Built an observatory from a dead city tree

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After too many nights of hauling gear into the frost, rebalancing, recalibrating, and freezing while the sky taunted me, I finally broke. Instead of suffering another winter setup, I built an observatory.

A Tree Became a Telescope House

The observatory isn’t just a shed — it’s the reincarnation of a dead city tree.

• Paid to fell it.

• Paid again to haul it.

• Milled it into planks.

• Let it season for a year.

• Built the observatory.

• Used the leftover funds to buy the mount.

That tree now houses my telescopes and keeps them safe under the skies of Sweden.

Autonomous by Design

This isn’t a manned dome. Kepler 7 runs on its own:

• USB relays, motor controllers, and limit switches automate the roof. (Parts still in the post)

• Weather sensors, all-sky camera, and a CloudWatcher guard against unsafe conditions.

• Python logic enforces safety rules: roof won’t open unless the mount is parked, dew control runs before optics fog, emergency shut-downs are instant.

• Three computers split the load one for imaging, one for processing, one as a watchdog.

The goal: predict, not react. Learn the sky, anticipate dew, and exploit every clear patch automatically.

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Gear & Optics

• Mount: iOptron CEM70 (7″ PE, guides at 0.3″–0.2″ RMS)

• Widefield: Sharpstar Z4 100mm Petzval (f/5.5, 550 mm)

• Galaxies: 8″ RC carbon-truss with adaptive optics (~2000 mm)

• Camera: ToupTek ATR 26000M mono APS-C

• Filters: Antlia 4.5 nm Ha/SII/OIII + full RGB Pro V

• Accessories: ToupTek GMP 462 guide cam, Pegasus PowerBox Advanced, Falcon rotator, autofocus, heater bands, flat panel.

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