My main areas of interest are:

Variable Nebulae: I started imaging variable nebulae in 2008 after hearing a talk by Nick Hewitt on the subject. Many of my images are on the Orwell Astronomical Society web site.

Spectroscopy: Experimenting with a 22cm diameter, 12 degree objective prism originally on loan, but then purchased from, the BAA instrument collection. I have also made a 26cm, 3 degree prism for fainter objects at lower dispersion. It is not yet fully figured flat on both sides but still gives useful spectra. Some details of its construction can be found in the March 2021 OASI Newsletter.

Telescope making: Although now of “historical interest only” for many years I made all my own instruments including the optics. My main telescope for imaging, a 12inch F/3.6 astrograph, now has a mirror made by Es Reid which is a bit better than mine ever were! The F/3.8 mirror is used with a 3" Wynne corrector from Astrosysteme Austria (ASA) to give an F/3.6 fully corrected flat-field for imaging. It is also sometimes used with a 2" Barlow corrector, also from ASA, to work at F/6.8.

Updated: 8th April 2021

Local society membership: Orwell Astronomical Society (Ipswich)