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Observations
I built my AstroCam from a Philips ToUcam Pro webcam. For details of the
build see -->>
I now have my original adapted webcam and another ToUcam with a 11/4 threaded adaptor.
Focussing: I have found that focussing a webcam can be made easier by adjusting the 'shutter speed' to its slowest setting, 1/25secs, and using stars (or the moons of Jupiter) to focus - the stars/moons only appear as you get near to focus. Move the focus adjustment through their appearance till they disappear, then use the mid-point of the focus travel as the focus point.
Sun
Transit of Mercury across Sun: 7 v 2003
Views of the Sun in my part of the UK were difficult with the Sun covered by varying amounts of cloud, never completely clear.
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Mercury transits the Sun. Note that the planet shows as a perfect round spot in front of the Sun. |
Sunspot, to the same scale, taken during the transit of Mercury. Note that the sunspot has an irregular and more diffuse shape. |
Large Sunspot Complex: 29 v 2003
On 26th May 2003 and subsequent days, a large sunspot complex developed which covered over 1.2 billion sq km of the sun's suface. The two images below show the whole sun image taken with Canon G1 digital camera and a more detailed image of the sunspot complex with my AstroCam. Major X-class solar flares and coronal mass ejections, CMEs, were ejected from the complex and headed earthwards.
This sun event happened on the days before an annular eclipse of the sun on 31st May 2003.
Link to http://www.spacew.com/astroalert.html for Solar Activity information and to AstroAlert at http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/proamcollab/astroalert/default.asp to sign up for e-mail notification of interesting solar events as they develop.
Sun Image using ToUcam webcam
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H-alpha image Dorridge, UK Maxscope 40 piggyback on LX200 GPS 10"
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Moon
Planets
Jupiter
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Jupiter and 3 Moons |
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Jupiter and 3 Moons |
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Jupiter and IO Note the movement of IO and rotation of Jupiter in the 18minutes between the two images |
Venus
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14 iv 2004
12:18UT |
23 vii 2004
11:36UT |
Once I had found Venus in the daytime sky using the telescope I could pick it
out quite easily with my naked eye.
[Care: When looking at Venus in daytime - do not point telescope anywhere
near to the Sun!]
Saturn
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2004 iii 17
20:52UT |
Mars
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Mars |
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MARS
Dorridge, UK
20 vii 2003 02:26UT
Meade LX90 f10 Homebuilt Astrocam with 2x Barlow
K3CCD Tools + PaintShop Pro 8
Three images compared to confirm that
surface features are not viewing irregularities
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MARS |
Whilst Mars was nearer to Earth during the exceptional opposition in 2003, from I am in the United Kingdom the 2005 opposition was far more interesting as it reached a much higher elevation in the sky.
However nights were not clear, warm damp cloudy weather was around for weeks. One evenings work from a well-lit suburban backyard with a webcam gave the following image.
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Single frame from five 1min AVI files taken with
ToUcam webcam through Meade LX200GPS 10" @ f20 |
Dorridge UK |
Image I could have taken with a few $million and a space telescope. |
Stars
