(Best viewed in at least 256 colour mode)


CCD's are the latest tool used by amateur astronomers to enhance the capabilities of their telescopes! CCD's are digital cameras that produce electric charges on silicon photosites each time a photon of light strikes the chip. My Cookbook CCD camera uses the Texas Instruments TC-245-30 chip with a size of 378 X 242 pixels. The time-exposed images are then downloaded to computer via a printer port interface and processed using image processing software. CCD's are many times more sensitive than photographic film!!!


This is the site of Dave, the Cookbook 245 imager! DCC Digital G-Scale Garden Railroading!!!


(Last updated January 29, 2009.) Questions or comments? E-mail me at [email protected]




  • Digital Command Control Garden Railway! I want to see the locos!

  • 2000 NB GLX 1.8T! I want to see the Cybergreen machine!

  • This used to be my Astro-Physics 5.6" f/7 apochromatic refractor on an AP600E GoTo mount (all sold). I now have a 12" Meade LX200GPS with a Superwedge.


    An image of M51, in colour!


    Current (July 2001) view of the observatory and deck)


    Here's an old view of the observatory and deck (before it was finished!!!)


    The Koi ponds as of July 2001. Bog, stream & waterfall are just a few feet away!!!


    Here's another view of the Astro-Physics 5.6" f/7 apochromatic refractor on the AP600E GoTo mount (now sold).


    See almost anywhere in the world via over 2500 live Internet cameras!


    *** HURONIA STAR PARTY SITE ***

  • HSP 2009 is September 16 - 20). Program details will be uploaded here later in the spring of 2009...

  • This is Jupiter showing planetary rotation and the Great Red Spot taken October 11, 1998 with my Astro-Physics 5.6" f/7 refractor barlowed to f/70!


    This is Jupiter showing the Great Red Spot taken September 24, 1998 with my Astro-Physics 5.6" f/7 refractor barlowed to f/70!


    This is a shot of Saturn taken September 10, 1998 with my Astro-Physics 5.6" f/7 refractor barlowed to f/70!


    This is Jupiter and Ganymede (just after transit) taken September 1, 1998 with my Astro-Physics 5.6" f/7 refractor barlowed to f/70!


    This is Jupiter taken September 4, 1998 with my Astro-Physics 5.6" f/7 refractor barlowed to f/70!


    This is Jupiter taken September 10, 1998 over an 80 minute period at infrared wavelengths with my Astro-Physics 5.6" f/7 refractor barlowed to f/70!


    This is a mosaic of M31 taken July 25, 1998 with my Astro-Physics 5.6" f/7 refractor focal reduced to f/5.2. Each segment is a "track & stack" of ten 90 second exposures!


    This is a new image of M51 taken June 29, 1998 with my Astro-Physics 5.6" f/7 refractor barlowed to about f/10.5. It is a "track & stack" of fifty-one 60 second exposures!


    This is a false colour image of a sunspot taken July 15, 1998 with my Astro-Physics 5.6" f/7 refractor barlowed to f/14!


    *** Image Navigator ***

  • 2000 NB GLX 1.8T! I want to see the Cybergreen machine!
  • Weather! Let me check out the weather first!
  • Galaxies! Show me some distant island universes!
  • Planets! Show me some rocks circling the sun!
  • Nebulae! Show me some glowing gas!
  • The Moon! Show me our nearest neighbour!
  • Comets! Show me a dirty snowball!
  • Mother Earth! Show me the home planet!)

  • View the current Toronto area traffic from the MTO Compass Camera network!


    Don't forget to visit the SSAA Homepage!


    For fabulous planetary & solar CCD images check out Brian Colville's home page!


    For aurora info link to University Of Lethbridge solar site!


    For Cookbook 245 info link to Richard Berry's CCD Cookbook Camera page!


    Check out our co-operative book effort The Art And Science Of CCD Astronomy!


    Visit the surface of Mars by surfing the Mars Rovers site!


    Get the latest polar orbiting Iridium satellite glint predictions for your location (you must know your latitude & longitude fairly accurately (to the nearest minute - aviation maps are good for this - Check article in May 1998 Sky & Telescope)


    © 2009 Dave Petherick


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