Camera
The BPAA has a digital camera that can be used in the Ritchie Telescope or other telescopes. A camera has the advantage over your eye in that it can collect photons over a long period of time and build up the image to reveal more detail. Your eye cannot not do this type of “integration”. The camera uses CMOS detectors and is the model DS16c made by Mallincam. With this camera and its associated software, we can build up color images over time (see our GALLERY). This allows us to see faint objects that cannot be seen with the naked eye. The digital images can be saved and then manipulated to bring out details of interest. With special filters we can enhance the light of certain colors and reduce the light in others again to bring out detail of interest.
The camera allows us to stream live images from the Ritchie Telescope. The telescope is designed for Deep Space Objects and this camera is well suited for this purpose.
The camera can be used with any telescope mounted on a tracking platform.
Club members are welcome to bring their own cameras to use as well.