Here you will find a collection of astro images that I've taken over the years. Although I purchased my TeleVue GENESIS 4" fluorite refractor in 1988, I didn't attempt any serious astrophotography until 1994. Earlier attempts were somewhat disastrous due to lack of experience in manually guiding the telescope or by simply holding my old COSINA camera to the eyepiece and hoping for a result when taking photos of bright objects such as the moon! The Cosina was also prone to jam occasionally and difficult to focus.
The situation improved considerably when I obtained an SBIG ST-4 autoguider and a NIKON FM-2 camera body with a 35mm lens in the mid 1990's. I replaced the image splitter viewing screen in the Nikon with a plain matte BEATTIE Intenscreen which made focusing on faint objects much easier. The ST-4 autoguider, although somewhat difficult to master in the beginning, has proven indispensable and I've never manually guided the telescope since.
In 1997, I paid into share for a MEADE LX200 10" SCT along with Nik Szymanek and Ian King. The reason being that this telescope would stay on La Palma with me so saving the huge expense in excess baggage that Nik and Ian had paid out on previous observing visits and its always available for them to use.
To move (albeit somewhat belatedly) with the times, in 2005 I bought a Starlight Xpress MX716 CCD camera. My latest acquisitions being a TrueTech motorised filter wheel and a SXV autoguider head with an SX USB-2 box. This allows the MX716 and SXV to communicate through a common USB cable. The ST-4 now serves as a backup or used in a standalone mode (no PC) for astrophotography.
Most of these images were taken in the 1990's using the TeleVue GENESIS 4" refractor, Cosina or Nikon FM2 camera bodies and fast film - e.g. Kodak Ektachrome 5040 EPH (1600 ASA). Exposure times were generally between 20 to 30 minutes and autoguided using an SBIG ST-4. Click on the thumbnail to enter my Film astro image gallery.
Images taken using the Starlight Xpress MX716 camera with the Genesis (f5) or LX200 (f10 or f6.3 with a focal reducer). Details regarding exposures times, image sets, etc are given below the image. Also varients in telescopes and CCD cameras as Nik has kindly loaned me his SXV-H9 when out observing at the ORM and Ian has left me his Williams Optics ZS66 which I use occasionally. Not many images here yet, but will add more in time. Click on the thumbnail to enter my CCD astro image gallery.
Some photos and information on the EQUIPMENT I use. Coming soon!
NB Some of the navigation links up and down between the images need to be corrected. Also the exposure information on some of the CCD images is missing which I will add soon. The data on these images will be for a time (excuse the pun) in a state of "flux", but I'll get there eventually :-)
