Sensors & transducers
EXPLORING DISTANT WORLDS
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IDS Cameras with Starvis 2 sensors unlock the potential of planetary imaging...
ur solar system has fascinated mankind for thousands of years. Astronomical research is looking for answers to the big questions of human
existence. How big is the universe? How did it come into being? Astronomers all over the world are casting their gaze into space. However, it is not only huge space telescopes that provide spectacular images, smaller telescopes equipped with standard industrial cameras also allow backyard astronomers to look far and gain new insights. However, in addition to versatile camera software, the right sensors are crucial for the quality of the images. Australian amateur astronomer Anthony Wesley has found the uEye XCP camera from IDS, equipped with Sony Starvis 2 sensors, to be an excellent choice for capturing high resolution pictures of our neighbouring planets including Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
Astrophotography has to overcome special challenges in two respects, both technical and natural. This applies in particular to telescopic images of planets. Firstly, the Earth’s atmosphere is constantly in motion, creating turbulence that distorts the light coming from the stars or planets. This so-called ‘seeing’ leads to a flickering or blurring of the objects, especially when observing through earthbound telescopes. This blurring and distortion caused by atmospheric turbulence makes it difficult to capture detailed images. Secondly, the earth’s atmosphere absorbs and scatters visible or short-wave blue light. Near- infrared light, on the other hand, is scattered less, which leads to clearer and sharper images. This is particularly important in regions with poor ‘seeing’ conditions caused by air turbulence. In addition, infrared light penetrates thin clouds and dust particles better than visible light. By using an NIR-sensitive camera, astronomers can look behind
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these interstellar dust clouds and recognise structures that remain hidden in visible light. This applies, for example, to young stars and star-forming regions, which are usually surrounded by dense dust clouds. But the same applies to capturing images of large planets such as Saturn or Jupiter: the more powerful the camera in the low-light range, the more informative the images will be. Not to be neglected: Infrared light is less influenced by artificial light sources on Earth. This means that NIR-sensitive sensors also offer better conditions for observing the sky in areas with moderate light pollution.
THE APPLICATION
Cameras with particularly high NIR sensitivity are therefore in high demand. In this context, amateur astronomer Anthony Wesley has investigated the performance of IDS cameras from the XCP family with Starvis 2 class sensors and their suitability for planetary photography - with success: The IDS camera model U3-38C0XCP-M-NO which is equipped with the IMX662 monochrome sensor, delivers excellent results.
“The IDS camera is the imaging element for a telescope with an aperture of 415 millimetres and a focal length of 6000 millimetres,” he explains the camera’s function. “It records one- to two-minute video segments of planets such as Jupiter and Saturn at a speed of around 60 frames per second through interchangeable filters, both in visible light and in the infrared range.” To form a single optical unit that fits into the eyepiece socket of the telescope, Anthony Wesley screwed the IDS camera, filter wheel and Barlow lens directly together. The Barlow lens between the eyepiece and the telescope extends the focal path of the telescope and thus increases the magnification without the need for
an additional eyepiece. “The IDS camera base has been modified to allow mounting at a low distance, as I don’t need the standard C/CS distance,” he explains the design. But what features make the camera particularly suitable for this application? “Light sensitivity that goes far beyond the human eye - that’s what sensors with Starvis 2 technology from Sony stand for,” says Jürgen Hejna, product manager uEye cameras at IDS, summarising the strength of the sensors. For example, the U3-38C0XCP Rev.1.2 model with the 2.16 MPixel IMX662 rolling shutter sensor achieves exceptional image quality with a particularly high dynamic range thanks to the pixel technology. The USB3 camera delivers a fast 88 images per second and is particularly strong in low-light applications where high sensitivity and low resolution are required. The 1/3’’ sensor also minimises distracting reflections within the camera thanks to so-called “Anti Reflection Coating”.
For Anthony Wesley, the compact camera has further advantages: “The compact, lightweight uEye XCP is well suited for amateur telescopes. The uEye cameras are inexpensive, but offer almost all the functions that amateur astronomers want for this application.” He was also impressed by the easy integration of the IDS cameras via the IDS peak software development kit. “I am the developer and maintainer of the IDS camera module in the FireCapture software, which is popular with
February 2025 Instrumentation Monthly
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