With the Australian Solar eclipse coming in 2028, it’s time to get familiar with solar telescopes. With Lunt telescopes you can see the surface of the Sun using white light, or Hydrogen alpha and Calcium-K filters. These all show different aspects of what’s happening there. If you want to photograph it as well, there are cameras for that too.
Tutorials
Getting an image of a comet using the Benro Polaris
Bill used the Benro Polaris tracking mount to get images of comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS. This post tells the story of the expedition. He also reviews the Polaris.
What on earth do the numbers on the Pegasus adapters mean?
There are lots of different adapters available for all sorts of different jobs. PegasusAstro adapters have a consistent way of defining what’s on either ends, so you don’t end up scratching your head.
Saturn opposition on 8 September 2024
Saturn’s 2024 opposition will be on 8 September. Around that time, its rings will appear to glow brighter than usual due to retroreflectivity. Soon afterwards, however, the rings will be edge-on and become entirely invisible.
Building a truss telescope using truss blocks
Getting a good truss system together is hard. The carbon fibre rods have to be held rigidly, but they also have to be able to change the angle they’re sitting at. These truss blocks and ball joints do all that.
Using the WeMacro Rail to photograph the Sundew, an insectivorous plant
A plant that eats animals Drosera capensis is an insectivorous plant native to South Africa. Sundews thrive in low-nutrient soil because they’re able to gather their nutrients from “other sources”…
Read MoreAutoguiding: how much is good enough?
Autoguiding has revolutionised astrophotography. While your main imaging camera is off doing its job, a second camera keeps an eye on a star – any star – in the telescope’s…
Read MoreYour first image with the WeMacro Rail
Macrophotography is the art of getting images of tiny subjects onto a camera sensor. I’ve been asked about getting started in macrophotography, and specifically the least expensive way of getting your first image with the WeMacro Rail. This blog shows you how to go out and get your first image, so I’m going to get down to basics.
Protect your observatory! Setting up safety equipment
With a dome, you can simply open it up and begin imaging. But if you want to sleep as well, you need something keeping an eye on the weather so the dome will close if it’s about to rain. In this blog I’ve described a couple of gadgets that can do all that for you. I also talk about a couple of options to put the system together.
Diffraction spikes – what they are and how to get them right
Have you noticed that some astrophotographs have diffraction spikes coming from bright stars? They’re caused by the secondary mirror holder in reflector telescopes. Spiders, as they’re known, can give you nice spikes, but if they’re crooked or uneven, the spikes can look horrible. Here, I’ll show you how to get perfect spikes.
Asteroids comets and minor planets – find them using orbital data
Asteroids and other objects such as comets and even space junk are hard to find when they pass close to the Earth because their motion relative to us is so fast. Normal planetarium programs can’t track them. This blog shows you how to find and download up-to-date official data so you can locate them with your go-to telescope.
Choosing the right shutter release cable for your camera
With a shutter release cable you can fire your camera remotely without touching it. They’re very useful in photography, especially macrophotography and astrophotography. They are available for a huge range of cameras. Choosing the correct shutter release cable for your camera can be difficult. Here is a list of available cables.
For sale – refurbished QHY600M-Pro camera
FOR SALE: QHY600M-Pro Condition: external marking but internally refurbished by QHY. No accessories included. Price $7000 (new price is around $14,000) Contact: Diego on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dcolonnello Details This is a…
Read MorePegasusAstro Temperature and Environmental Sensors, and what products they go with
PegasusAstro focus, power and dew heater controllers use a range of temperature and environmental sensors. Knowing which one goes with what product can be confusing. Bill’s written a handy list for you.
What is retrograde motion in a planet?
Every month, I present a talk at the Astronomical Society of Victoria on what’s up in the sky. They’re uploaded to YouTube and a few other video sites, and I…
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