You searched for "planetary imaging"
25 planetary imaging astronomy news items found

Planet and moon image stacking gets easier with LuckyStackWorker 7
Wednesday, January 14, 2026 by Russ Scritchfield
LuckyStackWorker - a free, open-source desktop application for astrophotographers that automates the post-processing (sharpening, denoising) of stacked solar system images (planets, Moon, Sun) captured with techniques like lucky imaging, has updated to a new release of version 7.0.0. The application has taken a noticeable step forward, not by reinventing planetary workf...

Five lies about smart telescopes
Wednesday, December 17, 2025 by Richard Harris
In a recent article I wrote, published on the ZWO website, I take a hard, honest look at some of the most persistent myths surrounding smart telescopes - and why those myths no longer hold up. It's a piece I believe anyone interested in modern astronomy should read, whether you're just starting out or you've been under the stars for decades. Not because it...

Scope Nights updates to 2.6 giving stargazers a faster app
Sunday, November 23, 2025 by Richard Harris
Scope Nights version 2.6 introduces a set of improvements intended to make the stargazing planning experience faster, smoother, and more reliable across iPhones and iPads. The update is available at no cost and brings the app into full compatibility with iOS 26 and current Apple mobile hardware. The developer notes that a considerable portion of the internal logic and i...

How ZWO changed amateur astronomy
Tuesday, August 26, 2025 by Richard Harris
There was a time in amateur astronomy when photographing the heavens felt as challenging as lassoing the moon - I've been there. A decade or two ago, if you told a backyard stargazer they could capture stunning nebulae and galaxies with affordable gear, they might’ve raised an eyebrow. Astrophotography was often the realm of costly CCD cameras, modified webcam...

Choosing the right astrophotography camera
Friday, August 15, 2025 by Richard Harris
Astrophotography once relied entirely on film, a method plagued by low sensitivity, challenging exposures, and highly limited post-processing capabilities. The emergence of CCD sensors marked a massive improvement, offering lower noise and enhanced image quality. However, the introduction of CMOS sensors revolutionized the field even further. CMOS technology has rapidly...

Altair 462M2 mono guide astronomy camera
Tuesday, July 22, 2025 by Richard Harris
If you’ve spent more than a few nights trying to pull sharp exposures out of a shaky guiding setup, you’ll know it doesn’t take much atmospheric wobble or poor star signal to throw off your whole session. The Altair 462M2 Mono Guide Camera takes a practical approach to solving those kinds of problems. It’s small, easy to integrate into just about...

ASI662MM astronomy camera
Friday, July 18, 2025 by Richard Harris
The ASI662MM and ASI662MC planetary cameras from ZWO are part of a new generation of affordable, high-performance astronomy cameras designed for capturing stunning images of celestial objects. Both cameras use the Sony IMX662 rolling shutter CMOS sensor, known for its excellent sensitivity, low read noise, and fast frame rates. They are ideal for planetary imaging, luna...

SVBONY SV503 70ED refractor telescope: Inexpensive but not cheap
Saturday, July 12, 2025 by Richard Harris
If you want a reliable scope that won’t cost more than your favorite lens or a new premium tripod, the SVBONY SV503 70mm Quadruplet ED refractor is a smart pick. It’s portable, versatile, and budget-friendly - so you can still afford all those other accessories you’ve been eyeing. With a 70mm aperture, 474mm focal length, and an f/6.78 focal ratio, it ...

Chiefland Astrofest 2025
Wednesday, July 9, 2025 by Richard Harris
There’s something magical about standing under a sky so dark and clear that the Milky Way stretches from horizon to horizon, glowing like a cosmic river overhead. If you’ve ever longed for a place where the stars feel close enough to touch, where telescopes hum quietly across a field of fellow stargazers, and where deep conversations about black holes and ba...

Planet Stacker X
Wednesday, June 4, 2025 by Russ Scritchfield
Planet Stacker X is a macOS application developed by Open Reel Software and distributed via the Rain City Astrophotography website. It is designed for planetary astrophotography, specifically using the method known as Lucky Imaging. This software allows Mac users to process high-speed planetary video footage into sharp, high-resolution images using frame selection, imag...

SharpCap astrophotography tutorial
Saturday, April 26, 2025 by Russ Scritchfield
SharpCap is a powerful and widely used image capture application tailored specifically for astrophotography. Designed to work with a broad range of astronomy cameras, including CMOS and CCD models, it provides users with real-time control over camera settings, live image previews, and advanced capture features that are essential for photographing celestial objects. Whet...

ZWO ASI585MM Pro review by Cuiv
Saturday, April 5, 2025 by Russ Scritchfield
The ZWO ASI585MM Pro is a compact, cooled monochrome astrophotography camera that brings professional-level performance to a broader audience. As ZWO’s most affordable cooled mono camera, it’s designed to be both beginner-friendly and powerful enough for advanced users looking to capture high-resolution deep sky and planetary images. At its core is the So...

NEEWER LS-T22 Electronic Telescope Eyepiece
Wednesday, March 26, 2025 by Richard Harris
The NEEWER LS-T22 1.25" Electronic Telescope Eyepiece is designed to make digital stargazing more accessible and user-friendly than ever. Built to fit any telescope with a standard 1.25-inch focuser, this compact device replaces the traditional eyepiece with a digital imaging system. Instead of squinting through glass, observers get a live 1080p image streamed dire...

ASI585MM Pro monochrome camera
Friday, March 21, 2025 by Richard Harris
ZWO has quietly launched a powerful new tool for serious astrophotographers: the ASI585MM Pro, a mono version of their popular ASI585 series with professional-grade cooling and imaging performance. While it’s packaged alongside the older ASI585MC Pro (the color version), make no mistake, the MM Pro is the real news here. This marks the first time ZWO has introd...

SC715C Planetary Camera
Thursday, March 20, 2025 by Richard Harris
The Svbony SC715C Planetary Camera, featuring the Sony IMX715 CMOS sensor with 8.46 MP resolution and 1.45μm pixels, delivers high-speed imaging at 45.5 FPS via USB 3.0, utilizes STARVIS II technology for enhanced low-light performance, offers low read noise as low as 0.8 e⁻, supports exposures from 32μs to 900s, includes an ST4 guide port for autoguiding, provide...

Cheap astrophotography camera the OGMA GP678C
Thursday, March 6, 2025 by Richard Harris
The OGMA GP678C Guide/Planetary Color Astronomy Camera, featuring the Sony IMX678 sensor, caught my attention for its versatility and affordability. At just $259.00, this camera delivers impressive performance for both planetary and deep-sky imaging, making it a valuable addition to any backyard observatory setup. Let’s take a dive into the specs, features, and re...

Nebraska Star Party 2025
Monday, March 3, 2025 by Richard Harris
The Nebraska Star Party (NSP) is an annual celebration of astronomy that brings together amateur and professional stargazers from all over the country. Set against the pristine night skies of Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area in Cherry County, Nebraska, this event offers breathtaking celestial views, educational workshops, and a welcoming community for astronomy e...

ToupTek Astro ATR585M
Monday, February 24, 2025 by Russ Scritchfield
The ToupTek ATR585M is a monochrome camera designed for astrophotography. It uses the Sony IMX585 sensor, which has features that make it suitable for capturing deep-sky objects and planets. This camera is sold at a base price of $599, and it requires an external power supply within the range of 11-14V to function properly. ToupTek Astro ATR585M The ATR585M camera...

High-magnification astrophotography
Tuesday, February 11, 2025 by Russ Scritchfield
Long focal length telescopes bring distant deep sky objects closer, revealing fine details that are impossible to capture with shorter focal lengths. While astrophotography with these telescopes does require more precision in tracking and guiding, the benefits can far outweigh the challenges. The ability to see intricate structures in nebulae, fine details in galaxies, ...

Player One Astronomy camera lineup
Monday, February 10, 2025 by Richard Harris
Whether you're imaging planets, deep-space nebulae, or the Sun, having a camera designed for your specific needs can make all the difference. One company that has been making waves in the astrophotography community is Player One Astronomy. Their lineup of cameras covers everything from guiding and planetary imaging to cooled deep-sky and solar photography. In this g...

Best solar cameras for F7 telescopes
Monday, February 10, 2025 by Mark Johnston
Solar imaging cameras need to meet specific requirements to work well with different telescopes. Unlike deep-sky imaging, where long exposures are the norm, solar imaging requires high-speed cameras capable of capturing many frames per second. This is because the atmosphere is constantly shifting, and capturing a large number of frames allows for stacking the best image...

My telescope rig for 2025
Wednesday, January 29, 2025 by Richard Harris
There’s something uniquely exciting about kicking off a new year with a telescope setup that feels like the pinnacle of your collection. For 2025, I’ve assembled what I consider to be my ultimate astrophotography and vidual rig - blending top-tier optics, advanced tracking technology, and a transport system that makes setup effortless. I’ve named it C....

QHY miniCAM8 camera review
Thursday, January 2, 2025 by Russ Scritchfield
ScopeTrader's quick take on the miniCAM8 reveals a compact yet high-performance imaging system, designed for both deep space and planetary photography. Despite its small form, this camera doesn't compromise on essential features like sensor quality and cooling. Built around Sony’s IMX585 8 MP sensor, the miniCAM8 offers superior near-infrared sensitivity a...

Free astrophotography books from AstroPix
Tuesday, December 24, 2024 by Russ Scritchfield
Astrophotographer Jerry Lodriguss has announced that all six of his previously published astrophotography books are now available for free online. This gesture comes as part of his retirement and his desire to support both new and seasoned astrophotographers. The books are now accessible on his website. Free astrophotography books from AstroPix The books include a...

Unistellar Odyssey Pro vs ZWO Seestar
Wednesday, December 18, 2024 by Richard Harris
John A. Read, astronomer and host of Learn to Stargaze on YouTube, recently shared an in-depth look at the Unistellar Odyssey Pro, a telescope designed for immersive stargazing and astrophotography experiences. In his video, Read explored the telescope’s key features, tested its performance, and directly compared it to the ZWO Seestar, a leading competitor in the automa...

