Operational Telescope : Celestron Nexstar 4 SE

In the previous post, we have discussed about the parts and functions of Celestron Nexstar 4 SE telescope, visit this link Celestron Nexstar 4SE  .In this post, we will discuss about the operational of this telescope. here are some guides:

Source : Manual Book Celestron Nexstar 4 SE

1. Assembling.
a. Set up a tripod and set the plain by using a waterpass.
b. Attach the mount and the telescope tube.
c. Attach the star pointer and calibrate it by adjusting altitude and azimuth knob, keeping the pointer pointing at the same point as the point on the telescope tube.
d. Install the energy. Energy can be obtained by installing 12v AC adapters or by using 8 AA batteries.
e. Attach the hand control

2. Positioning 
There are two positions that can be used to operate the telescope, depending on what method is used :
a. Alt-azimuth Method,
By this method, the operation of the telescope will correspond to the horizontal coordinates, the telescope will move horizontally and vertically. with this method the telescope must be arranged northward with the aid of the compass, then the telescope tube is set to the index position.
b. Equatorial Method
By this method, the operation of the telescope will correspond to the equatorial coordinate, the telescope will move to adjust the declination value and ascensio recta value of celestial body. with this method the latitude stick must be adjusted according to the observer's latitude, then the tube is set at the index position, and the position of the telescope must face to the meridian.

3. Operational 
a. Set Up the Controller 
There are some rules to set:
- Coordinates, can be input manually or through a city database
- Date
- Time, current time at the time of setting.

b. Alignment
- Sky Align, using this alignment we will be guided by the telescope. telescopes will choose the best celestial bodies to serve as alignment objects, can be stars, planets or other objects that are easy to detect.
- Auto Two-Star Align, using this alignment we will be selected 2 stars automatically to serve as alignment object.
- Two Star Alignment, we need to select manually 2 stars for the alignment object.
- One-Star Align, we need to choose one star for the alignment object.
- Solar System Align, we need to choose one object that include to solar system, that is planet or sun.
- EQ North / EQ South Alignment, this alignment is done when we choose to use equatorial method when doing step positioning. such as some alignment above, this alignment also has some kinds : EQ Auto Align, Two-Star Align EQ, One-Star Align EQ, EQ Solar System Align.

To improve calibration accuracy, choose alignment that supports a large number of sky objects (2 or more), if alignment is done but the accuracy level is bad, so alignment can be fixed with "sync" menu.

c. Tracking
After doing some arrangement as we mentioned above then telescope can be enabled to see the celestial objects automatically and follow it's movement. there are several objects that can be observed, including by using the following menu:
- LIST Menu, to search for sky objects "Named Star, Named Object, Double Stars, Variable Star"
- Catalog menu (M, CALD, NGC, STAR), to search for celestial objects through the number of objects.
- PLANET menu, to search for planetary celestial bodies.

Observation of celestial bodies can also use several methods such as:
- Tour Mode: to see interesting sky objects when observation time

- Constellation Tour: to see and observe the configuration of the stars that make up the constellations.

d. Focusing 
This stage is to be done to sharpen the image produced on the eyepiece lens, this stage is done by turning Focuser on OTA until our eyes feel comfortable to see the object, and the result object is not blur. Each observer's individual eye is different in focus settings, this is because of the possibility of eye defects in the eye's lens

e. Setup Tracking
Telescopes can follow the movement of celestial bodies, but it must be set in advance setup tracking with 2 settings:
- Tracking Mode, must adapt to the telescope mounting method. (Alt-Az, EQ North, EQ South)

- Tracking Rate, must adjust to the object being observed (Sideral, Lunar, Solar).

If yo want to compare the method of this telescope with other telescope visit this link. Opertional Telescope : Ioptron Minitower II.

Crescent Image Results : Dzulhijjah 1438.

The observation of Crescent on Dzulhijjah in Indonesia was done on August 22, 2017. at that time I obseved in Condrodipo Hill, Gresik, Indonesia. This place is a very special, why is it like that? because in this place there are often reports that the crescent is seen, although in other places not seen. It is also happening on the Crescent observation at Dzulhijjah 1438 yesterday. Hilal was successfully viewed by 5 people. 5 people are not including me, because I have never seen a Crescent before. Indeed, I feel seeing the Crescent vaguely, but I am not sure about it. so I decided to believe that I did not see.

Crescent Capture

5 successful observations in the condrodipo were performed with the naked eye, observations using cameras, telescopes, binoculars and theodolites failed to occur. I am confused with it. why so, theoretically it is impossible to happen, the limited view of the eye can overpower by the view of very sophisticated optical devices.

Before going home, I tried to ask for the image from the camera that connected to the telescope and I got 38 photos of the recording result when the hilal observation. The photoa are taken with the same settings, JPEG format, ISO 1600, Exposure 1/5" and f/3.5.

Cresent Observation Image at 17:46 UTC +7 

Cresent Observation Image at 17:50 UTC +7

I spent days trying to observe by enlarging the photographs, observing point by point, line by line, angular by angle but no results.

Then I have the initiative to edit the photo in photoshop. I set its contrast, its black and white, its exposure and I succeed to do it.

Below, the results of the edited image:

 Edited Image at 17:46 UTC +7

Pointing Crescent Image Result at 17:46 UTC+7

The Crescent Image Result at 17:46 UTC +7

Edited Image at 17:50 UTC +7

Pointing Crescent Image Result at 17:46 UTC+7

The Crescent Image Result at 17:50 UTC +7

Of these results there are still irregularities, why the position of the Crescent at 17:50 higher than at 17:46? My hypothesis, this happens because the telescope setting is still using Sun Speedrate, not using Lunar Speedrate.

The Crescent above is very difficult to see and edit, because several factors of the wrong arrangement. in the photo is not supposed to wear high ISO, it is better to use low ISO with long Exposure. And the format of the image is also better using the RAW format for easy editing and searching, not the JPEG format.

Operational Telescope : Ioptron Versa 108 ED APO OTA with Ioptron Minitower II-8300-2G Mount

A. The Parts

The Parts of OTA

1. Telescope Tubes

2. Objective Lenses
3. Lens Fence
4. Tube Clamps
5. Clamp Key
6. Focuser Hinges Key
7. Eyepiece Placement Hole
8. Focuser
9. Eyepiece Key
10. Focuser Key

The Part of Mount

1. Clamp Lock
2. Telescope Tube Clamps
3. Mount Hinges
4. Azimut / Horizontal Key
5. Screw Regulator of the Square
6. Southern Sign
7. Waterpass
8. Vertical Hinge Key
9. Balancing Counter Key
10. Iron Measuring Equilibrium
11. Load Balancer

The Button of Controller

B. Specifications
1. OTA (Optical Tube Assembly)
Aperture: 108mm
Focal Length: 648mm
Ratio: F6
Lens Type: 2 elements Air-spaced ED S-FPL51 + S-NBM51 glass
Focuser: 2 ", 360 ° Rotatable 1:11 Crayford dual speed focuser
Tube Length: 535 mm (Fully Retractable)
Tube Weight: 12 lbs.

2. Mount
Mount: AltAzimuth Mount, Equatorial mount with special tripod
Body Materials: Aluminum
Motor: Dual-Axis DC Servomotor, DC12V
Speed: Dual-Axis, 9-Gear, Electronic (1 × 2 ×, 8 ×, 16 ×, 64 ×, 128 ×, 256 ×, 512 ×, MAX)
GPS: 32-channel GPS
GOTO System: GOTONOVATM 130,000 objects database
GOTO accuracy: 1 Arc Min. (Typical)
Tracking: Automatic
Battery: AA x 8 (Not Included)
Power Requirement: DC 12V ± 2V,> 1.2A
USB Port: Yes
Protocol : ASCOM
Firmware Upgrade: Yes
Computer Control: Yes

C. Usage

1. Installation (assemblying)
Installation of the device consists of a tripod, mount, telescope, ballast, hand controller, and others so that all installed properly and ready to operate.
One of the most important things in this step is balancing between the telescope with the balancer. The unbalanced state will affect the accuracy when tracking.
In addition, leveling (flattening position) of the tripod should also be considered, using the waterpas or (bubble level indicator) found on the bottom of the mount.

2. Initial Position Settings
Positioning the telescope on home position (parking position) or initial condition correctly. For the Ioptron MiniTower II telescope with Altazimuth Mode, the home position is facing the mount to the South and the OTA position is raised to the zenith. At this positioning stage the compass is required to show the exact South direction.

3. Operational
A. Set Up Controller
There are some important settings that need to be set:
1. Time
2. Time Zone
3. Coordinate Place
4. Mount type

B. Alignment
Although telescope already directed to the South and Zenith, but adjustments to the state of the sky (calibration) still needs to be done, because not necessarily our telescope is pointed to the South and Zenith appropriately.
There are several calibrations that can be done:
1. One Star Alignment
2. Two Star Alignmnet
3. Three Star Alignment
4. Polaris Position Alignment
The suggested calibration is calibration with 3 stars or with Polaris, but for locations with southern latitudes, Polaris calibration can not be used, because Polaris stars can not be observed in the southern latitudes.
Calibration of 3 stars can only be used at nighttime, in the daytime no stars can be observed cause the stars beaten by the sun, so for daytime observation, or Crescent observation for "rukyatul hilal", can be done  Sun Position calibration .
The calibration of the Sun position is not in the "One Star Alignment" menu, so we use another method, "Slew and Sync" menu, we navigate to the Sun in the "Select and Slew" option, then we sync the Sun's observations on the telescope lens with the "Sync to Target" option.

C. Tracking
After the data is loaded, and calibration is done, we can select the object to be observed by selecting "Select and Slew" menu. This menu provides various objects that can be observed. There are about 13,000 objects in this mount database. By pressing "enter" the tracking process can automatically be done.

Display on the Controller

D. Focusing

This stage is to be done to sharpen the image produced on the eyepiece lens, this stage is done by turning Focuser on OTA until our eyes feel comfortable to see the object, and the result object is not blur. Each observer's individual eye is different in focus settings, this is because of the possibility of eye defects in the eye's lens
.
E. Setup Tracking
The next stage is to set tracking speed, there are several options:
1. Sidereal Speed ​​/ Celestial Speed, observations for the stars
2. Solar Speed, Observations for the Sun and the Planet

3. Lunar Speed, Observation for the Moon / Crescent

Islamic Astronomy Tools : Celestron Nexstar 4 SE

In studying a science, of course there are theories and also field practice, studying physics and biology must definitely practice in the laboratory, learning sports science should definitely practice in the field, learning the language of science should also practice in the language laboratory.

The need for practice in learning a science is a necessity, as well as the science of Islamic Astronomy. according to some people's understanding, Islamic Astronomy deals with the calculations of heavenly bodies, but they are useless if they are not applied in the field. there are several tools that become the needs of the astronomers, one of which is the telescope. In Islamic Astronomy the telescope is usually used for rukyatul hilal (observing the crescent) in the determination of lunar calendar, or for eclipse observation.

Source : https://www.celestron.com

This time I will discuss a bit about the use and specifications of Celestron Nexstar 4 SE telescope.

CELESTRON NEXSTAR 4 SE

The telescope has two functions, the first of which serves as a horizontal telescope, and the second serves as an equatorial telescope. This is one of the advantages of this telescope. for the tube type is a reflector telescope with a cassegrain telescope design.

Telescope parts:

Source : https://www.celestron.com

1. Optical Tube, the main part of the telescope, in this section will occur light reflection, which will then produce images of distant objects.

2. Star Pointer Finderscope, this section serves to make it easier when shooting sky objects.

3. Eyepiece, this part is the ocular lens of the telescope, this lens can also be changed to adjust the magnification of the telescope.

4. Focuser Knob, this section is used to adjust the focus of the telescope image. This section should always be arranged, especially if we replace eyepiece or change of observer, so that picture is always sharp.

5. Threaded Photographic Adapter, an adapter for SLR / DSLR cameras that have been connected by T-ring

6. Flip Mirror Control, Flip Glass used for image selection, whether light is forwarded to the camera ?, or is reflected to eyepiece ?.

7. Battery Compartment, Battery Place, this telescope needs 8 batteries to run it.

8. Tripod, this part is the foot of the telescope that supports mounting and tubes. This section is also commonly used to regulate the flatness of the telescope.

9. Accessory Tray, place to put various accessory, like eyepiece, T-ring. On the side of the Accessory Tray there is a vertical stick, this stick is used to support when we will use the telescope with equatorial model.

Source : https://www.celestron.com

10. ON / OFF Switch, the button to turn the telescope on and off, beside this button is also an AC Adapter input which is used to run telescope without battery.

11. Hand Control, this part is a remote used to control the telescope.

12. Liquid Crystal Display, Screen on the remote, inside is also usually listed coordinates of the telescope and also objects observed celestial objects.

For how to use? please visit this link Operational Celestron NexStar 4SE.

ISS Satellite

You must know satellite already? A satellite is an orbiting object on a celestial body, including the Earth. There are two kinds of satellites, natural satellites and artificial satellites. Earth has a natural satellite, one of its functions on Earth is a marker of time for Muslims. While artificial satellites quite a lot, its function is diverse, such as as a means of communication, as weather research, means of transmission of military equipment, and others. More details refer to the following description:

Astronomy Satellite
Used to study planets, stars, and other objects. One example is the Hubble satellite used to photograph the Red Rose Nebula.

Communications Satellite
It is functional for telecommunication, radio, and television purposes using microwave frequencies.

Earth Monitor Satellite (GPS)
Used for navigation and map creation. Radio age conditions that let users know their exact position through the GPS system.

Weather Satellite
Serves to record and submit information about the weather and climate conditions of the Earth. It is a "building" that allows people to live in outer space. This station has been specially designed, so it can be inhabited for several months or even years.

Military Satellite
Is a telegraph satellite or an Earth monitor used for military purposes.

Small Satellites
Small super satellites are flown in space. For example mini-satellites (500-2000kg), micro satellite (10-200kg) and nano satellites (below 10kg).
To be able to operate satellites launched into orbit with the help of rockets. Developed countries such as the United States, Russia, France and Lately China, already have stations to catapult satellites into orbit.

Source : http://www.infoastronomy.org

ISS (International Space Station) is one of the first satellite launched on November 20, 1998. The launch of ISS is a project of 13 countries, which is used for various functions such as research of various disciplines, Biography, Biotech Geography, Geodesy, Physics, Astronomy, Space Science and others.

ISS has another name "Zarya", designed with a very large size, ISS becomes the largest satellite when compared with other satellites. And has many rooms, including 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 1 gym, there are also several laboratories specifically designed for research. Many astronauts from various countries who have successfully stop off this ISS satellite, spend many days even for months there, carry out research tasks.

Inside ISS
Source : http://schools-wikipedia.org

Inside ISS
Source : http://schools-wikipedia.org

Inside ISS
Source : http://schools-wikipedia.org

ISS when viewed from the earth has a special and interesting position when compared to other satellites, the ISS can be seen from Earth, because of its large size and has a low orbit about 380 km from Earth, so the orbit of ISS is almost round.

Have you ever been watching the sky, then seeing bright spots like a walking star? Is it a meteor? Is that a plane? It turns out not both, but one of the largest human-made satellites, the International Space Station (ISS).

At certain times, the ISS will be visible in the night sky of your area. ISS will look like a bright star that moves fast over the horizon. ISS is so bright, it can even be seen from downtown though.

Capture ISS with Long Exposure
Source : https://www.universetoday.com

Ever seen ISS? please try it! You can register directly to this Link to get a notification when ISS will pass the sky where you are. Or you can detect through simulation software like stellarium.

Good luck!

Souvenir from Space Day

Last night I joined the space day, I am from Indonesia and the day of space is celebrated on last night (07 August 2017). On that day people in Indonesia is recommended to turn off the lights at 20.00 pm. until 21:00 pm.

I took part to capture the beauty of the sky that night, albeit somewhat disappointingly, because the condition of the sky last night was not so dark due to 2 factors, the first not everyone turned off the lights of his house, and the moon before the full moon, so the rays of the sun that bounced off the moon Generated by stars.

But it's okay, I still managed to immortalize the constellation of scorpio stars.

Scorpio (Scorpion) is one of the constellations of the zodiac. In Javanese tradition, this constellation is known as "Banyakangrem (Geese incubate)".

This constellation is between Libra to the west and Sagittarius to the east and is one of the great constellations located in the southern hemisphere near the center of the Milky Way. As one of the zodiac constellations, it is bypassed by an imaginary ecliptic line. It is easily recognizable from a series of stars that form like a large S or A in the southern hemisphere.

There are some stars in this constellation. that is :

1. α Sco (Antares, Cor Scorpii / Qalb al-Aqrab / Vespertilo)
2. λ Sco (Shaula)
3. θ Sco (Sargas, Girtab)
4. δ Sco (Dschubba, Al Jabba, Iclarkrau)
5. E Sco (Wei)
6. κ Sco (Girtab)
7. β1 Sco (Acrab, Elacrab, Graffias, Grafias, Grassias)
8. υ Sco (Lesath, Lesuth)
9. τ Sco (Alniyat, Al Niyat)
10. π Sco (Vrischika)
11. σ Sco (Alniyat, Al Niyat)
12. ι1 Sco (Apollyon)
13. μ1 Sco (Denebakrab)
14. G Sco (Basanismus, Chuen Shwo)
15. ω1 Sco (Jabhat al Akrab)
16. ν Sco (Jabbah, Jabah)
17. ω2 Sco (Jabhat al Akrab)

Explanation of the constellation of scorpio:
The constellation Scorpio has the abbreviation "Sco", symbolized by the scorpion animal, the position of this constellation is approximately in the coordinates of Right Ascension 16j 53m 15d and Declination -30° 44 '12 ", the area is 496,783 square degrees. The bright star is about 13 stars, with the brightest star Antares (α Sco) (0.96m). In this constellation also often occur meteor shower, the meteor Alpha Scorpiids and Omega Scorpiids. This constellation is adjacent to 7 constellations (Sagittarius, Ofiukus, Libra, Lupus, Norma, Ara, Corona Australis)

Dark Night Sky

Source : www.scienceandart.com/

On this day (August 6, 2017) commemorated the day of indulgence in Indonesia. The residents were asked to turn off the lights at 20:00 pm until 21:00 pm.

This movement originated from the concerns of astronomy activists on smoke pollution and light pollution in Indonesia, especially in urban areas. A lot of smoke and light from the city that pollute the nature of the air in Indonesia, this is very different from the conditions of the area which is still a rural, very beautiful, bright sky without smoke or light pollution.

With the existence of this movement may the human concerns of nature increasing, and hopefully they always keep, our nature, our land, sea, and air space.

Capture the Phenomenon of Partial Lunar Eclipse 7-8 August 2017

Visualitation of Partial Lunar Eclipse 7-8 August 2017

Source : MrEclipse.com

Date 7-8 August 2017 is a special date where on that date there will be a rare phenomenon, the phenomenon of partial lunar eclipse. The phenomenon would be very interesting if we managed to record and immortalize it.

But capturing images from the lunar eclipse is not an easy thing, sometimes a photographer difficult to take pictures, due to the lunar eclipse conditions that enter the full phase, the moonlight will be brighter.

At the time of the full moon, the earth is between the Moon and the Sun. The sunlight is reflected by the Moon towards us, so there is no Earth's shadow on the Moon that is used to adjust the contrast. Unlike at the time of the crescent moon, Crescent moon can be recorded with longer exposure or darker background to show the best light, although it is sometimes difficult to do.

So how to capture a lunar eclipse that right? We have a few ways and tricks for that.

1. Take pictures with twilight mode. If your camera does not have manual controls, choose the twilight shooting mode. With this mode, a very bright moonlight will be photographed with a fairly short exposure. If there is no twilight mode then use the automatic mode, and use the flash. The flash will shorten the exposure time so the moon does not experience overexposure. For close-up wear the highest lens enlargement setting.

2. Manual mode. Set ISO to a low value of 80 or 100 with a 1/80 or 1/100 exposure and f / 6.6 aparture.

3. Adjust the focus. If your camera has "Infinity" mode then it is great. If not there, autofocus is also good.

4. Use a support such as a tripod or a strong support. Enable the image stabilizer in the lens. Remember, the slightest movement has made the image obscure. When using a DSLR, you need a telephoto lens (minimum 300mm). If there is no tripod set ISO to 400 or more to get a shorter exposure without making the image too dark. High ISO values ​​are high noise, so do not use ISO too high.

5. Do not limit snapshots. With a large memory card capacity, you can take multiple shots on an ongoing basis. This is to get the best results, especially with the telephoto lens DSLR camera. Taking pictures with different exposure lengths increases the chances of getting the best photos. When the moon is near full, start with a low ISO, usually 100 with f / 6.6 aperture, and a 1/100 second exposure length. Periodically increase the exposure until the moon image becomes dark, it can take the exposure value 1/60, 1/50, 140, so on regularly.

6. Choose an interesting background. Fortunately the moon moves slowly so make sure enough time to get the background in the form of buildings, trees, or other objects to support the image of the moon in the right position.

7. Edit photos with software. Start by cutting a lot of black background and then adjust the brightness and contrast to get the desired result. We usually choose to reduce saturation because in reality the moon was relatively colorless.

Good luck!.

Partial Lunar Eclipse August 2017

World is enlivened with a total solar eclipse that will occur in the United States on 21 August 2017. It's in America, but in Indonesia there are other events that are not less interesting that partial lunar eclipse. The astronomical event will occur 7-8 August 2017.

Partial lunar eclipses occur when the earth moves between the moon and the sun but not exactly straight in a line. When a partial eclipse occurs, a small part of the moon's surface is covered by the darkest part of the earth's core shadow or the so-called umbra. The remainder of the moon's surface is covered by the outer shadow of the earth or the so-called penumbra.

Launch Time and Date, partial lunar eclipses will occur when two astronomical events occur simultaneously. The event will occur when the moon is in full or full moon. When the earth moves between the moon and the sun but not exactly straight in one line occurs simultaneously.

However, not every full-moon partial eclipse can happen. This happens because the moon moves around the earth with a slope of orbit about 5 degrees to the Earth's orbit and the sun (ecliptic). Because of the moon's orbital tilt, not every new moon phase and full moon, the moon is exactly parallel to the earth and the sun.

Eclipses can only happen near the node point. The natural phenomenon occurs when a full moon occurs near a node, and a solar eclipse occurs when a new moon occurs near a node.

Information of Partial Lunar Eclipse August 2017

Source: eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEplot/LEplot2001/LE2017Aug07P.pdf

The partial lunar eclipse from 7-8 August 2017 will take place at 22:50 UTC+7 on August 7, 2017 (shown above with P1) as the Moon begins to enter the Earth's penumbral shadow. Then, a small portion of the Moon's face begins to enter the Earth umbra shadow from 00:22 UTC+7 (U1) to 02:18 UTC+7 (U4), its own peak will occur at 01:20 pm (Greatest), ie August 8, 2017.

The lunar eclipse will then end entirely when the Moon leaves the Earth penumbra shadow at 3:50 UTC+7 (P4). That way, the duration of this lunar eclipse reaches 1 hour 55 minutes with the maximum percentage of the peak of the eclipse is 24% disk tergerhanai Moon.

This partial moon eclipse event is quite safe to see with the naked eye with no tools like a binoculars or a telescope. Unlike solar eclipses that require special filtered glasses to protect our eyes from the dangers of the Sun's glare.

This partial lunar eclipse is included in the Saros 119 series and is the 62nd eclipse of a total of 83 eclipses in the series. In this case, the next Saros 119 or 63rd eclipse of the series will occur in about 18 years, precisely on 20 August 2035, which unfortunately is not visible from most parts of Indonesia.

But for partial partial eclipse 7-8 August 2017, Indonesia became one of the best locations to observe it. For those of you who happen to be out of Indonesia during a partial lunar eclipse later, do not worry, this eclipse can also be seen in most of Africa, most of Europe, all of Asia, Australia and Oceania countries.

Information of Partial Lunar Eclipse August 2017

Source: eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEplot/LEplot2001/LE2017Aug07P.pdf

Learning Astrophotography Techniques at Night

Astrophotography is a branch of astronomy that specializes in the field of photography. 

Astrophotography can also be known as a photography technique to photograph the state of the sky, be it morning, noon, afternoon or evening. 

The state of the sky is always changing every time. If we want to photograph an object in the sky, then we must know in advance how the character of the state of the sky. 

For the night, if we want to photograph the moon with a very bright light like at full moon it is necessary to set low ISO, low shutter speed and also low diaphragm. Make ISO 100, shutter speed about 1/60, and diaphragm (f) 3.5 - 5.

This is different if the month being photographed is a new moon, or commonly known as crescent. Very thin moonlight requires light absorption by a sizable camera. Set ISO 200, shutter speed 5 "- 10", and diaphragm (f) 3.5.

Good luck!