By attaching a webcam or a dash cam to a telescope using a special type of adapter, it is possible to take up-close photos of planets.
Web Camera
Replace the webcam’s lens by a special type of adapter called a webcam-to-telescope adapter. Insert the webcam with an adapter into the eyepiece barrel of the telescope’s focuser.
Jupiter imaged with an SPC900NC web camera
SPC900NC webcam attaches to a telescope with webcam-to-telescope adapter
Dash Camera
Polaroid N302 for planetary imagingPolaroid N302 dash camera repurposed for planetary imaging
I repurposed my old dash camera as a planetary camera. The lens was removed and replaced with a webcam-to-telescope adapter and then mounted on to a telescope.
Among all the planets, Venus is the brightest. It is usually seen an hour before sunrise, or an hour after sunset. The phases of Venus may be observed and photographed with a small telescope. This image of the crescent Venus was taken with a Canon 1100D and a 4 inch f/9 refractor.
For a complete list of astrophoto images, click here.
We went on a road trip to Bolinao, Pangasinan. At daytime, we explored the beaches and tourist spots and at night, we stargazed and imaged the Milky Way! With a sky that is relatively dark, I was able to take a photo of the Milky Way with the resort as foreground.
Total Lunar Eclipse taken with a 4-inch f/9 refractor and a DSLR camera on January 31, 2018 at the PAGASA Observatory in UP Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
For a complete list of astrophoto images, click here.
I have performed filter modifications on a number of DSLR cameras (Canon 450D, 700D, 1200D, 500D, 1000D, 1100D, Nikon D3100, and Fuji X-A1) for me and my colleagues. It involves the removal of the stock UV-IR filter, making the camera more sensitive to H-alpha wavelengths. This modification is helpful only when shooting targets with H-alpha emissions, as most DSLR camera’s standard (stock) filter blocks this part of the spectrum.
Take note of the shift in white balance (reddish hue), which is to be expected in this type of modification. Focus will be affected, your camera may no longer focus with compatible lenses unless you add a filter between the lens and the sensor, to address the shift in focus and to filter out UV-IR. If used with telescopes, you need a DSLR-to-telescope adapter and achieve focus using the telescope’s focuser.
Daytime images before and after the filter modification
Here are sample images taken with the cameras I have modified (posted with permission).
Orion Nebula by Anthony Guiller Urbano imaged with a modified Canon 450D and Sky-Watcher Equinox 100ED f/9, tracked with a Kenko NES mount, 1 hour exposure
This is a Pentax 10 by 50 S-series waterproof binoculars for terrestrial and astronomical use. It features high quality multi-coated optics, waterproof build, multi-coated lens, internal focusing mechanism with focus lock, diopter adjustment to accommodate variations in focusing of the eyes, and equipped with socket for mounting with a tripod.
Pentax 10 by 50 binoculars
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Here are some of the hard travel cases I use in moving my telescope and its accessories, especially when travelling to remote observing sites. I’ve customized the foam paddings using improvised nichrome hot-wire cutter.
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As Earth and Mars revolve around the Sun, there are instances when these two planets are close to each other, and this happens approximately every 2 years. This is the time when Mars is best photographed and this is also the window when spacecrafts are sent to Mars! This image of Mars was taken during one of its closest approaches to Earth, revealing the dark and light patches on its surface, along with white clouds in its atmosphere. I used an SPC900NC web camera to capture this image.
For a complete list of astrophoto images, click here.
Barlow lenses are accessories used to increase the effective focal length of an optical system. Inserting a 2x Barlow results to doubling of the telescope’s focal length. For my telescope which has a focal length of 900 mm, inserting a 2x Barlow in series results to an effective focal length of 1800 mm. Inserting yet another 2x Barlow, results to an effective focal length of about 3600 mm (increasing the separation between the two Barlow lenses by not fully inserting the second Barlow yields a slight increase in the magnification of the image).
Stacked Barlows
The Barlow lenses shown here are the Celestron Omni 2x Barlow lenses which I use extensively in imaging planets. These Barlows feature dual-element multi-coated lenses which produce acceptable results, even when stacked. Note that stacking Barlows is a useful workaround if you already have the Barlows and need more magnification. A better alternative would be to use a single but more poweful 5x Barlow, rather than stacking less powerful 2x or 3x Barlows,or explore other methods such as eyepiece projection.
Jupiter imaged with a 4 inch telescope with two 2X stacked Barlows
Guide scope rings or guide rings are mechanisms used for mounting guide scopes. A guide scope is a telescope used to monitor tracking accuracy while a main telescope takes a long-exposure photo. Errors in tracking are detected with a guide scope by monitoring a guide star. Corrections are made by the mount to keep the guide star centered, and thus, keeping the main imaging telescope pointed at a target for the whole duration of an exposure.
Smartphones can be used to image the moon by holding it next to the eyepiece of a telescope. For smart phone cameras, a mid-power eyepiece such as a 25 mm eyepiece yields good results. This imaging method is called afocal imaging, in which a camera with its lens is mounted next to another image-forming optical system such as a telescope or a pair of binoculars. To hold the phone camera steady while taking a photo, a smart phone-to-telescope adapter may be used. The adapter below was built using a mobile phone holder attached onto the side of a 90 degree diagonal mirror (star diagonal).
Mobile phone holder attached to a star diagonalMobile phone holder used as a smart phone-to-telescope adapter
Another version of a smartphone-to-telescope may be built using inexpensive materials using a piece of plywood, hose clamp, screw, and rubber bands. Secure the hose clamp onto the plywood using screws. Use the hose clamp to hold the eyepiece in place. Use rubber bands to hold the smart phone camera and adjust as necessary.
Inexpensive home-brewed adapter made from plywood, hose clamp, and other materialsLow-cost smart phone-to-telescope adapter
Comet Lovejoy C2014 Q2 taken with a 4 inch f/9 telescope and a tracking mount. The comet’s green coma and hint of its tail, are visible in this photo. Comets are difficult to image because they move relative to the stars, producing a trail. Processing software corrects for this drift and stacks the image of the comet without producing a trail.
Comet Lovejoy C2014 Q2
For a complete list of astrophoto images, click here.
This is an image of the Sun showing the sunspot AR 12192, the largest sunspot of the solar cycle 2010 to 2020. This image was taken at solar maximum when the sun is most active during a cycle. It was imaged in October 2014 in Quezon City using a 4 in f/9 refractor and a Baader ND 5 solar filter. Never observe or image the Sun without the proper solar filters.
Sunspot AR12192 | Sky-Watcher 4 in f/9 refractor
For a complete list of astrophoto images, click here.
Milky Way galaxy imaged with a Canon 450D DSLR camera, 18-55 mm lens set at 18 mm, f/3.5, 30 sec exposure, ISO 1600, August 23, 2014, Camarines Norte, Philippines.
Jupiter (top left), Venus (lower left), and the moon form a celestial triangle on August 24, 2014 at 5 am local time, imaged with a Canon 450D and a 50 mm f/1.8 lens on a tripod.
For a complete list of astrophoto images, click here.
Dew heaters or heater pads are telescopes accessories used to prevent dew from forming on the telescope’s lens. During long imaging sessions, it is not uncommon for the main lens of refractors to form dew. A heater is used to keep the objective lens at a temperature a few degrees C above the dew point to prevent the formation of dew.
Dew heater made from inexpensive nichrome wires
I used nichrome wires from a local electronics store to build several DIY heater pads for my telescope, which I find useful in keeping the lenses free from dew especially when imaging in remote observing sites.
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I’ve built an aluminum plate for my equatorial mount to allow it to carry the main telescope and the guide scope for autoguiding purposes. In autoguiding, it is important to minimize flexing between the imaging telescope and the guide scope, thus, a plate with suitable thickness helps address this problem. This DIY plate measures 12 cm by 20 cm by 1 cm and made from a solid aluminum plate from a local metals supply shop. Holes have been drilled on the plate to allow attachment of various loads such as DSLR cameras and different telescopes.
Kenko NES mount with a DIY aluminum plate
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I had an interview with GMA 7 on imaging planets, galaxies, and nebula using a telescope, as part of a feature on various types of photography. The segment was aired last March 2, 2014, at AHA
Night Sky in Focus 