This telescope is a Meade LX-90 which has a focal length of 2000mm and an aperture of 200mm. The photo shows the telescope polar mounted and pointing at the position of the pole star. The telescope needs to be polar mounted in order to achieve best possible pointing accuracy when locating deep sky objects for photographing.
To achieve steady long exposure photographs of deep sky objects, the telescope needs the small white ‘guide’ telescope and camera connected to a computer. Small deviations in the pointing of the main telescope can then be detected and corrected. Images of deep sky objects are recorded using a modified Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera which is attached to the rear of the telescope. Multiple long exposure photographs are obtained and ‘stacked’ on a computer running specialist software in order to remove noise from the images and reveal the fine detail in the targeted deep sky object.
Click here for photographs of the construction of the telescope mounting.
ASTRO PHOTOGRAPHS
Click here for images of deep sky, lunar and planetary images.