Are you passionate about astrophotography but find the costs and complexities of maintaining your own telescope daunting? Or perhaps you’re looking for ways to enhance your imaging capabilities without breaking the bank? Joining a remote observatory imaging group might be the perfect solution for you. Not only do you gain access to high-end equipment and expert support, but you also become part of a vibrant community of like-minded enthusiasts. In this post, we’ll explore the numerous benefits of joining a remote observatory group, from cost efficiency and convenience to optimal imaging conditions and collaborative opportunities. Read on to discover why becoming a member of a remote observatory team could be the game-changer you’ve been looking for in your astrophotography journey.
Cost efficiency
This hobby can become a significant financial commitment. It’s not just the relentless progression of technology and services, but also the initial costs of starting out and the subsequent investments in upgrades and fine-tuning required to gather the best observational data possible.
After purchasing a mount, camera, telescope, guide scope, filters, and an imaging computer, you’ve already spent thousands of dollars. Then you encounter the limitations or misaligned expectations of consumer equipment, which can lead to a frustrating and expensive cycle of upgrades. You might spend $3,000-$5,000 and only have the opportunity to capture images once a week, if that.
Take advantage of our special introductory offer and gain access to our dark sky data for just $99.
access to high quality equipment
Joining an Observing Team grants you access to high-quality equipment.
Our top-tier Paramount MX 6 mount can capture images for up to 20 minutes unguided, thanks to full PEC curve training and a 300-point star model that ensures precise pointing and atmospheric seeing correction. It can also carry up to 125 lbs of gear, so we’ll be adding a long focal length scope and other equipment to piggyback and you, our members will benefit from more data at different focal lengths!
The Pier-Tech roll-off roof observatory is equipped with comprehensive weather tracking, rain detection, all-sky viewing, and full automation, maximizing imaging time even during weather intervals that would typically send backyard observers indoors.
Our 3nm Narrowband filters complement our widefield F 4.9 WO Red Cat Scope, paired with a 61-megapixel full-frame camera, providing an exceptional edge-to-edge field of view. Our image train can be rotated robotically to allow us to frame observations in any view.
For $99, you gain access to tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment, not to mention our cloud services, data storage, and distribution capabilities.
Unlike other remote imaging groups, this is currently a lifetime one off membership. No points, no renewals, no quirks of missing out on data observations before you joined or anything like that.
Convenience
Often overlooked and underappreciated during the initial super-enthusiastic startup phase of embracing this hobby, convenience can make or break the entire experience. The first few times you stay up all night to debug issues or figure something out can be fun and thrilling. I won’t deny this. However, over time, these late nights begin to take a toll if you can’t adjust your lifestyle around them.
Being able to go to bed, wake up, and have data available is a wonderful experience—you don’t have to worry about leaving your equipment out overnight and wondering if a surprise rainstorm may destroy your investment.
If you register today, you’ll be processing data by tomorrow.
If there is full moon or bad weather, you have a library of data to go through.
If there is clear skies and no moon, our robots will do all the work, download the data, upload it to our cloud storage and report back to discord. You can sleep, enjoy your friends and family, enjoy your other hobbies or work on data or chat with peers or watch some of our live streams and have fun with us.
Learning & Collaboration
Over time, I’ve come to understand that while backyard astrophotography is immensely satisfying in many respects, it can also be quite solitary. It’s all too easy to become engrossed in the routine of preparing for or concluding your observations, and to fall into the habit of handling everything on your own, leading to frustration and burnout.
Joining an imaging team offers the advantage of working collaboratively and learning collectively with peers who are analyzing similar data.
We are planning to conduct workshops on PixInsight, Siril, and other imaging software. There will be days dedicated to live imaging, tours of observatories, and events focused on live imaging and stacking.
Our aspiration is that you will learn and evolve alongside us. You’re not merely purchasing data; you’re forging connections with fellow enthusiasts who are passionate about astronomy and astrophotography and are eager to learn and progress together.
We have a growing library of guides and as we work through our data sets, we’ll publish how we processed them.
Optimal Imaging Conditions
Light pollution significantly affects the ability to capture images from many backyards. Most people reside under Bortle 6 or higher skies, making remote observation or access to darker skies crucial, especially for those in Bortle 8 and 9 urban areas.
We capture images from a Bortle 2 Dark site, nearly Bortle 1. You no longer need to transport your equipment to a remote location and hope for clear skies; simply submit your requests to us or browse our online data library.
Moreover, if you enjoy or are unable to visit dark sky sites, you can enhance your backyard imaging with our data. It can assist in linear fitting and optimizing your sessions. Our dark sky images can be adjusted to match your image ratio, and PixInsight can linear fit them to our dark skies, helping to mitigate light pollution. Our data is designed to complement, not replace, your backyard imaging efforts.
Technical Support & Maintenance
Encountering an issue? We’re here to help. When issues arise, we document and share them, so everyone learns alongside us.
Camera malfunctioning? We’ll take care of it. We manage warranties or replacements and ensure a swift return to operation.
Is polar alignment off? We’ll fine-tune it. Say goodbye to nightly adjustments. Our fixed pier and dedicated observatory enable precision pointing and a T-point model tailored to our skies. We regularly refine this model and monitor for any drift or changes monthly.
Rain in the forecast? We’ll secure the observatory and send out alerts. Rest assured, your gear is safe from weather-related damage.
USB cables not working? We’ll replace them. USB issues can manifest in various ways, causing system problems. Rest easy; we’ll sort out these annoyances.
In case of any problems, we’ll activate emergency protocols or support, ensuring your peace of mind.
Data Storage & processing power
Access and synchronize data effortlessly from anywhere with an internet connection.
Share data directly from your personal storage space.
Members get access to our cloud storage where they can download files on demand, run a local synchronization on their choice of MacOS, Windows, Linux or even mobile devices. It’s like Dropbox for the cosmos!
Upgrade your storage to back up or share your observational and imaging data as well! We’ll be offering this service on our store shortly!
The ability to handle raw data for personal calibration or to simply download integrated masters for immediate processing is incredibly convenient. Managing full-frame camera images, which can exceed 100 megabytes each, can be cumbersome. Allow us to store the data, simplify your access, and enable you to download and process it according to your own timeline.
We even provide 2x and sometimes 3x drizzle masters that can take hours, if not days, to integrate due to their sheer size. We are always eager to collaborate with our members to create the best possible experience and, more importantly, to use technology to help us optimize our often limited time.
Joining a remote observatory imaging group offers a wealth of benefits that can significantly enhance your astrophotography experience. From cost savings and access to advanced equipment to the convenience of remote access and the support of a knowledgeable community, the advantages are clear. By becoming a member, you’ll not only elevate your skills but also enjoy the thrill of capturing stunning celestial images with optimal conditions and state-of-the-art technology. Don’t let the challenges of astrophotography hold you back. Take the next step in your astrophotography journey and join our remote observatory team today. Experience the sky like never before and unlock your full potential as an astrophotographer!
