QuickCam Astrophotography

[russ_watters]

Inspired by An Adventure in Quickcam Astronomy (http://www.usno.navy.mil/pao/QuickCamAstro.shtml), I've started using my 60mm refractor and a quickcam for astrophotography. Attached is one of my first pics (downsampled from 640x480 - I'll have to put up a website). I used a 15 second video clip combined into one photo and processed with RegiStax.

I have some new hardware coming for my scope, and my next targets will be the sun, Saturn, and the Orion Nebula.

[Chronos]

For anyone wishing to try their hand at astrophotography on the cheap, quickcam is the bomb. Here is a very nice source for nuts and bolts information.
http://www.ghgcorp.com/cshaw/quickcam.htm

[russ_watters]

Next up....Saturn! I was a little disappointed with the raw images, but the processing helped a lot.

[Chronos]

Russ, did you see the Saturn image on ghgcorp? It was fantastic for a mere 8" Celestron. They have a link to a great digitizing program I think you would like.

[russ_watters]

Russ, did you see the Saturn image on ghgcorp? It was fantastic for a mere 8" Celestron. They have a link to a great digitizing program I think you would like. No, I don't see it. I'm going to need to spend some time surfing that site and the links - it looks great.

Anyway - it only took 46 hours from when I took those first pictures of Saturn that I realized I just had to have a new telescope. It really is a disease... So I ordered one of THESE (http://www.telescopes.com/products/Meade_DS-2114ATS_114mm_Reflecting_Telescope_11540.html): A 114mm Newtonian reflector with full go-to capability for $380. Not bad at all. I may need to pull an all-nighter this weekend to see Jupiter...