M1 crab nebula + the moon

Anthony,
Can you draw arrows for this snake eye effect you mention, I dont see what you're talking about??

Dave G, I was going to mod the toucam, but I might have another idea up my slieve for a camera.

I'd be dead interested to hear about any alternative you might be considering. The only problem using a modded webcam is that you need a parallel port. My new laptop doesnt have one (all USB). I've tried all kinds of usb-parallel adaptors and none works really satisfactorily. SO I'm left with using my old P266 laptop which works fine with the setup, but doesnt have a battery do I cant take it out to dark skies. I was thinking of buying either a couple of batteries (not cheap) for it (or a 12v - 16v cigar plug convertor). So I'd love to hear abvout any other camera idea you might have, particularly if they dont involve parallel ports.

Dave,
I would avoid using usb/parallel adapters, they can be abit haphazard, in that is depends on what parallel driver your device is using. If the driver is "clever" enough, it will be able to figure out that the parallel port is via a usb port, but many "dumb" drivers are to thick to see it and you wont know until you try it.
AND, I now have the canon shutter release running off my parallel port, I run one serial port for the planetarium program such as starrynight to com1 on the scope, the other serial port will be used for autoguiding software (such as maxdslr or what ever I decide on) to com2 on the scope. I might change over the canon quick release to a serial port and ditch the starrynight link, thus freeing up the parallel port.

As for the autoguider camera, I wasnt thinking anything revolutionary, the camera would be USB, That makes it a DSI type approach. I'd have to ask would the modified toucam work with the likes of maxdslr and other autoguiding programs as the autoguider etc...

There is another approach, get a PCI serial/parallel card for the PC and use them instead, I'm currently using a laptop, so that direction is not possible at the moment.


Go to maplin and get a mains power supply for the laptop, dont bother with batteries, run the dc line from the house with the transformer inside, just make sure the power supply can give the right voltage and current.

Anthony,
Can you draw arrows for this snake eye effect you mention, I dont see what you're talking about??

Dave,

Take a look at the two large craters (Picard and Pierce) on the western edge of Mare Crisium from my image at www.perseus.gr/Astro-Lunar-Mare-Crisium.htm and now refer back to your image where the lighting is such that they appear black. This effect is commonly referred to as the "snake-eyes" of Mare Crisium.

Anthony.

Those are two top class images Dave!

Nice to see the crab nebula again Dave, tracking looks great to me!!

Keep 'em coming .....

Keith..

Thanks for the snake eyes description Anthony.
thats an interesting effect.