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Martin Farmer
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Reged: 07/22/07
Posts: 43
Loc: Staffordshire,UK
Adaptive Optics Vs Good Seeing new
      #3408124 - 10/24/09 12:51 PM

Hello All,

Any users of adaptive optics when imaging the moon?

What are your thoughts on this subject for lunar imaging
Do you think it makes poor conditions better?

Thanks for your time

Regards

Martin


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revans
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Reged: 09/26/05
Posts: 1535
Loc: Fitchburg, MA
Re: Adaptive Optics Vs Good Seeing new [Re: Martin Farmer]
      #3408962 - 10/24/09 09:19 PM

Hmmm... there used to be a commercially available adaptive optics system for small amateur telescopes made by Stellar Products (the AO-2 and AO-5 models) but to my knowledge production stopped sometime around 2003 or so. Maybe some used units are still available. I'm not aware of any other AO system for small amateur scopes suitable for the moon. SBIG has one for stars only. I think most imagers use lucky imaging techniques rather than adaptive optics for lunar imaging...

I'd love to be wrong about this... but I don't think I am...

--------------------
Rick Evans
http://www.freewebs.com/revans_01420/

"The universe is there for us to see, but it cannot be understood without learning its language -- mathematics." Galileo Galilei



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kraterkid
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Reged: 03/07/05
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Re: Adaptive Optics Vs Good Seeing new [Re: revans]
      #3409546 - 10/25/09 09:19 AM

Great question Martin. I think you are right Rick, Adaptive Optics is generally not used for lunar imaging instead the "Lucky Imaging" protocol is utilized, but it sure would be cool if such a system was available. I've identified seeing as the one major element that determines the quality of the details I can image.

--------------------
Rich



My CN Gallery




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gregj888
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Reged: 03/26/06
Posts: 318
Re: Adaptive Optics Vs Good Seeing [Re: kraterkid]
      #3410087 - 10/25/09 02:17 PM

Martin,

Kind of a long story, but to use AO on the moon you either need a laser guide star or a point source (natural guide star) within a few arcs-sec to a few tens of arc-secs from the feature you want to image.

Lucky imaging is a lot easier...

Greg


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