Need a better scope, but which?

[Baz6170]

Hi all

I'm currently using a Celestron NexStar 4SE MAK (4") and although I've seen some great lunar and planetary images through it, I'm really keen to upgrade to a bigger/better scope that'll let me observe the moon in more detail and allow me to see DSO's more clearly, but also have the potential to let me photograph what I see.

I've read enough to know that I need a motorised equatorial mount for photographic work and ideally at least an 8" aperture on the scope for DSO's.

While I'm fine with having a non-motorised mount to start with ie one which I can learn to polar align and locate/observe objects manually, I want to make sure that whichever one I get, it can be upgraded later with motors that are precise enough to allow DSO photography.

So with that in mind, can anyone recommend a set-up to me? I'm looking for the full kit so tripod, mount, scope and motors.

Cheers

Baz

[Cornelius Varley]

If you are serious about imaging DSOs with an 8" reflector you should be looking at a HEQ5 Pro as a minimum or better an EQ6 Pro. A motorised EQ5 would struggle to handle the 8" when imaging but would be fine visually.

Peter

[Tinker1947]

This is a difference in the EQ5 and the HEQ5, while to HEQ5 is a lot dearer its designed for Astro Photography better motor a autoguide port, the NEQ6 is similar to HEQ5 but bigger and better...

[Baz6170]

Hi Tinker1947

Sorry for the dumb question, but can you tell me what an autoguider is and actually does?

Cheers

Baz

[Shibby]

Baz, you do not have to have a large aperture for DSO photography. More important is:

- Fast optics

- Well corrected optics

Me saying this won't cure your aperture fever though particularly as you want to observe in more detail.

[E621Keith]

Hi Tinker1947

Sorry for the dumb question, but can you tell me what an autoguider is and actually does?

Cheers

Baz

A mount's mechanics is never perfect, and the polar alignment can have error. These will show up as tracking errors in a long exposure where the mount cannot track movement of stars accurately.

Guiding is to provide feedback to the mount using observations to correct for these tracking errors. These correction can be applied manually using a guide scope and a reticule eyepiece, or automatically using a second camera. The automatic camera guiding system is called autoguider.

[rowan46]

Before you go buying read this book.

First Light Optics - Making Every Photon Count - Steve Richards

it will tell you what you need and more importantly why you need it. deep space imaging and deep space observing are different disciplines with different priorities. With photography it's all about the mount, with observing its all about the optics marrying them both takes a lot of money. to cut costs many imagers have 2 rigs a dob for observing and a fast refractor on a heq5 for photography. If you try and image with a big scope you are going to have to buy a very big mount eq6 or better