EQUIPMENT
The main telescope is a 12.5 " f/9 Ritchey-Chretien manufactured by RC Optical Systems (RCOS).
It is installed on a Paramount ME Mount on top of the observatory's concrete column.
A smaller telescope (TAKAHASHI FSQ 106) is installed on the big one for wide field observing and imaging.
For sun observing in H alpha, a SolarMax 90
from Coronado is installed on the Takahashi FSQ106.
CCD
imaging is done with a ST-10XME camera, a CFW-10 filter wheel and an AO-L adaptive
optics system from SBIG.
To enable guiding in front of the filter wheel, an MOAG from Astrodon is used with the remote guide head from SBIG.
The camera can be rotated 360 deg. using the Precision Instrument Rotator from RCOS
Guiding is done with the internal guider chip, the external guider head mounted
on the Takahashi, on the MOAG as mentionned above or with the Efinder scope from SBIG.
A small Lumicon finder scope completes the equipment.
Imaging
can be done from the observatory or from the control
room downstairs.
OTHERS
The
other telescope is an eight inch MEADE permanently mounted and protected by a
rolling wooden shelter.
The Sun Spots drawings are almost always made from this telescope using a BAADER solar filter.