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Orion Atlas EQ-G Goto

The Orion is an American company that manufactures both tube and optical accessories for several years as a manufacturer of said previously I was able to buy his product, a seeker 9x50 diagonal that it has been found to be really great achievement is very good optics. After I informed both on the internet and from my dealer, I decided to change my mount, Meade LXD75, with a higher category. The frame is so chosen was a EQ6, as made of Orion. My
Orion Atlas EQ-G Goto is therefore the equivalent of the Chinese SkyWatcher EQ6 and uses micro-motors, since version 3.20 and with SynScan computer, which allows enough fluid motion which is ideal for maximum precision tracking. My Orion, like all the EQ6 is with a port for the guider compatible with all protocols currently available, which makes it very enjoyable for you to shoot deep sky too long and very long exposure.

The frame is then provided with a very solid tripod with 2-inch diameter pipe which is also the ideal place to hold weights of 20 kg of equipment. The body of the frame is very heavy, about 17 kg, but is not a defect, in fact resulting from the heaviness remarkable rigidity and stability impeccable, all important qualities for an amateur.
The finishes are well done though not so perfect as the frames of the upper class but are more expensive.
Having to make a preliminary assessment prior to field test it, watching it mounted is extremely positive.

the field, you will immediately appreciate the ease of installation, everything is perfectly ready in minutes. The next step is the stationing of the frame through the polar scope illuminated reticle which are represented in the position of the pole star than the north polar and two constellation of Cassiopeia and Ursa Maggiore, it is quite simple and that with the experience to run a station you arrive at quite precise.
Once on the mount are beginning to use computers and SynScan after setting the date, time and coordinates of where you are you are ready to do the alignment. The alignment point is 1 to 3 stars, your choice.
The point of the star is still quite accurate, never beyond the range finder.

Once aligned the mount you can start the actual observational night, and I found a significant accuracy in the target stars and deep sky objects, a little 'less accuracy, however, when you point the planets, but never anything important, in fact, are still in the field of the finder.
Once the object it is always centered in the field, a sign of a great chase, which is verifiable through the planetary shots with the camera.
fact in these conditions, after a good station, you can keep the object in the field of view for several minutes.
This is very important with the shooting of the deep sky, that requires great precision, but also touches on the presence of the door dell'autoguida.
I did several tests, guider and the frame has always answered the final egregiamente.In Orion Atlas EQ-G Goto is a good frame, always with a very precise and very good stability, the timing of vibration damping are always very small. So I would recommend this to anyone looking for Orion mount to a pointing device and with a good load capacity.


Orion Atlas EQ-G Goto


The frame without the tripod


Counterweights, SynScan and various cables supplied as standard

How Do You Know If A Verruca Is Gone?

SkyWatcher Equinox 80ED

The SkyWatcher (SW) is a Chinese firm, which in recent years has gained significant market share, and recently I have begun to take an eye on its products, thanks to my dealer, Staroptics. I have previously purchased a diagonal 2 "and the Barlow apo 2x, and I noticed a considerable care in realizzazione.Con I am convinced these two purchases and I bought the Equinox 80ED.

SW The Equinox is the evolution of the former ED of its small apochromatic refractors.
The instrument has a beautiful glossy black, which brings out a lot of the fingerprints, but it really is very scratch resistant, this because the surface is not painted, but rather it is the original color of the material. The instrument then
a precision mechanisms and finish are not bad and all this can be seen in the micrometer type Crayford focuser 2 "fine tuning 1 / 10 and the 31.8 mm reducer included. Turning to optical
you immediately notice that the lenses have a nice green color, a classic of surface treatment. At first glance I noticed that inside the tube there are small anti-reflection baffles.
So at first glance, not take it on, it looks as good as the instrument.
Finally we come to the characteristics of the instrument has an aperture of 80 mm and a focal length of 500 mm for a focal ratio of F6.25

On the field I was able to play the instrument under different conditions and both planets in the sky I profondo.Inizialmente eseguitito a small star test instrument and found impeccabile.Successivamente I pointed the telescope at Saturn, with seeing of about 5 / 10, and went up quickly with the magnification, since the short focal . At about 160x
you begin to distinguish the rings well and the image is well contrasted. Higher still, I have not noticed with the magnification chromatic aberration, as was then reasonably be expected given that the instrument is sold as Apochromatic.
In the deep sky, in the same evening, I was able to focus on M42, M44, M81 and M82. Can be seen on all sides have a little coma, since the short focal length, but in view not notice much . The Orion Nebula is in all his shows and you can see a light green color with good contrast, thanks to the M44 wide field you can not grasp in full. With M81 and M82 are well able to distinguish the shapes of both 2 galaxies, although I have not been able to deepen the vision of both.

The Equinox Sw 80Ed with the bracket support for C8

Crayford Focuser micrometer

Apo lens (note the green) and small aperture interior antireflection

In conclusion I must say that I am fully satisfied with this tool, excellent design and the optics, so for the umpteenth time, and certainly not the last, I have to give reason to James (Staroptics) has strongly recommended it to me.

Dog With Smelly Urine

Celestron C8

The Celestron C8 is one of the most famous optical tubes in the commercial landscape, known by virtually all astronomers. Its optical design is the famous Schmidt-Cassegrain (SC), consisting of a primary mirror for moving the focus to open ball f2 and a spherical secondary that always multiplies to 5x, so the classic f10. The secondary mirror is held in place by a sheet correttrice.La plate has the task to diverge and converge towards the borides the center, that serves to correct residual optical aberration.

The C8 is a tool designed for people who must move in search of dark skies because of its size and light weight considering its 8-inch (203 mm).
Like all catadioptric you must deal with the obstruction of the secondary mirror that for the C8 is 34%.
Celestron, like other manufacturers, has over the years improved its optical introducing different treatments of the optical surfaces, the first treatment was the Starbright to increase the brightness of the instrument, in recent years has introduced the treatment to further improve the brightness of the XTL slab.
The C8
lends itself well to be a tool to do everything, having a good opening allows him to collect enough light to bring out deep-sky objects and also thanks to the focal length is also suitable for planets and moon. Unfortunately, being an instrument is also a limit to everything, being good for all not excel in anything. The C8
then holds collimation very well, in fact, even after several nights, and travel miles I never had to diverge.
One of the major flaws that I noticed on the C8 is the system of focus, because in addition to the sensitivity of the knob, certainly much improved, there is the so-called image shift, ie the shift of the primary. I solved the first problem and partially the second dotandomi in an external focuser.
Another flaw of the C8, but in general for all SC, is the ease of Appanoose the corrector plate in the humid nights as well as the time to acclimatise optics abbastenza long. Last note about the rather long focal length makes it a little difficult viewing deep-sky objects, a problem solved in astrophotography with focal reducers.
Last note is the sensitivity to poor seeing, but this is definitely a problem of Mak or Newton.

Focuser Series C8

corrector plate and secondary

Celestron C8 on Orion Atlas EQ-G Goto

From personal experience I can say that my C8 is optically very good in seeing decent evenings, from 5 / 10 up Saturn will begin to see details of the atmosphere of the planet and we can see the Cassini Division rings; on Mars but you can see various details like the polar caps and the diversity of the area.
In a particularly good night with seeing that I could reach to 400x without losing sharpness.
The moon however is always spectacular, with the possibility to observe very small craters with a good contrast.
Unfortunately, to date, I have not been able to observe Jupiter, but certainly will give me a good seeing a lot of emotions ... In the deep sky
I had few opportunities to test my C8, except for brief and fleeting tests on M42, M44, M45 and M57 with more transparency and seeing little or M42 mediocri.In the most I could see quite easily the nebulosity around the nucleus of some stars, while open clusters M44 and M45 of the long focal length did not allow me to frame if all the clutter (when I was still not observed have a wide field eyepiece and I refer to a review soon), and M57 are able to discern its shape wad but could see many details.

In short, the C8 is a great tool for anyone who wants a good opening for an affordable, easily transportable and usable in any field always Taking into account of its shortcomings, ultimately due to the optical compromises ..