Which spectroscope?

[dark star]

I am interested in getting into spectropscopy and wondered if anyone has an opinion as to which is likely to be better, the Star Analyser or the Rigel Systems spectroscope? The Rigel Systems one is more expensive but has a colimating lens and is possibly a 600 vs 100 lines grating (per mm?) for the Star Analyser.

Although whether more lines is better I don't know!

I would like to look at spectra of stars and nebula visually and take pictures with a slr camera, I have a 150mm f/12 Intes Mak telescope.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Merlin66]

Visually on stars, the RS system is probably better.Seeing the emission lines in nebulae generally is very difficult; planetary nebula only show as a bright spot against the smeared spectra of the nearby stars. Bang per buck if you want to image spectra with your camera and scope then either the Star Analyser or the Rainbow Optics grating may be a better long term choice.

[dark star]

True technology limited in Aldershot UK sell the Rainbow Optics Star Spectroscope grating (visual/photo/CCD) but judging from their website this doesn't include the spectrum widening cylindrical lens cell. Would this matter? I assume that this is only needed for visual and I have an old binocular objective I could possibly use instead?

[mikeknowle]

I'm lining up a purchase of a Star analyser, for a dabble.

[Merlin66]

Dark Star,

The cylindrical lens is purely for visual to give a wider spectrum.

Not needed for imaging.

A bino lens would not be of much help...one of those reading magnifier strips I suppose could be used.

[dark star]

Thanks for the advice, there's a lot to learn!

[Merlin66]

Softly softly.....

Once you image your first spectrum - all the issues/ problems disappear and you smile and move on up the learning curve.

Onwards and upwards

[Jack Martin]

I use the Rainbow Optics star spectroscope.

Jack

[dark star]

I got the Rainbow Optics star spectroscope from True Technology Limited in Aldermaston. I was lucky as it was their last one!

I have had a great night looking at the spectra of Arcturus and Vega and photographing them with my Canon 20d SLR camera, prime focus with a 150mm f/12 Mak. The spectra are really beautiful!

I have downloaded V Spec and Iris software for processing the spectra, I just have to read a lot and figure out how to use it!

Now I am off to bed feeling very satisfied.

[Merlin66]

You may want to consider Tom Field's Rspec (a commercial package but a 30 day trial version is available) - much easier than Vspec for first time users....

RSpec / Real-time Spectroscopy

[eliot]

This is something that I'm really keen to get into. This thread has some really interesting information.

[dark star]

I have been using Rspec which is great and experimenting with IRIS and Vspec, I will post some images when I have a bit more free time. Rspec can be used very quickly whereas IRIS and Vspec need a Lot of reading to understand how to use (at least in my case!).

I am slowly working my way through the tutorials for both and the Vspec manual (which is around 200 pages long!).

I find it enjoyable, I felt a real sense of achievement when I managed to change a RAW image in IRIS to black and white and subtract the sky background. Then I managed to open the image in Vspec, after a lot of trying. Now I am learning how to calibrate the image.

[Merlin66]

It takes a little time to master the basics of IRIS/ Vspec but when you've done the image conversion and calibration a few times it does become second nature...

Well worth the effort.