The same region of the moon obtained on August 18, 2003 with an 8" f/7 newtonian and a Philips ToUcam Pro Webcam. This is a mosaic composed of two images.

    On the left is an image of Jupiter obtained with an 8" f/7 newtonian and a Panasonic camcorder in 1998 (exact date unknown). On the right is an image obtained with the same telescope (after some modifications) and a Philips ToUcam Pro webcam in March, 2003.

    Like many amateur astronomers, I started my hobby as a teenager. My first scope was an Edmunds 3" f/11 newtonian. I later upgraded to a Criterion 6" newtonian. This I had for many years. I eventually began to feel limitations of this scope and began to consider obtaining something larger. I particularly enjoy observing the moon and planets and so decided to construct an 8" planetary scope.

    I wanted to be able to record my observations of the moon and planets and dabbled with astrophotography of these objects over many years. Finally, I saw images that Ron Dantowitz obtained using an Astrovid 2000 camera in a Sky and Telescope article. Inspired, I began using a Panasonic camcorder and recorded to VHS tape and then transferred images to a computer using a Snappy frame grabber. On the internet, I found links to Astrovideo. There I gleaned essential information to allow me to begin imaging with video. Later, I also found information from Qcuiag (Quick Cam and unconventional imaging Astronomy Group) and other sites about using a webcam.

    With time, patience, and practice and hopefully also with gained wisdom, I have gradually improved upon my equipment and my techniques.  With these pages I hope to keep a record of my progress and also show what a backyard telescope can reveal, especially with high-resolution CCD imagery of the Sun, Moon and planets. I use relatively humble equipment and there's no obvious reason why others can't duplicate or surpass my results.

    CCD technology continues to improve. I eventually hope to build a larger telescope, probably in the 12" range. I hope that these pages will provide a useful resource to you and provide some inspiration.

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