The Black Dog Observatory (BDO) is my backyard observatory that was named after our Black Lab/Hound Mix, Rudy.
This 8-foot wide by 8-foot tall dome houses my equatorial telescope mount, primary imaging telescope, astronomy camera, and all of the other accessories needed to run a deep-sky astrophotography session.
This space allows my deep-sky astrophotography sessions to start sooner, last longer, and happen more frequently as my entire kit will stay outside under the dome at all times.
Remote observatories are facilities that house astrophotography equipment in dark-sky locations. Users can control the telescope remotely via the Internet. This means users can capture images without needing to be on-site. Remote observatories generally work in one of two ways: you can operate your own gear that’s been shipped to and hosted at the…
In this article, I’ll explain why I built a backyard observatory and how the entire project took shape this spring. Officially named “Black Dog Observatory,” this structure will become the epicenter of my astrophotography operations in the backyard. Below is a photo of me standing in my new SkySked POD XL5 observatory. I expect many…