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This image was captured using a Mintron 13V1C Super HAD (Black and White)
security video camera. A tiny 8mm f1.4 lens was fitted to it on a standard camera
tripod and it was pointed straight up into Sagittarius in the Milky Way. The
composite video feed went to my TV which was set up in the driveway and its S-video output
fed the tape in my Mini-DV family camcorder. I was awestruck when I saw the result
on the TV. I was hooked on this hobby. There is so much potential in video
astronomy. |
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Scorpio in the Milky Way. 35mm film in a Pentax SLR camera using a
zoom lens widefield at f/3.8 28mm. Exposure was around 8 minutes. Film was
either ASA400 or ASA800 Kodak Gold. The camera was mounted onto a wooden board which
sat on my old Tasco (department store) motorised GEM mount. My video camera
was used to guide. The video feed went to the TV and I used a felt pen to mark a
star and then varied the speed of the GEM's RA motor to keep the star in or near the box.
A very pleasing result. |
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Sagittarius in the Milky Way. 35mm film in a Pentax SLR camera using
a zoom lens widefield at f/3.8 28mm. Exposure was around 8 minutes. Film was
either ASA400 or ASA800 Kodak Gold. The camera was mounted onto a home-made Barn Door tracker. Again the video camera was
used to guide. The video feed went to the TV and I used a felt pen to mark a star
and then rotated the screw by hand at the rate required to keep the star in or near the
box. A very pleasing result. |
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One of my favorite parts of the sky. Centred on Eta Carina with the
Southern Cross to the left. A multitude of stars caught here on 35 mm film (ASA800
Fuji Superia Xtra) in a 20 minute unguided exposure showing only some signs of trailing
and little sky glow. A 35mm SLR Pentax K-mount (50mm f/2 lens) was attached to a
wooden board fitted to the saddle of the LXD-75 mount (no added weight from the scope).
So many stars that in places on this picture you can't put a pin between them.
Note the dark area of the Coal Sack on the left. |
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The unnamed precious jewels of NGC 3352 on the left and the Great Carina
Nebula (NGC 3372) on the right - all embedded within a sea of stars. A four minute
exposure with the Canon 350d DSLR piggyback on the LXD-75 using the Rebel's zoom lens
stopped down to f/7.1 (ASA1600). Little processing required other than to raise the
black point in the histogram. |
