What equipment do you use to take those photos?
Lac Teeples Observatory Primary Equipment (As of 2021-11-01):
MOUNT: Ioptron CEM70
CAMERA: ZWO ASI-6200MC Pro
OBSERVATORY: Home-made "Astro-box" (roll-way shed).
My initial foray into Astronomy was in the late 1960s or early 1970s when my uncle loaned me a small Tasco refracting telescope. It was hard to use (no tracking whatsoever) and I mainly used it to look at the moons of Jupiter which were easy to find (Jupiter is very bright).
Through an odd quirk of fate I ended up studying for a Master's degree in Astrophysics at UBC in the 1980s, but my studies were all at the radio frequency end and visual astronomy was not high on my priority list. I did take some UBC graduate-level courses in astronomical instrumentation that have served me well. One course went into detail on the nature of CCD sensors, for example, at a time when photographic paper was still used by many professionals.
Several years later I returned to university and completed a Doctorate in Radio Astronomy - as usual I gave little thought to the optical frequencies.
As time passed I became more and more interested in Optical Astronomy. In the spring of 2012 I decided to purchase an 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope on an automated "go-to" mount (i.e. computerized tripod). I also had a Canon EOS DSLR and bought the bits & pieces needed to strap it to the scope. My expectation was that all this technology would allow me to instantly find, observe, and photograph distant astronomical objects.
Nope. That telescope was very hard to use, and I didn't have a good place to set it up in the city.
Finally in 2017 I purchased a cottage in the country. My plan was to use this as an astronomical observatory (among other things). I started fumbling around with that telescope in late 2018 and captured my first real astrophotograph in May 2019. It was M101, a face-on spiral galaxy and I could see the spiral arms in the blur of my image. I was ecstatic.
I upgraded a few things over the next little while... first a better camera, then in August 2019 an old, used (but excellent), 11" Schmidt-Cassegrain scope. I observed very frequently and learned at a fantastic pace. Overall, though, my equipment was outdated, unreliable, and hard to use. The COVID-19 Pandemic arrived in 2020, changed my perception about many things and loosened my purse strings. I decided to buy better equipment.
In October 2020 I had worked out what I wanted. Earlier, in July 2020, I'd purchased a fantastic camera, and I decided that the scope to match it should be a RASA-11 (Rowe-Ackerman Schmidt Astrograph). I put in an order for the RASA on October 15, 2020 for expected delivery by Christmas 2020. In fact it never arrived due to pandemic-related supply disruptions (and extremely high demand for scopes). I was, though, able to purchase one in the summer of 2021 from another vendor.
In October/November 2020 I constructed the "Astro-Box". I built the walls and roof in the comfort of the cottage and then assembled it outdoors in the early winter. It survived the winter (heavy snowfall of course) but I continued to bring all the equipment indoors. Two security cameras help monitor things. The astro-camera is not left out and is never left at the cottage when I'm not there. If I will be away for more than a few weeks I plan to bring all equipment inside.
While waiting for the scope, I pondered the mount and eventually came to the realization that I needed something comfortably able to carry 50 lbs or more. I also really wanted a mount that could be left outdoors permanently (under the Astro-Box) and that would be more reliable. I was sick of constantly dealing with mount problems. I ordered the iOptron CEM70 (capable of carrying 70 lbs) in April 2021 for expected May delivery. It arrived in September 2021.
I'm writing this blog entry on Halloween night 2021. It has been cloudy 90% of the nights since the final piece arrived (CEM70) but I'm quite satisfied with this setup, mostly planned out in October 2020. The mount and scope have been left outside under the Astro-Box for a month with no indication of problems.
I plan to avoid spending any more money until AT LEAST the summer of 2022...
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