rlux.com - Astro Photography

Ron Luxemburg Photography

Astrophotography

Moon: Prime focus on Celestron C11 telescope, 2800mm F.L. F/10

Jupiter & Saturn: Eyepiece projection w/C11
photographed from backyard.

Milkyway: Med. format camera piggybacked on C11 for approx. 10min exp.

All images above were captured on film

Celestron C11 out in Anza Borrego Desert
*Black device on scope is a 1x Telrad finder which
projects a red bullseye making pointing the scope very easy.

Another view of the restored and refurbished C11. Drive in this scope was redone
by Aeroquest in Alaska. It's far more accurate then the stock drive that came with
the original scope. Finder is 10x70 w/custom dew shield from PVC pipe painted black.

Showing tripod - completely restored, legs are stainless steel.
Original legs were black, bent and rusted.
Scope was purchased used through the now no longer "Starry Messenger"
Optics on this old C11 are amazing!

Observing the sun w/full aperature solar filter

C14 - new [used] SCT in the collection. Fantastic optics. I was able to star
test this scope and decided I had to get it. Already had the wedge and tripod,
thus it was just the forks and OTA. No serial number, but believe it to be an
early 80's tube.

My father observing the moon one night w/the C14

Directly above - current state of the C14 / July 2009

C14 w/custom handle - a nice upgrade making things easier when pointing the tube - as seen on black tube above.
**an Edward R. Byers base may soon be replacing the existing base - 2009 - completed!
Just recently had an extra tube professionally painted and then flocked the tube on the inside with ProtoStar flocking material.
Project completed May 2009.

LAAS - Los Angeles Astronomical Society club site in Lockwood Valley, CA.
Taken with D2x and 14mm @ F/2.8 - thus the blue halos around the stars.

Method of capture: Black card over the front of the scope, after centering Jupiter on the screen of course. Let
the shutter vibrations settle out the very quickly pull the card away and then re-cover the front, close shutter
and see what you got! Primative I know compared to what guys are doiing today with webcams, but none the less
still a challenge and fun!

Re-Processed and additional sharpening applied
*single file capture

Re-Processed Image of Mars below

Mars taken with a Nikon D100 digital SLR camera
on the Celestron C11 Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope.
Taken at the closet approach of Mars to Earth.
Method of capture was via eyepiece projection with a 15mm Tele Vue widefield eyepiece.
Exposure was appox. less then 1 second. File format on camera was .nef or raw.
Image was processed first in Nikon Capture 3.5.1 and then further enhanced with Photoshop 7.0.1
Unsharp mask and curve adjustments were done in PS.
Saved as a .jpeg file with ProJpeg 5.2 from Box Top software. {highly recommended!} try it!

* Credit to the cartoonist!!! Gary Brookins / I couldn't resist!