NGC 460 all new spider and collimation. Life was not meant to be easy.

A small part of the Small magellanic cloud off to one side.


This is after I installed a new spider that is solid and is not like a piece of string. the instal was no fast easy step either all 4 vanes have to be at 90 degrees to the tube they sit in.



compare the one piece machined spider to the one that was in the scope that looks like string. part of the problem with a Newtonian is the spider that holds the secondary mirror it moves. The new one piece does not stays in the same place.

To try and get things right a new camera that looks down the focus tube. Ocal Camera trying to get it illuminated correctly has been a battle but I hit on the idea of using the tracing board I use to light the flats. It worked better that what I was doing before.



What are you looking at the whole inside of the mirror train just as the camera that takes the photo above does.

The green circle is generated and fitted perfectly to high inside the focus tube more or less the area where the pink lines end.
The green circle is shrunk down to the size of the secondary mirror to get it round to match the circle generated.

The red circle is the reflected rear mirror in the secondary mirror get that to fit concentric to the green

Next you see that there is a small blue circle inside you can see the small "red" camera and its sensor taking the photo. you can also see a small Nuclear symbol that sits on the "center" of the mirror.he pink lines cross at the center of the camera not quite the supposed center marked on the mirror.

then to fine tune you use two cat eyes much easier to use after this alignment. small steps till I get it right.

It getting easier and it works the shot above is.

QHY 183C -10c 163 shots 5 min over two night.
MeLE Mini PC
Pegasus Astro Pocket Mini power box
Prima Luce Essato Focus
Optolong LeNhance filter,
Skywatcher 200 F4 PREMIUM PHOTO QUATTRO REFLECTOR OTA
Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Hypertuned
SVbony 50MM Guide scope
QHY5L-II-M Guide camera
Guided PHD2, Nina
Pixinsight, PTgui, Ps