Guiding module

The Alpy 600 and UVEX spectroscopes can be used on the bench or in the laboratory: in this case, simply place the light source to be observed in front of the slit. But when you want to observe the spectrum of a star, a problem arises: how do you know if you’re pointing at the right star, and make sure the star is perfectly positioned in the slit?

The guiding module answers this question: it allows the telescope field and the slit (observed from the front of the spectroscope) to be viewed with a guiding camera. It is an indispensable aid for pointing as well as for guiding & autoguiding the telescope as soon as your observation lasts more than a few seconds.

The principle of the guiding module is simple: the standard slit of the spectro (Alpy 600 or UVEX) is replaced by a reflective, slightly inclined slit, which reflects the telescope image onto the guiding camera (or eyepiece, with the optional eyepiece holder). See diagram below (taken from the Practical Guide to start in Astronomical Spectroscopy).

We highly recommend this module if you want to use your Alpy 600 or UVEX on a telescope.

 

Autoguiding module mounted on the UVEX spectroscope.

See Alpy guiding module user manual.
Overall drawing.
How do I set up and mount the autoguiding camera ?