video capture astrophotography, video astrophotography, video astronomy, stellacam 2, Atik 2HS, Jim Ferreira

.
.
.
CLICK FOR ATK16 and 2HS ASTROPHOTOS
M1 'Crab Nebula' - Atik ATK16, ED80 @ f/6, 7 x 7 minutes @ f/6
.
.
New Astrophotography with Atik ATK16 &2HS CCD camera
.
Urban Deep Sky Video Imaging with StellaCam II
.
Deep Sky video imaging with AVA StellaCam II
.
Deep Sky video imaging with AVA StellaCam EX
.
Video Capture Lunar Images
.
Video Capture Planetary Images
.
Side by side comparison of frame integrating video cameras using Sony HAD EXview CCD and standard HAD CCD
.
Surveillance cameras for video astronomy
.
.

.
.

.
.

LAST QUARTER
15cm Maksutov-Cassegrain @ f/10, mosaic of 6 images, Astrovid 2000
.
......
Jupiter & Saturn recorded with Supercircuits' PC33C color video surveillance camera head on a 25cm Newtonian @ f/30 -- each image is made up of 30 video frames stacked in Photo Shop.
.
REVIEW ARTICLE: "SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS FOR VIDEO ASTRONOMY"
.
..
Planetary images with Supercircuits' low light video surveillance camera head, the PC164C, which uses a very sensitive Sony Super HAD EXview CCD video chip.  The extreme sensitivity of the camera, rated at 0.0003 lux, allows the use of larger image scale when imaging the planets resulting in higher resolution images.  A 25cm Newtonian @ f/30 was used to image Saturn and a 15cm Maksutov-Cassegrain at f/50 for Jupiter.
VIDEO CAPTURE ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY
Video astronomy and video capture astrophotography has only recently come into the main stream of amateur astronomy.  Like film, integrating CCD systems and, most recently, digital still, video is yet another tool for the astrophotographer seeking to do high resolution imaging.  The strengths of video are numerous as are its shortcomings, which is true of all of the imaging techniques.  In short, video is not "the" end-all imaging method, but rather a very powerful and rather specialized tool for  recording and capturing images of the Sun, Moon, Planets and Deep Sky objects.  Its particular strength is in its ability to record events such as lunar and planetary occultations (see Saturn occultation below), transits, eclipses, solar prominences and flares along with meteors and satellites.  Because video captures up to 30 frames per second, recordings made during the poorest of seeing conditions will often yield reasonably sharp and clear intermittent individual frames (again, as with the Saturn images below).  Film and integrating CCD, even digital still used in poor seeing conditions generally will not yield superior results, or for that matter, even comparable quality images to those captured video or webcam equipment.
.
Saturn reappearing from behind the moon on September 10, 2001
15cm Maksutov-Cassegrain @ f/20  Astrovid 2000
.
As seeing conditions at my suburban home in Livermore, California are always turbulent I have adopted the use of video/webcam for my astrophotography.  From the very first images made back in 1999, I was producing results several orders of magnitude better than the best film photos I had ever taken of the moon and planets through a scope.

All of the images on this web site were made from video or webcam with various cameras as noted using  an ED80mm APO, 12cm f/5 refractor, 25cm f/6 Newtonian or 15cm f/10 Maksutov-Cassegrain.  Prime focus, Barlow projection or eyepiece projection were utilized to vary image scale (magnification).  Video recorded to a Hi8 camcorder or directly to the computer with various hardware/software as noted.   Image processing with RegiStax and Adobe Photo Shop.  All imaging done from my home.

.
Should you have questions or comments, do drop me a post at BakerSt@comcast.net
.