[vsnet-chat 586] Low-dispersion CCD spectrograph?

[bas@lowell.Lowell.Edu (Brian Skiff)]

     In regard to the recent problem of confirming novae and supernovae
suspects spectroscopically, I was wondering if it was possible now with
a low-dispersion device for someone with modest aperture to be able to
do the necessary observations.  Since the key item would be to detect
emission lines, it woud seem that one could do with quite low dispersion,
and hence with a CCD set-up, one could go quite faint even with a 40cm or
60cm telescope.  It would seem that a dispersion equivalent to only
10,000A/mm could be used.  Schmidt telescopes with objective prisms reach
mag. 17 in 20-30 minutes exposure with photographic plates at such low
dispersions (in search of quasar candidates for example).
     I don't know enough about spectroscopy or spectrographs to know if
this is realistic, but a few well-equipped amateur observers could take care
of the 'false alarms' very quickly if this were so.

\Brian

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