8
9
To capture dark frames select the
number of images to take (Dark Frame
Quantity) and press the Calculate but-
ton (
Figure 11 & 13). The user will now
be prompted to cover their telescope
and recording will begin.
When all dark frames have been
recorded according to the value in
Dark Frame Quantity, the user will
be prompted to remove the lens cap.
Before removing the lens cap select
the dark frame removal checkbox.
Notice how the image is much darker
and cleaner. Remove the lens cap and
see the difference. Higher gain and
exposure values will benefit most from
dark frame removal.
Note: Dark frames must match the
live image resolution, exposure and
gain values in order to work cor-
rectly. If you change any of these
settings be sure to also retake the
dark frames.
image Capture
Select file format and press capture
button (
Figure 7 & 13).
Multiple images can be captured sequentially by entering the number of images
to capture in the box (
Figure 11 & 13).
Movies can also be captured in AVI format (Windows) or MOV format (Mac).
Note: Mac users can adjust the frame speed between low, normal and high
(Figure 8) in order to reduce USB download speed problems. Switch to Low
or normal if taking movie in full resolution to eliminate graphical glitches.
Planetary imaging
Planetary imaging is also referred to as Solar System imaging, and includes the
Moon, the Sun (with a proper full aperture solar filter!), the planets, and miscel-
laneous objects in Earth’s orbit such as the International Space Station (ISS).
The 5 MP is capable of capturing all these objects in real time.
Just about any telescope is suitable for the 5 MP when imaging the planets.
The longer the focal length of the telescope, the larger and more detailed the
images will appear. Unlike deep space astro-imaging, you actually want to have
a long focal length and focal ratio for planetary
imaging. Adding a 2x, 3x or higher Barlow to
the telescope to increase magnification is not
uncommon for planetary imaging (
Figure 14).
The planets and other solar system objects
are relatively bright and can be imaged with a
darker or “slower” focal ratio.
To help capture those brief moments of good
seeing, planetary imagers can select a smaller
resolution to increase frame rates.
Select binning modes such as 640x480 4x4
for increased sensitivity (
Figure 5 & 6).
This
mode gives great performance and sensitivity
which is highly suitable for planetary imaging.
Smaller resolutions are generally better for
short exposure, high magnification images.
High power planetary imaging often leaves the
best focus up to your eyes when monitoring the
live image. Use the zoom tool to aid in focus.
Select the fastest exposure time possible so
that images appear less blurred and set the
gain as high as possible without introducing
too much graininess. Experiment with your
telescope and camera to find the optimum set-
tings for your particular setup.
The best planetary images will be obtained by
aligning and stacking (combining) many indi-
vidual images in order to improve image contrast, brightness, and detail.
A great way to obtain images for stacking is to take several seconds of video of
the planet, then import the video into post processing software. Since the 5 MP
has a maximum frame rate of 50+ frames per second at 640x480 resolution, you
can literally obtain hundreds of images for stacking in seconds! You save time by
taking one video instead of dozens of individual pictures!
It is recommended to capture hundreds (or even thousands) of frames when
planetary imaging. The large amount of frames (either still images or movie file)
can then be processed using stacking and aligning software such as RegiStax
to give the best results.
Since you will be taking multiple images over a period of time, it is important you
have a decent polar alignment in order to keep the planet within the field of view
of the camera. To this end, having a motor drive (at least single-axis) will also be
helpful. Otherwise, you will periodically need to rotate the R.A. slow-motion knob
to keep the planet within the camera’s field.
Figure 11.
Dark Frame Removal
(Windows).
Figure 13.
Saving files, Zoom
and Dark Frame Removal (Mac).
Figure 12.
Saving files and Zoom
(Windows).