My Astrophotography Equipment

 

Astrophotography is a hobby where the equipment can make a big difference, and over time I've put together a setup that gives me quite a bit of flexibility. Here's the equipment I currently use for deep-sky imaging.

Telescopes

Astro-Tech AT102ED

My primary imaging telescope is the Astro-Tech AT102ED refractor. I use a field flattener with the AT102ED for astrophotography, giving me a flat field across the camera sensor.

Astro-Tech AT72ED

I also have an Astro-Tech AT72ED refractor, which gives me a wider field of view for larger deep-sky targets. Like the AT102ED, I always use a field flattener with it when imaging.

Orion 8" f/4.9 Newtonian Reflector

For larger-aperture imaging, I have an Orion 8-inch f/4.9 Newtonian reflector. This scope is currently not paired with my Sky-Watcher mount, as the mount is not suitable for handling the weight of the 8-inch Newtonian for my imaging setup.

Camera

My primary imaging camera is a QHY163M monochrome camera.

The monochrome camera allows me to shoot individual RGB channels as well as narrowband wavelengths such as H-alpha and OIII. This gives me considerable flexibility when photographing emission and planetary nebulae, galaxies, and other deep-sky objects.

Filter Wheel and Filters

I use a QHY CFW3M-SR filter wheel to manage my filters.

My current filter set includes:

• Astronomik Red (R)

• Astronomik Green (G)

• Astronomik Blue (B)

• Astronomik H-alpha (Ha)

• Astronomik OIII

The combination of RGB and narrowband filters allows me to use both traditional color imaging techniques and narrowband approaches depending on the target.

Focusing

For automated focusing, I use a ZWO EAF electronic focuser.

The EAF works with my imaging setup and allows N.I.N.A. to automate focusing during an imaging session.

Mount

My primary imaging mount is the Sky-Watcher EQ-AL55i Pro.

For my refractor setups, the mount provides the tracking platform I need for deep-sky astrophotography.

I do not consider the EQ-AL55i Pro appropriate for carrying my Orion 8-inch f/4.9 Newtonian imaging setup because of the telescope's weight and overall imaging load.

Guiding

For guiding, I use an Orion Magnificent Mini AutoGuider guide scope.

Guiding is handled through PHD2, with the mount controlled using the ST-4 guiding connection. This gives me the ability to make the small corrections needed for longer deep-sky exposures.

Imaging and Guiding Software

My main software setup includes:

• N.I.N.A. — imaging control, sequencing, focusing, and session management

• PHD2 — autoguiding

• SynScan — mount control

• DeepSkyStacker (DSS) — stacking and calibration of my astrophotography images

• Adobe Photoshop — final image processing

My Typical Workflow

My basic imaging workflow starts with setting up the telescope, camera, filter wheel, focuser, and guiding system. I use N.I.N.A. to control the imaging session and PHD2 for autoguiding.

Because I'm using a monochrome camera, I can capture separate RGB channels or use narrowband filters such as H-alpha and OIII depending on the target.

After the imaging session, I use DeepSkyStacker to calibrate and stack my individual exposures. I then bring the resulting image into Photoshop for the final processing and presentation.

Current Setup at a Glance

Telescopes

• Astro-Tech AT102ED

• Astro-Tech AT72ED

• Orion 8" f/4.9 Newtonian Reflector

Camera

• QHY163M Monochrome

Filter Wheel

• QHY CFW3M-SR

Filters

• Astronomik RGB

• Astronomik H-alpha

• Astronomik OIII

Focusing

• ZWO EAF

Guiding

• Orion Magnificent Mini AutoGuider

• PHD2

• ST-4 guiding

Mount

• Sky-Watcher EQ-AL55i Pro

Software

• N.I.N.A.

• PHD2

• SynScan

• DeepSkyStacker

• Adobe Photoshop

This setup gives me the flexibility to photograph a wide variety of deep-sky objects, from galaxies and reflection nebulae to emission and planetary nebulae. It's a system that continues to evolve as I learn more and refine my astrophotography techniques.