Paramount MYT Robotic Telescope Mount: I was the observatory director for the Kaua`i Educational Association for Science and Astronomy (KEASA). We shared our observatory complex with Kaua`i Community College. The complex consists of a roll-off-roof observatory, a building with a 10-foot diameter Ash Dome, and a Sky Shed Pod with […]
Sky-Watcher Starlux 190MN Review: I have a 6-inch f/6 Newtonian and a 6-inch f/6.5 achromat refractor that I use entirely for visual use. I invested around $300 in the Newtonian and $700 in the refractor. Both are great instruments for their price. However, the Newtonian’s mirror does not have the […]
Vintage SBIG ST Astronomy Camera Review: Over the years, I have been amazed when reading magazine advertisements for astronomical cameras. The year-to-year advances in the quantity, quality, sophistication and automation of available options have been astounding. But, so have increases in overall prices. Yes, there are affordable cameras capable […]
TTS-160 Panther Mount Review: Sometimes you just want to do visual and have it as easy as possible. Maybe you’ve had a hard day at the office, or your back’s aching from when you bent over to pick up the dog, or perhaps you just want to see the texture […]
1: Oberwerk 6.5×32 LW Binoculars – Accommodating Wide-Ranging IPDs Image 1 is a photo of six-year-old Spencer Hobbe, and Spencer is the primary reason I now carry Oberwerk’s 6.5×32-mm LW binoculars. The little 6.5x32s deliver the widest interpupillary distances of Oberwerk’s extensive product lines – 51 to 74 mm. It […]
Baader UFC – Universal Filter Changer Review: What do you get if you cross an Erector Set with some giant metal washers, a plethora of variously-sized openings, a filter tray that slots in like a clip in a Glock, and, well, all sorts of other stuff? The Baader Universal Filter […]
Custom Telescope Cases from Image Alloy Cases Beginning in the mid-to-late 2000s, Celestron supplied its 8-inch SCTs without a case, which was surprising considering that Celestron’s signature scope was marketed as a portable telescope. Indeed, the C8’s impressive portability-to-aperture factor was why I bought it. After exhausting other ideas, I […]
Celestron Windguide Anemometer Review I was cold – frozen-to-my-skinny-old-man-core cold – despite that it was only 42.2° Fahrenheit (5.67° Celsius) out, warmer than many of the days I’d previously pedaled on my national bike tour. I knew it was relatively cold out, because, well, I felt it. I knew precisely […]
Cyclope Seeing Monitor Review What is “seeing” and why do we care? In 2010, I built a remote observatory in the Texas Hill Country. The main telescope is an RC Optical Systems 16-inch carbon truss. The observatory is robotic and can be controlled over the internet, which has expanded my […]
By Gary Parkerson, Executive Editor Astronomy Technology Today I’ve used many white-light solar filters over the years, including examples made with glass ranging from poor to excellent in optical quality. Of course, those with coatings deposited on inexpensive plate glass were, well … inexpensive, but they also delivered poor views. […]
By Eric Gentry Eric is an astrophysics graduate student at UC Santa Cruz, studying the intersection of computation and physics. In this posting, he takes a deep dive into the design and makeup of solar glasses which will be the go-to choice for many people to view the 2017 Solar […]
How An Atmospheric Dispersion Corrector Works Over the past few years, there has been a revolution in planetary imaging among amateur astronomers. CCD sensors with high sensitivity have made it possible to rapidly obtain large numbers of short-exposure images of the planets. This coupled with powerful computers has allowed amateur […]