Here's what setting up the scope typically looks like. Thirty something minutes of work compressed to about three minutes.
First the tripod must be positioned and levelled. Then come the counterweights and then the scope itself can be mounted. After that comes the wiring and accessories.
For this particular session I am employing my Hyperstar v4 adapter than allows wide field, fast astrophotography. Fast means the F stop is reduced from f10 in the standard configuration to f1.2. That means I'll be gathering more light and get better results in a shorter amount of time. This is great for large, faint nebulae and galaxies.
I actually enjoy setting up; I clear my mind of all the stress of being retired and begin to work through the plan I have for the evening.I hope you enjoy the show!
