NexImage Solar System Imager.

Whether you currently own a telescope or are contemplating a purchase, our new NexImage
Solar System Imaging Kit is a MUST HAVE!

NexImage is a complete CCD solar system imager capable of producing high quality
planetary
images with greater light sensitivity and color fidelity than comparable CMOS imagers.
Combined with the NexImage software package, NexImage can bring out tremendous detail
and reveal a final image that will rival those taken with astronomical CCD cameras costing
thousands of dollars more.

View and capture live video on your computer screen
Software automatically filters out video frames most affected by poor atmospheric "seeing"
leaving only the sharpest, clearest frames to be stacked and aligned into one high quality
image
Easy to follow quick start instructions and tutorial with sample video file that will have you
producing quality images your first night out
Camera control software allows you to manually change the gain, contrast, exposure time,
frame rate and color saturation using your PC
Compatibility – 1.25" adapter barrel makes NexImage compatible with most any telescope

Versatility – 1.25” adapter is threaded for standard eyepiece filters and can be removed and
replaced with optional focal reducer lens

Features:

Compatibility - threaded on 1.25" adapter barrel makes NexImage compatible with most any
telescope.
Versatility – 1.25"adapter is threaded for standard eyepiece filters and can be removed and
replaced with optional focal reducer lens.
Tutorial - step-by-step Quick start and tutorial complete with sample video file that will have
you producing quality images your first night out.
Power - NexImage uses a 1/4" format color CCD chip that gives the same approximate
magnification as a 5mm 50 degree field of view eyepiece.

Camera control software:

Full camera control – allows you to manually change the gain, contrast, exposure time, frame
rate and color saturation.
Preview mode – shows a live feed of your image making focusing as easy as focusing an
eyepiece.
Video recording – capture streaming video of solar system object used to generate the final
high quality image.

Image processing software:

Frame Lists – automatically allows you to view individual frames of your video stream.
Quality cutoff filter – filter out low quality images based on individual frame quality and
alignment differences.
Wavelet Filter – separates image into a series of unsharp mask layer that can be individually
controlled to bring out all the hidden detail of the image.
Image Processing Control – maximize your image with the most powerful image processing
controls like, contrast, brightness, gamma curve, RGB histogram and many more.

NexImage comes with the following:

NexImage Camera with 1.25” adapter and USB cable attached
CD-ROM including:
Image capture software – to capture streaming video of image
Image processing software – to align and stack individual frame into one high quality image.
Quick Setup and Tutorial – complete with sample images


How the NexImage works:

NexImage is a complete solar system imager that is compatible with most any telescope and
gives users all the light sensitivity and color fidelity needed for the highest quality planetary
images that only a true CCD chip can provide.

NexImage utilizes a CCD imaging chip to capture streaming video of any solar system object.
This video can easily be viewed as hundreds of individual images (frames) that can be digitally
stacked to significantly reduce the electric “noise” inherent in video chips and bring out the
unseen fine detail (signal) hidden with in your image.

The NexImage camera takes advantage of the fact that the signal to noise ratio of your
stacked composite image is proportional to the square root of the number of frames
combined. This means that stacking as few as 16 frames will reduce the grainy noise of the
composite image by 4 times. While stacking as many 1600 frames will improve the image by
40 times! However, stacking the individual frames is only half the power of the NexImage
imager.

With the included software package, each individual frame is analyzed for quality to filter out
those frames most affected (blurred) by poor atmospheric “seeing”. This form of after-the-fact
adaptive optics, leaves only the sharpest, clearest frames to be stacked and aligned into a
high quality image.

Finally, powerful processing features automatically break the image up into individual unsharp
mask layers that can be used to bring out tremendous detail and reveal final images that will
rival those taken with astronomical CCD cameras costing thousands of dollars.

NexImage Specifications:

Chip: 1/4" format, HAD, color CCD chip
Resolution: VGA 640x480
Size: 3.6mm x 2.7 (4.5mm diagonal)
Pixel Size: 5.6 micron square
Sensitivity: <1 lux
USB Cable: 7ft
Recommended Minimum System Requirements:

PC running Windows 98SE or better
333Mhz Pentium II or better
128 MB of RAM
40 MB of hard drive space
Screen resolution of 1024x768 or higher

NexImage Recommended Accessories:

REDUCER LENS.
Item #94178, NexImage Reducer Lens.
Increase your field of view by over two times for wide field lunar and filtered solar imaging. The
NexImage Reducer Lens replaces the 1.25" barrel and threads directly into the NexImage
housing.

Price - £18.00

FILTERS.
Item #94125, UV/IR cutoff filter 1.25"
This high transmission filter prevent IR wavelengths from blurring fine detail in your images.
Made with a Ultra-Hard Ionbeam hardened coatings, this filter has an extremely sharp cutoff
at
690nm yet leaves all the visible red, including the important 656nm H-alpha emission line.

BARLOW LENSES.
Double your effective focal length using a barlow lens with your NexImage for higher
magnification and greater image scale!

Barlow lenses offer an easy, economical way to increase the magnification range of your
eyepieces, and Celestron carries two of these highly useful lenses. A Barlow lens doubles
the
magnifying power of your eyepiece by doubling its effective focal length. For example, an
18mm eyepiece used with a 2x Barlow lens would have the magnifying power of a 9mm
eyepiece. It’s like having two eyepieces in one! Barlow lenses mount into either your
telescope’s focuser or visual back.

Item # 93326, 2x 1-1/4" Omni
This is a high quality 2x Barlow that doubles the magnification of all 1.25" eyepieces. This
economically priced Barlow has great features like, low profile, 2-element fully-multicoated
optical design and blacked lens edges.


Item # 93506, 2x 1-1/4" Ultima
This Ultima Barlow lens is, without doubt, the #1 choice among amateur astronomers who
want the best performance from their optics. The Ultima Series Barlow (2x - 1-1/4") is an
air-spaced, 3-element apochromatic design with a 27mm clear aperture. This lens features a
very high quality, fully multicoated design. Amazingly compact and lightweight, it’s just 5
ounces and 2.75" in length.

NexImage FAQ's.

How does NexImage Work?
NexImage utilizes a CCD imaging chip to capture streaming video of any solar system object.
This video can easily be viewed as hundreds of individual images (frames) that can be digitally
stacked to significantly reduce the electric “noise” inherent in video chips and bring out the
unseen fine detail (signal) hidden with in your image.

The NexImage camera takes advantage of the fact that the signal to noise ratio of your
stacked composite image is proportional to the square root of the number of frames
combined. This means that stacking as few as 16 frames will reduce the grainy noise of the
composite image by 4 times. While stacking as many 1600 frames will improve the image by
40 times! However, stacking the individual frames is only half the power of the NexImage
imager.

With the included software package, each individual frame is analyzed for quality to filter out
those frames most affected (blurred) by poor atmospheric “seeing”. This form of after-the-fact
adaptive optics, leaves only the sharpest, clearest frames to be stacked and aligned into a
high quality image.

Ads claim NexImage outperforms CCD cameras worth thousands of dollars. How is this
possible?
Since NexImage uses a video chip capable of taking continuous video of solar systems
objects it doesn't require expensive fans or cooling devices used by expensive CCD cameras.
Instead, NexImage uses software to remove the effects of dark current and electronic noise to
produce sharp planetary images. NexIamge's powerful processing features automatically
break images up into individual frames that can be processed and stacked to bring out
tremendous detail and reveal final images that will rival those taken with astronomical CCD
cameras costing thousands of dollars.

What can I take images of ?
NexImage is designed and optimized for taking images of solar system objects like planets,
the moon and sun (with proper solar filter). NexImage can also be used for terrestrial daytime
observing using the real time video capture feature.

What is the magnification of my telescope when the NexImage camera is in the eyepeice
barrel?
The NexImage camera is equal to the magnification of about a 5mm eyepiece. To determine
the magnification of your image when using NexImage, divide the focal length of your
telescope (in mm) by 5.

What comes in the NexImage Kit?
NexImage comes with the following:

NexImage Camera with 1.25” adapter and USB cable attached

CD-ROM including:
Image capture software – to capture streaming video of image
Image processing software – to align and stack individual frame into one high quality image.
Quick Setup and Tutorial – complete with sample images

Price - £109.00

The Astronomy Shop

1 Tone Hill. Wellington

Somerset TA21 0AU

United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 (0)1823 665510