Need help with my first attempt at AP

[mostlyemptyspace]

Hi all. I'm new to the forums. I just ordered a Celestron Nexstar 8SE, and I am looking forward to trying out some AP. I have a Baader Planetarium Hyperion 8mm eyepiece. I also have a Panasonic HC-V700 HD camcorder.

What do I need to do to get started? First off, is there any additional equipment I need? I assume I need some sort of ring to attach the camcorder to the eyepiece. Anything else?

Then, what settings should I use for the camcorder? I'm guessing I need to use custom settings for this. Once the camera is setup, do I just take a minute or two of video?

Finally, once I have the video, what should I do with it? I've read that I first need to use some image stacking software to create a composite image, then I need to do some stuff in Photoshop or Gimp to clear it up. Can anyone elaborate on that process?

Thanks so much and I can't wait to get started!

[RobertI]

You will need an adaptor ring and extension tube to connect the camera to the eyepiece. The eyepiece thread can be exposed by removing the rubber eyecup. The extension tube provides the magnification, the longer the tube the higher the magnification. I have found 20mm length gives a good size image of Jupiter in my c8 (I assume you will be imaging moon and planets?).

Focussing may be an issue, you may have a clear enough screen to zoom in and focus. I use Backyard EOS with my Canon EOS which has a focussing feature.

For stacking the image frames load the AVI file into Registax and it generates a single image which can then process in Photoshop or Gimp or similar.

I found my video was overexposed (still working out how to reduce exposure during video) and the stacked image didn't seem to show much. But processing in Photoshop revealed a huge amount of detail.

Hope that helps.

[RobertI]

By the way the baader planetarium website has a pdf doc which shows all the adaptors you need for eyepiece projection. Most dealers should be able to help. I got mine from 365 Astronomy.

[Kirscovitch]

Webcams are good for planetary imaging. Some you can buy built just for the purpose and others you can modify yourself if you have the thumbs for a little DIY.

For the DIY route there are a ton of videos on youtube for modifying them.

If you are all thumbs like me, you can purchase imagers online starting at around 100 bucks.

[frugal]

I found my video was overexposed (still working out how to reduce exposure during video) and the stacked image didn't seem to show much. .

On a Canon you need to go into the menu when in video mode l. Then you can turn off Auto-ISO for video. Then you can change the ISO to drop it down to help with over exposure.

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