Meteor observing

meteorbill

Hello ZWO world,
I've been using a couple 174mm camera for a few of years now to undertake meteor spectroscopy observations. This years Quadrantid meteor shower produced some of the best spectra ever captured of this shower. The global shutter of this camera makes observations possible that just cant be done with interline devices!
These are a couple of examples.

Colourised version is produced by the spectrum processing software to give a "laboratory" look spectrum.

(Dear ZWO, any plans for a camera with a 10 micon pixel, even just a mega pixel chip, with the global shutter, I'll buy one!)

Cheers,
Dr Bill.

Tech@ZWO

Hello Bill
thanks for the feedback
we will convey this require to our R&D

meteorbill

Here's another stunning spectra obtained with one of my 174MM camera's. This is the whole video composite rather than just a single section. This was confirmed as an Ursid meteor by members of the NEMETODE network in the UK.
This is probably the best video spectrum of an Ursid meteor ever caprtured!

It runs from the near UV lines of mostly Fe at around 360nm up to the atmospheric emissions in the near IR around 900nm.
Almost the full sensitivity span available from a Si based detector!

Cheers,
Dr Bill.

meteorbill

The results keep on improving... : - ))

This is the spectrum from a Southern Taurid and might well be the best meteor spectrum ever captured over the whole of the visual wavelength range. There are over 100 distinct lines!

Converting it into a colorised version gives this impression, it is just fantastically detailed. I haven't been able to identify all the lines in this one yet!

Cheers and happy Lunar new year.
Dr Bill

meteorbill

@tech@zwo#43262 Hi, Just seen your tweet about the new ASI432MM. With 9 micron pixels and a global shutter, that's almost my perfect specification! Be getting one very soon and hopefully a second by the Perseids.
If the great 174 results are anything to go by I'm hoping the 432 results will be even better!
Thanks,
Bill.

meteorbill

Dear ZWO,
After waiting weeks I finally took delivery of my ZWO ASI432MM camera. Given the performance of the ASI174MM and the success I have had I was SO looking forward to getting the new camera into my meteor observing rig.
However, no matter what I do I cannot get the camera to run under UFO Capture HD. The ASI174MM's all work perfectly and have produced some of the best meteor spectra ever captured!
I am REALLY disappointed the new camera doesn't work as I had hoped.
The larger pixels would have really made a difference to my observing! : - ((
Bill.

meteorbill

Hi All,

Happy New Year.

Sadly couldn't get the ASI432 to function as hoped and still hoping ZWO will get some drivers sorted for UFOHD capture.
However the 174's performed great (again!), got some superb Geminid spectra as well as some equally good sporadics.
Here is one of the sporadic's at quite superb resolution, approx. 0.28nm/pix and a colour synthetic version spanning 360nm to 680nm.

The weather washed out the Quadrantids this year so no results from that shower this year

Cheers,
Bill.
.

meteorbill

Hi,
What can't be seen from the images is the actual intensity profile. This one has a huge magnesium line.

Cheers,
Bill.

meteorbill

@Tech@ZWO Hi, after some experimentation the 432 camera seems happy to run at 1280 x 980 with UFO Capture HD. I'm still hoping your wizards will find a way to let the camera sun at it's full resolution with UFO Capture. It's like losing 1/3 of the camera... : - ((

Anyway, even at the reduced resolution I have been getting good results including this fireball spectrum a few nights ago.

It's almost as good as the one from January 22!

Cheers,
Bill.

meteorbill

Dear Tech@ZWO

I was pleased to discover that there is a motion cature utitlity in the software suite that can be used for meteor capture at full resolution.
Is there any chance you can add a summed image still of the capture option as well as the video.
This would make the software much more scientifically useful. A full bit depth bmp option would be best.
Thanks!,
Dr Bill.