The VSC/ SAO 100mm f/13 "Mary Dawson" Refractor

Mel's First Light Report !!!

Here is a shot of me with my homebuilt Carton 100mm f/13 on July 10, 2010 during its First Light session. My mom would truly be proud of this instrument, which bares her name.

Hello Good Friends,

As some of you may already know, I am recovering from a stroke that took place on the morning of June 20, 2010, which was Father's Day. Thanks to God and the prayers, strength, and support of so many of you, I am happy to announce that I received the best gift any one could receive - LIFE! Because of this blessing, I also was able to perform First Light with my Carton 100mm f/13 on July 10, 2010! Less than a month after my sudden demise. Here is my report...

As dusk came and the skies turned a deep teal blue at around 9:00pm EDT, my first target with the “Mary Dawson” refractor was Venus. Using a TeleVue 15mm Plossl, which yield a magnification of 87x, I slowly focused Venus in the field of view and was very pleased at the image I was seeing. Despite some purple fringing, Venus was very sharp and CA was held very, very low even though Venus was low in the sky. Typically, viewing objects that low in the sky would general tease out the CA of many a celestial object. But, the instrument held this aberration to an extreme minimum; impressive indeed! Enjoying the view, I moved up to a TeleVue 11mm Plossl. This gave me a power of 118x. At this magnification I could easily make out slight irregularities in the Venusian terminator of its gibbous phase. That was quite a sight! It was the best view I have ever seen through and refractor I have owned. Again, purple fringing was present, but in no way was it an issue. CA was practically nonexistent. Contrast was outstanding through the test.

Darkness settled in good at about 10:00pm EDT, and it was time to check out some of those DSO’s and Double Stars! With my good friend Gary Barabino on the other end of the phone, he suggested that I check out M13, the Hercules Cluster. The globular cluster was approaching the meridian from my vantage point and prime for viewing. I realize that the 100mm is not a light bucket; however I wanted to see what it could do on DSO’s. Bright globular clusters can produce surprisingly beautiful images when put under moderate magnification. It was no surprising in the Carton. M13 was resolved to the core with ease at 87x with the TeleVue 11mm Plossl. At 118x with the TeleVue 11mm, the core sparkled like diamonds. I only wish I was out at a dark remote site to take it all in. The next DSO I chose to check out was M57, the Ring Nebular. Why the Ring Nebula? Well, I wanted to see how well the optics of this “four incher” would fair on an object that is generally viewed with large aperture telescopes. Once again, I was quite impressed with the image. The ghostly ring stood out even at 118x! Of course, seeing the central star was impossible. Nevertheless, you could make out the shape and some faint structure in the ring’s nebulosity. I am really digging this scope, man!

Around 10:45pm EDT, I decided to check out a couple of brightest stars. First up was Arcturus. This star produced a very tight disk with minimal flaring. Diffraction rings (two) were close to the star’s disk and the color was a pale orange. Only a little purple fringing was discerned. Very nice image! Next up was Vega. Again tight diffraction rings (two) and the color appeared a brilliant blue-white. Purple fringing was a bit more prominent on Vega as compared to Arcturus, but nothing to be upset over at all.

Moving on, it was time to check out a double star, and the one of choice was Epsilon Lyrae, the Double-Double. What really struck me was how tiny the disks of the stars were. Also how tight the diffraction rings were in relation to the stars. Simply amazing how small the airy disks were.

I wanted to check out a few more objects, but I started to get a bit tired. So at around 11:30pm EDT, I called it a night. In conclusion, I could not have asked for a better result after tonight’s First Light session with my Carton 100mm f/13 “Mary Dawson” refractor. Total success was achieved! Doug is so right to exonerate the attributes of this fine instrument the way he does. It literally produces APO like image quality, but in a larger package. However, an APO would never touch the magnification this lady could produce. I am very pleased with this instrument and will be reporting back with more observing session details in short order! If you want a telescope in the 4” range, get yourself one of these objectives. I saved plenty cash in building my own like many others here on this thread. But, the optical results of this refractor are worthy of telescopes costing far more.
 
 

VSC/ SAO Carton 100mm f/13 "Mary Dawson" Refractor

Has been completed !!!

• On July10, 2010, exactly a month after the pages for the 127mm's cradle rings, and Dovetail Plate construction pages were posted on our website, I finally completed the construction of the VSC/SAO Carton 100mm f/13 "Mary Dawson" refractor. As with my other home built instruments, I will providing a detail pictorial overview of this fine refractor. So please stay tuned.

The VSC/ VAO 102mm f/8.6 Refractor

Gary Barabino is on the cusp of starting construction !!!

• In May 20, 2010, my colleague Gary Barabino received his A. Jaegers 102mm f/8.6 cemented objective after purchasing it off of eBay. As many of us old school amateurs know, A. Jaegers was a premiere manufacturer and provider of some of the finest Fraunhofer achromatic refractor lenses in its heyday from the 60's through the 90's.. One of which is the world renowned 6" f/15 objective, which Gary also owned at one time. Now, once again G-Cool has jumped on the Jaegers bandwagon with this new acquisition. I look forward to posting more updates as Gary gets this great project underway.

VSC/ SAO 127mm f/9.4 "BGRP" Refractor

Cradle Rings and Dovetail Plate/ Bar pages are now ready !!!

• On June 10, 2010, the Cradle Rings, Dovetail Plate and Bar construction overview pages were completed by Mel Dawson. The pages are now available for viewing and can be found HERE. The Cradle Rings were fabricated from solid teakwood and  with aluminum and stainless steel hardware. They are solid and reliable. The Dovetail plate was made from an old network rack base and was cut to size using a bi-metal blade on my band saw. I hope you find the time to visit these pages, as well as the pages covering the construction overview of the other components that make up the VSC/ SAO 127mm f/9.4 "Brigadier General Richard Pierce" refractor.

Gary Barabino's recent assembly of his

127mm f/9 Refractor Yulin refractor from Sheldon Faworski !!!

• On October 26, 2009, Gary Barabino of the VSC/ VAO completed the assembly of his 127mm f/9 Yulin refractor he put together from an objective he purchased from Mel Dawson of the VSC/ SAO and the tube assemble from Sheldon Faworski. On November 13, 2009, I visited Gary at his Slidell, LA residence and was graced with the pleasure of seeing his new scope acquisition first hand. Despite the effects of upper level cirrostratus clouds, which hampered our chances of looking at any faint DSO's, we had a ball using this fine instrument. Despite the clouds, we were able to observe Jupiter and the Orion Nebula. The views were quite good, but Gary is currently working on centering the focuser, which is off axis by about 3/4". For an enlarged view of Gary's Yulin refractor, please click the image above. For a more detailed overview of Gary's refractor work on Cloudy Nights, please click the link below. His entries are under the member name "BarabinoSr".

Surplus Shed 127mm Refractor Build

The VSC/ SAO 127mm f/9.4 "Brigadier General Richard Pierce" Refractor OTA build pages are ready !!!

May 15, 2010

Handling a multitude of projects can be quite daunting. With the build of the Carton 100mm "Mary Dawson" refractor going on at present, it was a challenge to get the construction overview web pages of the 127mm f/9.4 underway. Fortunately, I managed to get the time to complete the design diagrams and the OTA construction pages. With that said, I will not waste your time, so please click on the button below to check out the build of a new member of the VSC/ SAO telescope collection, the VSC/ SAO 127mm f/9.4 "Brigadier General Richard Pierce" refractor!

The VSC/ SAO 100mm f/13 "Mary Dawson" Refractor OTA

COMING SOON !!!

April, 2010

Once again the VSC/ SAO will embark on another telescope project. When will it ever end! This time I will be constructing a long focal length refractor using a vintage brand new mounted Carton 100mm f/13 objective. I guess many may wonder why I chose to build another refractor that is so close in size to the 127mm f/9.4 "BGRP" refractor. Well, after building the 127mm scope, my primary use for it was for low to medium magnification observing and astrophotography. It most certainly fills this niche. I also was "hoping" that it prove to be a decent planetary/ lunar instrument as well. Unfortunately, it could not hold up to the task; at least not in the planetary arena. In keeping to the mindset of wanting transportability as well as high performance from low to high powers, I had to come up with another solution to fill the high power planetary/ double star void. I believe I have found it in the Carton 100mm f/13.

Made in Japan by the Carton Optical Company back in the1980's, this "no longer produced" air-spaced objective has been time test by many an amateur. The reviews I have read on Cloudy Nights and elsewhere convey optical results comparable to A. Jaegers refractors of old. It has also been said that this objective is one of the finest Carton ever produced. Considering the time period it was fabricated, and the care used in housing it in a precision collimatable anodized aluminum cell speaks volumes. Etched markings denote the achromat's diameter and focal length. At this time, I can only dream about the views this telescope will render. I just hope the comments and reviews hold up. If they do, then it will be worthy to carry the name of my mother, "Mary Dawson", the finest mom anyone could have. Stay tune for more up dates. In the meantime, please visit Doug76's thread on Cloudy Nights called "Carton 100mm f/13" where I will be posting my construction efforts under the username dawsonian2000 until I can get it featured in-depth on this website. The CN link is below.

Click here to visit the Carton 100mm F/13 thread on Cloudy Nights !!!

Of recent, I have instituted the efforts of Brian Choin to construct the rear half of the cell from aluminum. His expertise in constructing aluminum components for telescopic instruments are awesome. I sent Brian my design and he will be starting the milling process soon. More on the rear cell construction later.

Performance Upgrade to the VSC/ SAO 127mm f/9.4 "BGRP" Refractor

December 31, 2009

With the thought in mind to improve the optical performance of the 127mm f/9.4 "BGRP" refractor OTA, I considered a number of typical factors. Some being:

• Making certain the SurpluShed 127mm f/9.4 lens' thermo-plastic objective cell is precisely mounted perpendicular to the tube.
• Align the focuser perfectly to allow the beam from a laser collimator mounted in it to hit the objective lens dead center.
• Install knife-edge baffles to effectively minimize the infiltration of stray light from reaching the eyepiece.

These three factors alone will assuredly improve your refractor's performance tremendously. But, in the case of the SurpluShed 127mm f/9.4 mounted objective, I discovered there was more I could do. It was the replacement of the o-ring that air spaced the crown and flint elements. Below is a report of my efforts.

In building the VSC/SAO 127mm f/9.4 "BGRP" refractor, I initially mounted the 127mm f/9.4 SurpluShed objective with its original plastic o-ring spacer in place and performed a visual test using a tree off in the distance. I used various low and high power oculars. I noted that when using high power eyepieces, I could see a distinct purplish aura around leaves and branches against the brightly lit sky. This is what caused me to try replacing the o-ring with tabs made from adhesive backed A/C aluminum duct tape. Prior to my efforts, my friend Gary Barabino also performed the same task on his 6" f/8 Konus refractor with great success. I do not know exactly how thick the o-ring or the aluminum tabs were, but I do know that the aluminum tabs are thinner than the plastic o-ring. Therefore, the tabs reduced the air space gap between the elements by at most half the thickness of the clear plastic o-ring. The end result after replacing the o-ring with the aluminum tabs was a reduction in purple fringing and chromatic aberration!

I hope the following details will help you successfully replace the o-ring should you want to give it a whirl. It is not difficult at all, but care is of the utmost to prevent damage to your precious lens elements. I would recommend that you use powder-free latex gloves to prevent fingerprints and aid in gripping the elements. Kim-Wipes would also be a good surface to place your lens elements on as you work. Please be careful to not let the elements hit each other, let alone drop them.

Please keep in mind that Lord Klutz will be lurking around every corner for just the perfect opportunity to strike. He loves to make your lens look like a group of clams in the sea.

Before starting, I worked on a soft surface; my bed in this case. I carefully removed the elements from the objective cell by first unscrewing and removing the retainer ring. Then, with gloved hands I placed all my fingertips evenly spaced atop the outer portion of the crown element being careful not to slide my fingers over the lens surface. Next, with adequate contact pressure applied to the crown element’s outer surface to prevent the lenses from tumbling out, I flipped the whole objective cell upside down (crown element facing downward) continuously supporting the lenses in the cell while resting my arm on the bed. I kept the cell as level as possible to prevent the flint element from sliding off of the crown element after performing the next step since it will be on top once the cell is lifted off. I then slowly, gently, and meticulously lifted off the cell with the lens elements well balanced on my fingertips of my other hand. Once the cell was removed, I carefully lifted off the flint element and flip it over so that the concave surface is facing up. I then placed it on a soft lint free surface (Kim-Wipe). The spacer ring clung to the flint element due to static, but it was not attached with any sort of adhesive. It just sat between the lenses and was easily removed. I DID NOT DISCARD THE O-RING!!! I was also very careful to remember which surface of the crown element faced outward. This is extremely critical since replacing the elements back in the cell in the wrong orientation will cause your images to become blurred and unable to attain a focus. Typically, the side that bulges less goes outward. In any case, PLEASE REMEMBER THE ORIENTATION OF THE LENS ELEMENTS!!! DRAW AN ARROW ON THE SIDE OF THE CROWN ELEMENT TO SHOW WHICH FACE POINTS OUTWARD!!! The concave surface of the flint lens (rear element) always faces the back of the inside surface of the crown element, which should go without saying. Then, I placed the crown element on a lint free surface (Kim-Wipe), again noting its orientation. I just can’t say that enough. 

With both elements and plastic spacer o-ring removed, I edge-blacken the lens using a black Sharpie felt tipped marker. Taking care not to apply marker on the front and rear of any of the elements. If by chance the marker gets on the face of the lens, you can use an alcohol based lens cleaning solution to remove it. Only use the cleaner to remove the spot. Do not apply it over the entire lens. Just remove the marker spot using the cleaner. After allowing the marker to dry thoroughly, I began the installation of five aluminum tabs made from self-adhesive A/C aluminum duct tape evenly spaced around the edge of the inside surface of the flint element. You can get this tape from any home improvement facility. A pair of small plastic tweezers aided me quite well. Just don't allow the tweezers to make contact with the lens. You do not have to use five tabs if you do not want to; three would work as well. Also, it would be a good idea to make a template of some sort to help with properly spacing the tabs at the proper angles. If you are going to try five tabs, they would be spaced 72-degrees from one another; for three, 120-degrees. In cutting out my tabs, I wanted them to follow the outer curved contours of the lens edge. My tabs were cut to around 1/2” in length and about 1/8” deep. Sort of small to work with by hand alone, so the plastic tweezers come in handy for applying them. Also, when pressing the tabs down flat, I was careful not to go off the tabs and onto the lens surface, which scratch the lens surface. Use the back of your fingernail or for precision, use a toothpick. The flint element is softer then the crown element and is more prone to damage. I know all this stuff sounds nerve shattering, but with common sense and patients, the average ATM can do this. 

Now, I had no idea as to how this modification would affect the performance of the objective. I just figured that since most objectives of good quality utilize thinner aluminum spacers for air spacing the elements, it might do some good for this objective. As luck would have it, it did! A definite performance improvement indeed!

Once I applied the tabs, I was ready to reassemble my objective. With the outside of the crown element (double-convex) placed on my fingertips in the same orientation as removed, I gently placed the flint element (with the tabs installed) on top of it with the concave surface against the inside surface of the flint. Next, I slowly and carefully lowered the upside down end of the cell over the well balanced and centered stack of elements until they hit the retainer seat. Applying adequate pressure to keep the elements seated, I flip the assembly over and then reinstall the threaded retainer ring. Do not over tighten! You just want it to make contact to allow for expansion and contraction, but not allow the elements to separate from one another. 

NOTE: If your lens cell is anything like mine, I noticed there was a fair amount of clearance around the circumference of the objective in the cell. This will sometimes cause the elements to shift off-axis from one another, but I must also point out that the curvature of the inside surfaces of the lens elements will aid in keeping them aligned to one another. So, generally the gap around the lens sides within the cell in some cases would allow the entire lens set to shift to one side to a small degree. Therefore, I plan to add a thin shim of plastic (nearly the height of both sandwiched elements) around the circumference gap between the outer lenses sides and inner cell wall to help with centering. Still allowing enough room for expansion and contraction. Every little bit helps. 

Well, I know this is a lot of information to digest, but I just wanted to be as clear as possible. I am sure most are quite aware of the delicateness of optics, so I hope I did not overstate in any manner that would cause anyone to think otherwise. Should you need any additional information or support, I would be more than happy to provide; as long as this old brain can be of help. Here’s wishing everyone much success.

PS - There are quite a few lenses of different sizes and manufacturers that come with these o-rings. It may be worthwhile to try this air space modification on them. I can not guarantee or claim any performance improvement, but I think it is worth it to try if your objective is not performing to your expectations. I plan to try this method with other scopes in my arsenal. Please feel free to contact me at the email address below if have any questions or comments.

VSC-ASTRONOMERS@ VEGA-SKY-CENTER.COM

Written by Mel Dawson

December 31, 2009

VSC/ SAO Branch of the Vega Sky Center

Mel 

The VSC/ SAO 127mm f/9.4 "BGRP" Refractor

IS NOW COMPLETE !!!

The VSC/ SAO 127mm f/9.4 Brigadier General Richard Pierce Refractor with North Star II field tripod upon completing its construction on December 14, 2009.

• On December 14, 2009, I finally completed the building of the VSC/ SAO 127mm f/9.4 BGRP Refractor w/ North Star II Field Tripod!!! This is another milestone for the VSC, as it was with the rise of the 10" f/5.6 "Gary Barabino" Fork Mounted Newtonian Reflector. This refractor was constructed without a budget, BUT with budget in mind. The primary objective in constructing this instrument is much like that of the 10" Newt. To build a low cost telescope and mount that performs like a wellmade manufactured instrument costing far more. I believe I have achieved that goal.

• Also in building this telescope, I wanted to dedicate it to a special friend who played a big part in making this instrument possible, as well as paying tribute to his support of this great nation of ours as a member of the armed forces.

"Brigadier General Richard "Dick" Pierce, Ret."

• And... as most of you had already surmised, I will be creating a section on our WebHub covering the construction overview of this awesome instrument under the "Mel's Gleaning Pages". The refractor build section will be divided into two main parts; the OTA and Tripod. So, please visit often for updates.

For the latest on my refractor's construction process as posted on Cloudy Nights, please click the link below. My entries are under the member name "dawsonian2000".

Surplus Shed 127mm Refractor Build

VSC/ SAO 127mm f/9.4 "BGRP" Refractor

TRIPOD LEGS UPDATE !!!

• November 20, 2009 - Over the past few months, the construction of the VSC/ SAO 127mm f/9.4 BGRP refractor has been going slowly. Nevertheless, when I look back at all I had to go through in the build process of this scope, I can not complain. As the Thanksgiving holidays approach, I am nearing the completion of the North Star II field tripod. The photo on the top left shows one of the tripod's legs hanging with the spar varnish curing. The top right photo shows the sanded unpainted aluminum faceplates and dovetail plate. The lower left image reveals the hammered finished paint job I sprayed on. It's a Rustoleum product. The lower right picture is of the finished dovetail plate and accessory tray faceplates. Now, I just need to finish the center legs and build the wooden accessory tray. For an enlarged view of these pictures, please click on the images above. For the latest updates on my refractor's construction process on Cloudy Nights, please click the link below. My entries are under the member name "dawsonian2000".

Surplus Shed 127mm Refractor Build

Gary Barabino's recent assembly of his

127mm f/9 Refractor Yulin refractor from Sheldon Faworski !!!

• On October 26, 2009, Gary Barabino of the VSC/ VAO completed the assembly of his 127mm f/9 Yulin refractor he put together from an objective he purchased from Mel Dawson of the VSC/ SAO and the tube assemble from Sheldon Faworski. On November 13, 2009, I visited Gary at his Slidell, LA residence and was graced with the pleasure of seeing his new scope acquisition first hand. Despite the effects of upper level cirrostratus clouds, which hampered our chances of looking at any faint DSO's, we had a ball using this fine instrument. Despite the clouds, we were able to observe Jupiter and the Orion Nebula. The views were quite good, but Gary is currently working on centering the focuser, which is off axis by about 3/4". For an enlarged view of Gary's Yulin refractor, please click the image above. For a more detailed overview of Gary's refractor work on Cloudy Nights, please click the link below. His entries are under the member name "BarabinoSr".

Surplus Shed 127mm Refractor Build

VSC/ SAO 127mm f/9.4 "BGRP" Refractor

North Star II Field Tripod nearing completion !!!

• On August 16, 2009, which is also the 39th Anniversary of the Vega Sky Center, I decided to spend the time working on the legs for the North Star II field tripod in an effort to complete the 127mm f/9.4 BGRP refractor. My next move will be in the fabrication of the aluminum faceplates that will be installed on the outside and inside surfaces of each of the three legs. The is definitely going to be a challenge. For an enlarged view, please click the image above. For a more detailed overview of my refractors construction process on Cloudy Nights, please click the link below. My entries are under the member name "dawsonian2000".

Surplus Shed 127mm Refractor Build

The Vega Sky Center's is now

39 Years Old !!!

• It was a partially lunar eclipse on August 16, 1970 that inspired two young lads living in the Desire Housing Projects in New Orleans to embark on a whole new world within their lives to form what is now know as the Vega Sky Center. It is hard to believe how long ago that was and how much different things are today,. but we thank God for our strong friendship and willingness to share our endeavors with others within the astronomical community in hopes of perpetuating this greatest of pastimes. We hope you join us in wishing the VSC a Happy 39th Birthday. We look forward to continuing to improve our WebHub to satisfy as many amateurs as possible. Thanks to all of our visitors and friends for their support. Please feel free to email us with your suggestions and comments at:

"vsc-astronomers@vega-sky-center.com"

Thanks, and Clear Skies, Forever !!! 

Mel Dawson & Gary Barabino

VSC/ SAO 127mm f/9.4 "BGRP" Refractor

OTA is Complete !!!

North Star II Field Tripod on the Horizon

• After anxiously awaiting painted components to outgas, I finally completed the assembly of the VSC/ SAO 127mm f/9.4 BGRP Refractor on May 30, 2009. Overall outside of clear coat issues I encountered, the end result turned out utterly fantastic! I will be creating new pages showing the overall fabrication of the OTA under the SAO Gleanings page in due time. The next step in the process will be the construction of the North Star II Field Tripod, which will support a CG-5 equatorial head given to me by Gary Barabino. As for First Light and star tests, dates have not been decided. more details to follow...  Click on the links below to see an enlarge view of various poses.

• Side View Photo

• Front End Photo

• Close-up of Finder and Focuser

• Angled Photo from Front End

• Angled Photo from Rear End

The VSC Showcase Section

has moved to its own page !!!

• In our efforts to aid in organizing and navigation of the homepage of the Vega Sky Center's WebHub, we decided to move the "VSC Amateur Showcase" section to its own separate page. To get to the page, just click on the "VSC Amateur Showcase" button at the top of the homepage. You can always go back to the homepage just by clicking the "Home of the VSC" button on this new page. To go to this page from here, just click on Curt Walker's image of M51 above. Page was moved on 06/06/2009.

VSC/ SAO 127mm f/9.4 Refractor

to be Dedicated to

"Brigadier General Richard Pierce (Ret.)"

OTA Component Pages are Ready !!!

• In early January, 2009, I had the privilege of meeting a gentleman by the name of Richard Pierce via the sales of my Astro-Tech AT80 80mm f/6 refractor. I later discovered that Dick served in our armed forces attaining the rank of Brigadier General. He is now retired, and enjoys amateur astronomy as one of his passions. Dick has quite an extensive collection of astronomical equipment. When I mentioned to him that I was going to be constructing a 127mm f/9.4 refractor, he was very generous in donating some fine components to the project. It was hard to accept these items from Dick. It should have been the other way around in my book. Therefore, I commemorate this refractor to him, who served this country so well. Currently, the OTA is in its final stages of construction. Construction overview pages for the SAO 127mm f/9.4 'BGRP' refractor are now complete. Please stay tuned. There's more to come! Click on the refractor thumbnail image above to go to the OTA components overview!

Dennis Farr of the "FarrOut Observatory"

with David Levy

 The VSC/ VAO SuperCrew Array is Coming!

• Gary Barabino of the VAO branch of the Vega Sky Center is currently working on a new telescope project! He calls it the VSC/ VAO SuperCrew. The array riding atop a massive Starliner equatorial mount designed to carry a 14" to 16" Newtonian will consist of a 12" f/5 Antares Newtonian with optics upgraded by Optic Wave Laboratories, a 4.25" f/10.5 Edmiund Newtonian, Casta 70mm f/10 Refractor, 60mm f/12 Atco Refractor, and 50mm f/12 Tasco 6te Refractor. With all tubes stripped of their old paint jobs (except the Casta 70mm - unseen), as of April 25, 2009, Gary has flocked them with Protostar flocking material and will be painting soon. The primary will be shipped out shortly for stripping, refiguring to 1/10+ wave by OWL. More updates and a construction overview of this project will follow. Click the image above for an enlarged view.

 The VSC "North Star" Field Tripod to be featured in the

March / April 2009 issue of

Astronomy Technology Today

• The construction overview of the VSC "North Star" Field Tripod to be featured in the March/ April 2009 is of Astronomy Technology Today. This article was written by Mel Dawson to help amateur astronomers on a limited budget to build a sturdy support unit to hold their scope without breaking the bank. As you know, high-end tripods can cost a fortune. But, with the North Star, or ideas from it, many amateurs could benefit from the same stability factors as those high-end models. I hope the article will inspired many. So get your copy once it hits your stands.

vsc-astronomers@vega-sky-center.com. 

Official Dedication of the

SAO 10" f/5.6 Fork Mounted Newtonian

• January 20, 2009 marked the 2nd Anniversary of the completion of Mel Dawson's SAO 10" f/5.6 Fork Mounted Newtonian Reflector. In commemoration of this milestone, the telescope was dedication to my great friend and childhood mentor Gary Barabino. Gary was a strong influence in my life during the early years, and continues to do so. He introduced me to astronomy when I was 12 years old, and it was one of the things that kept me on track throughout my life. With great appreciation it gives me pleasure to dedicate my telescope to Gary, whereby it will be now known as the:

"SAO 10" f/5.6 'Gary Barabino'  

Fork Mounted Newtonian Reflector"

My Third Observing Session at the

FarrOut Observatory in Dade City, FL

• On January 24, 2009, another observing session was enjoyed by a small group out at Dennis Farr's FarrOut Observatory in Dade City, FL. Though weather conditions were unfavorable, the observing session still had some high points. Please click on the image of Dennis Farr above to go to the observing notes page as reported by Mel Dawson.

Recently discovered

Comet Lulin Making an Appearance

A Special Report by Gary Barabino

Click the image below to go to Gary's Report

• Comet Lulin was still only about 11th or 12th magnitude when Michael Jaeger took this image on Sept. 2, 2008. He used an 8-inch f/2.8 ASA Astrograph with a SXV H9 CCD camera for this stacked pair of 4-minute exposures. Click image for wider view. Image by Michael Jaeger, Courtesy Sky and Telescope.

• Upon doing a review of some of the sections of the VSC WebHub, we discovered a myriad of errors which required correcting. In the future I would hope that visitors will email the VSC with any issues they run across on the WebHub that warrants fixing. Remember... This is your WebHub as well as ours. This will help to foster a more concise resource of information for all amateur astronomers to enjoy. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to your suggestions, links, etc. to make the Vega Sky Center Astronomical WebHub the best it can be. So, show your support and email us at the address below:

vsc-astronomers@vega-sky-center.com

• The custom made RA axis clock drive for Mel Dawson's 10" f/5.6 Fork Mount Newtonian has been installed and is working splendidly. Built by Eric Moerman of Belgium, it was designed specifically for this telescope from a declination drive Eric used on his 12.5" Newtonian. The main gear is 8" in diameter and the motor is a Hurst 1 rpm of synchronous design. A special gear box device incorporated into the drive system aids in precision tracking. The drive corrector used with this drive is a JMI MotoTrak III with hand paddle capable of use with additional devices, such as a declination drive and Motofocus focuser drive. The Moerman Clock Drive is a work of art indeed. When the clock drive is engaged it starts tracking immediately! There is absolutely no slop!!!

• Using his TeleVue NP127 127mm f/5.2 Apochromatic Refractor in conjunction with a QHY8 CCD camera, good friend and fellow astrophotographer Kevin Reese took this outstanding image of M31 (NGC 224) the Andromeda Galaxy with its companions M32 (NGC 221), and M110 (NGC 205), while on a trip to the Chiefland Astronomical Village (CAV) in Florida. Being a knowledgeable and accomplished imager, a section will be added to the Honorary VSC Members section in the future.

• As we all know, Pluto has been declassified as a planet in our Solar System and is now designated as a Kuiper Belt Object by the International Astronomical Union. A long time proponent of this ideology is Neil deGrasse Tyson, Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, NY. Recently, I was in touch with Dr. Tyson and discovered that he has written a new book called "The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet". It is slated for release in January of 2009.

• A new astronomical equipment project has been completed and added to the "SAO Gleanings Pages". It is the construction overview of the "VSC "North Star" Field Tripod". You can click the photo below to be whisked to its homepage. Please find a moment to check it out and send your comments to:

vsc-astronomers@vega-sky-center.com.