Photo from Jan 7 by Henrik Bondo

[Jim Mosher]

I have posted a photo of the Moon's south pole taken early last month
by my good friend Henrik Bondo.

File name of posted image: HBondo_200901072045.jpg
Name of observer: Henrik Bondo
Email address of observer: "Henrik Bondo" <henri...@gmail.com>
Aperture of telescope: 5-inch Apochromatic refractor
Focal length of telescope: unknown
Type of camera used: unknown webcam-type
Camera detector dimensions: unknown
Exposure information: unknown
Time and date of exposure: 2009 Jan 07 at 20:45 UT
Location from which exposure was taken: Fensmark, Denmark (lon:
11.7858E, lat: 55.2858N, elev.: 40 m)

Link to image: http://lcross_observation.googlegroups.com/web/HBondo_200901072045.jpg?hl=en&gsc=ndH-rBYAAAAke7KmepZKh8lCpVZmNxvCg-kXU5InE09W2o0GCSVgCQ

Further details:

The original image is black and white. It has been colorized using
lower resolution data taken nearly simultaneously with a Nikon DSLR
camera.

The attachment is a cropped view of the south polar area, rotated 180
deg, with the elliptical rims of Faustini and Shackleton identified by
arrows (I personally find them much easier to recognize in this
orientation). The nearly complete outline of Faustini seems
particularly well defined to me.

Observers in North America will see a similar lighting, but with a
somewhat less strong libration, on the morning of February 6, 2009.

-- Jim Mosher

[Tim Swanson]

Hi,

I am a extremely new novice and am in Texas.  I think I have joined the group as what appears to be well into the project.  I am extremely interested in the project and have tried to get up to speed as much as possible prior to sending an email.

Would it be an imposition to request a detail of what people are using to shoot the moon?  Camera ( camera name )- Lens - Settings / Telescope (name)... etc.  I do some information listed with the photographs but at times it is generic in description.  What is the optimum and the minimal equipment necessary to be effective with this effort.  If I have overlooked this information please guide me in the direction necessary.

I would like to become a participating member and would like to make sure I am mechanically prepared.

Tim

[Arnold Ashcraft]

Tim:

I would suggest either a reflector in the 6 to 12" range or a bit smaller if it is a refractor.  An 8 or 10" SCT is great.  Should be equatorially mounted and preferably driven to track the sky.  I suggest a webcam with its lens removed and plugged into where the eyepiece normally goes for recording the images (as .avi video files) and Registax4 (free) for processing.  Use a Barlow lens or eyepiece projection to get the effective focal ratio high enough so you are not undersampling.  For a typical webcam with 5.6 micron pixels this needs to be f/25 to f/35 or lower if the webcam has smaller pixels.  A webcam with a real CCD in it is best (like the ToUcam from Philips) but you can use a CMOS webcam on a subject as bright as the moon.

Good luck

Clif

[Tim Swanson]

Thank you for your reply.  I probably should have shared this with you in the beginning.  My current set up is as follows.  Picture below.

 

Thoughts?  Will this be effective?

 

Meade DS-2114ATS-TC with USB Camera

 

·  Optical Design Reflector

·  Optical Diameter 114mm (4.5")

·  Focal Length; f/ratio 1000mm; f/8.8

·  Mounting Type Altazimuth DS-2000 mount

·  Viewfinder Red Dot

·  Tripod Aluminum; full-length; adjustable with accessory tray

·  Eyepiece (1.25") 9mm, 25mm

·  USB Camera for taking pictures of the sights scene, connects to your computer via USB port

·  Software AutoStar Suite™ Astronomy Edition PC-compatible DVD

 

 

 

Timothy Swanson

[Arnold Ashcraft]

Tim:

A little smaller than I would recommend, but you should be able to get some pictures showing the craters on the South and North limb regions.  Which USB camera do you have?  You will probably need at least 2x with a Barlow lens to get the focal length up where you need it to be.  If you have the pixel size in microns, I can figure out exactly what it should be.  I assume the camera came with a 1.25" diameter nosepiece to fit in the eyepiece focuser of the telescope.

Clif

On Feb 1, 2009, at 8:57 PM, Tim Swanson wrote:

Thank you for your reply.  I probably should have shared this with you in the beginning.  My current set up is as follows.  Picture below.

 

Thoughts?  Will this be effective?

 

Meade DS-2114ATS-TC with USB Camera

 

·  Optical Design Reflector

·  Optical Diameter 114mm (4.5")

·  Focal Length; f/ratio 1000mm; f/8.8

·  Mounting Type Altazimuth DS-2000 mount

·  Viewfinder Red Dot

·  Tripod Aluminum; full-length; adjustable with accessory tray

·  Eyepiece (1.25") 9mm, 25mm

·  USB Camera for taking pictures of the sights scene, connects to your computer via USB port

·  Software AutoStar Suite™ Astronomy Edition PC-compatible DVD

 

<image001.jpg>

 

 

Timothy Swanson

[Arnold Ashcraft]

Tim:

One other question: is this a still cam or a video camera?

Clif

[Tim Swanson]

The magnification obtained is roughly equivalent to a 6mm eyepiece / VGA resolution (640x480) color CMOS chip, is all I can find on the camera.  I have taken short video and still images with the unit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Timothy Swanson

6911 Terrace Rdg

Katy, Texas  77494

 

281-780-3592 Cell

[Arnold Ashcraft]

Do you have a Barlow lens to put between the camera and the telescope?

[Tim Swanson]

I do not but can invest in one as advised.

[cano...@yahoo.com]

Tim,

With this setup you can use lunar imaging suggested here as learning
tool to go through your astrophotography learning tool. You can make
lower resolution full pole images using the 2x barlow and your video
(lunar planetary camera). You will need to learn who to use Registax
on a laptop to process your raw avi video into final images and how to
target by looking at your laptop screen while the camera is in
operation.

Registax freeware
http://www.astronomie.be/registax/index.html

The advantage that you have is your rig is that you can easily set it
up after work in a few minutes and make an image a night over a series
of nights. Your images will not have the same resolution as Clif's
but, not having the big scope rig, you can set up quickly and image at
a lower resolution more frequently.

The disadvantage is that you scope really cannot take the weight of
any camera gear. You are limited to adding maybe a lightweight LPI
camera and a barlow. Even a cheap lighter plastic barlow would be a
good idea to keep the weight down. Because of the "lever effect"
caused by weighting the end of your scope tube, it is possible to
overweight the scope and burn out the altitude motor. There is not
enough back-focus on your scope to put a small flip mirror on the
focuser tube.

I own a similar rig for after-work observing (which is in the shop
being repaired at the moment.) I use it with a feather light-weight
LPI camera and not a DSLR or heavier astronomy camera (e.g. Meade DSI
or an SBIG).

It takes some effort to master beginning astrophotography,
particularly Registax. But once done, it makes the experience more
enjoyable because you can share the experience through images with
your friends. Although my skill is low and so is the resolution of my
images, it never ceases to amaze me how much my non-astronomical
friends enjoy even a bad or fair image.

With a featherweight LPI camera, you can take pictures of the Moon,
brighter planets, bright double stars, and bright satellite
overpasses, but not deep sky objects.

Clear Skies - Kurt

On Feb 1, 6:57 pm, "Tim Swanson" <huske...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Thank you for your reply.  I probably should have shared this with you in
> the beginning.  My current set up is as follows.  Picture below.
> Thoughts?  Will this be effective?

<snip all>

[Arnold Ashcraft]

Tim:

I recommend you get a 3x Barlow to give you around f/30 or so.  This will probably give you good sampling with the camera.  Because the detector is a bit behind where the focal plane of an eyepiece would be, you will get something over 3x, maybe 3.5x.  Set up the camera for video and take about 30 seconds using an exposure of about 1/30th of a second.  Download Registax4 and learn how to use it to sort, align, stack and enhance your videos to high resolution stills.  This is the best way to beat seeing.  You will be surprised how well you can do.  See link below for Registax.

Clif

http://www.astronomie.be/registax/html/download_v4.html

[Tim Swanson]

I am all over it.  Thanks for the help.   I will advise with my progress.

 

Thanks again,

 

 

Timothy Swanson

 

From: lcross_ob...@googlegroups.com [mailto:lcross_ob...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Arnold Ashcraft
Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2009 9:38 PM
To: lcross_ob...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Introduction

 

Tim:

            I recommend you get a 3x Barlow to give you around f/30 or so.  This will probably give you good sampling with the camera.  Because the detector is a bit behind where the focal plane of an eyepiece would be, you will get something over 3x, maybe 3.5x.  Set up the camera for video and take about 30 seconds using an exposure of about 1/30th of a second.  Download Registax4 and learn how to use it to sort, align, stack and enhance your videos to high resolution stills.  This is the best way to beat seeing.  You will be surprised how well you can do.  See link below for Registax.

                        Clif

 

http://www.astronomie.be/registax/html/download_v4.html

 

On Feb 1, 2009, at 10:28 PM, Tim Swanson wrote:

I do not but can invest in one as advised.

 

 

Timothy Swanson

 

From: lcross_ob...@googlegroups.com [mailto:lcross_ob...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Arnold Ashcraft
Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2009 9:27 PM
To: lcross_ob...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Introduction

 

Do you have a Barlow lens to put between the camera and the telescope?

On Feb 1, 2009, at 9:59 PM, Tim Swanson wrote:

The magnification obtained is roughly equivalent to a 6mm eyepiece / VGA resolution (640x480) color CMOS chip, is all I can find on the camera.  I have taken short video and still images with the unit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Timothy Swanson

 

From: lcross_ob...@googlegroups.com [mailto:lcross_ob...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Arnold Ashcraft

[Derek C Breit]

Set up the camera for video and take about 30 seconds using an exposure of about 1/30th of a second.

 

 

Or 1/60s for EIA (Interlaced) video..

 

Derek

[Arnold Ashcraft]

One other thing occurs to me: the CMOS sensor in your camera might not be sensitive enough at the higher magnification I recommended (using a 3x Barlow).  If that is the case, try a 2x.

[cano...@yahoo.com]

On Feb 1, 8:40 pm, "Tim Swanson" <huske...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I am all over it.  Thanks for the help.   I will advise with my progress.
> Thanks again, Timothy Swanson

Registax is easier to learn than the impression that you will get from
initial skimming of the complex manual. Type "registax" into
YouTube. There are a number of instructional videos online, e.g. -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrFcvwTjdbI

Clear Skies, Kurt