Moon advice for newbie

[kirkster501]

Hi guys, first ever imaging of the moon tonight but a few issues when using my CPC 1100 with SPC900 webcam at prime focus.

1. Cannot get the whole moon into field. I suppose not surprising since 2800mm of focal length and webcam must mean mega magnifications. And that's what I find on my images. So I may try with my ED80 next time its clear.

2. Focus. Tried my best to focus with liveview on PC. But images are slightly off focus. I don't have a focusing mask for my CPC but I do have a bahnitov mask for my ED80. When focusing on a star with said mask, the focus achieved will work on the moon as well?

Any pointers appreciated.

Rgds, Steve

[Bizibilder]

You will need to take quite a few "panes" with your webcam and then join them together to make a mosaic if you want a larger field of view. To focus you can focus on a bright star using the mask and then swing the scope to the Moon - it should be in perfect focus. The main problem is waiting for a bit of good seeing when the Moons detail will "snap" into focus. The seeing here (Norfolk) tonight was pretty awful - too much wind high up and some ice in the upper atmosphere!