astro imaging with camera on skyseeker iv mount

However, regardless of which method or distance we used, we always found the target in the field of view of the 23mm eyepiece.Īdditionally, encoders on the axis allow you to manually move the mount without losing alignment, something known as ‘freedom find’ technology.įor example, use the handset to find and slew to Jupiter then manually move the mount to view Regulus in Leo. The alignment options worked well depending on how far apart the initial alignment stars are from each other, with best results with stars separated by around 60º. Two-star alignment allows you to select any star for the first alignment star.

The SynScan V4 handset provides two alignment options, brightest star and two star.īrightest star means you can choose are area of sky from the menu and it will offer a selection of stars to align on based on the date and time. We had few clear periods when the Moon was visible, but the short time we had to look at it revealed plenty of detail to whet the appetite. The 78x magnification of the 23mm eyepiece also gave good views of a range of double stars: we were easily able to split Algieba in Leo into its orange and gold components, while Castor took the guise of a lovely pair of white stars of slightly unequal brightness.Ĭhanging to the 10mm eyepiece allowed us to split triple star Iota Cassiopeiae into its three components. There was plenty of subtle detail in the edge-on M82 and the hazy oval disc of M81 was well seen. The true field of view of the 23mm eyepiece meant that galaxy pair M81 and M82 in Ursa Major only just fitted into the view. We were able to resolve the central Trapezium Cluster and, swapping to the 10mm eyepiece, were able to see crisp stars with lots of background nebulosity. With M42 framed in the centre of the view, we could see the wisps and tendrils of nebulosity extending out from the main nebula. We used the 23mm eyepiece to take a tour of some of the prime targets in the sky at the time of review, beginning with the Orion Nebula. The 23mm eyepiece actually gives a true field of view of 0.79 arcminutes, so just over 0.75º.

We also used bright Regulus to check the quality of the 23mm eyepiece and were pleased to see a pin-sharp star across most of the field of view, with only slight deterioration towards the edges. Tracking did wander a little during a 20-minute session with Regulus in Leo, but the star did remain in the field of view of the 23mm eyepiece during this time. Once you power up and have entered basic details into the SynScan handset, two alignment options are available: brightest star or two star. Power is provided by eight AA batteries (there’s an integrated battery compartment in the mount arm) or via a 12V port at the base of the arm. The telescope attaches to the arm via a built-in Vixen-style bar. Assembly was straightforward, with the single arm mount attaching to the tripod head via three bolts and the spreader plate/eyepiece holder strengthening the tripod.

Astro imaging with camera on skyseeker iv mount