Ed TingLowbrow

June 15, 2012

Astrophotography is…

Expensive Time Consuming Frustrating Steep Learning Curve

Inexpensive (Relatively) easy Fun

Video is just a series of stills run together.

If you take enough stills, some of them are bound to catch moments of good seeing.

We have software (Registax) that will throw away the images in bad seeing, and keep the good ones.

Stacking the good ones brings out detail in the images.

C90 Image from 2011

The lowly computer webcam. Philips ToUcam (L), SPC900NC (R)

Resolution is low (640 X 480) One shot color reduces this even

further Some rows of pixels are masked off,

reducing pixel count even more Jupiter will not even come close to

filling the chip (200 pixels across is excellent)

1 Gb of video one image 7K – 50K

Some of the best planetary images EVER have been taken with this method.

A modified Philips ToUcam $129 list, about $100 street Uses the Sony ICX098QB chip,

640X480, ¼”

$350 - $810 depending on model Uses the Sony ICX098QB chip, 640X480, ¼”

$800 - $1000 Flea uses the 4X more sensitive Sony ICX618 chip

Webcam (NexImage, ToUcam, etc) Telescope with 1.25” focuser Laptop running 1) Capture software,

2) Registax (both are FREE) LOTS of hard drive space

Centering of the image

Focus Dust on sensor

4000 mm to 4500 mm is ideal

8” f/10 SCT with a 2X barlow 4” f/8 refractor with a 5 X barlow 6” f/8 reflector with a 3X barlow 80 mm f/6 refractor with 3X and

2.5X barlow stacked

Start collecting barlows!

(L to R) – 2400 mm, 3000 mm, 3600 mm, 4000 mm, 4700 mm

TeleVue Pronto, prime focus, unguided Alt-Az mount

Oct 19, 2010/ Nov 28, 2010

Dec 2, 2010/ Jan 2, 2011

January 2012

Both cameras use the same chip!

Step 1 – Sorting through individual frames

Step 2 – Align the good frames

Step 3 – Stack the images

Step 4 - Wavelets

Step 5 – Post Processing

C6 w/ 2X barlow, NexImage, Registax, 1/2/11

Start with the moon Venus is easy but not terribly

interesting Jupiter is the next easiest Saturn is a little more difficult Mars is not easy Uranus is hard

Visual Priorities – Optical quality, steadiness of mount.

Webcam Priorities – Steadiness of mount, Seeing, Image Scale (Emil Kraaikamp’s imaging rig pictured.)

Celestron C9.25, 1.8X barlow, Imaging Source DBK

Concord NH, C6, 1.8X , DBK camera

6:31 PM

6:53 PM 6:58 PM 7:01 PM

Clavius (143 miles) Plato (62 miles)

Archimedes and the Alpine Mountains (L), Copernicus (R)

Ptolemaeus (90m) Alphonsus (72m) Arzachel (60 m), Straight Wall (72m). Right: Aristarchus (24 m)

C90, DBK @ Prime Focus

Gardner Gerry, Orion XT8, G11

Herb Bubert, C9.25

Herb Bubert

Pat Adams, C8 – First attempt (L), Much Better (R)

Rich Schueller, C14

Emil Kraaikamp Christopher Go Damian Peach Zac Pujic Eric Ng

Netherlands

Philippines , DMK and Flea 3 cameras

Selsey, West Sussex, UK – Point Grey Flea3 Webcam

Plato

Aristarchus

The Alpine Valley

Singapore – These are ToUcam images

10” f/6 reflector, Vixen Atlux, shared with friend Dennis

Lowbrow Astronomers – Let’s see your images!