Whistlestop Observatory - Chip Frappier

How to Obtain Lunar Astrophotos

Using your Telescope and a Webcam

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The same techniques shown in this demonstration, can also be used for Planetary Imaging

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Yes, You Too, Can Make Pictures Like This!This is easy and inexpensive but, Mostly A Lot of Fun!

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Equipment

Software

Processing

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Equipment

• Telescope• Laptop Computer• Webcam• IR Filter• Telescope Adapter

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Telescope

• Just about any Telescope will do• Would be nice to have tracking motors to keep

your target centered but, hand tracking will do

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Laptop Computer

• A Laptop is needed to power the Webcam and provide storage for the images the Webcam captures

• Any old Laptop should suffice, so long as it has ample storage and usually a USB port for the Webcam

• A Means of powering the laptop in the field

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Webcam

• A Webcam capable of obtaining low light images

• Connectix - Quickcam• Philips - ToUcam Pro 840, SPC900NC• Meade - LPI• Imaging Source – DMK21AF04-AS

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My Webcam

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DescriptionPhilips SPC900NC

USB ConnectionNotice that the lens and lens bezel have been removed

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IR Filter

• An IR (Infrared) cutoff filter is needed to prevent “star bloat” or image bleed in the pixels of the webcam.

• Especially needed for refractors because they focus infrared and visible light at different points

• Webcams are very sensitive to UV/IR light

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UV/IR Cut Filter

Baader UV/IR Cut Filter

Standard 1-1/4 “ screw in filter

Used to prevent star bloating and image bleed between pixels

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Telescope Adapter

• An adapter to attach a Webcam to a Telescope• Usually a thread in/on adapter that basically

turns the Webcam into an eyepiece• Old film canisters• Moog adapters

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Telescope Adapter

Moog adapter

Special threads to screw intoWebcam

Other end is threaded forFilters

Outer barrel is standard 1-1/4” to fit in telescope like an eyepiece

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Additional Filters;Not necessary but, can assist in bringing out details in features on the Moon, Planets

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Complete Webcam

Webcam + Adapter + Filter

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Software

• K3CCDTools• WcCtrl• Craterlet• ICcapture• Registax• Virtual Moon Atlas• Envisage for LPI – Meade Software• VirtualDub

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SoftwareK3CCDTools V1 is free

Used for image captureAnd camera control

http://www.pk3.org/Astro/index.htm?k3ccdtools.htm

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SoftwareWcCtrl

Free

Camera control

http://www.burri-web.org/bm98/soft/wcctrl/index.htm

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SoftwareCraterlet

Free

Image capture

Minimal camera control

http://www.stark-labs.com/craterlet.html

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SoftwareIC Capture

Comes with Camera

Camera control forImaging Source cameras

http://www.theimagingsource.com/en_US/products/software/enduser/iccapturetis/

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Software

Registax

Free

Image processing software

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

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SoftwareVirtual Moon Atlas

Free

Electronic encyclopedia of the Moon

Used to find targets on the Moon and find what you are looking for on the Moon

http://www.ap-i.net/avl/en/start

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SoftwareVirtualDub

Free

Video manipulation software

Used to convert video file formats.bmp to .avi.mpeg to .aviEtc.

Some Webcams produce videos in different formats. What we need is an AVI format file. This program converts other formats to AVI

http://www.virtualdub.org/

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SoftwareNot Really but, included here as an observing listA Target ListSky & Telescopes “The Lunar 100” A listing of 100 objects on the Moon arranged in an order from the easiest to the hardest to observe.http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/moon/3308811.html?page=1&c=y

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How to do it!

We’ve gathered our Equipment and all our Software

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The Process

Hang on tight cause here we go

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Set up telescopeDo alignmentFocus on the MoonPick a Target along or near the TerminatorInsert Webcam, Start SoftwareRefocus on targetCapture imagesProcess captured images

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Pick Target Along or near Terminator

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Actual Image through Software allows you to adjust Focus

Archimedes:

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Actual Video Capture

Archimedes:

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Previous capture lasted for only 120 secondsCaptured as an AVI file by Iccapture through a Imaging Source DMK21AF04-AS cameraAt a frame rate of 60fpsThat’s 3600 individual pictures that were takenOut of those 3600, 100-200 will be clear enough to use

At this point we are done with our imaging orWe can image other features on the moon or proceed on to the processing of our captured files

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Okay, we can now put the Telescope and other equipment away and move inside where it is warm and we have plenty of light

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Image Processing

We will use our software named Registax for the processing of our AVI

image file

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Start Registax and load your image file

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Pick Your AVI File

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Selected AVI to be Processed

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Select Features to Align On

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Stack & Optimize

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Stacking & Optimizing

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Stacked & Optimized before Wavelets

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Image w/Wavelets Applied

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Image Cropped

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Final JPG Image

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What to do with all your new Lunar Images!

• Join the Webcam Moon Imagers Yahoo Group• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Webcam_Moon_Imagers/

• Help with imaging the Moon• Help with Techniques• Help with Equipment, Software• Monthly Challenge Targets• Just More Fun

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Remember!

These same procedures can be used to image the Planets!

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The End

Questions??????