MORNING STAR OBSERVATORY
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Morning Star Observatory (MSO) is located in the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia. My old observatory in Virginia was dismantled in late 2017 and all the equipment packed and stored, awaiting completion of a new observatory building.

Some first steps were done on the Lancaster dome, trying to sort out what goes where, but since I don't have a real assembly manual, It's a bit like trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle without the picture. I'm also migrating away from Window-based computers to Linux. Most of the initial setup is complete but it won't be totally finished until the dome is up.

​My plans for the new observatory have been on hold for the last three years while the homestead was being completed. That work is mostly done, but now we have yet another holdup. We are again looking for a new location due to an unforseen problem in the development we live in (unrelated to the observatory). So I've decided I'm not going through all the effort of constructing another observatory unless it's on unrestricted land.


My EQ-8 has always been pier mounted and I don't have the tripod for it, and its too heavy to lug around anyway, so I amuse myself with binoculars for the present. I also still have my old Celestron Ultima 8 and its tripod that I can fall back on for some higher magnification planetary or moon gazing.

If and when we do get the dome completed, it will house my Orion HDX110 EQ-G (EQ-8) GEM mount and Celestron C-11 Schmidt Cassegrain telescope (SCT). Also an Astro-Tech AT6RC astrograph for imaging and, of course, another piggybacked guide scope with camera.


My imaging cameras are a modified Orion StarShoot Pro 6MP one-shot color camera and an 8.3MP QSI 683 mono camera with LRGB, Ha, SII and OIII filters. There is also a ZWO CMOS mono camera for autoguiding and possibly planetary imaging.

N 39.05° | W 78.74°
1840 ft EL

Picture
Picture

I have several other hobbies, not related to astronomy that I occupy myself with while waiting to build the dome, and I've created some pages relating to those. And, of course, there are some pages showing our progress on the log home that occupied my every waking minute for more than two years.

The layout for the pages on this website are best viewed on a desktop. The mobile views usually look OK, but sometimes not so much. I've just learned to live with it, being it's a free website provider and all.

moon phases
​
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork... Psalm 19:1


​Disclaimer:  The information contained on this and related pages is believed to be accurate, but no guarantees are expressed or implied.  Any information on these pages should be considered "as-is" and the reader is completely responsible for the way it is used. 

​Copyright © 2011-2021 Stephen Statts, All Rights Reserved
(Last update to this page - 9/20/2020)
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  • Home
    • Contact
  • Astrophotography
  • Observatory
    • New Observatory
    • Lancaster Dome
    • ExploraDome
  • Equipment
    • Accessories >
      • RA Drive Corrector
    • CCD Cameras >
      • Orion Starshoot Pro
    • Mounts >
      • Orion HDX110 (EQ-8)
    • Telescopes >
      • 1956 Questar 3.5
      • Astro-Tech AT6RC
      • Celestron C-11 XLT
      • Zhumell 152mm Refractor
  • Projects
    • C11 XLT Mods
    • Dome Automation
    • Orion SSPRO Camera >
      • Disassembled Views
      • Noise Reduction Mod
      • Temp Controller Mod
    • Ultima 8 Mods
    • Zhumell Refractor Mods
  • Non-Astronomy
    • Amateur Radio >
      • Accessories >
        • Station Boom Microphone
      • Ameco >
        • Ameco AC-1
        • Ameco OCM
        • Ameco PT-2
        • Ameco R5A
      • Vintage Equipment >
        • Knight Kit T-60 Transmitter
        • Heathkit SB-102 Station
      • Yaesu FT-817 >
        • Yaesu FT-817ND
        • LDG Z-817 Autotuner
        • Windcamp LiPo Battery
    • Antique Radios >
      • Building A Radio Workbench
      • Radio Dial Neon Clock
      • Radios >
        • Boat Anchor Radios >
          • BC-348N Receiver
          • Collins 51J4 HF Receiver
        • Eltz Radione 2
        • Knight Kit Span Master II
        • Panasonic RF-5000A
        • Silvertone Model 4465
      • Test Equipment >
        • Hickok >
          • Hickok 19X RF Generator
          • Hickok 225K VTVM
          • Hickok 288X RF Generator
        • Simpson >
          • Simpson Genescope
        • Supreme Instruments >
          • Supreme Model 385 Automatic
          • Supreme Audolyzer
          • Supreme Vedolyzer
        • Military Test Equipment >
          • BC-221-AF Frequency Meter
          • LM-21 Frequency Meter
          • TS-323/UR Frequency Meter
          • TS-505D/U VTVM
        • Other Test Equipment >
          • Tektronix 326 O'scope
        • Radio Analyzers >
          • Rider Chanalyst
        • Tube Testers >
          • Alternating Current Sink
          • Drug Store Tester
          • Hickok 550X
          • I-177 Tube Tester
          • MX-949 Adapter
          • Precision Model 10-12
          • Supreme Model 385
          • TV-3C/U Tube Tester
    • New Homestead >
      • 2015 - 17 Getting Started
      • 2018 - Log Home Progress
      • 2019 - Finishing Up
    • Star Trek Communicator