Finally - up and running!

[MattJenko]

After having had my StarAnalyzer for quite some time now, I think the penny has finally dropped. Having struggled with focus, ISIS, and general understanding, spectroscopy had remained an 'at some point' activity. After a talk at my local society from a member of a neighbouring society about how he was using his SA though, I felt inspired to give it another go. RSpec seems to be the key for me. It made the majority of my struggles disappear.

Here is a picture of my setup, with the SA200 in the filterwheel of the AA115, which has a flattener only, no reducer, so 805mm focal length. Camera is an Atik 414. Guiding in this instance done with a TS60 and ASI1600.

Clouds rolled in quite fast last night, but not before I managed to get a run on Alhena in Gemini.

Thanks to all who tried to help me before. While this is my first proper calibrated, instrument responsed image, and isn't prefect, it will now certainly not be my last. 

One very happy amateur...

 

[Chris]

Well done on your break through  Peak at 4000 Angstroms, so is that a blue star then?

[MattJenko]

Yes, as I understand, A type stars are young and hot and mostly Hydrogen, so have their emissions skewed towards the shorter wavelengths, and also emit a lot in UV, beyond my setup's ability. They are good targets to start with, as the Hydrogen Balmer series is easy to spot in these, which helps calibration, evidenced by my inability to work out what 'on earth' was going on with Arcturus which I tried first, which is a type K. Here is the Balmer lines superimposed over my spectrum.

[RobertI]

Great result Matt, I am looking forward to seeing your work in this area unfold. 

[ejp1684]

Well done. I found it difficult to begin with, but perseverance brings results.

Eric