The Moon at different scales with an SVBONY SV305 camera

 An SVBONY Full Spectrum SV305 camera (an SV305 manufactured with an optical window in front of the sensor rather than a UV/IR cut filter, which allows the sensor access to a wider range of wavelengths at the red and the blue end of the spectrum; of value for deep sky imaging) was used for these tests. The camera was fitted with a Baader UV/IR cut filter as a soft focus is likely, particularly with a refractor (although a Newtonian should not be affected).

The first experiments used a William Optics ZenithStar 66 SD Apochromatic refractor was mounted on a Celestron AVX EQ, GOTO mount and an SV305 Full spectrum camera fitted with  a Baader UV/IR cut filter.

A 2000 frame SER file was captured using AstroDMx Capture.

Click on an image to get a closer view

Screenshot of AstroDMx Capture for Linux capturing a SER file

The best 90% of the frames were stacked in Autostakert!, wavelet processed in Registax 6 and post processed in the Gimp 2.10.

Closer view

The telescope was then changed for an 8" Celestron SCT fitted with a 0.6 focal reducer and AstroDMx Capture was used for capturing 5000 frame SER files of selected regions of the Moon using a Region Of Interest of 800 x 608

Screenshot of AstroDmx Capture for Linux capturing a SER file of the Clavius/Tycho region of the Moon

The best 20% of the frames in the 5000 frame SER files were stacked in Autostakkert, wavelet processed in Registax 6 and post processed in the Gimp 2.10.

Clavius region

Copernicus

Plato region

The focal reducer was then removed from the SCT and using AstroDMx Capture, 5000 frame SER files were captured using a Region Of Interest of 800 x 608, and using Region of Interest Nudge, to prevent the image from drifting during the capture process.

Screenshot of AstroDMx Capture for Linux capturing a 5000 frame SER file of the Plato region

The best 20% of the frames in the SER files were stacked in Autostakkert!, wavelet processed in Registax 6 and post processed in the Gimp 2.10.

Plato

Clavius

Copernicus

Fitted with a UV/IR cut filter, the Full Spectrum SV305 camera proved to be a first rate imager for the Moon at different scales and with different telescopes.

To obtain the images at larger image scales, a Region Of Interest was used to frame the feature that was to be imaged. Using a ROI allows for faster frame rates, so the SER file can be captured in a shorter period of time. Also, at high focal lengths, any slight tracking issues will lead to significant image drift during the capture period. Therefore, the Region Of Interest Nudge function was used to hold the image and prevent significant image drift.

Capturing 5000 frames allowed for the poorer quality 80% of the frames to be discarded, and the best 20% (1000 frames) to be stacked. The frames that are discarded are in this sense, just as important as the frames that are retained for stacking. Capturing 10000 frames would have been better because then 90% of the frames could be discarded, still leaving 1000 frames to be stacked. A stack of 1000 frames has 31.62 times the signal to noise ratio of a single frame, and this allows the wavelet sliders to be pulled, sharpening the detail, without emphasising the noise in the image.

The Full Spectrum SV305 camera performed well with the addition of a UV/IR cut filter. This is a very good low cost camera that is capable of taking good Lunar images as well as good images of the brighter deep sky objects.

AstroDMx Capture for Windows, macOS or Linux (Including Raspberry Pi) can be downloaded freely here:

https://www.astrodmx-capture.org.uk