Advances in Astronomy and Space Physics, Volume 2, Issue 2 (2012)

High-speed multicolour photometry with CMOS cameras

S. M. Pokhvala1, B. E. Zhilyaev1, V. M. Reshetnyk2

1Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Zabolotnoho 27, 03680, Kyiv, Ukraine
2Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Glushkova ave., 4, 03127, Kyiv, Ukraine

Abstract
We present the results of testing the commercial digital camera Nikon D90 with a CMOS sensor for high-speed photometry with a small telescope Celestron 11 at the Peak Terskol Observatory. CMOS sensor allows to perform photometry in 3 filters simultaneously that gives a great advantage compared with monochrome CCD detectors. The Bayer BGR colour system of CMOS sensors is close to the Johnson BVR system. The results of testing show that one can carry out photometric measurements with CMOS cameras for stars with the V-magnitude up to ≃14m with the precision of 0.01m. Stars with the V-magnitude up to ∼10 can be shot at 24 frames per second in the video mode.

Keywords:
instrumentation: detectors, methods: observational, techniques: image, processing techniques: photometric, stars:imaging