Celestron Triple RASA11 Astrograph on the 10micron GM3000 mount
In this video I show the build process of my Celestron Triple RASA11 Astrograph.
This 350kg telescope consists of three Celestron RASA11 v1 Telescopes, each with 620mm focal length and fast f2.2 on an Italian 10micron GM3000HPS Observatory grade mount, permanently installed in my backyard Observatory.
I show the different stages of this setup, starting with the installation of the huge 10micron mount and the 120kg octagonal steel pier, through the different telescope installations to the final stage with three RASA11 Astrographs.
My garden observatory here in the Ruhr area in Germany is in a light-polluted Bortle 7 zone where you can only see the brightest stars in the sky.
In order to do astrophotography there and to be able to take pictures of fainter objects, you need fast optics and very long exposure times to be able to suppress the background noise of the sky background as effectively as possible. The fast RASA optics help with this.
In addition, my goal was to have to change filters as rarely as possible. Due to the construction of the RASA Astrographs, you cannot use an electronic filter wheel, but have to change the filters manually. This is very time-consuming with R,G,B, Ha, OII, SII and Clear filters.
With three RASAs, the effort is much less, especially since one of the RASAs is equipped with a ZWO ASI2600MC on-shot colour camera.
Thus, per 8h night, I can collect a total of 8h colour data and 2x8h monochrome data, i.e. 24h total exposure time.
With this set-up I can take the Bortle 7 challenge!
For more info and astro images please visit my website:
www.theinvisibleuniverse.com
More astro videos can be found on my KZread channel
/ @mike-eg6df
Music by
State Azure, Greg Foat and Rodney Holmes
Пікірлер: 138
Dude said hold my wallet.
@drunk_astronomy
10 ай бұрын
😂😂😂
@teslastellar
10 ай бұрын
Indeed 😂
@TheAstrocast
10 ай бұрын
true - but he did the hard work. all that fabrication and thought took a lot more effort than just paying for gear.
@anata5127
9 ай бұрын
@@TheAstrocast All that fabrications require tools that cost more than entire rig.
@andreww9252
7 ай бұрын
I assume you are not married to a significant other?
Man and I thought I was a nerd with my 6" refractor and 8" SCT and Computer Science degree...bro just took it to another level.
thats one of the most majestic telescopes I've seen.
Probably the most satisfying video on KZread. Installing this under a bortle 7 sky definitely shows some determination
What a monster project and amazing results. Now you just need that one night where the entire Ruhrgebiet has a big blackout on a perfectly clear and still night while you're tackling a challenging target. :D Three scopes is such a great move. Enjoy! :)
@Mike-eg6df
10 ай бұрын
Yes, I need a one night of blackout now, the power generator is ready to go! 🤣
@KillrobPlays
10 ай бұрын
I expected no less! :D @@Mike-eg6df
Wahoo another Triple RASA setup, great video. I love the engineering that's gone into your design, very neat and tidy setup.... Congratulations!
@Mike-eg6df
10 ай бұрын
Thank you, appreciate. Your triple RASA8 setup is amazing as well!
@anata5127
9 ай бұрын
I knew that you will like it! Now, you need mount like his, printer and metal cutting CNC. You may need to sell house to get that CNC.
@StevenMorrisPhotography
9 ай бұрын
@@anata5127 🤣🤣🤣 sell my house
few years back, i was doing that with 3 60 mm refractors.. just never got around to finishing the project before i got a classic 10 inch red dobsonian, but hey nice to see someone make it all happen with 3 11" rasa, amazing setup, thanks for sharing!
That is absolutely insane! Well done, and clear skies to you sir!
I Never felt so poor 😢
Breathtaking and sublime. Truly, superlatives fail, and seem superfluous. And that's not hyperbole.
Amazing work ! I just got my RASA 11, it looks big on my GM2000, I can't imagine 3 on one mount !
Ohhhhh, I almost cry from happiness when I see such a setup
WoW! Das ist wirklich beachtlich. Und deine Ergebnisse sind fantastisch. Und das aus dem Ruhrgebiet heraus. Ich bin im östlichen Ruhrgebiet am Kamener Kreuz. Da bin ich zwar am Rand des Ruhrgebietes aber es ändert sich nichts an der Luftverschmutzung. Bin gespannt was du uns noch so zeigst.
What an incredible setup and engineering. Cheers from Poland
Bro, heavy duty setup just on the thumbnail... then you bust out a full shop where you mill your hardware?! Bravo this is goals
Pretty sure it'd cost a whole lot less to just move to a Bortle 2 site. Only saying that because I'm super impressed by and a tad envious of your skills
Jokes aside that is very impressive. Always handy when you have all the fabrication stuff and the know how to use it. I like the idea of 3d printing the dew shields and love your sky shed setup. Just took the leap after 15 years of somedays into narrowband astrophotography.
Truly amazing work ,and a very expensive one at that, of you can take this setup (somehow, dont know how 😂) to a bortle 1-3 class area, your mind will get blown up along with us 😂
what a dream system, beautiful all around.
Very beautiful video that is very well done. Chapeau! Amazing telescope and amazing photography!
This is impressive... Congratulations on your setup. Next challenge: Take it piece by piece to a dark place! Living in Europe... Iceland, maybe? Just a thought 😁👌🏼
Well done sir. What a creative idea using a tri RASA configuration. I’ve been thinking about this idea but with between 2 to 4 5”-6” apos. But I could never achieve f/2.2 with those. I could never do this with an AP 130 because getting one is like interstellar travel much less signing up for 2 more. I live in bortle 4 skies so I have some good sky to work with at least. Currently just capturing say NGC 206 up close in detail has taken about 3 days of imaging all night. With a setup like this I could do it possibly in one night. Might be looking at Stellarvue, TEC or Tak-but these are so much faster. You’ve given me a lot to think about. My original idea is to portablize this kind of Astro graph, I’ve got super dark skies about an hour away. Still looking at an AP1600GTO.
That is insane setup, dammmm.
Incredibly impressive!!!
WOW! congrats, that is a dream setup 😲
Oh wow, that is such an amazing build!
Im super jealous! Makes my redcat 71 seem so tiny. Very nice setup! 👍
Rather than 3 large scopes some have gone to a battery of smaller refractors....I saw one with 9-4" refractors that was used professionally. This is an impressive project and the results are great....I would have expected some major issues with alignment, synchronization, etc.
@anata5127
9 ай бұрын
You are right. The same results could be achieved with lesser integration, one scope and … darker skies
Ein absolut wildes Gerät, Hut ab !
Hallo Mike WOW! Was für ein Setup
Excelent work my friend.... congratz
Fantastict pictures!!
Absolutely stunning.
An amazing setup! Love it. Well done :)
Wife divorces him: *worth it*
Very impressive. I am from Bochum and also try to make pictures from my backyard. Will you be on the BoHeTa? Then we could have a coffee, maybe? 😎
@Mike-eg6df
10 ай бұрын
Thanks a lot! If I have time I will probably come to the BoHeTa again this year!
add three more, make a telescope minigun for rapid light collection
Am I dreaming! 😮
This was great, I would have loved to have a voice over or a font that was easier to read for the video.
Awesome project and engineering. Thanks for sharing. Good choice with the RASA 11, many RASA 8's have bad primary mirror grinds (I have one) Subscribed 👍
Dayum let me hold one for you 🤯
I'd say the next project should be an RV to drive it to dark skies and easily ramp off and on 😛
I'ma lookin fer neighbors like you!!!
@13:17 beautiful
this is a godly set up
This is amazing ty
Sehr beeindruckendes Setup und sehr saubere Arbeit! Eigentlich eine Schande, so ein tolles Setup in ein Bortle 7 Gebiet zu stellen, ich fühle mit dir 🙄 Aachen ist leider nicht viel besser
Shockingly good quality. AMAZING job. Now here's my question, CAN I GET THAT?
What in the actual (*insert curse word here*) is going on? This is SICK!!!
The JWST at home:
I really enjoyed this video sir ❤ Also BGM 💐
incredible technology. triplet Astrocamera!!
That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. And I love it and want one now. Lol
Continue your channel
Absolutely amazing ! How do you integrate all the images, by stacking them all in the one post-processing software? Also, would a multi-rig like this work with similar aperture scopes but not the same work? Well done.
Wow
Hallo, ich habe schon einige verrückte Montagen gesehen, aber jetzt bist du in die Kategorie „Master“ gewechselt. achtung automatische Übersetzung ;) ;) ein kleines Augenzwinkern aus Frankreich
Bros just casually playing with 30k worth of telescopes
It will be great to know Signal Noise Ratio (SNR can be measured in Pixinsight) for integrated files. Visually, I get similar pictures of the same targets with 5 times lesser integration, with single Tak Epsilon 130 from bortle 2.
@Mike-eg6df
9 ай бұрын
Hi, the S/N of a stack of images through a clear filter with 20h integrated exposure time through the RASAs is about 2.191e+06 or 63.41 db according to Pixinsight. A factor of 5 is about what I would expect between a sky with bortle 2 and bortle 7. This is the unfortunate result of light pollution.
@anata5127
9 ай бұрын
@@Mike-eg6df Great! Thanks. Factor is at least 12 for LRGB and 3 for narrow band. This was measured on identical targets with identical exposure profiles. Your SNR is extremely good from bortle 7. I never passed e+2. How do you convert that numbers in dB?
@Mike-eg6df
9 ай бұрын
@@anata5127 The SNR is automatically calculated by a script in Pixinsight for an uncompressed 32-bit xisf image and converted to db. However, there are some db converters on the internet.
@anata5127
9 ай бұрын
@@Mike-eg6df I don’t use script for getting in dB. But, I got converter dB = 10*logSNR. SNR is S/N with no units. I get only SNR in subframe selector.
This project is crazy :D
I subscribed before I watched the video. Lol!!!
wow
Why cant you just buy a 20" reflector which will give you the same light collection and ~0.175 arc seconds more resolution?
Holy moly thats an absolute beast and a dream rig. Realistically, how "easy" is it to overexpose the DSO itself with this?
Super
👍
Fantastic! Excuse my ignorance, could you use all three scopes simultaneously as an array, effectively creating a massive aperture?
@andreww9252
7 ай бұрын
Yes, I think it's a little like interferometry, several scopes spaced away from each other but gathering light or radio waves in an aperture the same as the distances involved. In this case, I believe it's the same as a really fast 33-inch scope (3x11inch).
Wow!!!
Impressive build, hopefully you are doing real Science with your system, such as unidentified NEO's, etc.
Очень интересно! Вы большой молодец!
Ich bin auch gerade dabei meine GM3000 aufzurüsten mit 4 Teleskopen, allerdings alle viel kleiner. Ich wohne im Bergischen Land und kämpfe auch mit Lichtverschmutzung und seit Monaten mit schlechtem Wetter.
@Mike-eg6df
8 ай бұрын
Yes, the bad weather here has been frustrating me for weeks too. It makes you want to beam your equipment to Chile quickly.🤔
There’s insane - then there’s this… 😮
Mike - do you do all the CNC machining yourself or is this made by someone else? I am curious what level of expertise is needed for this in terms of designing and manufacturing. Many thanks for your input! Awesome system.
@Mike-eg6df
8 ай бұрын
Hello, I did all the work on the milling machine and lathe myself. I bought the two machines especially for astronomy. However, these are not CNC machines, but purely manual milling and turning machines. You need a certain skill level to be able to use them. But if I can learn this, then surely everyone else can too.🙂
@simonwalsh6804
8 ай бұрын
@@Mike-eg6df This is awesome - I am always looking for custom parts to improve the rigidity of my set up. Could you please provide the models of the milling and turning machines you purchased? It might be my next project to learn the basics of this myself. Many thanks for your response. Simon
@Mike-eg6df
8 ай бұрын
Hello, I have an Optimum BF16 milling machine and a Bernardo Profi 450 S Vario, both rather small machines. I don't know if these machines are available in your country. However, I would recommend choosing the next larger machine for better rigidity.
Whats the advantage of having three telescopes beside having saved three times the needed time to observe a specific area?
@Mike-eg6df
10 ай бұрын
Another big advantage with this setup is, that I am able to make the best out if the rare clear nights here in Germany.
Another question after re-watching, what is the rms total when guiding? What was your best rms?
Can you compare images from one rasa vs 3 rasa.
How much better are those three c11 telescopes vs. One c14? I am a newb. No idea if that even is compareble😅
Impressive setup. What were your exposure times for the individual frames?
@Mike-eg6df
10 ай бұрын
Sub-exposure time is between 3-6 min. Total exposure time is up to 66h.
And i am thinking for weeks about buying a 2600mm :D
How did you solve the star reflections? I have a single RASA 11 but am plagued by reflections while imaging Pleiades or Horsehead.
@Mike-eg6df
9 ай бұрын
Hello, I have similar problems with star halos on bright stars. Star halos are probably caused by multiple reflections between the corrector, the filters and the image sensor. This is a disadvantage of these fast astrographs.
Wow, nice setup! Would you mind sharing your .stl files for the dew shield and the spider vanes?
That looks like a serious mancave. What is the second tune, starts at about 2.00 ?
@Mike-eg6df
10 ай бұрын
That is a tune of State Azure. Excellent Channel, check it out!
Wundervolles Projekt Mike! Wo kann man dich bitte kontaktieren? Hätte ein par Fragen an dich. Dir noch viel Spaß mit dem Setup :) CS, Tim
@Mike-eg6df
9 ай бұрын
Hi, auf meiner Website ist eine E-Mailadresse angegeben.
Please help me understand: although this is an impressive project, 3 11’ telescopes would gather roughly as much light as a 20’ scope, is my math right? - the idea is good because it is complicated to use a catadioptric 20’ scope, and also very expensive…. I reckon the largest sct telescope as of nowadays is a 33’ monster that cost roughly 1 million pounds to build. This setup may have cost around 10% of it…
3x$5000 scopes on a $20,000 mount is affordable , boy im doing somthing wrong in life
I am just going to sit over here in a corner and cry with my RedCat51 and EdgeHD 8. :(
Lukamoto has a video out explaining the diminishing return on overall time capture. Your thoughts on this?
@Mike-eg6df
8 ай бұрын
Hello, as a first approximation you can say that the signal to noise ratio only increases with the square root of the exposure time. In other words, if I have an image with 40h exposure and a S/N of lets say 60db, I have to expose for another 40h to improve the S/N by a factor of 1.4, i.e. 3db to 63db. The gain is not great in practice and it is difficult to recognise the improvement in the image. However, if you have only gained e.g. 4h of image data with a S/N of e.g. 50db, it may well make sense to quadruple the exposure time to 16h with a manageable effort in order to double the S/N to 56db. Of course, this is only a simple calculation example and many other factors also influence the calculation.
Great job!! What is your typical sub-exposure time??
@Mike-eg6df
10 ай бұрын
Thanks. Sub-exposure time is between 3 and 6 min without autoguiding for all three instruments.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 👍👍👍👍✌️
New house or new telescope hmm
if money don´t matters ...
Does this shoot the PAC-3’s?
Oh my, I'm curious about the wife's reaction budget wise.
Congratulations! This project is a lot of work and investment. But yes you need one clear night to capture one object in narrowband + RGB stars. I have two 8 inch scopes. One I am using to shoot long distances galaxies and nebula's with the reducer become 1400mm F7. Sometimes I am using the full 2000mm F 10. And the other one with my Hyperstar lens become 400mm F1.9 for large objects. I am controlling them with 2 laptops. My question is do you use the 3 scopes with one computer or you need 3 computers for the 3 telescopes? How do you do that? Thanks!
@Mike-eg6df
10 ай бұрын
Hi,thanks for viewing the video. I use indeed only one PC for controlling the complete setup. I am running three instances of N.I.N.A. to control the three cameras, the mount and the focus motors.
@andreww9252
7 ай бұрын
Are all the images then combined in one instance of NINA for post production of the single image?
What are you using to control tilt? Is it photon cage?
@Mike-eg6df
10 ай бұрын
Hi, I use the Baader UFC Tilter to control the tilt for the full frame ASI6200. For the other two APS-C sized cameras tilt is not a big issue.
Maybe in another lifetime😅
id' probs would of got a cdk instead, each to thier own i guess
It cost higher then my house 😢
@King-hn6nu
10 ай бұрын
😂😂bhai new lambo 2.0 kesa hai?
unfuckingreal
If I win the lottery