1200 mount in Antarctica

Hi all,

Just got these images today from the French research team in Antarctica. Twilight is starting down there after almost 6 months of darkness. The 1200 mount is carrying a custom SCT modified with special Invar tube assembly by Ovision with 16" Meade Optics. Temperature was -60C - brrrrr.

Rolando

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WOW! Nature painted the whole environment to match the color of your mount!!

Cool shot, Cal

And here is the tracking graph for the mount - basically tracking sub-arc second in both axes for almost 1 hour, doing so at -60C in iced over conditions. That's a record for the 1200 mount.

Rolando

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Just how do they manage to keep the corrector ice free in those conditions without it shattering?

This place is NOT on my vacation shortlist.

Rick.

Rolando,

I don't know which is most disgusting .... seeing such premium equipment exposed to such extreme elements and adverse conditions or that graph and the + 0.2" ... 8O

Anthony.