Astronomy and astrophotography under California stars

Astronomy Equipment

It's no secret. Taking high resolution photos of objects buried deep in the night sky requires some pretty serious equipment. Here's what I use to do it.

Most of my imaging sessions take place from my observatory at the Riverside Astronomical Society's dark sky site, GMARS, in Landers, California. It's a 10' x 12' roll-off roof observatory.

Observatory
  • Takahashi TOA-150B 6" f/7.33 Double ED Triplet Ortho Apochromatic refractor
  • Takahashi FS-60Q Quadruplet Double ED refractor (as guide scope)

  • Software Bisque Paramount ME II German Equatorial Mount
  • FLI ML11002-1-C camera with 65mm shutter and ADT
    • SBIG ST-i Autoguider (monochrome)
    • Optec Gemini Rotating Focuser
Mobile
  • Takahashi FSQ-106ED X-III 4.1" Flatfield Super Quadruplet APO refractor
  • Takahashi Epsilon-180ED 7.1" Corrected Newtonian Astrograph
  • Stellarvue SV80S Triplet Super Apochromatic refractor
  • Meade 10" LX200-ACF Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope
  • ZWO 65mm APO Quintuplet Refractor

  • Astro-Physics Mach 1 GTO-CP3 German Equatorial Mount
  • Sky-Watcher USA EQ-AL55i Go-To Equatorial mount
  • Sky-Watcher USA Star Adventurer single-axis mount

  • ZWO ASI2600MC Duo camera
  • FLI ML08051-C camera with 43mm shutter
  • Canon EOS R6 Mark II mirrorless camera

  • ZWO Electronic Auto Focuser (EAF) Pro
Astronomy Lenses and Camera Accessories
  • Prime Lenses
    • 14mm Rokinon f/2.8 IF ED UMC (AE)
    • 24mm Rokinon f/1.4 IF ED UMC
    • 40mm Canon EF f/2.8 STM pancake
    • 85mm Rokinon f/1.4 AS IF UMC
    • 100mm Canon EF f/2.8 L Macro IS USM
    • 200mm Canon EF f/2.8 L II USM
  • Zoom Lenses
    • 16-35mm Canon EF f/2.8 L II USM
    • 150-600mm Tamron f/5.0-6.3 SP Di VC USD G2
  • Canon EF 2x Telextender II
  • Promote Control, Satechi and Neewer intervalometers
  • Manfrotto tripods and heads
Other Accessories
  • Takahashi 0.73x Reducer QE for FSQ-106ED X-III
  • Technical Innovations RoboFocus
  • All-Pro Spike-a™ LED Flat-Fielder Panel
  • Adapters from Precise Parts
  • Tele Vue eyepieces, Powermates, and 0.8x Reducer/Flattener (TRF-2008)
  • Edmund Optics RKE eyepieces
  • Rings, plates, and saddles by Losmandy, SocalAstro, Robin Casady, and Takahashi
  • Cases by Pelican & Scopeguard
  • Custom designed and built AC AstroBox
  • Custom designed and built DC AstroBox
  • Remote/mobile power:
    • Bluetti AC200L Portable Power Station
    • Bluetti AC70 Portable Power Station
    • 640W of solar panels (2 x 200W and 2 x 120W)