About
The Heller Observatory is a privately-owned semi-permanent observatory located in Seattle, Washington USA.
Our primary imaging telescope is an Astro-Tech 10″ Ritchey-Chrétien on a Celestron CGE German Equitorial Mount. The CGE mount head was Hypertuned in 2011 by Deep Space Products, providing a significant increase in tracking accuracy.
Our current focus is astrophotography from downtown Seattle using narrowband filters and a scientific-grade CCD imaging camera from Quantum Scientific Imaging.
Here’s an image of the AT10RC on the CGE mount with QSI camera attached:
And here’s a closeup view of the QSI 583wsg camera with Lodestar, feather-touch focuser and mirotouch focuser automation:
Equipment Used
| Optics | Astro-Tech 10″ Ritchey-Chrétien at f/8 |
| Mount | Celestron CGE German Equitorial Mount, Hypertuned by Deep Space Products |
| Wide Field Camera | QSI 583wsg scientific cooled CCD camera with Kodak KAF-8300 sensor (with peak quantum efficiency over 50%) |
| Planetary Camera | Imaging Source DMK21AU04.AS |
| Wide Field Processing | Acquisition and stacking in MaximDL Final work in Photoshop CS4 Using Astrodon 5nm HA, 5nm SII and 3nm OIII 1.25" filters for narrowband Astrodon Tru-Balance LRGB 1.25" filter set for full color |
| Planetary Processing | Acquisition with IC Capture Stacking with Registax LR Deconvolution with AstraImage RRGB combine using WinJupos Final work in Photoshop CS4 Using Astronomic Type IIc 1.25" RGB filters in an Orion filter wheel |
| Filters | Astronomik type IIc LRGB filter set Astrodon 5nm HA, 5nm SII and 3nm OIII 1.25" filters Astrodon Tru-Balance LRGB 1.25" filter set |
| Barlows and Focal Reducers | Astro-Physics CCDT67 Focal Reducer Tele Vue 2.5x Powermate Barlow |