Lastest update :
Nov 11th, 2008

Welcome to Cyril Cavadore home page, a web site mostly dedicated to CCD ASTRONOMY, Telescope making and Photography.

 

To know more about me !

   


What's new / hot :
  Time lapse of 30 frames, 20 mm F3.5 lens, CCD 2x2K, 15 sec exposure every 5 minutes.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


PRiSM software

Prism is an Astronomical image processing and sky Atlas software that I have been writing since 1992. This software is sold worldwide, have a look to some testimonials and users links about PRiSM : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
It is made of 488.000 Delphi line code, and features hundred of functions to prepare and to take the best benefits of your astronomical observations. The current release is V7 first released in May, 17th 2008
PRISM NEWS LETTERS
 
Preprocessing images   Planet morphing   Achieve automatic observation
This link explains how to preprocess your images by removing the Flat, Dark and offset. It like a cookbook that anyone should know.
  
How to deal with images from planets distorted by the seeing ? This unique feature of Prism helps you to recover from it.
  
Automatic observation is fundamental for repetitive observations, and helps to observe even if you have to work early the next day. Check out here out PRISM is able to make them.
 
       
Users mailing-list (French)   Debug mailing-list   PisesAtlasPrism said PAP98
This is the link where you can register to the mailing list to share information. This is a forum that can help you to overcome problems related to PRISM and share your experience.

You can send email to this mailing list to report bugs and become a Prism beta tester.
PAP98 is an old version of PRISM, that can be loaded here. It comes with all the features for free.Just download and install !
   
         
Script editor   PRISM Hardware DLL files   Process images from digital SLR camera (APN)
This page recommands the nicest script editor that can be used to edit PRiSM script . Color syntax is supported.
   This explains how the Prism's hardware DLL files are handled.   A kind of tutorial that guides you to preprocess images from digital cameras and obtain nice deep sky images, from Raw images from SLR cameras such as Nikon, CANON EOS 10D or 20D.
         
More help pages related to PRISM   PRISM Beta ZONE   PRISM Courses/trainning
This provides additional help to Prism software use.   Link to BETA test PRISM software.  
         
  PRISM CPA file handling DLL and code source available   PRISM and ASCOM
How to install ASCOM platform and hardware drivers

 

 
Observations  
I' am fond of astronomical observations. I have built my own telescope (250mm), running a 1x1K thinned CCD camera. I am observing at IAU 214 site various kind of objects. I try to find ideas to overcome the problem of life family and light pollution, non compliant to observations. Sometimes I am using telescopes belonging to other people(Valmeca), and to other institution like ESO's telescopes
 
  The full index of my nice images is available here
 
1999 Total Solar Eclipse   60cm VALMECA Telescope   Image gallery (T250 telescope)

This link relates all the result we got with a CCD camera and a 200mm telescope during the famous August 99 Total solar eclipse in France. English version here.
It describes an observing run achieved with the Valmeca 60 cm telescope, at Puimichel, France. This is the report presented thru these pages.
This is the image gallery of nice objects I could record with my T250mm telescope, despite my observing site is not so good for deep sky observation. Keep hopping..
         
Observing Supernovae (T250)   Comets (2000-2001)   Comets in 2002

All the supernovae observed with my T250 telescope. Find here a course about SNs, and about the author.
All the comets observed in 2001-2000 with my T250 telescope.
All the comets observed in 2002 with my T250 telescope.
   
         
Image gallery (other telescopes)   Color Image gallery   H-Alpha filter Image gallery
Image gallery of observed object with other telescope than the T250 can be found fellowing this link. You'll find here images from the VLT, for instance...
Color image gallery of targets recorded with the T250. Most are very famous objects of the sky. All recorded in my garden surrounded by lights.
Halpha filter for deep sky imaging makes possible to record faint structures of nebulae with full moon ! Have a look here to understand why.
     
Color images (interference filters)   Exposure time color imaging   Limiting mag. reference fields
Color imaging can be really nice when using OIII and Halpha filters. It allows to record objects with more accurate colors.
Calibrating exposure time a of given CCD and set of filter is mandatory to get color images that are properly Signal to Noise Ration balanced. The Landolt star catalog was used.
These pages are related to the limiting magnitude you can reach with your telescope. Selected fields that show stars up to magnitude 26 can be used to figure out whether a star is actual or not in your image and test your telescope capabilities.
         
Wide angle all sky images   Light pollution and sky background.   Units and systems employed in Astronomy
Remarkable images of the whole SKY with a thinned 1x1K CCD and photo lens. As a foreground, the Gemini South telescope in Cerro Pachon.
This page discuss about the light pollution from human activities and how it increases the Sky background in CCD images. Discussion undertaken to optimize the amount of images per exposures versus Signal to Noise Ratio.
This is useful to know all the units employed in professional Astronomy, their meanings and their scope is explained in this pages. Page always updated ...
   
         
CCD observations in suburb site
This is a 4Mb PDF file demonstrating that CCD imaging is possible even under a mediocre suburb light polluted site (In french). 		  Engarouines observation runs
This sections relates observing runs that where carried out at Engarouines observatory held by L.Bernasconi. This is a very nice place!		   DIMM seeing monitor software
The DIMM aims at measuring the seeing (or turbulence) condition in a given observation site. The following page presents a DIMM dedicated software that uses a Webcam and performs measurement 10 times per second.
         
2006 - 2005 observations
Run 1
Run 2
Run 3 		  Turbulence effects and high speed imaging   T1M Pic du Midi + Chungara CCD Images
         
Asteroid 9811 Cavadore
More information about it...
      
   
 
Telescope making and Hardware designs  
Telescope making is a very nice hobby when the weather is not suitable for observing. It allows you to build your telescope for a real cheap price and to control the whole system. I have been making telescopes for 16 years, like Schmidt Cameras up to 300mm, Newton telescope up to 400mm. This involve the knowledge of mechanics, optics, electronic and computer programming.. a real challenge where improvment is always possible due to technology changes.
 
   
   
 
A fully observation automated 250 mm telescope   Intes M703 180 mm telescope tests and usage.   Automated remote telescope concepts
This page is the index to many pages that are describing all the constructions phases of a 250 mm telescope. This telescope have to fulfill the requirement of being able to observe alone over the whole night. Currently, this is the telescope I am employing mostly.
  

 

I have purchased in nov 2003 an Intes Alter M703 telescope. This is the main entrance to get all the pages related to it : test and use with CCD camera and wabcams.

 

  
These are Powerpoint slides presented during the Aude 2001 Seminar (French Pdf file). This aims at presenting concept for remote automatic observation, and how to avoid the unreliable gas factory that a remote telescope could be if design phase and thoughts are not undertaken.
 
G11 Mount tests   Alter Intes M703 tests    
G11 have mount have been tested here. Installed drives are MCMT II system.   This page relates M703 Intes tests    

 

 
 
Telescope optics
 
Telescope optics is a very attractive field, as well as designing using ray tracing software like Zemax, manufacturing the parts and make the sky test. I have been involved in this field since 1985. Schmidt plates, correctors, main mirror are fields that I enjoy to polish.
 
   
   

 

Filters for CCD BVRI observations   Wynne corrector design   Schmidt Cameras
Shows here, the set of BVRI filter to be chosen to carry out nice color images and photometric observations. Considerations concerning the CCD are presented.
  
This is the information to design a Wynne corrector for Newton telescopes intrinsically affected by coma. The use of such corrector should be mandatory for telescope above a diameter of 300mm...
  
In 1992, I wrote a book to explain how to achieve a complete Schmidt camera. This book describes how to cut the Schmidt plate and all other details. This is scanned files that have been compressed downto 3.7Mo.
 
   
     
   
Optic and turbulence   Shack-Hartmann design and test   Shack-Hartmann software
Turbulence affects high resolution imaging, this link explains how. Also relation with the use of webcams in astronomy is discussed as well as optical mirror quality versus turbulence trade-offs
   Shack Hartmann is a powerfull setup to test and tune accurately telescope optics. This page explains the principle and a shows a setup that has been assembled and tested.  
I have written a Shack Hartmann real time software that allowed me to carry out measurments and to reduce them "in a real time fashion".
         
Design of Shack Hartmann wavefront system
(french version here), episode 2 here		        

 
 
Detectors and CCD systems  
This is a fascinating field : the CCD detectors used for Astronomy. Say that 20 years ago, a film had quantum efficiency of 2%, whereas the CCD has now up to 95%. CCD has revolutionized the way of doing Astronomy, allowing amateurs using a 20cm telescope to compete with 4m telescopes when they were using photographic plates. This field is the field where I am working professionally..
 

 
 
Kaf1602E and Marconi E2V 47-10   The Chungara CCD controller   MaxCam 47-10 Test
This section provides a comparison between the Kodak Kaf1602E and Marconi47-10 CCD for deep sky imaging in Astronomy. This link gives hints to make you mind up about these two great devices.
  
The Chungara CCD controller is a low noise system able to read out many kid of CCD. It uses the ethernet interface to transfer the data to the computer. This is an home made design achieved with B.Gaillard.
  
This page is a test review about the Maxcam47-10 from FLI. It shows the pros and cons of such a camera. This test has been written to be the most objective. Pictures of the camera parts can be seen.
 
     
   
Embedded Ethernet : Ethernaude   Ethernaude official web site   Marconi E2V CCD datasheet
This is a presentation held during the Aude seminar in 2000 (French Pdf file). It explains how this interface for transferring pixels to a PC can be applied to the Audine camera.
  
This THE official web site of the Ethernaude project : The ethernet interface for the Audine camera.
  
This link is a compilation of all the Marconi (E2V or EEV) devices in a nutshell. You'll find here also all the datasheet in PDF format of these devices.
   
         
   
 
Electronics Designs  
Electronic design is part of telescope making, it starts by driving RA/DEC axis of telescopes, proceed to assistance to focusing, to drive a dome, to drive a CCD camera, etc etc.. Electronic is nowadays unavoidable to point the telescope towards an invisible target, achieve automated telescope. This section will provide general purpose designs, as well design related to telescope driving.
 
   
   
 
RS232 cable length   Embedded Ethernet interface   Switches driven by ethernet
Sometimes RS232 serial cables are too long and the signal can be too weak. This page explains how to overcome this issue by the use of a simple design.
 
This section provides all the information related to a custom- made Embedded Ethernet Interface that can be used with a CCD camera to transfer data to a WINNT based OS PC. This design can be used for all application requiring high speed data transfer to a PC.
 
This shows how a set of general purpose high power switches can be driven by the Embedded Ethernet interface. The goal of such a design is to enable the PC to switch on/off devices remotely. This is a basic brick for an automated remote observatory. This design can open-close a dome, switch on the telescope drives, telescope CCD, etc etc...
 
         
MCMT   Telescope focusing   EOS Digital camera Remote Control System
MCMT is system that turns your telescope into a goto telescope. Based only on step motors. Telescope up to 600mm can to point everywhere in the sky. Have a look, it worth to be seeing.
 
Digital focusing is an important milestone to achieve in order to run automatic telescope. This link presents a design based on stepping motor and ethernet link.
 
The current EOS remote control system provided for performing astronomical images is insufficient . This page shows a system developped for the purpose of achieving long exposures images, and allow direct and total control from a PC.
   
 
Weather and climate  
What could be Astronomy without any basic knowledge of weather forecast and climate ? Since weather is an important component of astronomical observation, it disserved its whole section.
   
   
 
EUROPE Sunniness   FRANCE Climate and sunniness   Link to best satellite images site
Whole Europe Suniness data is quite impossible to find. So based on satellite images I have made my own statistics for year 2001. This pages explain also the method to achieve these results.
New : Good statistics here
 
This sections shows a whole set of charts related to France climate and its suniness. This is the data compiled by meteo France for many years.
   This is the link to DRSD UK meteorology, this is the web site that shows the nicest satellite images and compute your own statistics. Also this is one is not so bad : meteosurf
         
   
 
Photography  
That's an hobby I would have loved to make it my job...may be I am too bad, and/or not brave enough.. Photography section will show pictures from the trips I have made around the world. If you want to use the picture, please, be kind to ask permissions and credits to use it for your own purpose...
 
   
   
 
Link to my pictures (General)   Paranal-La Silla images    
By clicking here, you will access the index web page to all other sections related to my pictures.
 
Direct link to the Observatory photo pages.
    
 
 

 

 
Updated by Cyril Cavadore (Janv 1st 2007), , all right reserved. Ask for authorization to use images and documents.
To know more about me and my professionnal resume, have a look here.