What is an autoguider in astrophotography?
An autoguider is an automatic electronic guidance tool used in astronomy to keep a telescope pointed precisely at an object being observed. This prevents the object from drifting across the field of view during long-exposures which would create a blurred or elongated image.
What is an autoguider camera?
An autoguider is a digital camera with a CCD or CMOS detector at the focus of the guidescope or, in the case of an off-axis guider, at the focus of the imaging instrument after some of its light has been diverted by a small prism.
Do I need an Autoguider for astrophotography?
Overview – The Need for Autoguiding A good equatorial mount is a must-have for astrophotography. These errors are more pronounced in mid-range equatorial mounts than in more expensive mounts, but even the finest mounts available to amateur astronomers will face these tracking imperfections.
Do I need a guide camera astrophotography?
Autoguiding is an essential part of any serious deep sky astrophotography rig. Whether you’re guiding with a guide scope or off-axis guider, you’ll need a guide camera to go with it.
Can you autoguide without a computer?
The SynGuider – stand alone Autoguider can guide an equatorial mount without the help of a PC/Laptop, improving productivity during astro-photography sessions, helping you to obtain perfectly round stars during long exposure times. Supplied with guiding handset & cable, serial cable and battery pack.
What is a Celestron Autoguider?
The NexGuide Autoguider from Celestron is a stand-alone system that eliminates the necessity of tethering it to a laptop computer for finding or tracking your celestial targets with a motorized alt-az or equatorial mount. A Aptina MT9V034C12STM CMOS sensor allows the tracking of even faint stars, and the larger 5.6×4.
Is off axis guiding better?
The most obvious advantage of using an off-axis guider over a small auxiliary guide ‘scope, is that you are now using the same focal length as the imaging telescope. Another benefit to OAG is that you avoid any differential flexure occurring between your imaging telescope and the small guide telescope on top.
How do I install Zwo OAG?
Setup Guide
- Calculate the correct distance for your imaging train.
- Take off the guider prism part from the OAG and attach the OAG body to the telescope.
- Insert the prism back into the OAG body.
- Mount the guide camera.
- Screw the T2 or M48 adapter on the imaging camera according to your cameras mounting type.
Why do I need a guide scope for astrophotography?
This process uses a small secondary camera and guide scope (a smaller telescope) to help improve the tracking accuracy of the equatorial telescope mount. The guide scope’s job is to provide an adequate field of (in-focus) stars so the autoguiding camera can find an appropriate candidate for calibration and guiding.
What is an off axis guider?
An off-axis guider is a T-shaped camera mount. One short arm of the T threads onto the rear cell of Schmidt-Cassegrains or slips into refractor or reflector focusers. The off-axis guider allows you to guide your telescope through the same optics that are taking the picture.
Is the Orion starshoot autoguider compatible with any Mount?
The Orion StarShoot AutoGuider provides a user-friendly, dedicated autoguiding camera for long-exposure astrophotography. It’s compatible with virtually any mount equipped with an autoguider port and comes with all the software and cables needed to work right out of the box!
How to use the starshoot autoguider on a telescope?
“The StarShoot AutoGuider (SSAG) could not be simpler to use…. Insert the SSAG in the guide scope, connect its USB cable to your computer, and the RJ-12 cable to the guide port on the mount and you are ready to go.
Can a Orion starshoot be used with a smaller telescope?
That high accuracy due to the small pixel size means you can use the Orion StarShoot AutoGuider with smaller, less expensive guide scopes than what’s possible with other guide cameras (such as the now-discontinued ST-4).
What kind of warranty does Orion Telescope have?
For further warranty service information, contact: Customer Service Department, Orion Telescopes & Binoculars, 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville CA 95076; (800) 676-1343. Some items may be covered by a warranty period shorter or longer than the standard one year warranty.