Spectroscopy
Updated: 29 April 2013
In 2011, I began doing spectroscopy imaging with the 8" LX200-ACF and a D7000 DSLR. I first read the book "Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs" (click the link for my book review). I tried using a homemade filter with a diffraction grating. Then a friend loaned me a "Star Analyser" (thanks Jim) and my spectroscopy became way more successful.
Initially, I used short exposures at high ISO to capture spectra, but that resulted in increased digital noise, yielding artifacts that looked like Fraunhofer lines in the spectra. In August 2012, I started re-doing the spectrum imaging using a "drift technique" (Right Ascension drive turned off) with low ISO and longer exposures. The digital noise problem was solved.
The following images have been processed per the instructions in the Star Analyser manual:
Crop the image so it just shows the strip with the spectrum (it will typically only be a few pixels high). Resize the strip to the same width but only one pixel high, then resize again to the same width but 30 pixels high.
The images are in spectral class order: O B A F G K M
Menkib (Xi Per) - Spectral Type O7
15 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 200
Alnitak (Zeta Ori) - Spectral Type O9
2 January 2013
5 seconds, ISO 200
Gamma Cass - Spectral Type B0
15 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 200
Spica - Spectral Type B1
28 April 2013
5 seconds, ISO 100
Segin (Epsilon Cass) - Spectral Type B2
15 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 200
Pleiades - Merope - Spectral Type B6
16 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 500
Pleiades - Electra - Spectral Type B6
16 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 500
Pleiades - Taygeta - Spectral Type B6
16 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 800
Pleiades - Alcyone - Spectral Type B7
16 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 500
Pleiades - Maia - Spectral Type B7
16 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 800
Pleiades - Celaeno - Spectral Type B7
16 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 800
Regulus - Spectral Type B7
5 February 2013
5 seconds, ISO 100
Pleiades - Atlas - Spectral Type B8
16 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 500
Algol - Spectral Type B8
15 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 200
Rigel - Spectral Type B8
2 January 2013
5 seconds, ISO 200
Sirius - Spectral Type A0
5 January 2013
5 seconds, ISO 100
Vega - Spectral Type A0
15 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 200
Castor A - Spectral Type A1
5 February 2013
1 second, ISO 320
Castor B - Spectral Type A2
5 February 2013
1 second, ISO 320
Castor A & B combined - Spectral Type A1 & A2
5 January 2013
5 seconds, ISO 100
Deneb - Spectral Type A2
29 August 2012
5 seconds, ISO 200
Fomalhaut - Spectral Type A3
15 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 200
Ruchbah (Delta Cass) - Spectral Type A5
15 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 200
Altair - Spectral Type A7
15 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 200
Caph (Beta Cass) - Spectral Type F2
15 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 200
Procyon - Spectral Type F5
5 January 2013
5 seconds, ISO 100
Polaris - Spectral Type F7
9 October 2011
1/20sec, ISO 1600
Sun - Spectral Type G2
23 September 2011
1/100sec, ISO 500
Capella - Spectral Type G8
15 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 200
Shedir (Alpha Cass) - Spectral Type K0
15 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 200
Pollux - Spectral Type K0
5 January 2013
5 seconds, ISO 100
Arcturus - Spectral Type K1
15 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 200
Aldebaran - Spectral Type K5
2 January 2013
5 seconds, ISO 200
Antares - Spectral Type M1
15 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 200
Betelgeuse - Spectral Type M2
2 January 2013
5 seconds, ISO 200
Mira - Spectral Type M5
2 January 2013
5 seconds, ISO 3200
15 October 2011
1/100sec, ISO 200
Pleiades
16 September 2012
5 seconds, ISO 400
M95 Supernova SN 2012aw
21 March 2012
2 minutes, ISO 6400
NGC4424 Supernova SN 2012cg
26 May 2012
2 minutes, ISO 2000
Jupiter Moon Ganymede
28 December 2012
5 seconds, ISO 1000
Jupiter Moon Europa
28 December 2012
5 seconds, ISO 1000
Jupiter Moon Io
28 December 2012
5 seconds, ISO 1000
Jupiter Moon Callisto
28 December 2012
5 seconds, ISO 1000
Trapezium
6 February 2013
2 seconds, ISO 2500
Copyright ©2011-13 Michael L. Weasner / mweasner@me.com
URL = http://www.weasner.com/co/Photos/Spectra/photos.html