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.
23 Jul–29 Julbrowse all nights →
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