About this product
Model: starlight_xpress_ultrastar_mono
Part Number: ultrastar_mono
New Ultrastar imaging/guide camera from Starlight Xpress
The Ultrastar is an excellent entry level imaging camera. When used with the ‘Starlight LIVE’ software, the camera can be easily configured to take a series of continuous short exposures, automatically adding the images together as it goes, building up the image in front of your very eyes.
This concept is perfect for public outreach programs where the images can be seen ‘developing’ in real time, ensuring that not only photons are captured, but also their imagination. Schools and curriculum based astronomy projects will also benefit greatly from this form of imaging.
The Ultrastar is incredibly compact in size. It is powered and driven through the mini-USB connection on the rear of the camera, (<200mA drawn from the USB socket), which makes it perfect for mobile setups and remote field operation as well being easily transported. Combine all of these features with the free ‘Starlight LIVE’ software, Live Viewing imaging is suddenly amazingly simple and very effective.
Conventional long-exposure imaging is also perfectly practical with the Ultrastar. The camera is uncooled, but its dark signal is very low and any warm pixels are easily removed by applying hot pixel filters, or by stacking ‘dithered’ images. Conventional dark frame subtraction can also be used. It is also supplied with original Starlight Xpress imaging software.
The Ultrastar is also a formidable guide camera!
For years, the Lodestar has been held in the highest regarded as being the best autoguider on the market as well as having a following of astronomers using it as a Galaxy Imager. The Ultrastar takes this use to a whole new level with the new 2/3” format ExView II CCD from Sony - now with almost twice the imaging area and a progressive scan CCD, the Ultrastar is even better suited for this role.
KEY FEATURES
- ONLY 11⁄4” in diameter allows it to drop neatly into your 11⁄4” eyepiece holder - no additional adaptors required.
- Large Imaging Area (8.98mm x 6.71mm) giving you a wide field of view for framing galaxies or finding a suitable guide star.
- Sensitivity - with an impressive 75% QE, and large pixels, the Ultrastar just sucks up those photons. Sensitivity is key, but com- bined with the incredibly low noise of the Ultrastar, images has just appear even easier.
- ‘Full size RJ12’ Autoguider Port - No need to run extra cables from your computer to control your mount corrections.
- Powered by the USB of your computer so no need to carry an extra power supply with you - one less thing to forget when you are on your way to the Star Party.
- Compact and solid aluminium construction.
Response
Camera Field of View Simulator
Specifications
| CCD type | ICX825AL Sony Exview interline CCD with very low dark current and vertical anti-blooming. |
| CCD Full resolution Pixel data | Pixel size: 6.45uM x 6.45uM, Image format: 1392 x 1040 pixels |
| CCD Image area | 8.98mm (Horizontal) x 6.71mm (Vertical). |
| CCD quality | Grade 1 |
| Full-well capacity | Greater than 23,000 e- (unbinned) |
| Anti-blooming | Overload margin greater than 1000x. |
| Dark current | Dark frame saturation time greater than 1 hour. Less than 0.1 electrons/second @ + 10C ambient. |
| Data format | 16 bits. |
| System gain | 0.3 e/ADU |
| Computer Interface | Built-in USB 2.0 compatible interface. |
| Image download time | 2 frames per second (in full resolution). |
| Power requirements | USB powered. |
| Cooling system | Ambient air cooling. |
| Size | 31.75 x 85mm black anodised aluminium barrel with 1” x 32tpi ‘C mount’ thread at the CCD window end & input/output plugs at rear. |
| Weight | approx. 85g. |
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