[svlug] semi-offtopic: CCD telescope and Linux

[John Conover]

Akkana Peck writes:
> 
> I had a chance to see the the setup on one of the big (100" class)
> research telescopes a year or two back.
> The adaptive optics drive system was running on a Sun
> (at least the interface that was controlled by an operator).
> The CCD focusing software was, alas, running on a Windows box.
> (Most CCD postprocessing software, e.g. Registax, is also
> Windows only, but I don't know what the pros use for that.)
>

Yea, and since the CCDs are more sensitive to IR than visible light,
they pick stray heat radiation, (from the room, outside disturbances,
people, etc.,) and to lower the dark currents in the CCD, the research
folks cryogenic cool it, (usually with liquid N2.) But the IR filters
used in digital cameras would probably work for most amateur
astronomical work.

Of course, most telescope manufacturers offer a, (expensive,) reflex
film camera adaptor, which would produce pictures that could be
scanned, too.

Whether film or digital/CCD is better for amateur applications, I
don't know, (as long as you can still get film.)

(One could find out though-most of the inexpensive, sub-$100, Japanese
cameras have two screws, and a plastic internal snap and the case
clam-shells into two pieces, connected by a flexible connector-the
lens on one side, the LCD and electronics, on the other-and the
electronics falls out; the shutter button is a three position
mechanical switch, and the default focal length from the CCD FFT
auto-focus scan when it can't find what to focus on is infinity, which
is what astronomers use; almost all pictures appear as a USB memory
gadget, and interfacing to the three position switch would be
trivial.)

        John

-- 

John Conover, conover at rahul.net, http://www.johncon.com/