Live Video Astronomy

[Guest]

Hello.Has anybody any experience with live video astronomy? I understand that there are Watec and Minitron cameras that can be attached to telescopes or camera lens.

All the best,

Martin.

[DirkSteele]

I own the Watec 102n integrating video camera. It allows the picture to build up for a maximum of 10.24 seconds and send that image using a simple AV cable to any video monitor / TV screen. I find them very useful when I have been showing non astronomers DSOs as the image produced far exceeds anything you would see visually through the same scope and often look far more like what non astronomer might be expecting. Dark lanes in galaxies become easily visible, stars resolve all the way to the core in faint globular clusters etc. And as the exposure time can be controlled, you do not risk over exposing on the bright objects like M42 for example.

Given the exposures are so short, field rotation is not an issue so they can be used on an Alt Az mounted scope. I use mine with a Celestron Nexstar 11GPS with an F3.3 focal reducer.

I short, I am a fan.

Clear skies,

[stefski]

I used to own a Watec too. Fantastic little camera. However, they seem to be in short supply at the mo. Bern at Modern Astronomy told me they were waiting for the new version, but it is yet to materialise. However, in the meantime, I was also told of the Brightstar Mammut (which has cooling!) - might be worth a look too.

Stef