright stand for your smartphone or tablet

Heavy duty, 31.5mm stainless steel counterweight shaft to support additional counterweights

Spring-loaded brass worm wheel and stainless steel worm gear reduce friction and provide optimum gear mesh

Internal cabling for worry-free remote operation.
Power input and lower accessory ports remain stationary while the mount slews to avoid snags

Includes Celestron's PWI telescope control software, co-developed by PlaneWave Instruments. Software features multi-point mount modeling for extremely precise pointing accuracy

Adjustable EQ head position to optimize center of gravity over the tripod and fully utilize the increased 3°-65° latitude range

Integrated handles for easy transport and portability
Ergonomically designed dovetail clamping knobs

Includes All Star Polar Alignment, Starry Night, CPWI, (and may or may not be compatible with) StarSense and WiFi

https://www.celestron.com/products/cgx-l-equatorial-mount-and-tripod?_pos=1&_sid=5eee6c65d&_ss=r

Sky Map Circumpolar

Sky Map December

Sky Map Winter

Sky Map Autumn

Sky Map Summer

Sky Map June

Sky Map March

Sky Map Spring

Comet Neowise

Casting  potential telescope vision for Comet Neowise out across the dense urban sprawl

Log: The new comet Neowise in the morning sky is said to be one of the brightest in a long time. That being said, it's completely invisible to the naked eye in a light polluted sky. I checked the sky on two mornings and did not see the comet. The chart shows its location quite far to the north near the deck's Northern wall limit. The brightest star found was Aldebaran next to Venus. The alpha star in Taurus, at -2.1 appears to bookmark the limiting magnitude of this inner city metro location. Many city dwellers are recommending binoculars to find the comet.

Celestron CGXL Mount Part 6

Celestron CGXL Mount Part 6
* 2 ways to get a driving rate
* How to Hibernate

In summary, once the Celestron CGXL mount is setup, there are two relatively simple ways to garner active lunar and planetary driving rates.

One is to do the Planet Alignment, search Jupiter for example, and it will slew to Jupiter and continue driving.

Two, is to do a Quick Align, then search to proceed to Jupiter for drive continuance.

Hibernate Note
(for more complicated align procedures you may want to save the alignment) The manual states "Hibernate allows the telescope to be completely powered down and still retain its alignment when turned back on." The manual says "Last Alignment" also serves as a good safeguard in case the telescope should lose power. The RTC Real Time Clock should be turned on in the Utilities Menu.

Utilities Menu - Scrolling through the MENU (9) options will also provide access to several advanced utility functions within the telescope such as; Calibrate Mount, Hibernate as well as many others.

Hibernate – Hibernate allows the telescope to be completely powered down and still retain its alignment when turned back on This not only saves power, but is ideal for those that have their telescope permanently mounted or leave their telescope in one location for long periods of time To place your telescope in Hibernate mode:

* Select Hibernate from the Utility Menu
* Move the telescope to a desire position and press ENTER
* Power off the telescope
* Never move the telescope manually while in Hibernate mode

Once the telescope is powered on again, the display will read Wake Up After pressing Enter, you have the option of scrolling through the time/site information to confirm the current setting Press ENTER to wake up the telescope.

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/556119-celestron-avx-last-alignment-feature/

Celestron CGXL Mount Hand Controller Part 5

Celestron CGXL Mount Part 5
CGXL "Nexstar +" Hand Controller

Important Keys
3 - Slew the telescope
4 - Catalog of objects
6 - Setup, Utilities (Tracking Rate)
8 - Select the function
9 - Go back out of current menu
11 - Move up down in menu
12 - Change motor speed when direction keys are pressed
14 - Mini USB port (need cable), firmware update, PC telescope control

====================================================

Jupiter Example
Solar System, Jupiter, Enter, Automatically slews to Jupiter

Motor Speed
The MOTOR SPEED button will instantly change the speed rate of the motors from high speed slew rate to precise guiding rate or anywhere in between.

Each rate is a number on the keypad
9 - fastest, slew between objects, locate alignment stars
1 - slowest, center objects in the eyepiece

Change Motor Speed
• Press MOTOR SPEED key. LCD displays current motor speed
• Press the number on the hand control that corresponds to the desired speed

====================================================

The Hand Control Menu
Press the MENU button (#7 on the keypad) and use the scroll buttons to select “Hand Control” and press ENTER. Use the scroll buttons to select from the following options:

Lights Control
Adjust the brightness of the number keypad and LCD

Toggle Bold Font
Change the format of the font displayed on the LCD from normal to boldface

Set Contrast
Use the scroll keys to adjust the contrast of the LCD

Scrolling Menu
Adjust how fast words move across the face of the LCD

Set Language
Change the displayed language on the LCD

====================================================

"You can choose Solar System Align to align on the moon or planets such as Jupiter or Saturn. The mount will then track sufficiently."

====================================================

REFERENCE Alignment Procedures

In order for the telescope to accurately point to objects in the sky, it must first be aligned with known positions in the sky With this information, the telescope can create a model of the sky, which it uses to locate any object with known coordinates. There are many ways to align your telescope with the sky depending on what information the user is able to provide.

• Solar System Align will display a list of visible daytime objects (planets and the Moon) available to align the telescope. "You can choose Solar System Align to align on the moon or planets such as Jupiter or Saturn. The mount will then track sufficiently."

• One Star Align uses the same time/location information but only uses one star for alignment

• Last Alignment restores your last saved star alignment and switch position Last Alignment also serves as a good safeguard in case the telescope should lose power

• Two Star Align uses the entered time/location information and allows the user to select which two alignment stars the telescope will automatically slew to

• Quick-Align will ask you to input all the same information as you would for the Two Star Align procedure. However, instead of slewing to the alignment stars for centering and alignment, the telescope bypasses this step and simply models the sky based on the information given.

Quick-Align uses all the date and time information entered at startup to align the telescope, However, instead of slewing to the alignment stars for centering and alignment, the telescope bypasses this step and simply models the sky based on the information given. This will allow you to roughly slew to the coordinates of bright objects like the Moon and planets and provides the telescope with information needed to track objects in any part of the sky (depending on accuracy of polar alignment). Quick-Align is not meant to be used to accurately locate small or faint deep-sky objects or to track objects accurately for astroimaging.

To use Quick-Align, simply select Quick Align from the alignment options and press ENTER. The telescope will automatically use the entered date/time parameters to align itself with the sky and display Alignment Successful.

Celestron CGXL Mount Hand Controller Part 5
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2020/07/celestron-cgxl-mount-part-5.html

Celestron CGXL Mount Celestron Responds Part 4
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2020/07/celestron-cgxl-mount-part-4.html

Celestron CGXL Mount Data Time Part 3
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2020/07/cgxl-mount-data-time.html

Celestron CGXL Mount Understanding Part 2
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2020/07/celestron-cgxl-mount-part-2.html

Celestron CGXL Mount Setup Part 1
https://otisastro.blogspot.com/2020/07/celestron-cgxl-mount.html

Celestron CGXL Mount Celestron Responds Part 4

Celestron CGXL Mount Part 4 &
Celestron Reponds

Celestron has responded to the CGXL mount question of "tracking is dead" as seen below. This blog will resume analyzing every pertinent detail of the mount.

"You can choose Solar System Align to align on the moon or planets such as Jupiter or Saturn. The mount will then track sufficiently."

* Turn the power switch on.
* The hand control will display CGX-L Ready
* Press ENTER twice (the mount will move home)
* Select City Database
* Select the nearest city to your location

* If you choose Custom Site, you will have to enter the longitude, latitude and time zone of your location

* Once the location is selected, proceed to enter the date and time (the CGX-L has a Real-Time Clock (RTC) which stores the date, time and location information for the next time you use the mount)

* Choose Alignment: Solar System (Jupiter) or One Star (use Scroll buttons 6 and 9 to scroll through the list)

* Press ENTER when you have selected a suitable star or planet
* If the mount is roughly polar aligned, it will slew to the approximate location of the star or planet

* The default selection of stars is on the west side of the meridian. If your sky is obstructed in the west, press the MENU button on the keypad.

* Use the direction keys. Slew the telescope to the selected named planet or star and center it in the viewfinder of your telescope

* Press ENTER (the mount will automatically adjust motor speed for fine centering)

* Use the direction keys, center the planet or star in the eyepiece of your telescope and press ALIGN

* When prompted to add a Calibration Star, press BACK to complete the alignment

* Use keypad numbers 1, 2 or 3 to select Solar System
* Use Keypad Numbers 6 & 9 to scroll the list, find Jupiter, select Enter

Celestron CGXL Mount Data Time Part 3

Data for the CGXL Mount
Part 3
The Celestron CGXL mount will need the following data entered via the hand controller before it can function properly

Some sample values for testing only and to show the formatting:
Taipei Xinyi latitude, longitude, time standard
Latitudes north are + and south -
Positive longitudes are east of the Prime Meridian, and negative ones are west.

By Decimal
---------------
Latitude: (+) 25.0409° N
Latitude: (+) 121.5720° E

By Degree, Minute, Second
-----------------------------------
Latitude: (+) 25° 02' 5.40" N
Longitude: (+) 121° 34' 3.59" E

Time Zone
--------------
Time zone in Xinyi District, Taipei City (GMT+8) Greenwich Mean Time
or UTC +8, Coordinated Universal Time

Longitude (λ)
Lines of longitude appear vertical with varying curvature in this projection, but are actually halves of great ellipses, with identical radii at a given latitude.

Latitude (φ)
Lines of latitude appear horizontal with varying curvature in this projection; but are actually circular with different radii. All locations with a given latitude are collectively referred to as a circle of latitude. The equator divides the planet into a Northern Hemisphere and a Southern Hemisphere, and has a latitude of 0°. Source: Wiki

Power
Plug in the Celestron 12V 5A AC battery eliminator and switch on the mount.

Celestron CGXL Mount Understanding Part 2

Understanding the CGXL Mount Part 2

Attach the counterweights and move the mount into default (home) position. 

Tighten both RA and DEC clutch levers. 

You are now about to attach the telescope. Loosen the dovetail saddle lock knobs evenly, enough to allow the OTA dovetail to fit into the saddle.

Note the arrow should be pointing to the same side as the handle labeled “Celestron.” Slide the telescope’s dovetail bar into the dovetail saddle of the mount. Tighten the telescope in place with the two lock knobs.

Warning! The two knobs must be loosened, and then tightened together in small increments as not to create a large difference, or the bolts will strip out the threads and the soft aluminum mount will need to be taken to the machine shop and reworked. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!

Loosen ra and dec levers. Balance the telescope in ra and dec, returning to the home position for safety as needed.

Power On Home Position Tip

The mount’s internal switches will take the mount to its home position when you power it on but you can still manually position it before powering on the mount Simply unlock the two lock levers, and move the telescope to the desired position.

Celestron CGXL Mount Setup Part 1

DIGITAL CGXL MOUNT
PART 1 SETUP
This continuing blog series will examine the most important functional aspects of the Celestron digital CGXL telescope mount including setup and operations for first time users.

Compared to old school analog telescope mounts, the CGXL is one of the most sophisticated and complicated mounts on the planet. I hope this guide will serve to help overcome the massively steep learning curve and serve as a master's reference for troubleshooting.

Everything you need to know for basic operation of Celestron's massive CGXL mount, which works with the Celestron 14-inch Edge HD OTA or the 9.25-inch Edge HD OTA. This is potentially the shortest path of instructions to getting a new CGXL mount up and running for planetary viewing and/or imaging.

Setup the tripod and mount using the hidden allen wrench.


Power Switch
The photo shows the power switch position. It was important to immediately shut off the mount during a runaway condition when WIFI failed, or the OTA would crash into the metal railing or break through the sliding glass door.

Hand Control Connect
Plug the hand controller into AUX1.

Counterweight Shaft Position
Setup the counterweight shaft to position in between two tripod legs due to the low latitude in Taiwan.

Vibration Suppression Pads
Place 3 Celestron vibration suppression pads under the three tripod legs on the skyscraper deck.

Level the Mount
Use the green bubble levelers and make the tripod legs longer or shorter.

Rough Polar Align
As the North is blocked by the skyscraper, position the mount to North using a compass. As the deck has steel girder construction, and the mount has magnetic locations, approximate using a compass from several perspectives, before adding weight. Make sure the compass is raised above the highly conductive bold. I used a non-conductive plastic bottle cap.




Adjust Mount Latitude
Before adding weight, loosen the two altitude lock knobs and turn the altitude adjustment knob until you are roughly set to your latitude indicated on the latitude scale, then retighten the altitude lock knobs.

Aspheric Eyepieces by Svbony

Calibrating the scale and weighing the 10mm EP gives .97oz., exactly as specified by Svbony

Compare 23mm to 23mm, the fat Celestron Luminos
EP setting on the scale is an irregular shaped massive
overweight boat anchor that was not usable on smaller
telescopes. On larger scopes it upset the counter-
balancing significantly. Seen here, the Luminos EP
overloaded the 10,000 gram scale. The aspheric
23mm eyepiece is seen at top left.

Introducing Fantastic Aspheric Eyepieces by Svbony Optics
These aspherics are the Cat's Pajamas!

Different lens designs have different performances with various telescope mirrors. Some oculars will set you back $600 to $1200 and yet perform poorly on half of the telescopes you may own. Others, like the aspheric design, may cost $9.50 and give phenomenal performance!

Nice Big Lenses
The aspheric design has large diameter lenses
ideal for both visual eyepiece projection and
astrophotography. At left, the lens is .87 inch
in diameter and at right .39". Their EP lengths
are 2.36" and 1.69" and adapt well to projection
with the Apple iPhone camera. The exit pupil is
generous and considered just right. The barrel
construction is from very light weight materials
trimmed in gold, chromed on the lower half,
engraved with a flat black interior.

As an optician, experimenter and inventor, I like to try new lens combinations and see how they perform. Thus far, the aspheric oculars were tested on the f/3.9  2.99-inch diameter Celestron FirstScope and perform as real winners. The light weight of these EPs are idea for small telescopes that have no means to tube balance. Aspherics are somewhere in between complicated lens designs with many lens elements and a simple one lens. However, it works to correct aberrations such as spherical and astigmatism, and maximizes light transmission.

— if the single aspheric lens is ground and polished to 1/4th wave, then having an eyepiece with 6 or 7 lenses all at 1/4th wave adding their defects together is absolutely not preferred —

The asphere's more complex surface profile can reduce or eliminate spherical aberration and also reduce other optical aberrations such as astigmatism, compared to a simple lens. A single aspheric lens can often replace a much more complex multi-lens system. Wiki

My set of aspherics range in cost from free to about $14. I have dedicated a 10mm 62 degree and 23mm 62 degree to the FirstScope as the best oculars for this telescope. In the future, I will definitely expand on my collection of this eyepiece type. Getting complete sets of aspherics can save thousands of dollars over other eyepieces. The images are bright and sharp with a compatible exit pupil due to a welcomed large lens diameter. No squinting necessary. The rubber top insulated eye stop protects the eye from bad weather that's to hot or too cold. The simplicity of performance is outstanding and ideal for EP projection and astrophotography or visual observing. They have a wider FOV compared to popular Plossls and these are the lightest weight EPs in my collection. The 10mm is 428 grams (15oz) and the 23mm is 666 grams (23oz). By comparison, the massive 23mm Celestron Luminos overloaded the 10,000 gram scale! According to Celestron, it weighs 1lb 13.3oz or 29.3oz. That's 30 times heavier than the aspheric eyepiece! Comparing both 23mm EPs, aspheric to Luminos, the aspheric has a much larger lens. The aspherics have a set of 4mm, 10mm, and 23mm as offered by Svbony for about $9.90 each. The weight is listed as 1.48oz, .97oz and 1.69oz respectively. Svbony has provided fast outstanding service.

In summary, the 1.25" aspherics are the bargain of the century, come fully packed in their own bags and boxes, are attractive with gold and chrome, low cost, high on performance, give bright images, have a wide FOV, perfect exit pupil (10 and 20), light weight, fully coated, have a rubber top eye stop/protector, are engraved, threaded for filters, and include full lens caps, plus they are sold online by Svbony, an excellent provider of astronomical telescopes and supplies.

Friday July 3 2020 Air Conditioner AC

Air Conditioner Failure
The main AC has failed today, cooling has stopped and there is no air cycling. The settings changed on the RF09T1 remote controller for some unknown reason. The problem is the controller is not in English, no English manual, has only Traditional Chinese language and is vague. PINK is function but unknown how many times to press it. YELLOW is wind. GREEN for speed. After getting it to work again, I snapped the third and final photo as a future reference. I'm finally beginning to cool down.

Heat & Air Pollution
It has currently reached 116 degrees and therefore outdoor activities are canceled. Some locals were running yesterday in the heat at the park and passed out from heat stroke and were taken to the hospital by ambulance. The problem was not only heat related but also toxic air pollution. I don't want that eating through like caustic acid on my telescope lenses and mirrors!

Focal Reducer
Remember to choose the correct focal reducer. Some have
edge correction and some do not. Celestron EdgeHD needs no correction and these uncorrected .5x FRs are as low as $10 each. Spectacular examples of deep sky work can be found in the pages of astronomy forums like Cloudy Nights, etc.

Eyepieces
Examining EPs bought recently. Ironic, this is the lowest cost (it came free with a 2x Barlow) and most beautiful eyepiece I've ever seen with its engraved signature, rubber reinforcement, filter threading, focuser retaining ridges and gold trim. At 10mm and 62 deg. aspheric, it has a minimal number of maximum diameter lenses for very good performance with the f/3.9 2.99-inch FirstScope, and it may have some applications for an ultralight device, as it weighs almost nothing. In this day and age with the fat heavy poundage and irregular shape of Celestron Axiom EPs, a small lightweight EP design like this is a breath of fresh air.

Storms
We are on a cycle of daily and nightly storms - as the heat rises to 116 deg F. today, evaporation and
high humidity levels lead to a buildup of black storm clouds leading to large thunder storms. Lightning struck close-by, sounded like a bomb and shook everything. Telescope is ok.

Large Database of Astro Software
I started a new large source book of astro software and much will appear in this blog as it becomes available.

Less Hot Window
I've located a small 1-hour window in the early morning just before the sun rises where the temperature is less, around 85 deg. actual temperature. It might be an opportunity to work on the telescopes in a less harsh environment.

Trick Your Eyepieces

Trick Your Eyepieces with One or More .5X Focal Reducers








Original Eyepieces
Baader 1.25/2" 8-24mm Hyperion Clickstop Mark IV Zoom
Svbony 1.25" 10mm 62 deg Aspheric
Svbony 1.25" 23mm Celestron Aspheric
Svbony 1.25" 9.7mm Plossl 52 Deg
Svbony 1.25" 26mm Plossl 52 Deg
Svbony 1.25" 32mm Plossl 46 Deg
Svbony 1.25" 40mm Plossl 40 Deg
Celestron 1.25" 12.5mm Plossl 40 Deg CrossAim Reticle
(2) Celestron 2" Luminos 23mm (.91”) 82 Deg 6-Element Wide Angle 2 lbs
Televue 2" 55mm Plossl 50 Deg

Tricked Out Eyepieces
Baader 1.25/2" 8-24mm Hyperion Clickstop Mark IV Zoom
16-48mm
Svbony 1.25" 10mm 62 deg Aspheric
20mm
Svbony 1.25" 23mm Celestron Aspheric
46mm
Svbony 1.25" 9.7mm Plossl 52 Deg
19.4mm
Svbony 1.25" 26mm Plossl 52 Deg
52mm
Svbony 1.25" 32mm Plossl 46 Deg
64mm
Svbony 1.25" 40mm Plossl 40 Deg
80mm
Celestron 1.25" 12.5mm Plossl 40 Deg CrossAim Reticle
25mm
(2) Celestron 2" Luminos 23mm (.91”) 82 Deg 6-Element Wide Angle 2 lbs
46mm
Televue 2" 55mm Plossl 50 Deg
110mm

Of particular interest are the 80mm and 110mm focus combinations. Given the Celestron C9.25" OTA with 234.95mm aperture and 2350mm focal length, the resultant combos are f/3.1 and f/2.3.

8" f6 = 48" fl                 2" fl EP = 24" FL             24/8 = F3  example reference
9.25" F10=92.5" FL      3.2" FL EP = 28.9" FL     28.9/9.25=F3.1
                                      4.3" EP       = 21.5             21.5/9.25=F2.3

If the focus works out, stacking two focal reducers for about $20 will give f/1.6 and f/1.2.

A HyperStar goes down to f/2.2 for a cost of $1199.00. Using my approach for $20, f/1.2 is possible, and for $10, f1.6 is possible. I highly recommend the f1.6 system.

https://starizona.com/store/hyperstar-9-25-v4

Rollout Mount & Storms Continue

Roll-out Mount

New Telescope Mount for C9.25 Edge HD

The storms continue outside day and night, but indoors we have the  epitome of telescope activity. The big Celestron CGXL mount cannot roll anywhere nor fit through the fully opened sliding glass doors. Here's an idea for a petite-yet-strong new wood telescope mount that can fit both the bill and the doorway.

* small dob mount sets on top of a wheeled cabinet

* cabinet side has fold down shelf for computer

* side has ac power strip

* drawer inside cabinet for EPs

* cabinet has 2 or 3 shelves

* bottom has castor wheels

* bearings are a lazy susan and PVC fittings

* can roll in and out of door immediately

* stores vertical taking up almost no space

* all wood construction

* just pick up OTA off the mount

* store the OTA easily inside

* set the OTA in the cradle

Fast Dobsonian-like setup and ease of use. Wood is easy to build and modify, and accessories attach relatively easy. The F/10 scope converts to F/2.5 for true Dob handling. Try lucky imaging with this in altazimuth mode with 1-second exposures and a stacking routine. Easy cradle mount on top for a guide telescope.