July 17, 2019: A Starstructure in England
All text and images copyright Michael E. Lockwood, all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted.
Unlike the previous telescope in Sakha Yakutia (part of Siberia), I have actually visisted the location of this telescope!
Its owner, David, lives in England, and I was able to visit on my 2015 trip to Europe.
Since I was there, David has acquired a 30" f/3.5 Starstructure telescope with my optics as well a an equatorial platform made by Tom Osypowski. The platform simplifies imaging, which was one of his goals for the instrument.
Here is the telescope set up in normal alt-az mode.
David decided to keep the height of the telescope to a minimum, and he didn't want to add to it with the platform. So, it is placed in a concrete depression in the ground, cast to accommodate the platform only.
The images that this telescope has produced, while still being capable of the best view for visual observing, are simply amazing. This is not your typical imaging setup with a very expensive mount, this is a visual Newtonian set up for imaging and stacking. It works well.
I don't have many image details, but I will ask David for a short explanation and try to add that here.
So, here they are. Starting with ARP 273....
Then the Bubble Nebula.....
Next, Comet 21P-Giacobini-Zinner.....
IC 5146 (LRGB, 25-second frames).....
M1
M51 (ATIK Horizon mono, LRGB).....
NGC 891....
and finally, one of my favorite objects, NGC 6888, the Crescent Nebula in Cygnus, narrowband......
Please check back for future installments of "In the Shop".
Mike Lockwood
Lockwood Custom Optics