GSTAR-EX Astronomical CCD Camera

GSTAR-EX Deepsky Planetary Imaging in Real-Time

GENERAL
 

- Home
- Books
- Contact Us
- Buy GSTAR-EX
- Feedback

- GSTAR Colour

 

www.myAstroShop.com.au

SUPPORT
 

- Tutorial / Manual
- Quick Start Guide
- Downloads
- GSTAR-USERS
- FAQ

ngc7009
NGC 7009 by S.Quirk

OPTIONS
 
- Filters
- Filter Selector
- Reducers

NGC4945

NGC 4945 by S.Quirk

 

M104 - from Sydney
 

Sombrero Galaxy

 

JUPITER
 

Jupiter

 

NGC5128 - from Sydney
 


Centaurus A

 

M16 - from dark sky

Eagle Nebula

M16 by S.Quirk

 

M42 - from Sydney
 

m42.jpg (13559 bytes)

 

IC2220 - from dark sky

 

IC 2220
IC2220 by S.Quirk

 

GSTAR-COM for PC

GSTAR-COM2 by Chris Wakeman

With the GSTAR-COM cable and our FREE GSTAR2 capture software you can control all the primary functions of the camera from a remote location.

 

DEEP SKY VIDEO ASTRONOMY BOOK

Deep Sky Video Astronomy

Get the book!

Written by Steve Massey and Steve Quirk,
Deep Sky Video Astronomy
reveals all the tips and tricks for getting the most out of your deep sky capable video camera.

Review Astronomy Now

 

GSTAR CAPTURE
GSTAR-EX Capture Software

Our FREE video capture utility software.

 

COMET NEAT 2001 Q4
Record and discover comets

taken from Sydney

 

MERCURY
 

Credit: Steve Massey

Rare detail captured in this image of Mercury.

 

David Malin Awards

 

Darrin Nitschke with David Malin

Darrin Nitschke receiving receives a special mention award from Dr.David Malin for his GSTAR-EX panorama image of Markarian's Chain of galaxies

 

Horse Head - Sydney
Horse Head Nebula taken from Sydney



Hottest Video and Planetary camera in Australia

GSTAR-EX with Hand Control
CAMERA WITH HAND CONTROL


GSTAR-EX mini colour camera

GSTAR-EX CLR

GSTAR-EX CLR sample images


256X frame accumulation - 1/2" colour CCD
Low Noise - Compact size
Very good video colour rendering
Click Here for More information!


No Fuss set-up and Easy to Use
View faint galaxies and nebula on your T.V or PC
View the planets and Moon with incredible detail
See more detail than views at the eyepiece
Perfect public viewing tool for Observatories, Schools, Universities, family and friends.
Great stunning black & white portraits
Colour imaging with optional LRGB filter set
Fast image rates to help beat the distorting effects of the atmosphere.
Built-in Auto Occulting Disc function 
Internal integration mode for capturing faint objects
S-Video and Composite connections
Record to VCR, DVD or Hard Disk

THE ULTIMATE FINDERSCOPE WTH A 25mm C-LENS

 

WELCOME TO GSTAR-EX DEEP SKY & PLANETARY IMAGING
SIMPLE AS 1.. 2.. 3..

Looking for a simple, no-fuss way to capture dramatic portraits of the night sky with a telescope? Something that doesn't require absolutely perfect telescope tracking or polar alignment and long exposure times? The GSTAR-EX camera is the complete CCD imaging tool you've been seeking. Utilising a highly sensitive Sony CCD and leading edge, on-board image accumulation technology, this camera reveals stunning views of galaxies, nebula, star clusters, comets, the planets and their moons, our own Moon and the Sun (filtered) in extraordinary detail.

You'll see more structure in nebulae and the starry expanses of galaxies and their dust lanes than can be seen at the eyepiece in near real-time. Simply place the camera in to the focuser of your telescope like an eyepiece and connect it to your home T.V. monitor, VCR, DVD recorder or PC.

Set the camera to integration mode and watch those faint deep sky wonders unfold before your eye's! You don't even need to travel to dark country skies to achieve excellent celestial portraits.

a truly versatile camera

Above: A few GSTAR-EX tri-colour images

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HOW GSTAR-EX WORKS
GSTAR-EX is a highly light sensitive video camera imaging system that offers the benefits of both high-speed image capture and a special video frame accumulation mode. In SENSE UP mode normal exposures are internally co-added in the cameras onboard memory refreshing the image on your PC or T.V monitor every 2.56 seconds at maximum integration. The slower the integration time set, the quicker the screen refreshes. Live Screen viewing is amazing.

Live View of 47 Tuc Globular Cluster

Above: A live screen view of the globular cluster 47 Tuc using maximum sense up mode of the camera at the prime focus of a 100mm refractor from Sydney.

Below is a live view of NGC253 on a CRT computer monitor using the GSTAR-EX Capture software. The telescope was a ProStar 127WPF APO refractor and Lumicon 2-inch focal reducer.

Live on screen view from GSTAR-EX


The above photo from courtesy of Steve Quirk shows the live viewing contrast differences of the
 GSTAR-EX camera between a computer LCD display versus a classic B&W CRT video monitor.

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APPLICATIONS
Lunar Imaging - Planetary Imaging - Deep Sky Imaging - Supernova Patrol - Comet Hunting - All Sky Camera - Meteor & Asteroid Imaging - Occultation timing - as a finderscope - long exposure guiding.

The GSTAR-EX was the camera of choice for astronomers at Siding Spring Observatory where several cameras have been put into service in a variety of applications. See it in action live from Siding Spring Observatory with 180° Fisheye view of the sky here

PUBLIC EDUCATION

The GSTAR-EX is the perfect tool for educational nights in public observatories, schools, clubs and universities particularly when people are having difficulty viewing objects through the eyepiece.

Both video outputs (Composite and S-Video) can be used simultaneously if needed. One connection to a local monitor and one to a remote PC or other recording device.

CAMERA TO COMPUTER OPTIONS

Capturing the video output from the GSTAR-EX to a desktop PC or Laptop can be achieved by using a video capture device such as a PCI slot card in the case of a desktop machine or a video to USB / firewire converter box or cable or dedicated PCMCIA capture card for a Laptop without a video in port. Some are dedicated video capture devices or have built-in T.V. tuners with additional inputs for external video cameras. The most common capture file format is AVI with most T.V and capture card devices. See FAQ page for more.

VIDEO FINDERSCOPE

The GSTAR-EX is an amazing tool when used as a finderscope. Fitted with a wide-field lens it can be used to locate stars otherwise invisible the naked eye after sunset. Simply, turn the BLC (Back light compensation) function to OFF, set AutoGain to MANUAL (MAX setting) and accumulation mode to X128 and you'll be seeing stars on the monitor! Quite often atmospheric steadiness "the seeing" is best just after sunset. This means you can use the GSTAR-EX fitted with wide-view lens, piggyback on your telescope as a finderscope to locate stars for GOTO mount star alignments while the sky is still quite bright. Once alignment is successful, you can allow time for your optics to cool as the sky darkens.

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SOLAR OBSERVATIONS

Further to the cameras amazing versatily for imaging the deep sky, Moon and planets, it is also a magnificent solar camera for recording sunspots (with optional safety filter) and solar prominences with a Hygrogen alpha solar scope or filter. One of its unique features is an artificial occulting disk. Controlled within the cameras internal firmware it effectively blots out over saturated regions like a bright solar or lunar disc while still highlighting faint background detail such as solar flares etc.

The Sun using GSTAR-EX Auto Occult Feature

Above: The Sun captured with the GSTAR-EX camera using the Auto-Occulting Disc feature. Filter used is a Thousand Oaks Ha filter with Vixen 2.5-inch refractor.

Below: Using the same equipment this image is a composite of two exposures - one using the occulting disc setting and high camera gain for the prominence exposure and the other using the cameras the camera high-speed shutter to reveal the mottled atmosphere of the Sun. Both images were combined in PhotoShop.

The Sun captured using the GSTAR-EX

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DOWNLOADS
My Astro Shop provides complete technical support for the GSTAR - EX camera and are available for guidance and advice on (07)4194-5502 during business hours. You can also contact us here.

We are slowly but surely updating this guide which is a work in progress.

GSTAR-EX User Manual V3.1 - DOWNLOAD HERE


GSTAR-CAPTURE Version 3.1.32 (latest)
 

A flexible video capture program primarily for Astronomy but with a diverse use in other applications which utilises your installed video or USB capture device drivers allowing multiple standard capture rates and additional rates slower than 1 frame per second. In accordance with the GStar integration sense up modes X128 (GSTAR Monochrome) or X256 (GSTAR Colour camera), it can also be set to capture at even slower frame accumulation rates.

GSTAR 3 Capture software includes editable objects, location and equipment database recording Universal times, tracking crosshair reticle, image enhancement functions, frame selection for post processing, recorded AVI deinterlacing, live view progressive mode, instant snapshot, live histogram, occultation time stamping, night view modes, on screen zoom for focusing, GSTAR-COM remote control expanded help file among numerous other very useful tools.

Access to camera drivers for PCMCIA, PCI and USB devices is possible and includes the famous GSTAR-COM camera program for remote camera control via the (optional) GSTAR-COM cable. It also includes easy scripting facility for timed filtered exposures such as RGB or LRGB sequence.

This image stream source camera software is perhaps the best of its kind available in its class. Best of all...  it's FREE!!!

Suits Windows XP & Vista . ** DOWNLOAD FULL INSTALL NOW **

**NOTE** If you are currently using GSTAR Capture 2 we recommend first uninstalling this version and reinstalling V3

Developers: Chris Wakeman & Steve Massey


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GSTAR-EX TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Image Sensor: 1/2 inch Sony ExView HAD CCD (795(H) x 596(V) pixels)
Sensor Pixels 8.6um(H) x (8.3um(V)
Resolution: Hi-res 600TVL (better than SVHS)
Capture Size: 768 x 576 pixels (max frame capture size - depends on video capture card used)
Standard: CCIR or EIA - Monochrome (Black and White)
Sensitivity: 0.0001 LUX
Shutter Speeds: 1/50 or 1/60 sec to 1/12,000 second (16 steps) - Automatic and Manual control
Integration Mode: Deep Sky Mode - X2 to X128 (max integration) (11 steps)
Signal Gain AGC Automatic and Manual control
Signal Processing A/D converter 10 bit AGC/AD converter (8 bit output)
Video Outputs 1x Composite (BNC) and S-Video - 1Vp-p
Communication RS232 (via mini din)
Gamma Adjust For deeper contrast of the planets and Moon
Digital Zoom Multi-step from 1x to 2 x internal image rescaling (useful where optical magnification is limited)
Picture Enhance via On Screen Display menu
Operating Temp -20° to +50°C
Dimmensions (L) 100mm (W) 50mm (H) 50mm
Interface 5 buttons for OSD control on back panel plus RS-232 interface for computer control.
Power 12VDC regulated 200mA (centre positive)
Power Indicator Power On LED indicator is RED for maintaining dark adaptation and minimising obtrusive lighting.
GSTAR-EX Spectral Response
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GSTAR-EX CAMERA MODELS

GSTAR-EX (PAL) for Australia, U.K, New Zealand and other CCIR regions - Basic Camera System

GSTAR-EXC (PAL) Camera with Hand Control for Australia, U.K, New Zealand and other CCIR regions

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GSTAR-EX USER GROUP
A camera users support group has been established with Yahoo as a general resource for camera owners to ask questions and share ideas and tips etc. It is not a discussion forum as such but rather a place to log any questions regarding set-up and use of the GSTAR-EX or imaging and image processing tips. While many owners find the camera quite simple to operate with our online application user manual covering most questions, if you'd like to share your results, questions or tips with other camera owners this might be a useful resource for you.

Join the GSTAR-EX User Group

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FEEDBACK FROM GSTAR-EX USERS
The GStar camera never ceases to amaze me. I have seen objects with the telescope that I simply cannot see in an eyepiece. Thank you

G. Shirley (N.S.W)

The GSTAR is unbelievable - astonishing. I'm imaging stars to 12 - 13 mag
using a celestron 130 SLT !!
After processing in registax etc I'm getting nearly textbook shots from my
light polluted skys using a basically entry level telescope.

Its obviously changed amateur astronomy forever and now no more worrying
about stray lights, dark adaption etc etc.

Neil Proud (W.A)

In a world of increasing complexity, the GSTAR-EX stands out as a simple but effective astro imaging camera that is capable of achieving stunning results. It is a versatile for planetary, lunar and deep sky imaging. I have imaged galaxies around 12th magnitude and found it to be an amazing camera for a good price and backed by excellent service.

Darrin Nitschke (Sydney)

As a first time ever imager, the GSTAR-EX truly amazed me. I set up my scope, literally took the GSTAR EX out of its sealed unopened box, placed it in the scope, connected the power and video cables, turned on the monitor and what do you see, Centaurus A sitting beautifully in the middle of the screen. It was that simple. I have to say that I have not had a more enjoyable and exciting moment in star gazing. I highly recommend this camera and the great support given by myAstroShop to all.

Website:http://deepskyvideo.bigpondhosting.com/index_files/page0001.htm

Michael Clark (Sydney)

Amazingly easy to use and a great tool for astronomy overall. The live on screen view is even better than I'd initially imagined. Having the great local support made the choice even easier!

John Marion (ACT)

I am simply amazed at how well this camera detects faint objects. To easily see galaxies and other faint deep sky objects live on the monitor that I used to struggle to glimpse at the eyepiece before is truly amazing and especially in moonlit skies!

Steve Quirk (Mudgee NSW)

The GSTAR-EX is one hell of a camera!!! I'm pleased to report that it is fully
compatible with our existing fisheye lens, and in fact the lens is now a
full-hemisphere fisheye thanks to the increased CCD size (formerly it
was slightly cropped at the top and bottom of the screen). It is also
compatible with the DC-iris of our lens.
The low-light-level (x128 integration) is astonishing. No matter now
dark I make my room, it looks like broad daylight when viewed through
the camera.

Dr.Andre Phillips (Siding Spring Observatory N.S.W)

"...even from Sydney light pollution and with the scope roughly polar aligned, the short duration, highly sensitive exposures of the GSTAR-EX camera allows me to take images I'd never imagined possible.

Website: http://my.hwy.com.au/~sjquirk/images/image-list.html

Darren Jackson (U.K)

"The performance of this camera continues to amaze me and to see such detail and image scale with objects like M42 and Lagoon filling the screen of a 15" monitor is just breathtaking and all from suburban light polluted skies.

I could have purchased a similar camera from overseas, but chose this camera with the full back up Service and Tech support and at a good price. It is backed by one of the people who pioneered Video Astronomy here in Australia."

Dave Larkin (QLD)

Just amazing, I hardly bother these days looking in the eyepiece anymore. I know that's seems like an unromantic view but who am I to argue when technology makes observing so much fun! The GSTAR-EX camera rocks. Thanks

Stephen Price (VIC)

I can honestly state it is one of my best astronomical purchases and there is no chance that I will part with it.

Website: http://www.eyetotheuniverse.com/

Paul Milligan (U.K)

Neil Proud - www.neilproud.info

Garin Taylor (W.A) website - http://members.iinet.net.au/~garin/GStarEX.htm

 

 

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Copyright 2007 Binary Systems Pty Limited
www.myAstroShop.com.au
All Rights Reserved.



GSTAR FEATURES
- Simple to use
- How Does it Work?
- Camera to PC
- PC Camera Control
- Video Finderscope
- Solar Observations
- Specifications

GSTAR-EX Package

PICTURE GALLERY
- On Screen Views
- Customer Images
- Applications
- Reviews

M65 in Leo
M65 by S.Quirk

GSTAR-EX NEWS
- Coming Soon

19.8 magnitude star near the Ring Nebula
Stacking many images and image processing reveals a 19.8 magnitude star near M57 with 12-inch telescope.

courtesy S.Quirk

M20 - from Sydney
m20 Trifid Nebula
LUNAR LANDSCAPES
Eratosthenes
URANUS AND MOONS
 


Uranus and Moons captured with a 10-inch Newtonian

 

M8 - from dark sky

Lagoon Nebula

M8 by Mark Garrett

 

GSTAR-EX Kit
GSTAR-EX with Case and filters

Neatly packaged in a handy carry case the GSTAR-EX kit includes UV/IR blocking and colour filters for LRGB imaging.

 

M17
M17

M17 by Mark Garrett

 

SEE OUR REGULAR ADVERTISEMENTS

See our Ads in Australian Sky and Telescope
Australian Sky & Telescope Magazine

 

VIDEO ASTRONOMY

Deep Sky Video Astronomy

Get the book and find out what Video Astronomy is all about

Video Astronomy
(revised edition)

HELIX NEBULA
 

Helix Nebula

Helix Nebula imaged from Sydney. Exposure using maximum accumulation mode and 100 stacked video frames.

 

SATURN
Saturn

RGB image of Saturn

 

Comet C/2006 P1 McNaught
GStar-Ex and telephoto lens wih RGB filtering

 

GSTAR-EX RGB+I filters
GSTAR-EX Filter Set
GSTAR-EX for Atlas
Atlas of the Southern Night Sky

The GSTAR-EX camera was used for more than 85% of the image illustrations in the renowned Atlas of the Southern Night Sky sold throughout Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

 

See the camera in action live at MO

Visit the fine people at Mudgee Observatory

If you're passing through country NSW then stop off at Mudgee Observatory and ask to see the GSTAR-EX camera live view from one of their fine telescopes.