Nexstar Observatory Tests

Nexstar Observatory Tests
(Indoor observatory testing) The Celestron Nexstar 6SE was set up for the first time on the new platform and tested for stability. The telescope has large rubber pads that are very grippy and once set in position, there was no movement (even when shaking the platform). There was no noticed ability to topple. The telescope is extremely well balanced and stable. The platform is by far the strongest in lateral positioning. For the greatest depth stability, it will be anchored to the steel railing with the heap of bungee cords seen at the right. The window was cleaned internally and is being tested for optical glass variances of white window glass from one indoor observatory to another. The OTA will be transformable depending on the application due to the limit to carry weight. Therefore more plastic accessories will be used on the OTA to lighten up the load and increase the efficiency of the driving motors. One techniques will be to swap or remove the accessories that won't be needed for a particular observation/ astro imaging mission. A number of tests were performed to simulate earthquakes. The system handled those tests well and the OTA remain in excellent collimation. The telescope is currently connected to a power source and is fully functional. Skies have reverted to overcast so tests may resume on a clear day/night.

Celestron FirstScope Remote Land Tests

Celestron FirstScope Remote Land Tests
Enter the fascinating realm of the lowly Celestron FirstScope - a tiny beginner Dobsonian telescope that has taken Toys'R'Us by storm. But wait, is it a toy or is it real?

by Mike Otis

Left: Shooting through patio glass with a 1.6x zoom Apple iPhone Xs Max camera and enlarged here 3x, the crane hanging attachment is almost not visible.

The test is to use the Celestron FirstScope Dobsonian telescope from the convenience of indoors and test with (2.99 inches aperture at f/3.95) three eyepieces (23mm, 10mm, 4mm), with the same iPhone camera and compare the results. All eyepieces used are Aspheric in design with 62 degree views, available at reasonable pricing from Svbony Optics Company located in Asia.

Enter the world of the author's FirstScope Tabletop Observatory and take a look at what can be accomplished with a remote land test and three eyepieces, looking through patio glass at a slight angle, and discover interesting effects along the way.

First up is the view through the 23mm eyepiece at 13x. Due to hand holding the camera above the ocular and the exit pupil, the shadow of the secondary is visible in the upper left. In the photo, at the top right, is the crane attachment nearly invisible in the regular iPhone photo.

Next, dial in the image with the 10mm focus eyepiece and compare the 30x view. Note, the camera is handheld and the distance to the eyepiece may slightly vary.

The final handheld camera image, below, is taken with a 4mm focus eyepiece at 75x.

Note, there is a variance when photos were imported to this page as seen in the diameter of the circular view.