Starpoint Australis

Starpoint Australis Specialising in bespoke, intelligent, purpose-designed equipment and astronomy experiences
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Sunday Skies ✦ Captured by Dan Faull | Thor’s Helmet (NGC 2359), also catalogued as Sharpless 2-298 and Gum 4, is an emi...
21/06/2026

Sunday Skies ✦ Captured by Dan Faull |

Thor’s Helmet (NGC 2359), also catalogued as Sharpless 2-298 and Gum 4, is an emission nebula located roughly 12,000 light years away in the constellation Canis Major.

At the centre of the nebula lies WR7, a rare Wolf–Rayet star nearing the end of its life. These stars have already burned through much of their hydrogen and expose deeper layers rich in heavier elements, giving them extremely high surface temperatures that can exceed 200,000 K.

Powerful stellar winds from WR7 are blasting huge amounts of material into the surrounding space, carving out the bubble-like structure that gives the nebula its distinctive helmet appearance.

This image was captured over two nights under Bortle 6 suburban skies in Perth, Western Australia, showing just how much structure can be revealed even from light-polluted environments with careful integration and processing.

Sky-Watcher Black Diamond 250/1200
ZWO ASI294MM Pro | Sky-Watcher NEQ6-Pro
Antlia Blue | Antlia Green | Antlia Red
Astronomik Hα 6nm | Astronomik OIII 6nm | Astronomik SII 6nm
Tele Vue Paracorr Type-2 | Lacerta OctoPlus 5010N | ZWO EAF | ZWO EFW 8×1.25″ | ZWO OAG

Total integration: 8h 10′
R 30s × 40 | G 30s × 40 | B 30s × 40
Ha 600s × 15 | SII 600s × 14 | OIII 600s × 14

With all the prep, primer and painting out of the way, it was now rocking a new blacked-out look and ready to become par...
19/06/2026

With all the prep, primer and painting out of the way, it was now rocking a new blacked-out look and ready to become part of the astro equipment family without upsetting anyone with shiny bits.

It was finally time to start installing the filters and bringing the filter wheel together for real.

Up until this point, most of the work had been focused on machining parts, refining fitment, improving functionality and making sure everything worked the way it was supposed to.

This was one of the first moments where the Vela 7 actually started to look like a filter wheel.

Does everything actually fit together the way it was designed?This stage was all about fitment testing. Bringing togethe...
17/06/2026

Does everything actually fit together the way it was designed?

This stage was all about fitment testing. Bringing together the housing, carousel, electronics, adapters and camera connections to make sure every component worked exactly as intended.

It's one thing for individual parts to look right sitting on a bench. It's another thing entirely when they all come together for the first time.

Thankfully this was one of those rare occasions where everything lined up exactly as planned. No major redesigns. No unexpected trips back to the workshop. No new additions to the Bucket of Doom.

With the fitment testing complete, it was time to strip everything back down and prepare the components for coating. The shiny aluminium had served its purpose but under the night sky reflections are the enemy. So the next step was turning a collection of raw machined parts into something ready for life behind a telescope.

12/06/2026

With the filter carousel complete, it was time to move onto the central hub.

These parts might not look like much, but they play a critical role in holding everything together while the filter wheel rotates through each position.

Unlike some of the larger components, these pieces were all made by hand with no CNC involved. That meant a lot more time on the machines, a lot more patience and a much higher chance of ending up in the infamous workshop bucket of shame.

For every part that makes it into a finished product there are usually a few that don't survive the journey.

Thankfully these ones made it out alive!


10/06/2026

Back into the workshop making glitter for the weekend.

With the casing complete, it was now time to start creating the filter carousel.

The 9-position filter wheel had taught Brendan a lot. What worked, what didn't and what needed to change.

This was one of the first parts where Brendan could really see the benefit of moving back to a 7-position design. Once machined, the reduction in size and weight compared to the giant 9-position wheel was immediately obvious.

We didn't think one less filter position would make such a difference, but it allowed the entire filter wheel to become smaller, lighter and more compact.

Sunday Skies ✦ Captured by Chris Boyd | Christopher Boyd NGC 6188, often called the Fighting Dragons of Ara, is a striki...
07/06/2026

Sunday Skies ✦ Captured by Chris Boyd | Christopher Boyd

NGC 6188, often called the Fighting Dragons of Ara, is a striking emission nebula located along the edge of a massive star-forming region in the southern constellation Ara.

The sculpted ridges and flame-like structures seen here are being shaped by intense radiation and stellar winds from young, massive stars embedded within the surrounding clusters. These energetic stars are steadily eroding the dense molecular clouds, carving out the dramatic ionisation fronts that give the nebula its dragon-like appearance.

This image was processed using the Foraxx palette, an adaptive blend of HOO and SHO that emphasises whichever signal is strongest in each region. The approach allows the often faint SII data to contribute more strongly to the final result, helping reveal subtle structures throughout the nebula.

Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED / Black Diamond 80ED
ZWO ASI2600MM Pro | Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro
Antlia 3nm OIII | Antlia 3nm SII | Baader Blue (B-CCD)
PixInsight | N.I.N.A.
Foraxx Narrowband

Total integration: 40h
Ha 300s × 113 | SII 300s × 194 | OIII 300s × 155
R 30s × 60 | G 30s × 60 | B 30s × 60

05/06/2026

A design on a computer screen is one thing.

Turning it into something you can actually hold in your hands is another.

With the first Vela 7 design locked in, it was time to head back into the workshop and start creating the housing that would eventually hold everything together.

As with most of Brendan's projects, there was no shortcut here. Just raw material, a mill, a lathe, the CNC and a lot of time spent slowly turning an idea into reality.

This was the first step in bringing the Vela 7 off the computer screen and into the real world.

The 9-position filter wheel had done its job.It had proven the concept worked, survived its first nights under the stars...
03/06/2026

The 9-position filter wheel had done its job.

It had proven the concept worked, survived its first nights under the stars and taught Brendan a huge amount about what worked well and what could be improved.

But one thing quickly became obvious.

It was massive! It weighed a ton and there were so many things that needed to change in the functionality of it.

So it was back to the drawing board to shrink the ideas and create the Vela 7.

These are the first 3D drawings of Brendan's vision that would eventually be taken into the workshop and brought to life.

After months of learning, workshop testing, redesigns, machining, coding and more than a few moments where this project ...
31/05/2026

After months of learning, workshop testing, redesigns, machining, coding and more than a few moments where this project could have gone sideways the giant 9-position filter wheel finally had its first night under the stars.

These first light images of the Horsehead Nebula and M42 Orion Nebula were captured using Brendan's 18" Newtonian and the prototype filter wheel that many of you have followed throughout this build series.

For us these images represent far more than just another night of astrophotography.

They represent an idea that started as sketches on paper, progressed through hand-cut prototypes, 3D printed test parts, machined aluminium components, software development and learnings, electronics design and countless hours in the workshop.

Seeing photons from deep space pass through a system that was designed and built from scratch is a pretty special feeling.

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Perth, WA

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Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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