Posts Made By: Joe Bruessow

Peaking between the clouds I got off a few shots...

If you are an experienced AO7 user can you give some insights on how much improvement to expect when using one vs. normal autoguiding? How much tighter did you stars become?

I get nice round stars for the most part when autoguiding but wonder if one of these wouldn't further improve my images with an ST2000XM, on my Meade 12" SCT OTA on an MI250 mount. Or am I better off putting the funds into a more sensitive imager?

Thanks for your advice...

Taken last night with ST2000XM... old KAI2000 chip, on 12" Meade OTA at f/ 6.3. 60 min h-alpha 2x2 binned, 20 min Red 3x3, 10 min green 3x3, 10 min blue 3x3.

Okay all of you experts. Time to start the flames... Most ATM's and many professional opticians use the Foucault knife edge and/or Ronchi gratings to test the figure of their optics. How reliable are these tests when compared to an interferogram analyzed by computer software? How much does the optician's "visual interpretation" of the wavefront at the knife edge affect the reliability of the results in the Foucault and Ronchi tests? In other words, are some people much better at interpreting this data (i.e. Zambuto, Spooner, and the like) than the average Joe?

When newly established companies come on board making claims of 0.95 Strehl ratios using the Foucault test should we take these with a grain of salt because the data may not be reliable/ accurate?

Finally, is the interferogram that much better than the other tests? I know the fringes that are anaylzed give a good representation of the entire surface of the mirror vs. the Foucault test only analyzing certain areas/ zones of the mirror and assumes the figure holds true for the entire surface. (I also know that some people perform tests on more zones than others to give a more accurate representation of the mirror's surface). I also understand that the ronchi test is more of a qualtitative test and sort of art when looking at the results...

Can a ronchigram also be analyzed with computer software?

Anyway, these were some ideas I have had and always meant to ask... they may have been answered before, and perhaps I have some misuse/ misunderstanding on some basic information, but that is why I posed the questions.

Merry Christmas... Happy Holidays... Winter Solstice to All!

Boy, I can't wait until Meade makes its ground-breaking announcement later today... will it be 4" flourite apos for $500, LX300's with 2" P.E. and the beefiest mounts ever seen, or super tracking solar telescopes for $299... or maybe improved customer support! Whatever it is it is supposed to be the latest breakthrough since the LX200! Any ideas?

Check it out! http://www.meade.com/rcx400/

I am curious abnout your opinions. I am thinking of replacing my 12" SCT with a 7" to 10" mak-newt. I have the MI250 goto and ST2000XM. Is this a crazy idea (loss in aperture and not much gained in contast and sharpness) or is it a step in the right direction to achieving super images? Your thoughts?

Hey Damian... that image is simply stunning! Amazing that it was taken with a mere 9.25 SCT! Your scope must have exceptional optics

Man... it must be something special in those 9.25" scopes...

Your image is nothing short of FANTASTIC! Your seeing must have been excellent... and your processing is gentle enough to show none of the "ring effect" around the rim of the planet...

I hope I can some day get some images similar to this... maybe it is just a dream... but I genuinely hope so...