Genesis CCD
The Genesis CCD camera is a modified version of the Audine camera designed by the French AUDE (Association of the Electronic Detector Users), CCD users group. Their aim was to put a high quality CCD camera within the financial reach of more amateur astromomers. The cost savings come primarily from you doing the assembly work yourself. The picture above shows the camera with a filter wheel and focal reducer attached.
My camera uses the KAF-0401 CCD chip though the camera will support the larger KAF-1602 chip. Assembling the camera is not a difficult task, but some attention to detail is required. The job can be done in 3 or 4 evening depending upon what assembly level the kit is order in.
I have had several questions about the filter wheel pictured above. It was made by Andy Saulietis ISS@Pvtnetworks.net for the Cookbook CCD camera and attaches directly over the T thread adapter on the Genesis. Andy produces these in several variations for 25mm and 50mm filters.
NGC5139 Omega Centauri
Shot from Terlingua, TX with a AP 130mm refractor working at about F/4. CMY image C: 10X120s, M: 6X120s, Y: 4X120s. Stacked images were deconvolved and DDP processed, then combined.
Messier 31 taken with a 70mm F/6.8 Televue Pronto working at about F/5. Twelve one minute exposures dark subtracted and combined for the luminance layer. Cyan, Magenta and Yellow filtered images combined with the greyscale image. Five one minute shots through each filter without the IR blocking filter in place. This color image was not properly calibrated and was taken as a quick and dirty experiment.
NGC40 in Cepheus. WCMY color composite. W:600 C:600 M:400 Y:300 seconds. 10 inch SCT working at F/10. Dark subtracted and flatfielded. CMY and white image blended in Photoshop. I will try this one again on a steadier night.
M42 The Orion nebula. Stack of 24, 40 second shots. Dark subtracted and processed with DDP and a mild unsharp mask. 70mm F/6.8 Televue Pronto piggybacked on a Meade 10 inch SCT carried by a Losmandy G-11. CCD Temp. was -39C. If the sky ever clears again, I will attempt to get the color data to blend with this shot.
Updated 03/28/01