Equipment
Observatory / About Us / Equipment
Our equipment is essential in our pursuit of science. The two observatories are designed to be very similar in equipment. The local site is used for hands-on training, equipment testing, and nighttime viewing by students and visitors. The remote site is operated robotically via the internet and gathers high-quality data every clear night for class projects and research.
Both sites:
- Telescope: Optical Guidance Systems RC16-75F (16 inch aperture Ritchey-Chretien) with carbon fiber tube
- Guidescope: Takahashi refractor FS-78, 3" diameter
- Guide Camera: ST-I
- Slide Mirror: Van Slyke Engineering Versaport Slider
- Dome automation: Meridian controls solar-powered, computer-controlled dome motors
- Power automation: X10
- Telescope control software: Software Bisque TheSkyX
- Camera control and image processing software: Diffraction Limited Maxim DL
- Astrometry software: PinPoint (from DC-3)
- User interface: ACP ASCOM DC-3 Dreams (Astronomy software)
- Remote operation: RealVNC
- Rack to support camera: Custom built
Calvin Rehoboth Telescope near Gallup, NM
- Dome: Ash Manufacturing Company 10'6" diameter REB dome
- Camera: Santa Barbara Instrument Group ST-10XE
- Filter Wheel: Two Optec IFW wheels with 2" filters (UBVRI, H-alpha and red continuum)
- Focal Reducer: Optec WideField 0.62X Telecompressor
- Web cam: TRENDnet TV-IP612P (installed May 2011)
Calvin Observatroy in Grand Rapids, MI
- Dome: Astro-Tec 15' diameter
- Video Camera: Astrovid StellaCam3
- Camera: Santa Barbara Instrument Group ST-8XE
- Filter Wheel: Santa Barbara Instrument Group CFW-8 with 1.25" filters (UBVRI, H-alpha and red continuum, O III and green continuum)
- Focal Reducer: Optical Guidance Systems 0.63x
- Spectroscope: Santa Barbara Instrument Group Self-Guided Spectrograph, mounted with SBIG ST-7E camera
- Also used in the Calvin Observatory:
- Two Meade LX-90 telescopes 8" f/10 x2
- Binoculars: A Celestron 7x50 and an Orion 10x70