Focal Reducer?

[KE400]

Hi

After taking my 1st images of the moon the other night using my SPC900 along with my ETX LS 6". I would like to be able to image a full moon, at present the image is so magnified that I am only able to image a zoomed up close up image. After a little investigation around this site, I'm thinking that I may require a Focal Reducer to be able to image the whole of the moon? Can someone please explain what these things are/do, and am I right in thinking that this is what I require?

Also, I've noticed that there are different types/sizes/makes, what would be good for my scope and what I want it to use it for?

Thanks in advance

[Cornelius Varley]

The best way to image a full is to create a mosaic. Take a number of images, each overlapping the previous and then stack the processed AVIs in MsICE. If you use a focal reducer to capture the whole of the moon in one shot the resulting image will have a lower resolution. A focal reducer does exactly what it says, it reduces the focal length of the telescope, so a 0.6x fr would turn the LS6 into a 916mm f6 telescope.The LS6 has has a focal length of 1524mm so even with a 0.6x fr you will still need to create a mosaic.

PS to get the whole of the moon on the SPC900 sensor you would need a telescope will a focal length of about 300mm.

Peter

[Ant]

Unless you use a larger chip - I managed to get some nice full disc moon images using a digicam connected to the eyepiece using the Afocal method.

Imerge software is great for mosaics - iMerge

Cheers

Ant