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| Celestron's largest most massive Aplanatic telescope aims at the sky through an open deck door |
Indoor Telescope Observing!
by Humanoido
Last summer heat rose to 120 degrees week after week in the shade. In the winter, the Monsoon period brought month after month of intermittent rain. Such intense heat or even a rain drop on a sensitive optical coating can destroy a telescope. Massive telescopes weighing many hundreds of pounds are not easily moved indoors and out. It also takes time to put on and take off coverings when suddenly a downpour happens. Is there a better solution?
Normally one would never put a telescope in a home and observe from the inside of the home. Heat waves from temperature differentials would destroy clear viewing. And, viewing through window glass is horrendous, causing smeared blurred images that won't focus. Not to mention vibrations from family members or apartment rental dudes walking around on the floor or your ceiling. But special circumstances require special measures.
During telescope assembly, it takes two people to place the massive OTA onto the mount, and one does not want to disassemble it and repeat the process anytime soon! The author wants only big telescopes, choosing to use the largest telescopes made by Celestron Company, even they weigh in at several hundred pounds. In fact, the one telescope is so large it won't fit into many homes. So what to do?
The author has solved all these challenges with Celestron's largest and most massive Aplanatic telescope, applied indoors for observational astronomy. Here's how it's done:
* Keep the telescope fully assembled
* The telescope is placed in one room
* The telescope is vibration insulated from the floor
* The room has deck access with large sliding glass doors
* The room can be fully enclosed with a door
Close the room door, open the deck doors, and let the temperature stabilize for several hours. Position the telescope for the best sky position relative to the open deck doors for max viewing. It's likely the telescope will need to move as close as possible to the sliding glass door opening. This is your viewing portal, like an observatory dome slit opening with bi-parting shutter doors.
For approximated polar alignment, use an electronic compass. You won't be able to see the North Star or true north. If you want to use a GOTO computerized mounting, additionally use the one star alignment process on a known visible star through your sky portal. Calculate the size of the available sub section of sky and program it into your sky program on an adjacent computer or mobile device. Now you can determine which objects, i.e. Moon, planets, deep sky objects, etc. will be visible within your sky section, on certain days, seasons and times.
As the Earth turns, celestial objects become visible at different times and seasons. Access this information for best results. The plan works best when the deck doors face South, but it's also workable if they face East or West. Planets, like Venus, often flip from East as a morning object to West as an evening object. The Moon is seasonal, being in a better position depending on Spring or Fall. Deep Sky objects also rise and set and lie within seasonal constellations. Become a sleuth, doing the detective work to determine which objects of interest will grace the confines of your sky portal.
Note! Check back soon to see how this experiment pans out. We are planning to image the Full Moon on Thursday, March 21st, 2019, when it's calculated to be in the perfect position, fitting into the available sky view after rising in the East in the evening. Calculations show the indoor telescope looking through the open deck door will see almost up to 45 degrees elevation.
