Homebuilt 12" f/5 Newtonian also supports various telescope/camera/video systems, for lunar, planetary & solar photography-white light & H-alpha. Imaging computers/recorders & monitors at left.
Sony 1/2" colour CCD camera attached to a Canon DSLR zoom lens 70-200 f/2.l USM, with a 2x video telenegative between camera & lens. Used to record entire eclipse.
IS-AS Firewire (1/2" no IR Blocking filter) attached to WO Megrez 90 APO used for live broadcast. Centre, Tak FS-102 with Nikon D200 used for automated still during the eclipse. Sky Watcher 102 f/10 with 1/3 colour firewire camera for lunar close-ups if needed.
Canon 70-200 f/2.8L lens plus a 2x Video extender attached to a High Resolution Sony 1/2" colour video camera, using a Steven Mogg adaptor. This gave me a full Moon image filling most of the FOV.
PC connected to Internet, B&W finder monitor, 14" broadcast quality CRT monitor, below, Casablanca DVD AVIO video capture and editing computer. Inputs Composite, Y/C and Firewire video at high res. Above a 9" Hi Res Sony colour TV & Monitor. Watch TV when clouds roll in.
Prior to the total eclipse, excellent seeing, this small JPEG does not do the image justice. Nikon D200 on Takahashi FS-102 prime focus. http://www.astronomycamerasblog.com/2007/08/27/total-lunar-eclipse-on-discovery-science-channel-tv/
Dress rehearsal the night before-all systems are go. Imaging Source Firewire camera kindly donated by IS for the event. http://www.astronomycameras.com/en/products/firewire-cameras/color/dbk41af02as/
The Moon put on a show for most of the night, as can be seen by the large halo.
Left-Internet computer using WME to stream the eclipse to Discovery via Melbourne, UK, Singapore. A video camera mounted on a Canon Zoom 70-200 F/2.8L USM lens with a 2x video converter to give FL 400 mm. Recorded to a Casablanca AVIO DVD Digital Recorder.
On the night of the eclipse.
Capturing images at regular intervals from a Nikon D200 SLR on the Takahashi FS-102- connected to a laptop. 134 images taken during the event.
Laptop screen shot, notice stars lower right.
My favourite image, time off during the event to take a few still images of the equipment during the total eclipse phase.
Missed the first part of the partial phase due to a low cloud band. Seeing was very poor due to a high & low pressure system meeting over the State.
Screen shot from a friends PC during the event, showing the image from SCO.
This event created a lot of media interest, and the local Mercury newspaper did two articles before and after the event. I also did radio interviews both in Tasmania & Interstate, which all helped to promote the eclipse.
Another "Mercury" newspaper report, plus, Jonathan Maron of the Imaging Source Camera manufacturer in Germany has put this extensive site together: http://www.astronomycamerasblog.com/category/press/
Inside the observatory, August 2007. http://www.astrotasmania.com-a.googlepages.com/home
http://www.astronomycamerasblog.com/2007/08/27/total-lunar-eclipse-on-discovery-science-channel-tv/
http://www.astronomycameras.com/en/products/sample-images.htm
