Tzec Maun Project Images and Teaching Page

The Andromeda Galaxy  as seen from Mayhill, NM 24-25 Sept 08 :  FSQ-106/STL11K/Paramount ME/L30, RGB20 ea using Tzec Maun

The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) as seen from Pingelly W. AUS on 27 Nov 09:  FSQ-106/STL11Kc/Paramount ME/600s x 2/ using Tzec Maun

The LMC and Andromeda Galaxy - DISTANCE is the key to understanding. The LMC on the left above is approximately 179,000 Light Years away from Earth Andromeda, the nearest galaxy to Earth, is approximately 2,900,000 Light Years from Earth Below and to the right of the Andromeda image you can see a small, blurry object.  This object was discovered by Charles Messier in 1773 and is being gravitationally drawn into its massive Andromedan host.  In almost the same way, the LMC is being gravitationally drawn into our own home, the Milky Way Galaxy.  The Whole Shebang (pardon me Brian Greene) is being gravitationally drawn into Andromeda

Here's an article I wrote for the Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas  about purchasing a telescope "mount" for your system

From 22 FEB 13 in Rockwall, TX: Coronado PST on dual saddle plate with ETX-125 with Orion Type 2+ glass solar filter. This setup allows students to observe the Sun in white light and H-Alpha nearly simultaneously. Students can sketch a multi-wavelength image of the Sun this way. The telescopes are nicely balanced and the PST retains its white Solar Shade to allow observers to view the Sun without being affected by glare.

M51/NGC5194 captured remotely at Tzec Maun observatory in Mayhill, NM using AP206mm refractor SBIG STL-11000 on Paramount ME through LRGB filters. Total time 155 minutes Images assembled in MaxIM DL, post processed in Photoshop CS2. (c)2011 Max Corneau