Orion StarBright XLT 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain

Focal Length: 2032mm   F/10

with 2xBarlow: F/20

Camera: Orion StarShoot Solar System Color Imager II

Sensor: CMOS Progressive Scan 1/2"

FPS: Max-15fps @ 1280x1024 and

30fps @ 640x480

Pixels: 1.3Mp 1280x1024 layout.

IR Filter

Digitally recorded to hard drive with Maxim DL Essentials

Movie files created with Roxio DVD Creator VideoWave 7

   Important Note on Conversions:

The Maxim software records digital video in the AVI format from 21 to

27Mbs per second, depending on lighting and rendering.

At 640x480, a 30 second clip ranges from 600 to 680Mbs. At 1280x1024 it's almost double that.

So all conversions to the WMV format doesn't reduce it's resolution but

does reduce the bit-rate, or data information, to 1.5 to 3Mbs per second.

That's quite a bit from the original but necessary for web use.

Any 1280x1024 clips I made are reduced to 640x480 for web use.

This produces the result of lower quality video and smaller file size, although the quality is still very good.

On some videos, I kept the file in the first generation AVI format but shortened the clip for size.

And on others that are longer, I used an AVI to AVI conversion @ 5Mbs per second for file size.

The "Scanning The Moon" section are large files up to 90Mbs.

Your connection speed will determine time of download.

Only one video I recommend viewing in full screen is "Tsiolkovsky's Secret".

Note on large files:

For all AVI's and MPG's over 40Mb's that you view in WMP, you should click play then pause, right click

on the screen and select "full screen" from zoom options. Then watch the green loading bar for it to reach at least half way.

(the file continues to load but only in pause)

This will prevent the video from catching-up and stalling the video.

Update On Loading Bar: After I did a Windows Update (big mistake), it updated the player

automatically and now the loading bar is no longer visible. I have to look into this.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

The WMV's load themselves before they start.

Saving Files:

On all pages I recommend to right click and "save target as" on the download links.

You'll see a dark speck near the bottom right corner in most videos.

That's a scratch on the sensor from careless cleaning and the only remedy is to replace the sensor.

Update: Sensor replaced.

My profession was industrial mechanics born from my military service from 1967 to 1970.

Two of my hobbies have always been optics and photography.

I originally started The Moon Pages just to share with the public recordings of the Moon

during ideal conditions. I had been watching the Moon just through an eye piece

for a year with this scope and had seen some things I wished were recorded.

Since I've had the telescope camera, focused on such a small area of the sky,

being the Moon, where the maximum scaled width through the scope is only 900 miles,

I've captured some strange things in our sky. And outside it also.

And then there are objects you would normally see in the night sky like:

satellites, aircraft, meteors and such.

Having been in the military and witness to some "questionable"

aircraft way back then whether by accident or design, (See UFO Incident )

I learned quickly all about the "need to know" directives I was constantly reminded of.

I regret not attempting to be part of the intelligence divisions that were not as difficult to

 get into back then. I have no doubt "something" is going on.

I'm a concerned person like many of you in knowing the truth.

The more we look, the more we see. But you have to look...and not just up.

Trillions are unaccounted for that we are forced to pay. And I think we all know where it's going.

So lets get some payback. Keep asking questions, demanding answers and follow the money trail.

Or the corporate elite will gain control of technology that would set us free from them.

Honestly?...I think they already have and are figuring out yet another way to snow us.

Follow the food trail too. Look at my ISS section for the Russian launches to the station.