Equipment






	If you’ve looked at a few observatories, you know that astronomers love their equipment. And apparently the BIGGER the better. We are no different!


	Besides all of the really BIG scopes that you’ve seen the aardvarks stealing a peak through (scattered throughout our website, in these images off our interior pan tilt observatory camera), here is some additional equipment that we use:

Ritchey-Chretien 20”

Until 2007, we had our RCOS 16" remotely operated from New Mexico Skies in Cloudcroft, NM. It was moved to our observatory here in the Sierras of California in 2007. We upgraded to a RCOS 20" in 2010.

Seriously, this is by far our best scope ever.


The RC-20 deserves an excellent mount. The Paramount ME from Software Bisque is the best.

	Astro-Physics 900 GTO Mount This is another fine mount. Because for CCD imaging, you must start with a stable mount - ultimately, even more important than the telescope.

		SBIG ST-10XME Imaging Camera With 2184 x 1472 pixels at 6.8 microns, and peak QE>85%, this is a great imager. Though the FOV is a bit small.

Apogee U9000 Imaging Camera

With 3056 x 3056 pixels at 12 microns, this imager sports a very large chip size.

Pro Dome by Technical Innovations

This 15’ dome, with the DigiWorks dome automation, was my choice for Aardvark Observatory.

Meade LX200 7” Mak-Cas

Among the Meade LX200 line, I think this scope has the most crisp optics. Though the beast is a bit heavy for a “portable” scope. We use this scope for observing from Maui.


	The main visual observing scope (from the Observation Deck) is the Intes Micro 10" Mak MC 203/2030, which goes on the AP 900 GTO mount.


	Televue 102mm f8.8 Apochromat Refractor. This is another nice scope for our visual observing, on the AP 900 GTO mount.


	For visual observing, there always is the old standby, my 10" Dobsonian (with a 1/10th wave mirror ground by myself).

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