itelescope/TELESCOPES.md
Laurence 6555e774d9 Telescope review: all 23 active iTelescope systems
Adds TELESCOPES.md, a per-observatory review of every telescope on the
iTelescope.net network with a spec block and an assessment for each, a
'choosing a telescope' use-case table, and general observations (CCD to CMOS
migration, Bin2 software limits, elevation limits, network-side calibration).

Data sourcing:
- data/itelescope-telescopes.csv is a verbatim CSV export of iTelescope's
  maintained specs Google Sheet (24 rows: 23 active scopes + T74 placeholder).
- The support article (Freshdesk 247371) supplied observatory groupings and
  minimum elevation limits; it still lists T9/T19/T31/T69 which the sheet has
  dropped - the review follows the sheet and records the discrepancy.
- go.itelescope.net is an authenticated app shell; nothing was scraped from it.

Also fills in the remaining state/ files: TODO (pending: T74 specs, retired
scope reconciliation, periodic sheet refresh), DECISIONS (source-of-truth
choice, single-document structure, no launchpad scraping), NOTES (refresh
command, CSV quirks), ARCHITECTURE (repo layout), and README.
2026-07-17 14:20:49 +01:00

377 lines
18 KiB
Markdown

# iTelescope.net telescope review
A review of every telescope on the iTelescope.net network, grouped by observatory.
Compiled 2026-07-17 from the network's own sources:
- Support article (observatory summaries, minimum elevations):
https://support.itelescope.net/support/solutions/articles/247371
- Maintained specs Google Sheet (snapshotted in [data/itelescope-telescopes.csv](data/itelescope-telescopes.csv)):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jZWkkjewOuyNC9YzQ8y2d0pO1e4T7EBeysmQMPBVSOk/
- The launchpad (https://go.itelescope.net/) is login-only and holds no public specs.
Note on coverage: the Google Sheet is the maintained source and is what this review
follows. The older support article additionally lists T9, T19, T31 and T69, which no
longer appear in the sheet (retired or rebuilt); T74 appears in the sheet with no
specs, presumably in commissioning.
## The network at a glance
| Observatory | MPC code | Hemisphere | Telescopes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah Desert Remote Observatory, USA | U94 | North | T2, T5, T11, T14, T20, T21, T25, T26, T68 |
| Sierra Remote Observatory, California, USA | U69 | North | T24 |
| Siding Spring Observatory, Australia | Q62 | South | T8, T17, T30, T32, T33, T59 |
| Deep Sky Chile | X07 | South | T70, T71, T72, T73, T74, T75 |
| AstroCamp Observatory, Spain | I89 | North | T18 |
| Entre Encinas y Estrellas (e-EyE), Spain | (none listed) | North | T80 |
Two systems are free to use (30 minutes per day): **T68** (Utah, fast colour
widefield) and **T33** (Siding Spring, narrow deep field).
---
## Utah Desert Remote Observatory (MPC U94)
Dark Great Basin desert site; the largest cluster on the network and the main
northern-hemisphere hub.
### T2: Takahashi TOA-150 + QHY268C (one-shot colour)
- 150 mm f/7.3 apochromatic refractor, 1105 mm focal length
- QHY268C colour CMOS (Sony IMX571, APS-C), 0.69"/px, 72.6 x 48.6 arcmin
- Paramount GTS, off-axis guided, no filters; minimum elevation 25 degrees
**Review:** the premium one-shot-colour option. Superb refractor optics and a modern
back-illuminated sensor at a well-sampled 0.69"/px make it the easiest route to a
finished colour image of medium-sized targets (galaxy groups, planetary nebulae,
globulars) with no filter runs to plan. No narrowband, so emission nebulae under
moonlight are off the menu. Files are large (26 MP 16-bit FITS).
### T5: Takahashi Epsilon 250 + SBIG ST-10XME
- 250 mm f/3.4 hyperbolic flat-field astrograph, 850 mm focal length
- ST-10XME CCD (NABG), 1.66"/px, 60.6 x 40.8 arcmin
- Paramount PME, external guiding; RGB, Ha/SII/OIII, and Johnson-Cousins B, V, I
**Review:** a fast classic. The f/3.4 Epsilon gathers light quickly for its class and
the photometric filter set makes it one of the few scopes that does both pretty
pictures and science. The small, old NABG CCD is the weak point: only 3.2 MP, and
bright stars bloom on long exposures, so keep subs short around bright fields.
### T11: Planewave CDK20 + FLI ProLine PL11002M
- 510 mm (20") f/4.5 corrected Dall-Kirkham with 0.66x reducer, 2280 mm
- PL11002M CCD (full frame), 0.81"/px, 54.3 x 36.2 arcmin
- Ascension 200HR; LRGB, 3 nm narrowband, and U, B, V, R, I; minimum elevation 20 degrees
**Review:** big aperture at a fast reduced focal ratio with a generous field: a strong
general-purpose deep-space scope for nebulae and larger galaxies, plus full UBVRI for
photometry. The sensor's 51% peak QE is dated, so it needs more integration time than
the CMOS scopes for the same depth, and it is noted as sensitive to stray-light
gradients near full moon.
### T14: Takahashi FSQ-106 Fluorite + SBIG STX-16803
- 106 mm f/5.0 Petzval refractor, 530 mm focal length
- STX-16803 CCD, 3.5"/px, 238.8 x 238.8 arcmin (4 x 4 degrees)
- Paramount ME, unguided; LRGB, 5 nm Ha/SII/OIII, V; minimum elevation 25 degrees
**Review:** the classic mono widefield workhorse. Four square degrees on the square
16803 sensor suits large nebula complexes (North America, Veil, Rho Ophiuchi) and
mosaics. CCD rather than CMOS, so integration is slower than modern rivals, and
dithering is recommended. Pick it for framed mono narrowband over T20's colour.
### T20: Takahashi FSQ-106ED + ZWO ASI2400C (one-shot colour)
- 106 mm f/5.0 Petzval refractor, 530 mm focal length
- ASI2400C colour CMOS (Sony IMX410, full frame, 14-bit), 2.31"/px, 233.7 x 155.8 arcmin
- Paramount ME, unguided; Optolong L-Pro and L-Ultimate (3 nm dual-band), Astrodon narrowband
- Field rotated 90 degrees relative to T14 for alternative framing
**Review:** the colour twin of T14 with a modern full-frame CMOS. The L-Ultimate
dual-band filter is the clever bit: one-shot-colour narrowband on emission nebulae,
even with the moon up. Sensor is 14-bit, so dynamic range trails the mono 16-bit
scopes. The best low-effort widefield choice on the network.
### T21: Planewave CDK17 + FLI PL6303E
- 431 mm (17") f/4.5 corrected Dall-Kirkham with 0.66x reducer, 1940 mm
- PL6303E CCD (NABG), 0.96"/px, 49.2 x 32.8 arcmin
- Ascension 200HR; Astrodon LRGB, 5 nm narrowband, and UBVRI; minimum elevation 20 degrees
**Review:** billed as a combined photometry and imaging system, and that is its niche:
the sensitive NABG chip plus a full Johnson-Cousins set makes it a proper science
scope. The same NABG sensitivity means blooming on bright subjects, so it rewards
careful target and exposure choice rather than casual use.
### T25: Planewave CDK20 + Player One Zeus 455M PRO
- 508 mm (20") f/6.8 corrected Dall-Kirkham at native focal length, 3454 mm
- Zeus 455M mono CMOS (Sony IMX455, full frame), 0.23"/px, 36.2 x 24.2 arcmin, 61 MP
- Planewave L-500; Astrodon LRGB and 3 nm narrowband
**Review:** the resolution monster. At 0.23"/px it is oversampled for almost any
seeing, which means you can bin or drizzle as you please and still resolve fine
structure in small galaxies and planetary nebulae. The cost is enormous files (61 MP
per sub) and a narrow field. Choose it when the target is small and detail is the
point.
### T26: Planewave Delta Rho 500 + ZWO ASI6200MM Pro
- 508 mm (20") f/3.0 corrected astrograph, 1537 mm focal length
- ASI6200MM mono CMOS (IMX455, full frame, Bin2 only), 1.01"/px, 80.4 x 54.0 arcmin
- Planewave L-550 on equatorial wedge; Chroma LRGB and 3 nm narrowband
- Recommended subs: LRGB 30-180 s, narrowband 180-300 s (900 s available)
**Review:** arguably the best imaging system on the network: half a metre of aperture
at f/3.0 with a modern 91% QE sensor is a light bucket that reaches faint extended
nebulosity (integrated flux nebulae, faint Ha shells) in a fraction of the usual
integration time, over a 1.3-degree field. Bin2-only is a software limitation, not an
optical one, and barely matters at this image scale.
### T68: Celestron RASA 11 + ZWO ASI2600C (free, one-shot colour)
- 279 mm (11") f/2.2 Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt astrograph, 620 mm focal length
- ASI2600C colour CMOS (IMX571, APS-C), 1.25"/px, 130.2 x 87.0 arcmin
- Paramount ME II, mount-guided, no filters; 30 minutes free per day
**Review:** the free taster scope, and genuinely good: f/2.2 means even short free
sessions produce satisfying colour images of bright nebulae and comets over a
2-degree field. No filters and modest QE cap its ceiling. Ideal for trying the
network, time-lapse of transients, or quick-look framing before booking a paid scope.
---
## Sierra Remote Observatory, California (MPC U69)
High Sierra site with steady seeing; hosts the network's largest northern aperture.
### T24: Planewave CDK24 + Player One Zeus 455M PRO
- 610 mm (24") f/6.5 corrected Dall-Kirkham, 3962 mm focal length
- Zeus 455M mono CMOS, 0.395"/px (Bin2), 31.6 x 21.1 arcmin
- Ascension 200HR, external guiding beyond 300 s; Astrodon LRGB, 3 nm narrowband, V and Ic
- Match subs to calibration set (60/120/180/300/600/900 s); minimum elevation 25 degrees
**Review:** the northern flagship. The biggest glass in the northern half of the
network on a steady-seeing site, with a modern high-QE sensor: first choice for small
galaxies, quasar fields and faint photometry (V and Ic fitted). The operational notes
(RBI flush, fixed exposure ladder, dithering) show it is run seriously for calibrated
science data. Narrow field, so not for showpiece nebulae.
---
## Siding Spring Observatory, Australia (MPC Q62)
The network's southern-hemisphere anchor, on the AAO site. The only access most users
have to Magellanic Cloud and far-southern targets at serious aperture. Roof geometry
limits northern views (horizon limits 35-75 degrees depending on scope).
### T8: Takahashi FSQ-106ED + FLI Microline 16803
- 106 mm f/5.0 Petzval refractor, 530 mm focal length
- ML16803 CCD, 3.5"/px, 238.8 x 238.8 arcmin (4 x 4 degrees)
- Paramount PME, external guiding; Astrodon LRGB, EXO, narrowband, NIR luminance
- North horizon limit 75 degrees; dithering recommended (occasional dark columns)
**Review:** the southern widefield essential: four square degrees on the LMC, SMC,
Eta Carinae or the Gum Nebula is something no northern scope can offer. Same era of
CCD as T14 with the same patience requirement, and its known dark-column quirk makes
dithering effectively mandatory. Book it for large southern showpieces.
### T17: Planewave CDK17 + ZWO ASI6200MM Pro
- 432 mm (17") f/6.8 corrected Dall-Kirkham, 2939 mm focal length
- ASI6200MM mono CMOS (Bin2 only), 0.53"/px, 42.4 x 28.3 arcmin
- Paramount PME, unguided; Astrodon LRGB and 5 nm narrowband; minimum elevation 35 degrees
**Review:** a modern deep-field machine pointed at the southern sky: 91% QE at half an
arcsecond per pixel is a potent combination for southern galaxies (NGC 1365, Centaurus
A) and planetary nebulae. The tight 35-degree elevation floor means plan targets near
culmination.
### T30: Planewave CDK20 + FLI PL6303E
- 508 mm (20") f/4.4 corrected Dall-Kirkham with 0.66x reducer, 2262 mm
- PL6303E CCD (NABG), 0.81"/px, 41.6 x 27.8 arcmin
- Ascension 200HR; Astrodon LRGB, 5 nm narrowband, and full Johnson-Cousins UBVRcIc
**Review:** the southern science scope: big aperture, fast reduced optics and the
full photometric filter set. Same NABG blooming caveat as its northern siblings, and
the CCD needs more integration than T17's CMOS for imaging, so treat it as
photometry-first, imaging-second.
### T32: Planewave CDK17 + ZWO ASI6200MM Pro
- 431 mm (17") f/6.8 corrected Dall-Kirkham, 2912 mm focal length
- ASI6200MM mono CMOS (Bin2 only), 0.53"/px, 42.4 x 28.3 arcmin
- Ascension 200HR; Astrodon LRGB, 5 nm narrowband, plus V and Ic; minimum elevation 30 degrees
**Review:** effectively T17's twin with a slightly friendlier elevation limit and V/Ic
photometric filters added. If T17 is booked, this is the same capability; if you need
magnitudes as well as pictures, prefer T32 of the pair.
### T33: 12.5" RCOS Ritchey-Chretien + Apogee Alta U16 (free)
- 320 mm (12.5") f/9.0 Ritchey-Chretien, 2885 mm focal length
- Alta U16 CCD (NABG), 0.54"/px, 37 x 37 arcmin
- Paramount ME, external guiding; Astrodon LRGB and narrowband
- 30 minutes free per day; north horizon limit 45 degrees
- Recommended: LRGB 300 s; narrowband 300 s Bin2 or 600 s Bin1 on calm nights
**Review:** the free southern scope, and a much more serious instrument than "free"
suggests: a proper RC with narrowband filters at 0.54"/px. The NABG CCD blooms on
bright stars and f/9 is slow, so free 30-minute slots are best spent on compact,
reasonably bright targets, or accumulated across nights.
### T59: Planewave CDK20 + FLI ProLine 16803
- 510 mm (20") f/6.8 corrected Dall-Kirkham, 3411 mm focal length
- ProLine 16803 CCD, 0.54"/px, 37.2 x 37.2 arcmin
- Ascension 200HR; Astrodon LRGB, 5 nm narrowband, Ic and Z; capable of 15-minute subs
**Review:** deep and square: the 16803's square field at half-arcsecond sampling with
an ABG chip rated for very long exposures. The scope to book for faint southern
targets that need 900-second narrowband subs without blooming worries. QE is dated
(60%), so it trades sensor efficiency for exposure headroom.
---
## Deep Sky Chile (MPC X07)
Newest site, Atacama-quality southern skies; a modern all-CMOS lineup built around
astrophotography.
### T70: Samyang 135 mm f/3.5 + ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
- 65 mm camera lens at f/3.5, 129 mm focal length
- ASI2600MM mono CMOS (IMX571, APS-C), 4.51"/px, 469.8 x 355.2 arcmin (7.8 x 5.9 degrees)
- Paramount ME, guided; Astrodon LRGB and narrowband; minimum elevation 0 degrees
**Review:** an eight-degree mono narrowband field under Atacama skies, down to the
horizon. Made for constellation-scale mosaics, the Gum Nebula, and the Milky Way core.
It is a camera lens, so expect corner coma and halos on bright stars; that is the
stated trade for the field of view.
### T71: Takahashi Epsilon 180ED + ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
- 180 mm f/2.8 hyperbolic Newtonian astrograph, 500 mm focal length
- ASI2600MM mono CMOS, 1.55"/px, 161.4 x 108.0 arcmin
- Paramount MyT, guided; Astrodon LRGB and 5 nm narrowband
- Electronic shutter: no user darks; calibrated data supplied for standard sub lengths
**Review:** the best fast-widefield system on the network: f/2.8 optics, a modern
sensor and Chilean skies. A 2.7 x 1.8 degree field at 1.55"/px suits nearly every
showpiece southern nebula. Subs are constrained to the standard calibration ladder
(10-600 s) since you cannot take your own darks, and files are large (101 MiB).
### T72: Planewave CDK20 + FLI ML-16200
- 510 mm (20") f/6.8 corrected Dall-Kirkham, 3411 mm focal length
- ML-16200 CCD, 0.359"/px, 26.9 x 21.5 arcmin
- Planewave L-500; LRGB, narrowband, and U, B, V, R, I
- Precision-scaled raw calibration frames published at data.itelescope.net (0-900 s)
**Review:** the Chilean science workhorse: full UBVRI photometry, very fine sampling,
and a published high-precision calibration pipeline aimed squarely at photometric
work. The 39Ke full well is modest, so watch saturation on bright comparison stars.
For pretty pictures the CMOS scopes on site are faster; for southern photometry this
is the one.
### T73: Planewave CDK14 + ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
- 356 mm (14") f/7.2 corrected Dall-Kirkham, 2563 mm focal length
- ASI2600MM mono CMOS, 0.31"/px, 31.8 x 21.0 arcmin
- Paramount ME II, guided; Chroma LRGB and 3 nm narrowband
**Review:** a fine-detail southern imager: 0.31"/px oversampling with a near-zero
dark current sensor (darks essentially redundant) and tight 3 nm Chroma narrowband.
The pick for small southern galaxies and planetaries when T25-style resolution is
wanted below the celestial equator. Short 240 s max recommended subs keep runs simple.
### T74: (in commissioning)
Listed in the network sheet with no published specs yet.
### T75: ASA N250 + ZWO ASI6200MM Pro
- 250 mm f/3.8 Newtonian astrograph, 950 mm focal length
- ASI6200MM mono CMOS (Bin2 only), 1.72"/px, 137.4 x 91.8 arcmin
- Paramount MyT, guided; Chroma LRGB and 3 nm narrowband
**Review:** the middle option at Deep Sky Chile: faster and wider than the CDKs,
deeper than the Epsilon. A 2.3 x 1.5 degree field at f/3.8 with 91% QE makes quick
work of medium-large southern nebulae. Bin2-only sampling is coarse but well matched
to the focal length.
---
## AstroCamp Observatory, Spain (MPC I89)
High-altitude site in the Spanish mountains; fills the European longitude gap so
northern targets can be followed when America is in daylight.
### T18: Planewave CDK12 + QHY600M
- 318 mm (12.5") f/5.3 corrected Dall-Kirkham, 1683 mm focal length
- QHY600M mono CMOS (IMX455, full frame, Bin2 only), 0.92"/px, 73.6 x 49.1 arcmin
- Paramount PME, externally guided; Astrodon LRGB, 5 nm narrowband, photometric V and Ic
- Minimum elevation 40 degrees
**Review:** a well-balanced all-rounder: enough aperture for galaxies, a wide enough
field (1.2 degrees) for most nebulae, modern sensor, and V/Ic for photometry. Its real
value is longitude coverage for time-critical work (exoplanet transits, variable
stars, GRB follow-up) from Europe. The 40-degree elevation floor is the strictest on
the network, so target selection matters.
---
## Entre Encinas y Estrellas (e-EyE), Spain
Hosting site in Extremadura; currently one iTelescope system.
### T80: Samyang 135 mm f/3.5 + ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
- 65 mm camera lens at f/3.5, 129 mm focal length
- ASI2600MM mono CMOS, 5.98"/px, 622.2 x 415.8 arcmin (10.4 x 6.9 degrees)
- Paramount MyT, guided; Astrodon LRGB and narrowband
**Review:** T70's northern sibling: a ten-degree mono field for constellation-scale
imaging (whole of Orion's belt and sword in one frame, big Ha mosaics of Cygnus).
Same camera-lens caveats on corner stars. Between this and T70 the entire sky is
covered at super-wide field.
---
## Choosing a telescope
| Use case | First choice | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Widefield narrowband, north | T14 (mono), T20 (colour dual-band) | T68 (free colour) |
| Widefield narrowband, south | T71 | T8, T75 |
| Constellation-scale mosaics | T80 (north), T70 (south) | |
| Faint extended nebulosity | T26 | T75, T71 |
| Small galaxies / fine detail, north | T24 | T25 |
| Small galaxies / fine detail, south | T73 | T17, T32, T59 |
| Photometry / science, north | T21, T24 | T5, T11, T18 |
| Photometry / science, south | T72 | T30, T32 |
| One-shot colour, minimum effort | T20 | T2, T68 |
| Long (15 min) narrowband subs, south | T59 | |
| European longitude / transit timing | T18 | |
| Free / trying the network | T68 (north), T33 (south) | |
## General observations
- The network is mid-migration from legacy CCDs (16803, PL6303E, ST-10XME) to modern
back-illuminated CMOS (IMX455, IMX571): the CMOS scopes reach the same depth in
roughly half the integration time thanks to 85-91% peak QE, and several of the CCD
systems (NABG chips especially) carry blooming caveats the CMOS ones do not.
- Several CMOS systems are Bin2-only due to software limitations (T17, T18, T26, T32,
T75). At their focal lengths this costs little real resolution.
- Minimum elevation limits vary widely (0 degrees at T70 up to 40 degrees at T18) and
are a real planning constraint, especially at Siding Spring where the roof blocks
much of the northern sky.
- Calibration is handled network-side on several scopes (T71's electronic shutter
disallows user darks; T72 publishes precision-scaled calibration frames; T24 wants
subs matched to its calibration ladder). Check the per-scope notes before planning
exposures.