- by Tele Vue85 -

I am not specialist regarding telescopes. I'm appreciated to read and learn a lot of things about telescopes by any Amateur astronomers' WWW sites. Then I'd like to write little bit about telescope with my 34years camera experience. Please accept my apology to the enthusiasts because writing this like trying to teach my grandmother to suck eggs.

About Tele Vue 85

TeleVue valued as one of the top at the scathing criticism web site scopeviwers dot com. Same level with other high level telescopes such like Astro-Physics or Takahashi with the famous name "Al Nagler" and his best eyepieces. 85 is especially designed as easy to carry out. However, this telescope has no problem with any aberrations include Everbright diagonal. I can say all of the evaluation stories are true. Another one of the top telescope Astro-Physics is order-made. Tele Vue is amazing high spec telescope as always ready to buy. This is another highly valued point to me.

When I grip the optical tube at first, I'm impressed with high quality "Made in the USA". Focus knob moves beautifully very smooth. The torque adjuster does not effect to the object even at the over magnification. Firm feel of the material. Maybe not like Quester (named as a high quality telescope), but possible to say "just one to have in the life".

Why I've selected small caliber telescope? Why does not step up to the large caliber? It is lie to say I had no concern with Newtonian over 8 inches. I know Dobsonian with motordrive is available. However, I think the environment is also important to appreciate the large caliber. I'm not objection to use large caliber at the downtown to clear the handicaps. But it is one of the selection as a man who live in the town and always thinking to move. It is not dream to go to the foreign countries to see the stars. So, I've selected "The small large caliber". If not, maybe I have Starspritter.

What I've felt at first light is, it is difficult to explain by words however, TV85 shows light of the object. Human being's eyes or camera films feels lights. So, it is so large difference of the optical efficiency. I know Canon 300mm f2.8L lens has large deference between other telephoto lenses. The difference is "express the surface of the objects" or "express the light of the objects". And Canon L lens's difference is same with Tele Vue's difference.

Or, I've using merging technique by Astro Stak software at this web site. I can specially write the picture after merge has no much difference between the object which I've seen by my eyes at TV85.

One time, when I was a junior high student, friend of mine show me the Saturn by his Goto's Newtonian with Nikon eyepiece. I had a low price Newtonian and completely different world was there. It was mysterious beauty even I still remember today which a Saturn with several of the stars around like attendants. And, Tele Vue 85 show me the beautiful Saturn same as that.

I'm thinking - maybe little bit funny words but, "to call the telescope as a telescope, the shining stars must be shining". Tele Vue told it to me. I'm really appreciated to Mr.Al Nagler, who puts in the passion with his great talent to his telescope, and Mr.Amatsu who introduces this telescope in Japan.

Coronado Filter

Continueing the bad weather at Japan especially at night, my sentiments are almost limit. More that htat, part ecripse are coming at Japan (October 14th, 2004). So I decided to have the solar filter at this moment which I could not made decision so long (because expensive but usually too much patient makes re-bound).

The hydrogen alpha is a ionized hydrogen gas (proton plus electron) which constitute high tempreture plasma area on sun's upper atmosphare. The scpectrum happen by hydrogen atom's quantums betwenn 3 to 2 - well, I'm not so bright about thing like this. I think "art is the explotion" and "mother nature is an art" then "explotion (energy) is (sometime such as same as) an art". That wavelength is 656.279nm. H alpha filter like Coronado filter filtering so narrow band and makes visible by our naked eye. We can find several made but Coronado filter is one of the easiest to use. I felt it is possible to get by ND4 + H alpha filter for nebula. But it is not enough narrow to take picture of the sun. (actually I've try but too far as Coronado's result = ND4 + Halpha bad result shown right above).

By the way, I've been the city where Coronado Instruments placed - Tucson Arizona. There is the Davis Monthan Air Force base exists. I've been there to take pictures of the Air Force base under permission by Pentagon for Asahi-graph magazine. So feeling long for to me. Maybe some of the airplane skills used to create this filter.
The solar obeserving equipment such like this was so expensive as same as that usage (into astronomical figures). Today we can buy it and especially Coronado filter made it so easy to use. We can see a lot of H alpha pictures on the w.w.w.. However, even price has been down, but still expensive and not ease to buy. Even I was surprise to this kind of filter when I was just beginning the star watching.

lf you use some matal foil filters like Astro Solar by Baader Planetarium, possible to take pictures of sunspot. But prominence (blowing up hidrogen gas which we can see like fire around sun) is a different story. We have to use the special narrower H alpha filter less than 0.7 angstrom. The outside of the prominence is the corona which invisible except full ecrlipce. Sun has too big light energy then not neccesary to use the large apperture telescopes. For example, BORG50 or Coronado PST is the enough to see the prominence. Otherwise, larger apperture reflectors are not impossible to use but the sun light makes telesope or mirror so hot. So it is easy to imagine the visibility is bad by inside stream. I already adapted my BORG 76 as a guide scope for Orion 300. So I prepare the TV85 for solar observing.

At this moment, simple question comes up. "Is it possible to take so great sun's picture by equipment like H alpha filter?" The answer is no. You have to have the processing step of digital pictures on suitable software.

After process the picture, bewitching and energetic prominence on surface of the sun shown up on the screen. I can understand why some people are so enthusiastic about picture of the Sun.

At the other hand, I'm realize different thing which I could not imagine before. It is so hot to keep observing under the sunlight. The equipments which colored as black are soon become hot. For example, small LCD of the remote controller HC-EU1 for Nikon E5000 has been blacken out by heat (back to normal after cool down). Actually I do not like hot weather (especially at Japan because humidity). I was sweat and felt "maybe I will little bit loss weight"....maybe not?