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| Introduction | |
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| Computers and Astronomy | |
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| Look Before You Leap! | |
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| Advancing from Binoculars | |
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| Telescope Types | |
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| Small Refractors | |
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| Refractor Accessories | |
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| Reflectors | |
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| Moving On Up | |
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| Telescope Suppliers' Web Sites | |
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| Enter the Goto Handbox | |
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| Star and Polar Alignment | |
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| Mid-range Scopes | |
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| Wedges for Imaging | |
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| The Importance of a Balancing System | |
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| Equatorial Head | |
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| Autoguiding Accessories for Imaging | |
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| Your Ideal Scope | |
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| Time/Date Latitude/Longitude Entry | |
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| Focusing | |
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| Collimation | |
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| Polar Alignment | |
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| Drive Accuracy | |
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| Periodic Error Correction | |
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| Telescope Mounts | |
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| The Final Telescope Upgrade! | |
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| Meade LX200GPS/LX400 Series Telescopes | |
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| Getting Started | |
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| What's in a Name? | |
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| Meade LX200GPS and LX400 | |
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| What You Get in the Box | |
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| LX200GPS and LX400 Connector Panels | |
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| The Equatorial Wedge | |
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| Field Derotator | |
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| Power Considerations | |
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| Sun Warning! | |
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| GPS Receivers | |
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| First Visual Observing Sessions: Finder Adjustment, Focusing, Collimation | |
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| Focusing | |
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| Hartmann or Bahtinov Mask | |
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| Changing Speed | |
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| LX400 (and LX200GPS with Care) Handbox Removal | |
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| Collimation | |
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| LX400 Collimation | |
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| AutoStar Suite Operations | |
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| AutoStar Suite Updates | |
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| Connection to AutoStar Suite | |
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| Telescope Control | |
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| Menu Tree | |
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| Updating ASU and Firmware | |
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| Upgrading Firmware | |
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| Use the Latest Firmware | |
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| Restoring a Corrupted Handbox | |
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| Free User Software | |
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| Telescope Alignment | |
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| Goto Synchronization | |
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| Training the Drive | |
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| Smart Mount | |
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| Testing SMT | |
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| Caution, Static! | |
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| Daytime Planetary Viewing | |
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| Yahoo Telescope Groups | |
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| Commercial Servicing Facilities | |
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| Summary | |
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| Accessories, Great and Small | |
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| Replacement Screws | |
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| An Equatorial Wedge? | |
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| Astro-Engineering UK | |
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| Telescope House | |
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| Milburn Wedge | |
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| Balance Rails and Weights | |
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| Dew Heaters | |
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| Dew Shields | |
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| Autoguiding Telescopes | |
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| Focal Reducers | |
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| Barlow (Extender) Units | |
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| CCD Cameras: Main and Guide | |
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| Filters | |
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| Software | |
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| Adaptive Optics Units | |
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| Observatories | |
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| Dehumidifiers | |
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| Hartmann Mask | |
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| Bahtinov Mask | |
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| Balancing and Polar Alignment | |
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| Equatorial Wedges | |
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| Setting Up Your 'Scope | |
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| Getting an Approximate Polar Alignment | |
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| Balancing in Declination | |
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| Declination Axis Balance | |
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| Vertical Balance | |
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| Horizontal Balance | |
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| Right Ascension Axis Balance | |
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| Precise Polar Alignment | |
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| Visual and CCD Monitoring of Polar Alignment Adjustments Demonstrating East to West, North to South | |
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| Misalignment Errors | |
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| Manual Adjustment of the Polar Axis | |
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| Azimuth Adjustment | |
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| Reiterative Adjustments | |
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| Adjusting the Elevation | |
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| Software Aid in Polar Alignment | |
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| Next Stage | |
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| Essential Software for Basic Operations | |
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| Supplied Control Software | |
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| The ASCOM Initiative | |
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| Initial Connection to your Hardware | |
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| Using MaxIm DL | |
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| Operations with MaxIm DL | |
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| Camera Control | |
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| Configuring the Scope: Taking Control | |
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| Guide Camera Focusing | |
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| MaxIm DL Telescope Header Settings | |
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| Synchronizing the Telescope with the Sky | |
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| Solving an Image | |
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| Camera Orientation | |
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| Synchronization | |
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| Field Calibration | |
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| Image Processing | |
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| Camera Cooling | |
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| Flat Images | |
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| Bias Images | |
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| Dark Images | |
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| Try Some Gotos | |
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| Software Adjustment of Periodic Error and Polar Alignment | |
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| Measuring Periodic Error | |
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| What Is PE and Why Do You Need to Fix It? | |
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| Essential Previous Checks | |
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| Out-of-the-Box Images | |
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| How Long Can You Expose? | |
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| Measuring and Correcting Your PE | |
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| PEC Settings | |
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| The Details | |
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| Consequences of the PEC Table Adjustment | |
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| Periodic Error Management by Software | |
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| Finding a Suitable Star | |
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| Using the Simulated Handbox | |
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| Handbox Settings | |
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| Collecting Raw Data: A Caution | |
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| Analyzing Your Data | |
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| Uploading the New PE Correction Curve | |
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| Check the Result | |
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| Refining Your Curve | |
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| What a Good PEC Means | |
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| Adjusting the Sidereal Drive | |
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| Polar Alignment: The Importance of Being Accurate | |
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| Software Polar Alignment | |
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| Further References | |
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| Autoguiding | |
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| Principles of Autoguiding | |
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| Backlash | |
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| Autoguiding Error Magnitudes | |
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| Getting Good Guide Stars: Choose Your Guide 'Scope Carefully | |
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| Flexure | |
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| Bright Guide Star | |
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| Guide Camera Exposure | |
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| Gusts and Mirror Flop | |
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| Correction Commands | |
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| MaxIm DL Guide Settings | |
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| The Importance of the Aggressiveness Setting | |
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| The Maximum Move Setting | |
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| The Minimum Move Setting | |
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| DEC Compensation Setting | |
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| LX200GPS and LX400 Series PEC | |
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| A Mini Review | |
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| Guide Log Graphs | |
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| Sample Guide Settings | |
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| Configuring the Autoguider | |
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| Focusing and Centering the Autoguider | |
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| Guide Star Dark Calibration | |
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| Calibration of Autoguider | |
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| Autoguiding Test | |
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| Mind Where You Walk! | |
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| What Follows is a Cautionary Tale! | |
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| References | |
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| Using Advanced Software | |
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| A Day (Night?) in the Life | |
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| Astrometrica | |
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| Asteroid, Comet, and Supernova Detection | |
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| CCD-Inspector | |
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| PoleAlignMax/FocusMax | |
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| Astro Art | |
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| MaxIm DL | |
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| ACP Observatory Control Software Suite | |
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| Multitasking! | |
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| Summary | |
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| CCDCommander | |
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| MPO Connections | |
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| CCDAutoPilot4 | |
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| PHD Guiding | |
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| Additional Software | |
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| GPS Control2 | |
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| SkyTools2 | |
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| TheSky (v6) | |
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| CCD-Navigator | |
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| CCD-Stack | |
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| Adaptive Optics | |
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| Limitations of Guide Scope Use | |
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| Active and Adaptive Optics: The Principles | |
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| One Guide Camera | |
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| Professional Application | |
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| Amateur Equivalents | |
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| Starlight Xpress "Active Optics" Unit (SX AO) | |
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| Telescope Focal Ratio | |
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| CCD Guide Camera | |
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| Assembling the Unit | |
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| Cable Configuration | |
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| Software Connection | |
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| Focusing the SX AO Guide Camera | |
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| Dark Frame Calibration of the Autoguider | |
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| Full Calibration of the Adaptive Optics Unit | |
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| Bump Calibration | |
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| Calibrate SX AO | |
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| First Test | |
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| Results and Summary | |
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| Messier 92 | |
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| Ready for M27 | |
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| Background SX AO Settings | |
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| Conclusions | |
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| A Guide to Weather Satellites | |
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| A Brief History of Weather Satellites | |
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| The Cold War Agreement | |
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| Weather Satellite Orbits | |
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| What Do the Images Show? | |
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| Visible Light, Infrared, and Water Vapor Images | |
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| Polar Orbiting Weather Satellites | |
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| NOAA Polar Orbiters | |
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| Receiving and Decoding NOAA Weather Satellite Images | |
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| Hardware and Software | |
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| Websites with Current a.p.t. Imagery | |
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| Geostationary Weather Satellites: Image Formats | |
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| GEONETCast: A Worldwide System | |
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| Animating Geostationary Weather Satellite Images | |
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| Some Features Seen in Satellite Imagery | |
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| Some LX200 and LX400 Projects | |
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| Lunar Impact Studies | |
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| Searching for Extrasolar Planets | |
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| Comet Imaging | |
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| Astrometry | |
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| Deep Sky Pictures | |
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| Andrey Batchvarov | |
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| George Hall | |
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| Hilary Jones | |
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| Bill Norby | |
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| Richard Robinson | |
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| Stuart Thompson | |
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| Charles Trump | |
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| Merope and Its Nebulosity | |
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| Twilight Flats | |
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| Processing | |
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| Author's Note | |
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| Index | |