Folks
Any ideas on checking collimation of a large scope where the atmosphere is
rough? I can seldom push my scope above 5x/inch without the image being
blury. It may be my collimation, it may be my location, or...
I have a round star inside and outside of focus, with the diagonal and
arms centered in the unfocused image. The laser collimator pattern shows
everything dead on. The eyepiece tube is square with the
tube/secondary/etc. The mirror was good (I don't think it has liquified
:-) ), but with my near-the-ocean location, I'm confused. Diffraction
rings will never be seen here.
My images look similar to the good images (air currents aside) from the
good images in Suiter's Star Testing Astronomical Telescopes, but I am
running at very low powers.
I have let the scope cool in the open for up to 4 or 5 hours first.
Saturn, almost overhead, was dancing madly the past few nights...
Any suggestions?
Thank you.
Greg