Telescope + Computer

[Crash]

I have a telescope, a Meade, D= 60mm, F = 700mm, f/11.

In my astronomy class the other day my lecturer was explaining how to get a CCD chip out of a cheap camera and that this could be fixed on my telescope and then i could hook it into my computer and get alot more from my telescope (like colours of planets, as theyre too bright normally) so i was wondering if someone could tell me how and where on my telescope to fix this, also what are the specs of the camera that has a CCD chip in it should i get? BTW im a student, cant afford anything to expensive.

Thanxs

[Ollie]

Probably the most common (and cheapest, easiest, etc) is the Phillips ToUCam2 Pro (or some similar name). It's a webcam that a lot of amateur astronomers use. Just google for webcam astrophotography. The general idea is to get some adapter (T ring I think) and attach the webcam to the eyepiece, get everything focussed and all, and then you're off. You might also want to get a program such as Registax (it's free) for some useful image processing such as stacking. All in all, the cost should never be more than £100 (I believe that's around $100), with the webcam being the most expensive part. The pro webcam is £55 from Amazon, while the regular version is £20. I have no idea what the differences are.

[YT2095]

if it`s of any help, I managed to do the same thing on my microscope using a simple web-cam over the eye piece, it was trial and error untill I found the focal length, then it was simply a case of putty blobs to fix the position, then a glue gun between the blobs, let it set, them remove the blobs and fill in the gaps with the glue gun again.

I see no reason the same can`t be done for a telescope either

 

edit: btw, even cheap web-cams will pick up near infra-red (test it with a TV remote control, should look like a white/blue light) so you MAY get to see more than you bargained for on a telescope )

[Ollie]

edit: btw, even cheap web-cams will pick up near infra-red (test it with a TV remote control, should look like a white/blue light) so you MAY get to see more than you bargained for on a telescope )

 

I've modded my webcam to pick up *only* near IR (fully-developed photographic film blocks visible light, but lets near-IR thorugh, just replace the IR-filter in your webcam with a couple of pieces of film and hey presto, IR-webcam). Only problem is it's not that good. I can find my bedroom window on a sunny day, and my bedsite lamp uses a very bright halogen bulb that gets very hot after a while, that shows up sometimes. Still, it killed an afternoon for about £5

 

But it's not just cheap webcams. There was a movie-camera a couple of years ago that (through some sleight of hand) allowed you to take pictures of people in IR, but with a little bit of visible light, producing "naked" pictures (most clothes transmit IR quite well). Unfortunatley, these "X-ray cameras" got taken off the shelves and fixed

 

The T-ring is just a fancier version of YT's putty and glue.

 

Ollie

[YT2095]

But it's not just cheap webcams. There was a movie-camera a couple of years ago that (through some sleight of hand) allowed you to take pictures of people in IR' date=' but with a little bit of visible light, producing "naked" pictures (most clothes transmit IR quite well). Unfortunatley, these "X-ray cameras" got taken off the shelves and fixed

 

Ollie[/quote']

 

*cough* Ehem...I can neither confirm or deny that either, on grounds that it maybe used to incriminate me at a later date ))

[Crash]

Cheers guys, ill let you know how i get on and hopefully post some good pics.

**off to get webcam

[insane_alien]

Just tried the TV remote thing and it worked but why is it displayed as blue/white shouldn't it be red?

[YT2095]

very good question, and I`ve no idea. it must be some sort of perculiarity with the CCD just picking it up as "raw energy" rather than a propper color, perhaps some sort of secondary emission of the photons?

[insane_alien]

could the blue detector also pick up the infra red light? this would cause the effect ... i think.

[YT2095]

no idea at all, although due to the white color, I should imagine that All the detectors pick up something, maybe with the emphasis on the blue?