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Images from the
HyperStar article by Scott Tucker in the April issue of
Astronomy
Technology Today magazine.
This image of the Orion nebula was captured using a Celestron
11" SCT, HyperStar lens, and Starlight Xpress SXV-H9C one-shot color CCD camera.
The image is a composite of thirty 30-second unguided, alt-azimuth images.
Image by Dail Terry and Scott Tucker.
Comparison of old school and new school deep-sky imaging.
Left image of the Lagoon Nebula was taken with a Celestron 14" SCT, HyperStar
lens, and SBIG ST-10XME camera. Right image was with an Astro-Physics
155EDF and film. The film shot is a 70-minute exposure, while the
HyperStar image is a single 30-second shot! Note also the smaller stars in
the HyperStar image, a result of the high-quality HyperStar optics and the
shorter exposure time (resulting in fewer guiding errors and less atmospheric
distortion). Left image by Dean Koenig and Scott Tucker, right image by
Scott Tucker.
Higher-resolution version of the single 30-second, unguided
HyperStar image from the comparison above. Image by Dean Koenig and
Scott Tucker.
This image of the Pleiades star cluster was captured using a
Celestron 8" SCT, HyperStar, and SXV-H9C one-shot-color camera. Again the
exposures were unguided and alt-az, for a composite of fifty 60-second
exposures. Image by Gary Breneman.
An image of the Running Man nebula in Orion, taken using the
same setup as the Orion Nebula image above. Again the exposure is thirty
30-second, unguided shots. Image by Dail Terry and Scott Tucker.
HyperStar is also ideal for narrowband imaging.
Normally narrowband images take hours to capture, even with a sensitive CCD
camera, because the filters let through so little light. But the results
show fantastic detail and the filters block light pollution. The above
image of the Veil Nebula in Cygnus was captured with a Celestron 14" SCT,
HyperStar, and SBIG ST-10XME, using H-alpha, OIII, and SII narrowband filters.
Exposures were three 5-minute shots through each filter. The same image
taken with a "fast" f/5 wide-field refractor would require a total exposure time
of over 5 hours! Image by Scott Tucker.
Another section of the Veil supernova remnant, called
Pickering's Wedge. This is the faintest part of the nebula, not often seen
in this much detail. Again, narrowband filters allow very faint detail to
be captured, and HyperStar allows this to be done quickly. Image taken
with a Celestron 14" SCT, HyperStar, SBIG ST-10XME with H-alpha and OIII
filters. Exposure is three 5-minute shots through each filter, for a total
of only 30 minutes. Image by Scott Tucker.
Installing the HyperStar Lens
One of the first questions people ask is how to install the
HyperStar. People are understandably nervous about taking apart the optics
in their telescope, but installing and removing the HyperStar is extremely easy
and fast. Switching from the standard visual setup to the HyperStar
imaging configuration (or the reverse) takes less than two minutes.
Compatible telescopes* have a retaining ring which is removed from the secondary
mirror assembly. The secondary mirror is then lifted out of the telescope
and placed into a protective holder included with the HyperStar lens. The
retaining ring goes onto the holder to prevent the mirror from falling out of
the holder. The CCD camera is threaded onto the HyperStar lens, and the
entire HyperStar/camera assembly is threaded onto the secondary housing in the
corrector plate. Plug in the camera's cables and you are ready to go!
Reverse the process to remove the HyperStar and replace the secondary mirror.
The mirror is indexed so it goes back in the same way it came out, eliminating
any need to collimate the optics after using HyperStar.
* For non-compatible telescopes, a kit is available from
Starizona to convert the telescope to HyperStar compatibility. See the
HyperStar website below or contact Starizona for more details.
Learn
more about HyperStar and see more images here
Check out
the new Astronomy Technology Today magazine
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