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Imaging galaxies using Hydrogen Alpha

Taking monochrome images of a galaxy in red, green and blue light allows you to make a full colour image, in a similar way to your eyes detecting the three colours and your brain combining them in the colour image. But you add exposures taken through a Hydrogen alpha filter, which draws out emission nebulas in the galaxy.

Catching a Lunar Eclipse using a remote facility

For the Lunar Eclipse of September 2025, Bill used a remote facility that Sidereal Trading had installed at a club in Victoria to get a sequence of images. It didn’t go quite to plan, but he got the shots anyway.

What objects can you see with a small refractor telescope?

What can this thing see? It’s a common question This is what a client asked me this morning. I’ve been asked a number of times now and I thought it’d be useful to have a prepared list, with specific examples. As the owner of a decent beginner telescope, you will be able to see examples…

How to get a nice sharp image of a Lunar eclipse

Lunar eclipses, or blood moons, are really cool, and people love getting photos. But during the eclipse the Moon is dark and a photo doesn’t show the same details as a normal full Moon. This tutorial shows how to capture the sharpness of the full moon and still get the colour of the blood moon.

Long refractors, tripod legs and a pier tripod

Have you had troubles pointing your telescope at the zenith? It’s especially difficult if you’ve got a long refractor, because the eyepiece or camera end of the refractor can run into one of the tripod legs. You can use a pier extender, but better still, you can use a pier tripod, which has a cental pier from close to the ground. No tripod legs, not obstructions.

Telescope – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Sidereal Trading Telescope (FAQs) blog page provides answers to commonly asked questions that customers might have about telescopes.

    Need Expert Advice?

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