sarahedietz
New member
I am looking for a CCD camera for a project. I need a monochrome one that can attach to a telescope, is within a $500-$1500 range, and preferably can be bought with color filters.
Even if you don't have much experience with CCD cameras, knowing what brand you trust or don't trust for astronomy equipment would be helpful.
Currently I am looking at the Meade Deep Sky Imager Pro II, about which I've heard both good and bad things. If you know anything about this model, that would be helpful too.
I'm planning on attaching the CCD camera to a Meade 127ED Apochromatic Refractor
@Nyx:
My project is to create my own H-R diagram, so I will be looking at a star cluster and using the CCD in combination with RGB filters in order to get the information I need for the diagram.
The telescope belongs to the science department at my college, so I've only just begun working with it, but it seems to be pretty good quality. As far as I understand you focus it manually but it has automatic tracking.
As far as image processing software, I was planning to use some free downloadable software that I saw mentioned in Sky and Telescope Magazine in an article about a man who was doing the same project I was doing. The pictures don't need to be beautiful, all I need is the luminosity of the stars.
I don't want a device that will be super-complicated and take a long time to learn (my project must be finished by the end of January) but even though I am an amateur I'm working with my astronomy professor so I'm not doing this entirely without help.
Even if you don't have much experience with CCD cameras, knowing what brand you trust or don't trust for astronomy equipment would be helpful.
Currently I am looking at the Meade Deep Sky Imager Pro II, about which I've heard both good and bad things. If you know anything about this model, that would be helpful too.
I'm planning on attaching the CCD camera to a Meade 127ED Apochromatic Refractor
@Nyx:
My project is to create my own H-R diagram, so I will be looking at a star cluster and using the CCD in combination with RGB filters in order to get the information I need for the diagram.
The telescope belongs to the science department at my college, so I've only just begun working with it, but it seems to be pretty good quality. As far as I understand you focus it manually but it has automatic tracking.
As far as image processing software, I was planning to use some free downloadable software that I saw mentioned in Sky and Telescope Magazine in an article about a man who was doing the same project I was doing. The pictures don't need to be beautiful, all I need is the luminosity of the stars.
I don't want a device that will be super-complicated and take a long time to learn (my project must be finished by the end of January) but even though I am an amateur I'm working with my astronomy professor so I'm not doing this entirely without help.