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 Astro-Physics 900 GTO German Equitorial Mount.
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 AP900 mount with QSI camera attached:
And here’s a closeup view of the QSI 583wsg camera with Lodestar, feather-touch focuser and microtouch focuser automation:
Equipment Used
| Optics | Astro-Tech 10″ Ritchey-Chrétien at f/8 |
| Mount | Astro-Physics 900 GTO |
| Wide Field Camera | QSI 583wsg Monochrome Cooled CCD camera with Kodak KAF-8300 sensor and integrated off-axis guider port |
| Guide Camera | Starlight Xpress Lodestar |
| Wide Field Processing | Acquisition in Sequence Generator Pro Stacking in Astro Pixel Processor Final processing in Photoshop Astrodon 5nm HA, 5nm SII and 3nm OIII 1.25″ filters for narrowband Astrodon Tru-Balance LRGB 1.25″ filter set for full color |
| Focuser | Startlight Instruments Feather Touch |
| Barlows and Focal Reducers | Astro-Physics CCDT67 Focal Reducer |