

But I can still get diffraction spikes with this telescope by using a homemade diffraction spike mask. jwst nasa astronomy astrophysics diffraction science'. However, my Skywatcher Esprit 80 telescope is a refractor with no secondary mirror supports. That is of huge interest to astrophotographers. My Astro-Tech 14 RC telescope will produce diffraction spikes because it is a reflector with a secondary mirror supported by beams. As well as removing the gross spike artifacts, the intensity profile of the star appears improved in (d), perhaps giving a better fwhm, i.e. Last week, I started a project on the Elephants Trunk Nebula to test the optics. Consider the possibility of lens retaining rings. Redcat 51 Diffraction Spikes - posted in Refractors : Hi, I just recently bought and received my Redcat 51 from WOBoyz. My Astro-Tech 14 RC telescope will produce diffraction spikes because it is a reflector with a secondary mirror supported by beams. I happen to think they add an element of beauty to an astrophotography. Similar defects can be seen with light reflecting from the inside of lens retaining rings. Some people don’t like diffraction spikes. If it is in the camera, it will still be on top. I've done spectrographs on my telescope and it is very frustrating when a diffraction spike from a star cross the spectrum of a dim object you are trying to measureįrom an imaging perspective, I think the interesting "point" is in figure 9c and 9d. If the defect is in the telescope, diffraction spikes will show on the bottom of the image. Some astrophotographers even add diffraction spikes to the images during processing.įor scientific observations, the large diffraction spikes are very annoying. The reaction of most astrophotographers is one of horror - why should you wish to remove the attractive spikes. I have reproduced one diagram from the paper here to illustrate their approach. I am also sure somebody will point one out to me. Some astrophotographers even add diffraction spikes to the images during. I've often seen single arm supports and curly supports on commercial scopes, but I've not seen this approach before - although I'm sure it has been tried. Astrophotography & Astronomy Blog: Taking images with CCD cameras and. The diffraction spikes are a way to make a pattern that disappears into the background of a scene, thus making it difficult for a photographer to get a good photo, plus, it reduces the light that reaches your camera. Some interesting observations on secondary mirror supports in Newtonian telescopes, and designs for these supports which minimise the diffraction spikes in images of stars.

An interesting paper I've read recently which I thought worth sharing.
