Shelyak Star'ex high resolution optical kit
With Star’Ex (Star’Explorer), create your first High Resolution (HR) spectrograph yourself to observe the spectrum of stars and not just images of them!
The Star’Ex project:
Star’Ex is a project proposed by Christian Buil, in line with Sol’Ex. A dedicated site gives you all the information you need to assemble and operate this instrument.
You manufacture the parts in 3D printing (or have them made by a specialist), then you assemble the instrument with the optical elements of this kit.
All the optical elements needed to make a Star’Ex HR are included in this kit: slit, grating, lenses, guide elements, etc.
In addition, a high-performance device offers several “wide slit” slit widths to adopt the Star’Ex configuration to the size of your telescope and the desired spectral resolution.
Note : with this optical kit, you also have all the necessary elements to make a Sol’Ex (we recommend that you start by making a Sol’Ex: it would be a shame to miss out on marvelous images of the Sun!). You can find more information about the Sol’Ex & Star’Ex project here.
Do you already have a Sol’Ex? :
Just get the “Star’Ex HR supplement” optical kit and transform your Sol’Ex into a Star’Ex
Example of spectrum obtained with the Star’Ex:
With modest equipment (small telescope, small CMOS camera), you will be able to produce very high resolution spectra on shiny objects, i.e. see minute details in the profile of an absorption or emission line .
You will also be able to measure radial velocities by Doppler effect, changes in the profile of a line in particular, highlighting a companion of a binary star, see measuring a magnetic field by adding a system polarization of light as described in the article by Guillaume Bertrand.
By switching to a larger diameter telescope, you will have to adjust the width of the slit according to the focal length of your telescope thanks to the 4-position slit supplied with this kit. The larger the focal length, the wider the slit should be. A bigger telescope will allow you to have fainter object spectra.
Note: When working at high resolution, the flow of light arriving on the sensor is greatly dispersed and therefore we are limited to achieving targets of luminous objects. To produce spectra of lower brightness objects, the Low Resolution (LR) version of the Star’Ex can be used, which will make it possible to produce targets such as galaxies or quasars, but having the entire spectrum of the visible domain in a single times, the spectro is always a matter of compromise.
Technical Specifications
- Spectral resolution: R = 700 to R = 30,000 depending on the chosen slit width (R = wavelength / spectral fineness)
- Wavelength range: 400 nm – 700 nm
- internal reduction ratio: 125 : 80
- 10µm slit for maximum resolution or adjustable slit width of 15, 19, 23 or 35µm depending on your telescope.
In the Box
Kit Star’Ex HR
Ref : [ES0031]
For the Sol’ex part :
- [OP0176] Doublet with a diameter of 25.4mm and a focal length of 80mm
- [OP0181] Doublet with a diameter of 25.4mm and a focal length of 125mm
- [OP0177] 25 x 25mm 2400 gr/mm grating
- [SE0253] A reflective slit 10 µm wide and 4.5 mm long on support
For the guiding / Star’Ex part
- [OP0080] Two doublets with a diameter of 12.5mm and a focal length of 50mm
- [OP0010] Mirror of 15x15mm thickness 3mm
- [SE0116] Multi-length slit 4 positions of 15/19/23/35 µm
Complementary Star’Ex HR optical kit
Ref : [ES0030]
- [OP0080] Two doublets with a diameter of 12.5mm and a focal length of 50mm
- [OP0010] Mirror of 15x15mm thickness 3mm
- [SE0116] Multi-length slit 4 positions of 15/19/23/35 µm
Manual & Warranty
Shelyak 1-Year Warranty
Articles detailing the Sol’Ex & Star’Ex project
Sol’Ex project website
