SkyShed POD with zenith table   HOME INDEX BACK NEXT
 

Soon after setting up my SkyShed POD (Personal Observatory Dome), I added an accessory the manufacturer calls a "zenth table." The zenth table is essentially a platform onto which the dome can be pushed, so that there is a clear view of the sky around the zenth.

As the middle picture shows, with the dome in its usual position, a large telescope cannot be pointed straight up because of overhandgng dome.

The bottom picture shows that when the dome is disconnected and pushed onto the zenith table, my 12-inch Meade can easily point to the zenith and beyond. (I made my zenith table 8 inches wider than the standard size to make sure that I had plenty of visibility.)

With the addition of the zenith table, I can point the telscope to any part of the sky. To aim in any direction within about 40° degrees of the horizon, I can leave the dome on its rollers and simply rotate it wherever I want. To aim higher in the sky, I push the dome onto the zenith table for an unobstructed view.

 

 

.