The main telescope is a Meade 16 inch LX200GPS SCT with UHTC
optics.
The 16 inch scope is mounted on an Optec Ultra-Wedge and uses an Optec
TCF-S temperature compensating focuser.
Piggybacked on the Meade is a Televue 102 refractor.
Focal length for the SCT is 4064mm (f10), the refractor is 880mm (f8.6).
The dome is a 20.5 foot ASH dome, with the ACE SmartDome system
installed for computer control.
We also have four 12 inch Meade LX200GPS scopes on Pier-Tech mobile
piers.
Each with a laptop and Meade DSI camera, to be used on the observing decks.
Cameras:
SBIG STV deluxe system with e-finder and RGB filter wheel.
SBIG STL-6303 Research camera with remote guiding head and Bessell UBVR
filters from Optec.
SBIG ST-10XME camera with LRGB filter wheel and AO7.
SBIG Self guiding spectrograph with ST-7 camera.
Astrovid Color Planetcam
TouCam Pro II webcam with Optec APUS 2.5X and 0.36X lenses.
5 Meade LPI cameras.
4 Meade DSI cameras.
Solar viewing:
Coronado SolarMax 60 H-Alpha Filter and adapter on a Televue 85.
Coronado SolarMax 90 <.5A H-alpha telescope on a Vixen GP-DX mount.
Coronado SolarMax 70 CaK Telescope on a Vixen GP-DX mount.
5 Coronado PST scopes + 2 SolarMax 40 units.
5 Orion EQ-2 mounts for the PST scopes.
5 Coronado Binomite II white light solar binoculars.
Thousand Oaks white light filter for the Meade 16"
Planetarium
We have an Ansible Technologies Micro-Dome planetarium. This is a
portable
computer projection system that projects onto a 48 inch hemispherical
screen. On public viewing nights this system will be setup in a classroom
or hallway to provide additional information and will be the main
attraction on cloudy nights.
News
Dome automation is now fully functional, the entire observatory can now be controlled remotely over the internet.
The source of the vibration problem that we had been experiencing
during the first several months after
the opening of the observatory has been found and corrected.
Walking in the dome and on the 5th floor no longer causes vibration in
the 16" scope.