My main passion in astrophotography is lunar and planetary imaging which I’ve been doing for a couple of years. One of the major factors in the quality of images that you can produce comes down to the capture device you use, and planetary imagers are always on the look out for new imaging devices which can deliver us even better images by having, for example, lower noise, higher sensitivity and faster frame rates.

For the past year I’d been using the DMK21AF04 from The Imaging Source. The DMK21AF04 is a monochrome camera, with a 640×480 resolution and capable of an uncompressed 30 frames per second (fps) through a firewire interface to the computer. My version is the older non-AS version – the current batch of DMK21AF04.AS cameras is capable of 60fps but all other specs are the same.

It was with much interest when in June 2007 I learned of the new Astrovid Voyager X planetary camera. Like the DMK, it’s a monochrome camera but with a larger format chip (1024×768) and delivering fast framerates over an uncompressed USB2 interface.

Read the full review on IceInSpace at:

Astrovid Voyager X – Planetary Imaging Camera

Written in November 2007.

Everyone knows the Televue Nagler brand when it comes to quality eyepieces. They have a reputation amongst some amateur astronomers as being the best, with a wide field of view, sharp pinpoint stars across the entire field and high contrast. The Nagler Type 6 range are consistent across all focal lengths. They’re also one of the most expensive eyepieces you can buy. So what do you get for your money? Is it worth spending that much money on a single eyepiece?

This article sets out to review and compare the 13mm Nagler Type 6 with 3 other premium eyepieces at the same focal length – the Pentax 14mm XW, the Meade Series 4000 14mm UWA and the newer Meade Series 5000 14mm UWA.

Hopefully this review and shootout will provide you with the information you need to determine if your hard earned dollar is best spent on this premium eyepiece.

Read the full review on IceInSpace, at:

13mm Nagler Type 6 Shootout

Written in October 2005 by Mike Salway and John Bambury.

Planetary Imaging is a fast growing field of astrophotography – boosted by tech-savvy amateur astronomers, larger and cheaper (but good quality) telescopes becoming more accessible, and the proliferation of low-cost webcams as imaging devices which can capture up to 60 frames per second (fps) without compression. It’s never been easier to try your hand at astrophotography and capture that first image of the moon or a planet.

The aim of this article is to serve as a tutorial for creating an RGB image using a monochrome camera, and/or to help you to decide whether mono RGB imaging is right for you. The article will describe exactly what you need to buy (in both hardware and software) and what you need to consider (in capturing and processing) to start down the road of capturing and creating your first RGB Planetary Image.

You can read the full article on IceInSpace, at:

RGB Planetary Imaging with a Monochrome Camera

Written in February 2008.

There are many factors that influence high-resolution planetary imaging, the most important in getting any high quality image is the seeing. If the data is great to begin with, then very little processing is actually required to end up with a great image.

However most of us don’t have the luxury of imaging in an area with no jetstream, or in an area where the planet is directly overhead. Through experience I’ve found that when the conditions are less than ideal, a better result can be achieved through greater knowledge of image processing, knowing how to extract the most out of the data you’ve captured.

This article is a step-by-step guide to the image processing routine I use, and aims to serve as a tutorial for those who want to experiment and try these techniques for yourself.

You can read the full article at IceInSpace at:

Planetary Imaging and Image Processing

Written in June 2006.

Dobsonians are usually purchased for their cheap aperture, quick setup and ease of use for beginners. People don’t buy dobsonians with a plan to doing astrophotography. In fact, i’ve read many times that astrophotography with a dob just can’t be done and that you shouldn’t bother trying.

Well i’m here to tell you that it can be done, and show you the ways you can do it! You can produce some quite good results with a dob, it just requires practise, patience and perseverance.. and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

I don’t claim to be a great astrophotographer, and with practise anyone can easily produce results equal to and better than what I have produced. I’m merely wanting to spread the knowledge, to share what I have learned and reduce the (sometimes steep) learning curve for others with a dob who want to dabble in astrophotography and share photos of what they see with friends and family.

You can read the full article on IceInSpace at:

Astrophotography with a Dob

Written in May 2005.

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Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

A Solar Eclipse occurs when the Moon passes in front of part or all of the Sun, which casts a shadow over a certain area of the Earth. This can only happen at New Moon, when the Sun, Moon and Earth are in a straight line. A Solar Eclipse doesn’t happen every New Moon though, because the Moon’s orbit is actually tipped about 5° with respect to Earth’s orbit around the Sun. This means that during most New Moon’s, the shadow cast by the Moon actually passes above or below the Earth, and therefore we do not see a Solar Eclipse.

The Partial Solar Eclipse on February 7th 2008 will be visible from parts of South-Eastern Australia and all of New Zealand. The Annular Solar Eclipse is visible only in Antartica. It will not be visible at all for the rest of Australia or the world.

I’ve written an article which will give you all the information you need to prepare for this event – including:

• What is a Solar Eclipse?
• When and Where can I see it?
• Safe Viewing / Observing Guide
• Photography / Imaging Guide
• and more

You can read the article at IceInSpace by clicking on the link below:

Partial Solar Eclipse, 7th February 2008

Good luck!

Geometry of a Solar Eclipse

Cleaning the mirrors of a Newtonian telescope is a very dirty and very polarising subject! People are divided into two camps - those who will never clean their mirrors and those who aren’t afraid to do it often, if required.

The first group of people will probably tell you that it’s better to have 3 inches of dust on your mirror than to risk cleaning it. They’ll probably tell you a bit of dust won’t affect the viewing at all. They’ll tell you that they’ve only cleaned their mirror 3 times in the last 40 years!

The fact that i’m writing this article puts me into the second group, and the fact that you’re reading it, probably means you’re thinking about cleaning your mirror and want to know a) Will it damage my mirror, b) What are the risks, c) What’s the best way to do it.

You can read the full article at IceInSpace by clicking on the link below:

Cleaning the Mirrors of a Newtonian Telescope

Written in November 2006.

Cleaning the Mirror of a Newtonian Telescope

A Lunar Eclipse is when the Moon passes into Earth’s shadow. Observers in Australia will be able to view the Total Lunar Eclipse on the 28th August, 2007.

The Total Lunar Eclipse on August 28th 2007 will be visible in its entirety for all of Eastern Australia and New Zealand, and will be in progress at Moonrise for the remainder of Australia and most of Asia. It will be visible at Moonset for the Americas, and will not be visible at all for Africa, Europe and Western Asia.

I’ve written an article which will give you all the information you need to prepare for this spectacular event – including:

• What is a Lunar Eclipse?
• When and Where can I see it?
• Viewing / Observing Guide
• Photography / Imaging Guide

You can read the article at IceInSpace by clicking on the link below:

Total Lunar Eclipse, 28th August 2007 – Observing / Imaging Guide

Good luck!

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Total Lunar Eclipse Sequence