RASC Robotic Telescope

(Helix Nebula, Ian Barredo)

The telescope

• Located near Auberry, California
• 16-inch, f/8.9 RCOS
• SBIG STX-16803 camera
• Paramount ME mount
• Seven filters: LRGB, Hydrogen-alpha, Oxygen III and Sulphur II
• Canon 6D piggy-backed

(Cigar Galaxy, Ian Barredo)

There are limitations.

(M39, Jeff Dutton)

2021 forest fire season

8,367 fires

3,083,507 acres burnt

8/10 of the state’s ten largest fires on record have happened within the past five years

Sources: State of California, NASA

Effects

Smoke and dust from the fire got on the mirror. It was cleaned in September.

 1 x 1800s Oxygen III, dark-calibrated, same basic stretch applied to both. Left is before cleaning; right is after. (Collected/edited by Kevin Watson)

What can we do? 

(Pelican Nebula, Jeff Dutton)