Astro Camera

night-by-night colour sweeps and stacks with a camera facing north and towards the pole and zenith
The Astro Camera: a clear plastic box taped shut, on a wooden arm outside the window above the garden
Pi 4 and v3 camera in a sandwich box from an upstairs window. The white triangle is a lens cover driven by the Pi with an SG90 servo (not visible, far outside of box). The lens is covered with a phone protector glass.
per-night brightness curves overlaid
astrocam v3
brightness curves (and an old reference) for a week. Clouds are bright in the suburbs and overcast is about 8, deep darkness about 4. 4 stops or bits is 16x more photons. The pedestal is 6 bits and must be greater than the electrical noise of the sensor.
all nightsbrowse all nights →
2026-10-28
2026-10-280/2974 · ≈16.6 mag/arcsec² · 6.2 bits
2026-10-27
2026-10-272769/2958 · ≈17.4 mag/arcsec² · 5.2 bits
2026-10-26
2026-10-2618/2942 · ≈16.1 mag/arcsec² · 6.9 bits
2026-10-25
2026-10-25427/2934 · ≈16.9 mag/arcsec² · 5.9 bits
2026-10-22
2026-10-22404/2890 · ≈17.8 mag/arcsec² · 4.7 bits
2026-10-21
2026-10-211561/2874 · ≈18.0 mag/arcsec² · 4.4 bits
2026-10-20
2026-10-201244/2862 · ≈18.1 mag/arcsec² · 4.3 bits
2026-10-19
2026-10-193/2845 · ≈16.0 mag/arcsec² · 7.1 bits
2026-10-18
2026-10-18418/2345 · ≈17.9 mag/arcsec² · 4.5 bits
2026-10-17
2026-10-172322/2817 · ≈17.8 mag/arcsec² · 4.7 bits
capture 19:10-19:21
46 frames, not stacked (twilight only)
2026-10-140/46
2026-10-13
2026-10-132269/2757 · 17.9 mag/arcsec² · 4.4 bits
capture 19:14-19:46
129 frames, not stacked (twilight only)
2026-10-120/129
2026-10-11
2026-10-111419/2729 · 18.0 mag/arcsec² · 4.2 bits
2026-10-10
2026-10-101570/2712 · 17.9 mag/arcsec² · 4.4 bits
2026-10-09
2026-10-092378/2697 · 18.0 mag/arcsec² · 4.3 bits
2026-10-08
2026-10-08183/484 · 15.9 mag/arcsec² · 7.1 bits
2026-10-07
2026-10-07611/662 · 18.1 mag/arcsec² · 4.2 bits
2026-10-06
2026-10-06219/659 · 17.6 mag/arcsec² · 4.9 bits
2026-10-05
2026-10-05546/655 · 18.1 mag/arcsec² · 4.2 bits
2026-10-04
2026-10-04420/651 · 17.9 mag/arcsec² · 4.4 bits
2026-10-03
2026-10-03448/647 · 17.9 mag/arcsec² · 4.4 bits
2026-10-02
2026-10-02476/643 · 17.5 mag/arcsec² · 5.0 bits
2026-10-01
2026-10-01575/640 · 17.8 mag/arcsec² · 4.6 bits
2026-09-30
2026-09-30206/578 · 17.8 mag/arcsec² · 4.6 bits
2026-09-29
2026-09-2999/569 · 16.9 mag/arcsec² · 5.7 bits
2026-09-28
2026-09-2896/628 · 15.8 mag/arcsec² · 7.2 bits
2026-09-27
2026-09-27169/623 · 17.2 mag/arcsec² · 5.4 bits
2026-09-26
2026-09-2677/620 · 17.0 mag/arcsec² · 5.6 bits
2026-09-25
2026-09-2542/616 · 17.0 mag/arcsec² · 5.6 bits
2026-09-24
2026-09-24481/610 · 17.9 mag/arcsec² · 4.4 bits
2026-09-23
2026-09-23360/607 · 17.7 mag/arcsec² · 4.7 bits
2026-09-22
2026-09-22114/603 · 17.9 mag/arcsec² · 4.4 bits
2026-09-21
2026-09-21570/598 · 18.1 mag/arcsec² · 4.2 bits
2026-09-20
2026-09-20572/595 · 18.0 mag/arcsec² · 4.3 bits
2026-09-19
2026-09-1939/591 · 16.3 mag/arcsec² · 6.5 bits
2026-09-18
2026-09-1853/586 · 17.2 mag/arcsec² · 5.3 bits
2026-09-17
2026-09-17447/584 · 18.0 mag/arcsec² · 4.3 bits
2026-09-16
2026-09-16148/578 · 18.0 mag/arcsec² · 4.3 bits
2026-09-15
2026-09-15522/574 · 17.9 mag/arcsec² · 4.4 bits
2026-09-14
2026-09-1449/570 · 17.1 mag/arcsec² · 5.5 bits
2026-09-13
2026-09-13219/566 · 18.2 mag/arcsec² · 4.0 bits
2026-09-12
2026-09-1242/562 · 16.9 mag/arcsec² · 5.8 bits
2026-09-11
2026-09-11390/558 · 18.0 mag/arcsec² · 4.3 bits
2026-09-10
2026-09-1056/432 · 18.3 mag/arcsec² · 4.0 bits
2026-09-09
2026-09-0991/549 · 17.9 mag/arcsec² · 4.4 bits
2026-09-08
2026-09-08522/545 · 18.0 mag/arcsec² · 4.3 bits
2026-09-07
2026-09-07137/284 · 16.1 mag/arcsec² · 6.9 bits
2026-09-06
2026-09-06431/537 · 17.8 mag/arcsec² · 4.6 bits
2026-09-05
2026-09-05152/532 · 17.6 mag/arcsec² · 4.8 bits
2026-09-04
2026-09-04408/529 · 17.9 mag/arcsec² · 4.4 bits
2026-09-03
2026-09-0394/524 · 17.7 mag/arcsec² · 4.6 bits
2026-09-02
2026-09-0247/520 · 16.8 mag/arcsec² · 5.9 bits
2026-09-01
2026-09-0148/515 · 16.4 mag/arcsec² · 6.4 bits
2026-08-31
2026-08-31159/511 · 17.8 mag/arcsec² · 4.6 bits
2026-08-30
2026-08-30177/384 · 17.8 mag/arcsec² · 4.6 bits
2026-08-29
2026-08-29150/503 · 17.6 mag/arcsec² · 4.8 bits
2026-08-28
2026-08-2854/493 · 17.4 mag/arcsec² · 5.1 bits
2026-08-27
2026-08-27280/494 · 17.9 mag/arcsec² · 4.4 bits
2026-08-26
2026-08-2688/489 · 16.5 mag/arcsec² · 6.2 bits
2026-08-25
2026-08-2534/486 · 16.7 mag/arcsec² · 6.0 bits
2026-08-24
2026-08-24386/482 · 17.7 mag/arcsec² · 4.6 bits
2026-08-23
2026-08-23375/477 · 17.8 mag/arcsec² · 4.5 bits
2026-08-22
2026-08-22445/473 · 17.8 mag/arcsec² · 4.5 bits
2026-08-21
2026-08-21253/469 · 17.8 mag/arcsec² · 4.6 bits
2026-08-20
2026-08-2096/465 · 17.8 mag/arcsec² · 4.6 bits
2026-08-19
2026-08-19256/460 · 4.4 bits
2026-08-18
2026-08-18340/456 · 7.5 bits
2026-08-17
2026-08-17210/452 · 4.7 bits
2026-08-16
2026-08-1655/447 · 5.7 bits
2026-08-15
2026-08-15326/443 · 4.7 bits
2026-08-14
2026-08-14182/439 · 5.3 bits
2026-08-13
2026-08-13403/435 · 4.6 bits
2026-08-12
2026-08-12396/431 · 4.6 bits
2026-08-11
2026-08-11394/426 · 4.6 bits
2026-08-10
2026-08-10367/422 · 4.8 bits
2026-08-09
2026-08-09365/418 · 4.6 bits
2026-08-08
2026-08-08327/413 · 4.7 bits
2026-08-07
2026-08-07378/409 · 4.5 bits
2026-08-06
2026-08-06376/405 · 4.6 bits
2026-08-05
2026-08-05367/402 · 4.7 bits
2026-08-04
2026-08-04274/397 · 4.6 bits
2026-08-03
2026-08-03366/393 · 5.0 bits
2026-08-02
2026-08-02143/389 · 5.0 bits
2026-08-01
2026-08-01357/385 · 5.1 bits
2026-07-31
2026-07-31125/381 · 5.2 bits
2026-07-30
2026-07-3071/377 · 5.4 bits
2026-07-29
2026-07-29320/373 · 5.4 bits
2026-07-28
2026-07-281437/2006 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-27
2026-07-271624/2002 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-26
2026-07-261625/1979 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-25
2026-07-251245/1997 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-24
2026-07-241290/1917 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-23
2026-07-23972/1942 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-22
2026-07-22533/1883 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-21
2026-07-211475/1903 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-20
2026-07-201362/1879 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-19
2026-07-191486/1864 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-18
2026-07-181479/1850 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-17
2026-07-17970/1822 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-16
2026-07-161434/1817 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-14
2026-07-141375/1783 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-13
2026-07-13687/1763 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-12
2026-07-121382/1764 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-11
2026-07-111332/1746 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-10
2026-07-101236/1732 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-09
2026-07-09395/1691 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-08
2026-07-081237/1691 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-07
2026-07-071172/1683 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-06
2026-07-06102/1817 · 9.6 bits
2026-07-05
2026-07-051047/1883 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-04
2026-07-041386/1846 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-03
2026-07-031404/1857 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-02
2026-07-021367/1841 · 9.5 bits
2026-07-01
2026-07-01992/1841 · 9.5 bits
2026-06-30
2026-06-30938/1811 · 9.5 bits
2026-06-29
2026-06-290/1838 · 9.6 bits
2026-06-28
2026-06-281317/1782 · 9.5 bits
2026-06-27
2026-06-27561/1643 · 9.5 bits
2026-06-26
2026-06-26391/1737 · 9.5 bits
2026-06-25
2026-06-25525/1652 · 9.5 bits
2026-06-24
2026-06-241158/1674 · 9.5 bits
2026-06-22
2026-06-220/1714 · 9.7 bits
2026-06-21
2026-06-211082/1670 · 9.5 bits
2026-06-20
2026-06-201554/1653 · 9.5 bits
2026-06-19
2026-06-191534/1665 · 9.5 bits
2026-06-18
2026-06-181505/1597 · 9.5 bits
2026-06-17
2026-06-171559/1674 · 9.5 bits
2026-06-16
2026-06-161509/1658 · 9.6 bits
2026-06-15
2026-06-151217/1297 · 9.7 bits
2026-06-10
2026-06-101695/1798 · 9.5 bits
2026-06-09
2026-06-09106/2260 · 8.5 bits