Sorry folks not a Jaguar in sight and certainly not the type of picture we normally see. Hey it is a picture though!

But I thought that I'd share my pic of the Moon created from processing and stacking 2000 frames of video using a simple cheap webcam and telescope + assorted software.

Well the other evening was my first chance to try out my bargain basement CCD SPC900NC camera €19.

During the afternoon 12/09/13 I set up the telescope SkyWatcher 150/750 NEQ3 Reflector, long extension lead, winter stored table and chair, laptop, lens cases, mouse mat, 15m USB cable, and SPC900NC.

The idea was to observe the very visible moon for a while with the aim of trying to get some video in the early evening.

Setting up during the day was certainly a good idea.

Now looking like the Michelin Man as evening approached I switched in the camera in place of an eye piece and loaded SharpCap2 (video capture and camera control software) on the laptop.

Settings to 10fps (frames per second), YUY2 (compression), 640/480 (resolution) and 2000 frames (capture).

Focusing on such a close object seemed fairly simple, so when I was ready I hit Start Capture.

Now I don't have any motors on my mount so trying to keep the 'fast' moving Moon stationary was quite an experience. Blink and it would run off screen. The solution was to launch the capture and keep a hand continually on the RA screw with a constant rotation whilst looking at the screen and a crater to try to keep it in one spot.

Not easy to rotate your hand for over 3 minutes and at the same time remember to 'breath'.

After the capture was complete I did a spot of star hopping before calling an evening.

Returning to warm desk mode, I ran the video and was quite pleased to see that although I had a bit of expected wobble the image remained at the same place on screen.

Ran the image through PIPP (Planetary Imaging PreProcessor software) and then opened up RegiStax6 (Alignment/Stacking and Processing software).

Oh boy, even after spending time with tutorials it was quite a daunting experience.

I set to 80% B/W processing and went for 70 align points, my biggest headache was the Wavelet settings (I've no idea what a general parameter should be).

This is my first ever attempt at an 'off planet' image, it won't win any prizes but I am seriously CHUFFED that I ever got this far with some basic kit.

If anyone has any tips on the use of the processing software Registax and Gimp please sing out. (I know that I should be able to improve the picture).

It centres on the Mare Nectaris (the smooth flat part) with the craters Theophilus and Cyrillus at about 10/11 o’clock. To the north it leads to the Mare Tranquillitatis (Apollo fame).

To give an idea of scale, the small crater Rosse in the middle of Nectaris is 12km and Thephilus is 100km.



Thanks for reading,
Richard

 

Congrats on your photo. I wouldn't have the patience but there again i wont have a photo like that then either. Keep up the good work.

Russ..

 

That's pretty awesome. Is that a little Chinese flag in one of those craters?

With that title I thought it may been a (_!_)

 

Wow, congrats. The photo and technology behind it are spectacular.

 

That's incredible. I love it.