ATM Designing a Purpose-Made Planetary Telescope

["Thomas O'Hara, PhD" <ohara@azstarnet.com>]

Hi Matt,

If you haven't already seen it, read the chapter on telescope design in
<<Introduction to Observing and Photographing the Planets>>, by Chick
Capen, Dr Don Parker, and Tom Dobbins (available from Willmann-Bell).

Don Parker took  the best planetary photographs I have seen aside from
the Hubble Space Telescope.  The amazing thing is that he did it with a
16" Newtonian, and from near sea level in Florida!  It was Don who was
the primary author of the chapter on Telescopes for Planetary
Observation (although Chick Capen's expertise in the use of filters was
also admitted).  Don offers first a general philosophy of maximizing the
photonic signal-to-noise ratio, and then proceeds to enumerate all the
relatively simple ways we can do that.  It's wonderful.

The chapter on planetary photography is also his, but he has long since
moved on to CCD imaging of the planets with his Lynnx-PC CCD camera.
A second edition which added his views and tips on THAT would be very
welcome!

What about you other planetary observers out there?  What other sources
of info about optimum planetary scope design are y'all familiar with?

Clear skies,

Tom

Thomas O'Hara, PhD
ohara@azstarnet.com