Michael A. Stecker
 masmd@sbcglobal.net
 


 


Adrian Catterall
Hertfordshire
United Kingdom



Contact information
website
http://www.acatterall.com
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Locator Map
http://www.frappr.com/apppublic
Level of accuracy: shire

Biography
see: http://www.acatterall.com/aboutme.htm
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I have been interested in Astronomy for 30 years and bought my first telescope as a teenager. After a few years of satisfying visual observing with a 3 inch refractor then an 8 1/2 inch Fullerscopes Newtonian, my career took me to London in 1978 and I have resided in Hertfordshire since 1996. Whilst living in London my interest waned with appalling light pollution and seeing conditions. In 1989, I invested in a Celestron Ultima 11 inch SCT, astrophotography equipment and light pollution filters which rekindled my interest in Astronomy. I often traveled 90 miles in search for darker skies to obtain those dream photographs, but sadly my telescope drive and astrophotography techniques were not up
to scratch.

The arrival of CCD camera's in 1990 was timely and I have been hooked ever since. Initially I bought an ST4 in 1992 to help guide my astrophotographs, but quickly became fascinated with its imaging capabilities. From January 1994 I have purchased various CCD camera's foe imaging. 

Following the Celestron Ultima, I purchased several mid-sized reflectors and refractors.   My most recent acquisitions are: a 16-inch Ritchey Chretien on a MI500 mount made by Larry Myers (November 1998), 10 inch Ritchey Chretien from RCOS, AP1200GTO and AP400GOTO mounts from Astrophysics, Takahashi FC60, Takahashi SKY90, TMB 7 inch F8 refractor, 6 inch TEC MCT and lastly a Paramount ME German equatorial mount from Software Bisque (Aug 2002).

I moved to a country location in Hertfordshire in April 1996 and built my two observatories during the following summer.  First light was in September 1996.f
Area of interest
high resolution deep sky imaging with CCD cameras


Observing site
Two observatories at his country home  in Hertfordshire, England

Astronomical Equipment
Telescopes/mounts
10-inch Ritchey Chretien telescope on a Paramount ME mount
7-inch F8 TMB refractor on an Astro-Physics 1200 mount

TEC 250 mm (10 inch) F/12 Maksutov Cassegrain on the Paramount ME mount
TMB115 refractor

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CCD camera
SBIG ST10XME


 

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