The Artec 250-f/4.5 robotic unit.
The Artec 250-f/4.5 (250/1125 mm) unit is a fast astrograph and delivers high quality, high resolution (0.67″/pixel) deep sky images. As for the imaging device, we use a state-of-the art Moravian C3-61000 PRO EC camera, equipped with an industrial grade Sony IMX455 sensor. A seven position, 50×50 mm filter wheel hosts L, R, G, B filters, plus Ha, OIII, SII narrowband filters (all with a Full-Width-Half Maximum of 6nm)
This setup is installed on a venerable Software Bisque Paramount ME robotic mount, delivering a periodic error of about 1″ peak-to-peak, so unguided exposures are easily possible at full resolution with integration time of five minutes or so. This is very important for survey works, where saving the time otherwise needed to look for a suitable guiding star means more observing and discovering chances. The pointing accuracy shows a better than 9″ RMS all-sky error. The whole system is controlled by the TheSkyX suite, with TPoint and Camera add-ons.
The site (Minor Planet Center observatory code: M50) offers a very dark sky (SQM>21.5).
Some applications: the large, corrected field of view (1.8 x 1.2 degrees) and remarkable diameter of the telescope make this instrument just perfect for supernova hunting, comet observation, survey work and more.
Weather conditions are available here
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