The SRO Virtual Astrophotographer Program
Where you suggest the target, SRO does the imaging, and you receive the data!
Where you suggest the target, SRO does the imaging, and you receive the data!
Sierra Remote Observatories (SRO) now offers the SRO Virtual Astrophotographer Program. At SRO, deep sky objects chosen by SRO Virtual Astrophotographer Program members, and then are imaged on site at SRO. The data is made available after several nights of imaging, exclusively for our SRO Virtual Astrophotographer Program members. You can watch the imaging live as it happens (see below) and members receive the image files for their own use. This option is ideal by those who do not have their own telescope at SRO or for those that are new to astrophotography and would like to learn how images are acquired and improve their image processing skills. Images are obtained with a 16" Ion Milled RCOS Ritchey-Chretien telescope on a Paramount ME mount using a high quantum efficiency full frame ZWO ASI 6200MM CMOS back-illuminated camera and the Starlight Xpress AO (USB version). A Starlight Xpress 9 position FW houses Astrodon Gen 2 LRGB and NB filters. Focusing and rotation via Optec Gemini Focusing Rotator. The computer is a Custom PrimaLuceLab Eagle4 Pro (modified with 62 GB RAM and a 4 TB internal SSD). If you are interested in the SRO Virtual Astrophotographer Program, contact us at: [email protected].
RCOS Ion Milled f/9 Truss on a Paramount ME
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Full frame ZWO ASI-6200MM backlit CMOS camera with Starlight Xpress AO and UltraStar Guider. Large Starlight Xpress Maxi 9 position FW with Astrodon filters
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Live Streaming Display
In order to watch the imaging computer screen press the play button below. During the day there is no or little activity. On nights with good imaging conditions you will see the the telescope control and imaging system at work at SRO.
If the time in the link is lagging, just refresh and restart the link.
Picture of the Month from the SRO Virtual Astrophotographer Program
Supernova Remnant G209.8.8.2 in Orion (aka, "Atlas"). Radio emissions from this area first noted by Marcel Drechsler with this SNR first seen by Bray Falls, while inspecting a faint O-III emission in an image by himself and Curtis Morgan. The image is a 327 hour composit by Bray Falls, Marcel Drechsler, Kaeouach Aziz, Curtis Morgan and Yann Sainty. For more information go to https://www.astrobin.com/zyam76/. March 1, 2024. Publication in process (arxiv.org)