*2nd* Orion StarShoot Deep Space Monochrome Imaging Camera

Best for imaging

Deep sky
Imaging sensor

Sony ICX285AL CCD
Imaging sensor size

10.2mm x 8.3mm
Pixel array

1392 x 1040 (1,447,680 total)
Pixel size

6.45 x 6.45
Imaging chip

Imaging chip

Short for "charge-coupled device," a CCD chip is a light-sensitive electronic detector used in making astronomical images. Sensitive over a wide range of wavelengths, and much more efficient than film in gathering light, CCDs are often used to image extremely faint objects.

Monochrome
Autoguider capability

Yes
Exposure range

0.002 sec to 100 min
A/D conversion

A/D conversion

The Analog to Digital Converter (A/D Converter) transfers the raw analog signal captured by the camera to a digital value. The digital value is sent to the computer in ADUs (Analog to Digital Units). The A/D Converter also determines the bit resolution of the analog to digital conversion. The more bit resolution the A/D Converter has, the greater the range of ADUs, which yields a better range of image contrast from the camera. (If "X" equals the bit resolution of the A/D Converter, then 2expX = total range of ADUs.) For example, many commercial digital cameras use a 12-bit A/D Converter which has 4,096 ADUs, and high-end astronomical CCD cameras typically use a 16-bit A/D Converter which has 65,536 ADUs.

16 bit
Thermoelectric cooling

Thermoelectric cooling

A thermoelectric cooler draws heat away from the chip, which lowers the overall electronic "noise" in the resulting image. For every 6� drop in temperature, the dark noise in the image is reduced by half.

Yes
IR filter

IR filter

CCD cameras are very sensitive to a wide range of wavelengths, including farther out into the infra-red spectrum than we can see by eye. Normally this is never a problem when looking through the telescope, but a sensitive CCD camera will see this slightly out of focus region of the spectrum, resulting in fatter stars than normal. An IR filter will cut out this region of the spectrum leaving tightly focused stars and a better overall image.

No
Mounting

2" nozzle or t-thread
USB connection

High-speed 2.0
Software compatibility

Windows XP/Vista/7
Binning

Binning

Binning 1x1 simply means each pixel counts as one pixel. Binning 2x2 or more is a method of increasing the sensitivity of a CCD camera at the expense of resolution. Adjacent pixels are summed together into ?super-pixels? which have better signal-to-noise ratio.� So for example, binning 2x2 would cause 4 pixels to act as one larger pixel, providing a quarter of the resolution, but approximately four times the sensitivity.

1x1, 2x2
Max cooling

-30C from ambient
Backfocus distance (from T-threads)

20.10mm
Weight (oz.)

28
Warranty

One year

Why Buy From Orion

Imaging chip

A/D conversion

Thermoelectric cooling

IR filter

Binning

Why Buy From Orion

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About Orion Telescopes & Binoculars

Why Buy From Orion

Imaging chip

A/D conversion

Thermoelectric cooling

IR filter

Binning

Why Buy From Orion

Why Buy From Orion

Shop Our Catalogs

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About Orion Telescopes & Binoculars