The mini-WASP framework was delivered to the New Forest Observatory by the CEO of NTE Poole, Eric Kennedy, on Wednesday 5th December 2007.

If you have just joined us then make sure you read all about the mini-Wasp Array Project from the beginning.

The accompanying photos show the all-Aluminium black-anodised mini-WASP framework with the Megrez 80 mm guidescope, and one of the two Sky 90 imaging scopes attached. 

The fourth aperture will be used to house a Takahashi FSQ106 with reducer/corrector, camera rotator and filter-wheel.  The imaging camera for the FSQ will be the Starlight Xpress monochrome H36.

The next component I need for this project is the one that will cause the longest delay - it’s the mount!

In my last post I was at the point of deciding which refractors and CCD cameras to use.  I think I’ve now solved that dilemma!

Having gone through many combinations and permutations I am thinking the best solution for me is as follows: (more…)

As I said in the project announcement, living in the UK we have a major problem to contend with trying to pursue our hobby - the weather!  There are very few good clear Moonless nights to take those perfect images.  I have also compounded the problem by moving from a very fast (Hyperstar) imaging system that worked at f#1.85, to a much slower refractor-based system working at only f#4.5, i.e. six times slower. 

The problem I am trying to solve is how to get as much image data as possible in the short time allocated to us during the year.  One way of increasing the data is to parallel up the imaging, that is, to have several identical optical imaging systems all imaging the same object at the same time. 

(more…)

The name for this project comes from the Wide Angle Search for Planets or SuperWASP project.   As you can guess it is used for hunting exo-planets.  

If you look at the SuperWASP site you will see an impressive imaging array comprising 8 Canon 200mm f#1.8 lenses with their associated Andor CCD cameras all sitting on a massive torus fork mount - certainly very nice gear!

Living in the U.K. we have a major problem to contend with trying to pursue our hobby - the weather.  There are very few good clear Moonless nights to take those perfect images.  I have also compounded the problem by moving from a very fast (Hyperstar) imaging system that worked at f#1.85, to a much slower refractor-based system working at only f#4.5, i.e. six times slower. 

I’m going to tackle this problem piece by piece and I will be posting details of my thoughts in the mini-WASP Array category.  You can also see a list of the posts below:

• mini-WASP Array Project - Part 3 - The Framework , December 8th, 2007
• mini-WASP Array Project - Part 2 - A Likely Solution, August 7th, 2007
• mini-WASP Array Project - Part 1 - The Problem, August 2nd, 2007
• mini-WASP Array Project, July 10th, 2007

I hope you’ll keep reading as I learn about what is needed and my experiences of putting together such an exciting piece of equipment.