THE "MCCM ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY"

Primary Telescope:

• Optical Tube Assembly: Optical Guidance Systems (OGS) RC24 Ritchey-Chrétien
  
  Primary Diameter 24.0 inches (609.6 mm / 0.61 Meter)
  Specular Precision 1/25th, or better, wave front RMS
  Mirror Substrate Near-zero expansion ceramic
  Optics by Paul Jones of Star Instruments
  Focal Ratio f/8.0
  Focal Length 4,880mm f/8 or 3,650mm at f/6
  Image Scale 42.1 arc sec/mm
  Tube Diameter 29 inches
  Tube Length 66 inches
  Tube Cooling 12 V DC fans (active cooling)
  Material AL
  Focuser Tube I.D. 4.2 inches
  Available Back Focus 11.5 inches
  Secondary Diameter 8.5 inches
  Secondary Focus Range (electric standard) 12 inches
  Focus Stabilization, w. Al tube Invar 36
  Guide/Auxiliary Telescope: Takahashi 5 inch Apochromat*
  Finder Telescope: 9x 60mm

  * While a fine instrument, the Takahashi is to be sold and replaced with a new Astro-Physics 140mm f7.5 EDF, a superior telescope. This will render this entire OGS system fully and accurately "Made in the USA".

• Mount: Optical Guidance Systems Model OGS-140 Fork
  Aux. Instrument Cap. 75 lbs.
  Tracking Precision <1 arc sec RMS (after modeling)
  Pointing Precision <30 arc sec RMS (after modeling)
  R. A. Drive 18 inches 570 tooth worm gear & ball bearing worm
  DEC Drive 15 inches 360 tooth worm gear & ball bearing worm
  Shafts 6.0 inches ¯ (140mm at R. A. bearing ends; 75mm at DEC ends)
  Motors Five-phase nano-step
  Axis Intersection 72 inches from base of pier (at 40 degrees)
  Fork Swing Clearance 18 inches
  Weight (system) 1,025 lbs. (465.9 kg)
  R. A. Counterweights 2 x 5 lbs.
  Pier 32 inches high
  Fasteners 18-8 stainless steel
  Fully integrated with PC-TCS for 100% remote control

• Ash Dome
  Diameter 5 Meter (16 feet 6 inch)
  Constriction Aluminum with a base structure of steel and aluminum
  Fully integrated with PC-TCS for 100% remote control
  Model REB with dropout Shutter Lower Door (view from 0 to 105 degrees elevation)
  Refer to our Dome Specifications and Arrangement page.

• Control System
  COMSOFT PC-TCS - Controls telescope and dome simultaneously

Auxiliary Portable Telescopes*: suitable for local or loaned uses

• Celestron Ultima 2000 Schmidt-Cassegrain with Alt-Az Computer Controlled Mount

• Meade 8 inch f/10 LX-100 Schmidt-Cassegrain with Fork Equatorial Mount

• Meade 10 inch f/10 LX-200 Schmidt-Cassegrain with Alt-Az Computer Controlled Mount

• JMI 'NGT Series' 12.5 inch f/4.5 Equatorial Newtonian with low profile open Serrurier truss design frame, split-ring equatorial drive, rotating nose assembly.

Right: JMI 'New Generation Telescope' (NGT) series 12.5 inch aperture model.
Click on image to see enlarged view.

Specialized Instruments:

• DayStar Hydrogen Alpha Solar Filter 0.3Å Quantum Professional

• DayStar Calcium K-Line Solar Filter 2.0Å Single Cavity K Line

• DayStar Hydrogen Alpha Solar Filter 0.5Å T-Scanner

• Baader Planetarium U-Filter (UV & Venus Filter) 320 to 390 nm Pass

      

Above: DayStar filters close ups of the Sun. Hydrogen Alpha at left by Dave Tyler, United Kingdom with a comparatively simple 0.5Å T-Scanner model filter.
And seen at right as imaged with Single Cavity 2.0Å Calcium K-Line Filter.
Click on either image to see enlarged view.

ADDITIONAL READING

• Celestron Ultima 2000 Telescope Complete instruction manual for the Ultima 2000 telescope. A good overview about the use of Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain computer second generation controlled telescopes and the Ultima OS. By Celestron International, (4,350,856 bytes in Acrobat Reader ".pdf" format).

• Ash Dome Manufacturing Catalog Complete 16 page color illustrated catalog of these domes with fantastic illustrations of how some individuals and universities have incorporated these domes in artistic ways. By Ash Manufacturing, (6,012,361 bytes in Acrobat Reader ".pdf" format).
  Acrobat Reader is required to display or print a ".pdf" document. If you do not already have the software then
  Click here to download the software free from Adobe's web site.

  
  For the time being feel free to contact us through Company Seven with any questions or suggestions.