First light ZWO ASI120MC astronomy camera

These images are the first light with ZWO ASI120MC astronomy camera.  Of course, every seasoned amateur astronomer knows that the purchase of any astronomy equipment immediately brings on the wrath of the cloud gods, with the length of cloudy nights directly proportional to the amount of cash spent, hence the long wait of purchasing this camera in September and only just getting to use it now.  It’s been worth the wait, I’m fairly chuffed with these first test images from the First light ZWO ASI120MC astronomy camera.  Both of these images are from the first quarter moon on 28th December 2014 when it was freezing cold, hands almost cold welded onto telescope tube.

Crater Aristoteles (top), Crater Eudoxus and the north Montes Caucasus mountain range. Image taken with ZWO ASI120MC on 28 December 2014. Image Nick Cook.

The first image above shows the area around the steep sloped crater Aristotles (top) which is 88 km wide formed during the Eratosthenian geological period.  A 135 km further south lies the 70 km wide Eudoxus crater.  In the lofty rugged peaks of the Montes Caucasus mountain range, where the tallest peaks range up to 6 km high, you can see the 33 km wide crater of Calippus.  In the top left of the image you can see the lunar valley of Vallis Alpes (latin for Alpine Valley) edging into the moon’s terminator (the division between the illuminated and dark parts of the moon).  Image taken through a Skywatcher 200p, ZWO ASI120MC camera, with SharpCap, Autostakkert, Registax and Photoshop to process the image.

Mare Nectaris and Crater Theophilus region.  Image Nick Cook.

The next image show the region around Mare Nectaris and a prominent crater trio composing of Theophilus and its imposing central peak 1400 metres high, and the older craters Cyrillus and Catharina formed during the Nectarian geological period (from -3.92 billions years to -3.85 billions years).  Mare Nectaris, the Sea of Nectar, is a volcanic lava plain in the central part of an 860 km wide impact basin.  Also in the image is the Rupes Altai escarpment (centre bottom of image).  Image taken through a Skywatcher 200p, ZWO ASI120MC camera, with SharpCap, Autostakkert, Registax and Photoshop to process the image.