colorful Machholz spectrum in Perseus starfield

Tonight's OG spectrum of Comet Machholz starfield near bright
Algol [beta Per] showing emission is posted at

http://home.freeuk.com/m.gavin/digsky.htm

Maurice Gavin@WPO - UK

in article , Maurice Gavin at
wrote on 1/15/05 13:34:

Tonight's OG spectrum of Comet Machholz starfield near bright
Algol [beta Per] showing emission is posted at

http://home.freeuk.com/m.gavin/digsky.htm

Maurice Gavin@WPO - UK

Maurice:
Nice spectrum! Do you think there is a big advantage going from a 300D
to a D20? The price difference here is about $1000. Would you gain all
that much going to a D20? My intention is to use a digital camera for a
programmed sequence of ~8 to 10 minute exposures for a meteor spectra
patrol. I would use a grating rather than a prism. Would noise be a
problem with exposures in the suggested range? I'm trying to decide which
camera would be best for this. Cost is a factor that will have to be
considered. I look forward to your or anyone elses comments on camera
selection.
Cheers:
Ed

On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 22:04:04 GMT, Ed Majden wrote:

in article , Maurice Gavin at
wrote on 1/15/05 13:34:

Tonight's OG spectrum of Comet Machholz starfield near bright
Algol [beta Per] showing emission is posted at

http://home.freeuk.com/m.gavin/digsky.htm

Maurice Gavin@WPO - UK

Maurice:
Nice spectrum! Do you think there is a big advantage going from a 300D
to a D20? The price difference here is about $1000. Would you gain all
that much going to a D20? My intention is to use a digital camera for a
programmed sequence of ~8 to 10 minute exposures for a meteor spectra
patrol. I would use a grating rather than a prism. Would noise be a
problem with exposures in the suggested range? I'm trying to decide which
camera would be best for this. Cost is a factor that will have to be
considered. I look forward to your or anyone elses comments on camera
selection.
Cheers:
Ed

Ed, if it's not a silly question, why would you be taking 8-10 minute
exposures in order to capture meteors with a DSLR?

Unlike film based meteor photography, DSLR sessions are not limited by
price ;-)

For example, if you set the camera to take a sequence of 30s images at
the highest ISO and largest aperture possible, with a short interval
between shots, you'd have a lot of reasonably low noise shots to work
with.

A meteor is a very short lived event, a long exposure is unnecessary.

--
Pete
http://www.digitalsky.org.uk
Global Projects - http://www.globalobservers.net