To get the best possible high resolution images requires:

• a stable mount with good tracking,
• good optics, and
• stable seeing conditions.

All of these are required simultaneously! With these goals in mind, I've been building up the Stellar Products observatory with the appropriate parts:

• heavy-duty fork mount on a permanent pier
• 16" mirror in a Newtonian configuration
• SBIG ST-7 camera, Philips ToUcam webcamera, and eventually, a new version of the Stellar Products AO-5 adaptive optics system.

Detail and photos of this observatory are included in the linked pages. All of the telescope operations are accessible from inside my home through underground cables to a dedicated control panel and personal computer. The telescope is literally on the edge of a small valley which leads to the Pacific Ocean, so seeing (when the fog hasn't rolled in) is often very good.

New 16" Telescope description and photos

Old 10" Telescope description and photos

Image processing tests

All text and images are owned by Stellar Products, 1992-2005. Any use by others without permission of Stellar Products is prohibited.