Michael A. Stecker
 masmd@sbcglobal.net
 


 

Don S. Goldman, Ph.D.
Orangevale, California
U.S.A.
.
Don is also known as "Astro-Don", maker of the fine ASTRODON True-Balance filters used in CCD astro-imaging




Contact information
website
http://www.astrodon.com
.
Locator Map
http://www.frappr.com/apppublic
Level of accuracy: city of Orangevale, CA, USA

Biography
See: http://www.astrodon.com/AboutMe.html
.
Hi, my name is Don Goldman and I live in Orangevale, California - a northeastern suburb of Sacramento.  I have a technical background with a Ph.D. in near-infrared spectrsocopy.  I am fortunate in founding a company, Optical Solutions, to apply this background in building spectroscopic equipment for chemical analysis for industry. 

As a scientist, I have always been interested in astronomy.  However, I am relatively new to astronomical imaging.  In fact, I purchased a Meade LX-90 in February, 2001 primarily for visual use.   In June of 2001, I  was fortunate to attend a lecture on CCD imaging at the Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society.  The point of this presentation was to show how much detail can actually be obtained  with modern CCD cameras, even from light-polluted city skies.  I knew that this is what I wanted to do.  It seemed like a great mix of technology and art.  So, I  decided to purchase an SBIG ST-7E CCD camera in July, 2001 along with an equatorial wedge for polar alignment for the LX-90.

   After using the camera for awhile, I became restless with the small array size and upgraded my camera in April, 2002 to a a Finger Lake Instruments MaxCam CM10ME CCD with large Kodak KAF-3200 array along with a new mount, C-11, Borg guide-scope and SBIG STV auto-guider.  In November, 2004 I replaced this equipment with my current system -- a
12.5" RCOS Ritchey- Cretien open truss telescope, Software Bisque's Paramount ME MKS4000 mount and an SBIG  ST-10XME CCD camera.

   I plan on getting involved with spectroscopy. I have modified a 15 mm
super Plossl eyepiece with a fiber optic connector to connect the C11
with my diode array spectrometer. 


Astrophotography publications
Sky and Telescope
June, 2003 "Getting Star and Nebula Colors Right in CCD Imaging". 

Four invited talks at AstroImage 2002,
Imaging the Sky 2003/20004 and Advanced Imaging Conference 2004.

Observing site
Home

Astronomical Equipment
Telescopes
12.5-inch RCOS Ritchey- Cretien open truss telescope
Takahashi FSQ106N refractor

Mount
Software Bisque's Paramount ME MKS4000 German equatorial mount


CCD equipment
SBIG  ST-10XME CCD camera
FLI 8-position CFW
SBIG STL11000 CCD camera

 

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