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[Al Degutis]

Meade announced it's latest imaging tool, the new Deep Sky Imager Pro CCD camera. The specs for the new DSI Pro are nearly identical for the original Deep Sky Imager that just started shipping last fall. The main difference is the CCD chip is a monochrome one that is 2.3 times more sensitive. Color imaging is possible, but you need to use the provided color filters to image separate exposures to be combined.

The DSI Pro also comes with a new version of software which includes an enhancement called "drizzle". Drizzle, which Meade states "Drizzle was developed by NASA for processing images from the Hubble Space Telescope", provides:

• Increased resolution. By taking a series of course pixel grid images from the DSI and applying them to a fine pixel grid image we are able increase the effective resolution better then interpolation.
  
• Extended View. Images are added to a final image that is up to 2 times bigger horizontally and vertically. The Telescope is then guided to the 4 corners of the image giving a final image that is nearly 4 times larger.
  
• Field De-Rotation. By selecting 2 stars, the software will rotate each image before it is applied to the final image.
  

More details on the DSI Pro: www.meade.com/dsipro/

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I have not entered the ccd arena yet, and as prices keep going down, makes sense to start. It's certainly much better than the days of film when one did not know if you were successful until you got back the pictures from the processor.

Sometimes the well meaning thought the images were underexposed or ruined and "thoughfully" replaced the film with a new roll. Even with instructions to print all.

Sigh.