inFINNity Deck

Once again thanks, that indeed makes a difference! Getting closer, now I realise that I need darks and bad pixel maps, there are plenty 'stars' in the background. 🙂 Nicolàs

Hi Stephen, thanks for your explanation, indeed quite similar and yet full of differences. I have tried your method, adapting it to PSP as I do not have PhotoShop. I lowered the sigma values to match the difference in resolution between our cameras. Thanks for the Ken Crawfords tutorials, will have a look at them, there appears to be a lot of info in there. My first (meagre) attempt already shows more prominences than my normal method, but the solar disc is too black now: cheers, Nicolàs PS: I came across Alan Friedman before, his work is amazing indeed...

Stephen, can you explain how you process your images? You obviously do it in a different way than I do, and I would like to learn from you. I explained my processing methods (both for Lunt and Baader sun-foil) on a Dutch forum, but I am pretty sure your browser will translate it for you. 😉 thanks, Nicolàs

Very nice image, amazing amount of detail! Just finished a small animation of that prominence... Lunt LS80THA single stack, TeleVue 4x PowerMate, ZWO ASI174MM. Nicolàs

Nice work, I see that you properly isolated the pier from the rest of the construction, that minimises vibrations when entering the observatory and when slewing the dome. Marvellous location as well, I bet you have less light pollution than we have! Did you have first light yet? Nicolàs

Hi Roger (and others), Yes, you're welcome, but I presume you would like to have a virtual tour? I do have some video's on YouTube, which can be accessed through my website: http://www.dehilster.info/astronomy/time-lapses.php The last two days I have been busy expanding my site with an equipment section: http://www.dehilster.info/astronomy/equipment.php The main page of that is still empty, but in the left-hand menu the first few pieces of equipment are added, each leading to more informative pages. Nicolàs

Hi Carole, thanks for your kind reply. Yes, I was surprised how similar my profession and (amateur) astronomy are. In both cases one has a central computer with plenty peripherals that all need to communicate with each other and require some sort of calibration (and all break down or just stop communicating when least convenient 😞). Even the physics we have to deal with are quite similar. In hydrography we need to know the speed of sound in water to properly place observations of the ensonified underwater bottom (similar to what we do with refraction), while transducer size has a direct relation with footprint size (the equivalent to the Airy-disc), just to name a few. The skies here are not too dissimilar to what you are used to: plenty clouds and light pollution. Still we have some 30 days per year for deep-sky imaging and plenty others for solar observations and planetary work. Might you ever be around: we live at a 25 minute direct train ride from Amsterdam. The same applies to former Castricummer Koen: if you are in the neighbourhood, you are most welcome to visit. Nicolàs

Hi Koen, it sure is nice to spread the word! Nicolàs

The first is organised around our own star: Zonnekijkdag (Sun Watching Day, scroll down to see a map with cooperating observatories). It is on 5 July and you guys are perfectly welcome, provided we keep enough social distance. The observatory will be open all day, but you will need to register in advance, so we can schedule the amount of visitors. Nicolàs

Would love to hear how that curved spider performs. Nicolàs

Thanks guys for your warm and overwhelming welcome! 👋🙂 Nicolàs

Hello all, I am Nicolàs de Hilster from the Netherlands and became a SL-member last week to answer an old post on a Bird-Jones telescope. I just found this welcome section and decided to introduce myself... better late then never... 😉 Two years ago I finally dared to step into astronomy, even though I had been tempted for well over four decades. With help from my wife Ria, brother in law Adri, and a few astro-friends (one of which is RobRob on this forum), I built my own domed observatory on top of our library. It is named InFINNity Deck after grandnephew Finn. I mainly use the observatory for astrophotography, but also for visual observing, education and for historic research (there is an excellent 1490mm f/30 Galilean-type telescope in it). The other scopes are a SkyWatcher Esprit 150ED, Celestron C11 XLT EdgeHD, Lunt LS80THA single stack, which all ride together on a 10Micron GM3000HPS mount. For imaging I use the following cameras: ZWO ASI1600MM Cool, ZWO ASI174MM and ZWO ASI290MC. For visual observing I am lucky to have a wide range of TeleVue Ethos and PanOptic eye-pieces to my disposal (and a few singlet concave Galilean-type eyepieces). For more info on myself and the stuff I do, see my website (several links in this post already refer to it). Clear skies! Nicolàs

Hi Ash, Perhaps a bit late and you may already have found out yourself, but today I collimated a Mizar 153mm f/8.5 Catadiaptric with a similar design as yours. You already found out how the main mirror is done, for those who are unknown with it: indeed the thinner screws hold the mirror in place, so loosening them all the way separates the mirror-cell from the tube. This is handy as it allows to mark the centre of the mirror, which is required to properly collimate the secondary prism/lens assembly. The 153mm Mizar has two of those rings with a knurled knob stacked on top of each other as shown in you picture. These rings are wedges and thus tilt the whole prism/lens assembly when they are rotated. In order to collimate you will have to slightly loosen the Philips-head screw (the 153mm Mizar has a 13mm capped hex-nut). I can recommend using a laser collimator, although it may not fit if your telescope has a 1" eyepiece holder. I encountered that same problem and decided for the moment to firmly press the laser collimator against the eyepiece holder and fixate it using painter's tape. Moving the laser dot to the centre of the mirror is done in two ways: by rotating the whole secondary prism/lens holder along the telescope's optical axis and by turning around that ring with the knurled knob. Turning the former is simply done by grabbing that secondary with you hand through the spider. You will see the laser dot making a curve along the centre. When you found its closest approach, use the ring with knob to get that closest approach even closer to the centre. After a few iterations you will have the laser dot dead centred. After that you need to tighten the Philips-head screw again. Make sure to hold the prism/lens barrel when doing so, as otherwise your secondary adjustment will be off again. Adjusting the primary mirror is easy as long as you keep it pressed against the tube during the process. Putting a think piece of foam behind the mirror-cell with a straps to the front, may help in this process. Hope this helps... Nicolàs