The artificial star is designed to provide a steady,
stable reference for star collimation to be used in lieu of an
actual star. This device will allow collimation without the worry
of star drift or seeing conditions. This very bright, small point
source of light will provide a consistent brightness, and produce
beautiful diffraction rings when defocused in any eyepiece.
This new and improved design features a brighter
18,000mcd ultra white led focused on a 100 micron precision laser
drilled stainless steel aperture.
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Artificial Star
Artificial
Star
Price: $ 110.00
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Collimation, in its simplest terms, is the alignment
of the mirrors or other optical surfaces in the telescope. A telescope
that is out of collimation will typically not perform as well
as a lesser telescope (25-50% less aperture) that is in collimation.
If you put the extra money into a larger telescope, you are not
reaping any benefits of it unless the scope is collimated. Also,
no telescope will allow you to reach a crisp focus at the high
power end unless collimation is perfect. It is well worth the
time and effort.
The picture below (Fig 1) represents an optical system that is
in perfect collimation. The rings themselves make collimation
easy to perform. Note the complete lack of any atmospheric disturbance.
This photo was taken with an eight inch SCT using a modified webcam
at prime focus. Star distance was approximately 50 feet from the
telescope. This picture was taken on a 95 degree summer day just
before dusk! (Fig 2) is an example of an optical system that is
out of collimation.
The star can be mounted on a table, or attached to a standard
photo tripod using the ¼-20 adaptor provided on the bottom
of the unit.
These can be used at star parties to provide
a star for everyone. It never moves, so there are no tracking
or centering issues to worry about. It is unaffected by atmospheric
disturbances so you can get an accurate collimation under any
seeing conditions.
The placement of the star depends on the telescope. For an 8"
SCT we recommend approximately 100 feet. The further away from
the scope, the better until you start loosing contrast in the
eyepiece. Indoor use is a possibility although we recommend collimation
with the scope in position.
The procedure for collimating your particular
telescope should be outlined in its manual. Please read the instructions
there first. It will tell you the location of the collimation
screws and any cautionary notes concerning collimation adjustments.
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