HMK 1, the Blue Gumdrop Nebula The discovery of HMK 1, also known as the “Blue Gumdrop Nebula,” began with an unexpected OIII signal during a deep-sky imaging project targeting the faint planetary nebula AMU 1. QHYCCD miniCAM8M played an important role in capturing the nebula’s delicate structure. An Unexpected

By Felix Schöfbänker   This is a review that shows the performance of the QHY5III678M planetary camera for ground-based imaging of satellites. I will showcase the specifications of the camera and example images I have taken with it of several satellites. As a short introduction to myself, my equipment, and

By Mitchell Duke I finally got a chance to try out the new QHYCCD miniCAM8 Color camera. This year has been terrible with the weather so far. Nothing but clouds, and rain. However, on June 9th 2025 I finally got the chance to test out this small, compact, all-in-one imaging

Quantum efficiency is a crucial measure of a sensor’s sensitivity. The newly released miniCAM8, featuring the IMX585 sensor, delivers exceptional QE performance. Quantum Efficiency Curve of miniCAM8 As shown in the image above, the miniCAM8M performs exceptionally well across various wavelengths, with strong quantum efficiency in the SII, Ha, OIII,

In scientific research and industrial applications, cooling capacity and dark current levels are crucial parameters for evaluating scientific-grade cameras. There are many factors contributing to dark current generation, but for optical sensors, temperature is the most significant. Higher temperatures result in greater dark current. Controlling temperature is essential for suppressing dark

A team of astronomy enthusiasts from China called SWONS (Super Wide-field [OIII] Narrowband Survey) discovered an astonishing [OIII] nebula in the winter sky. They made this discovery during their super wide field narrowband survey project in 2023. They named the target “Silk Nebula.” Silk Nebula in [OIII]+Ha This wide-field narrowband

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a series of tests, both on the bench and on real stars, to understand the behavior of the QHY268 Color version to evaluate its potential in terms of science observations for the amateur community. This camera has an APS-C sensor on a

By Luc Cathala My name is Luc Cathala, I live in Mazan, a small village 30 km from Avignon, the city of the Popes in Vaucluse in France. I am 66 years old and have three children. Since I was a child, the night sky has always fascinated me. I

  By Michael Barber For several decades monochrome CCDs were the sensor of choice for dedicated astro-imagers. Initially, CCDs were smaller in area than standard 35mm film frames but they were more sensitive and did not suffer from reciprocity failure, a common characteristic of film emulsions. However, CCDs were expensive and it took some time

QHYCCD: Hello Michael! We have followed you and your works for so long time, very happy to have this opportunity to learn more about you, a master of comet photography. Please feel free to share your story with us! First, please make a self-introduction for us. Michael: My interest in

Author: Michael Wong Review on QHY5III678M and QHY5III715C   The focal ratio that allows planetary imaging to achieve the optimal sampling rate is five times the camera pixel size in micrometers. In the past, camera pixel sizes were approximately around 3-5 micrometers, resulting in optimal focal ratios between 15-25. Even

Q: Really appreciate that we can have a chance to know more about you! Please make a brief self-introduction. A:  My name is Abdullah Alharbi from Kuwait, I have a bachelor’s degree in environmental technology management, and I recently got my Professional diploma in astronomy, space sciences, and technology, I

  Hello QHYCCD family my name is Yannick Akar and I live in southern Germany. I’m 28 years old and work in online marketing and as a digital media manager. I love astrophotography, editing and strength & fitness training. The night sky has always fascinated me. As a child I

  QHYCCD: Hi Kevin! We’re very pleased to invite you for this interview. We really like the images you have created with a QHY camera. So, let everyone know more about you. Please give us a brief introduction of yourself. Kevin: I grew up with telescopes and a darkroom in

QHYCCD: Hi Jacob! We’re very pleased to invite you for this interview. We really like works you took with QHY camera. So, let everyone know more about you. Please give us a brief introduction of yourself.  Jacob Heppell Astrophotography QHY268M QHYCCD Jacob Heppell: I’m a born and breed Aussie (born

Astrophotography QHY533M Review  by Author: Galactic Hunter Long-awaited by amateur astrophotographers, a monochrome camera using the IMX533 sensor is now finally available.This should be the best BEGINNER mono camera for astrophotography!   The QHY533M is a 14-bit astronomy-dedicated cooled camera with 9 MegaPixels and a pixel size of 3.76 microns.

QHYCCD: Hi Damien! We’re very pleased to invite you for this interview. We really like the planetary images you took with QHY camera. So, let everyone know more about you. Please give us a brief introduction of yourself. Damien: Thank you so much Yilia for contacting me, it was a

QHYCCD: Hello! Feel very honored and pleased to have this chance to get to know more about you. Please make self-introduction. It will be better if you can show a photo of yourself. Antoine Grelin: Hi! My name is Antoine Grelin, and I created Galactic Hunter with my wife Dalia.

QHYCCD: Hi Leo! Very happy that you can receive this interview. Please let us know something about you. Please make a brief self-introduction. Leo: In my later school years, I became interested in science and particularly in Physics, but I selected a different path in the early 1980s when I

Our friend Terry Hancock won the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition in the “Stars and Nebulae” category because of the work California Dreamin’. Let’s get to know something about this excellent work! California Dreamin’ my winning image in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition in the “Stars and

Abstract   The purpose of this paper is to conduct a series of tests, both on the bench and on real stars, to understand the behaviour of the new QHY268 Mono in the field of science observations for the amateur community. The availability of high end cameras, such as the

Hi everybody! This is an image captured with QHY5III174M by Mehmet Ergun. He captures a perfectly-timed shot of the International Space Station as it passes across the sun. How does he make it? Let learn about the story! QHYCCD=Q     Mehmet Ergun=M Q: Hi Mehmet! It is a great honor

QHYCCD: Hello Aaron! It is a great honor to invite you for this interview. First, please give us a brief introduction of yourself. Aaron: Thank you! Yeah, my name is Aaron Dalton. My wife and I live in the remote Alaskan village of Grayling, where we serve as Christian missionaries. I

At the beginning of this post, I’ll share with you a first light of QHY268M: This picture of Rosette Nebula was imaged by Christoph Kaltseis, an excellent astrophotographer from Austria, with QHY268M+QHY462C. It is a nice work. Here is the interview for Christoph. QHYCCD: Congratulations on the first astronomical image

Northolt Branch Observatories are located in London, England, and have achieved many outstanding results in astronomical observations. At the same time, they are an important user of QHY astronomical cameras. In recent years, they have confirmed about 200 new-earth asteroids and conducted more than 6,500 measurements of small celestial bodies

Motivation: Spectrally Agile Flat Field Illuminator I have had an idea for many years to build and sell a spectrally agile flat field illuminator device. I thought about this since at SBIG we routinely encountered CCDs that had flat field variations that changed with wavelength by significant amounts. We saw

QHYCCD: Hi Amit! Sorry for the delay. It is a great honor to invite you for this interview. Please give us a brief introduction of yourself. Amit: I am Amit Kamble, originally from Nagpur, India. But have made New Zealand my home for the last 10 years. I have always

QHYCCD: Hi Justin! It is a great honor to invite you for this interview. Please give us a brief introduction of yourself. Justin: Thank you very much, I am very grateful for this interview. My name is Justin and I am an amateur photographer. I have been taking pictures as a