From the June 2019 issue

Make a mask for double stars

Some stellar pairs are too bright to separate with a large scope. An off-axis mask can help you easily split them.
By | Published: June 19, 2019 | Last updated on May 18, 2023
Over the years, I’ve always been an advocate for the small-aperture telescope, touting its remarkable capabilities in my writings and through talks at astronomy conventions and club meetings. During my salad days as an amateur astronomer, back in the 1970s, my telescopic arsenal was made up of a 3-inch f/10 reflector and a 2.4-inch f/11 refractor. Modest in size though they were, these high focal ratio instruments were remarkably capable — especially on double stars, my favorite night-sky targets.

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