Namid Observatory

Weather, Work, Covid-19... somehow I didn't do any real imaging (did some maintenance and configuration though) the entire winter and spring.

BUT!!!

Late last year, I decided to setup a remote observatory with Manoj and Rich - two other astrophotography enthusiasts. We decided to go for a long focal length (maybe adding a widefield later on top):

• scope: Planewave 14" CDK
• mount: 10Micron GM 3000 HPS
• camera: FLI ML50100

The mount is overdimensioned for the scope (the 2000 mount from 10Micron would have ad enough loading capacity) but we wanted it to be super solid.

With the help of Tolga (from https://www.tolgaastro.com/) we then designed everything around it:

• Moonlite Nightcrawler WR35 focuser
• FLI CFW10-7 filter wheel with 62mm square filters (LRGB, Ha, SII, OIII)
• Takahashi Starbase 80 scope as guidescope
• ASI178 guide camera (actually, Manoj won this at AIC and it just fit well :-)

After some investigation, we selected Dark Sky New Mexico as our site. It had good reviews, was fairly well accessible (4.5 hour car ride from Phoenix, AZ) and the price was right!

Richard came up with the name Namid - which means dancer or star dancer in Native American.

We bought and shipped everything and planned to set it up in February or March ... and then Covid-19 happened. For several months, our awesome equipment sat unused at the site or at boxes in our houses :-( Once things looked up, we decided to travel early June to set it up!!! (unfortunately, Manoj had some surgery upcoming and couldn't join us :-(

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