From: "centurion40tim" <urgent40@cybertrails.com>

Date: March 19, 2006 11:38:48 AM MST

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: 1st light webcam

Adventures in astrophotography on a tight budget continue. Ist light for Unibrain 

webcam with Astro IIDC program. I can't fit all this info on this particular shot of 

Jupiter:

Seeing: good but thin high clouds were covering planet

17mm plossl with 2x barlow

About 100 frames. Using Keith's Image Stacker because I'm not even sure if I can use 

Astro IIDC to stack and process. Can I?

Used 66ms exposure. Other settings were guesses because I don't know what I'm 

doing yet. 

Using Astro IIDC with a webcam for a live shot of the planet is a very very cool 

experience. Obviously I have a lot to learn. Problems include getting a closer, bigger 

image of the planet. When I zoom, the quality takes a dive. Will try using my 10mm 

plossl and increasing the exposure time, which has a nice brightening effect on the 

live image. 

I had been using a Minolta Z1 digital camera attached directly to the scope. That 

setup resulted in some very nice shots of Jupiter, Saturn and the moon - better than I 

am currenlty getting with my webcam. However, it simply will not image anything dim, 

not even m42. Nada, nothing. I am hoping that my new setup will result in the ability 

to shoot some nebulae, globulars and maybe even galaxies. One limitation is the 

tracking on my C9.25 ASGT. The tracking is good but not great so I can't take 

exposures of more than say 1 minute. 

It's my vacation right now so of course clouds have moved in. Have a good one. 

Tim H