Bahtinov Mask

thingiverse

Focusing aid for Astrophotography designed to be placed directly over the lens hood, doubling as a dew shield for astronomy applications. The device fits securely over the extended lens hood without being too tight. Field testing has shown it to work effectively and provide a useful tool for focusing. The image is of the Atlas comet that recently broke apart, captured on February 22nd with a total exposure time of 25 minutes. The comet appears in the upper left corner of the photo. Printed using a 3 mm nozzle, this design can also be printed successfully with a 4 mm nozzle. The Bahtinov mask code was generated from astrojargon.net/MaskGen.aspx and customized to fit the specific needs of this project. The mask profile was recreated in Vectorworks CAD software and adapted into a cover that fits snugly on the lens, preventing it from falling off during use. The design was then exported directly to STL format for 3D printing.