Spectroscopy with webcams

[APODman]

In another topic I speaking about the use of webcams to astrophography. Now I started to experiment recording colour spectra through my webcam SPC900NC.

Acquiring a diffraction grating with 1000 lines/mm and I'm trying to capture the spectra of light from street lighting placing the grating directly in front of webcam.

Finally I got a good picture of a street mercury lamp (the bottom image is the image of the comparison of gas emission lines of Mercury, the upper is my image ):



The next step is mounting the diffraction grating in the frame of a filter 1.25" and screw it into the adapter from the webcam to the telescope.

I think I'll get some interesting images, at least of the brighter stars and planets.

Let's see, post the news here.

[ ] 'S

[atomic7732]

now... how did you do that?

[Laura]

That is very cool

[APODman]

In this first stage I simply put the diffraction grating in front of the webcam pointed at a streetlight lamp and made a short film to select the best image.

Unfortunately I am moving to another city and my telescope is expected to be transported only in the next month, but today I put the grid in front of the eyepiece of a finder telescope and pointed it to Arcturus. I could see its spectrum although it was not possible to observe absorption lines cause I was holding the telescope in my hand and was difficult to observe details in the picture in this conditions!

I think taking pictures with my telescope with the webcam attached and with the grid adapted properly I will get good images.

My inspiration for these efforts came from here: Astronomical Spectroscopy with Modified Webcams

I bought here the diffraction gratings (diffraction grating slides (5x5cm) Ref: OPF0009/10):

- http://www.greenweld.co.uk/acatalog/Diffraction_GRatings.html

[ ] 'S