Active Cooling Camera Modification for Improved Astronomy Data Collection

Abstract

Using Digital Single Lens Reflex (DLSR) cameras modified to be sensitive into the infrared are an inexpensive entry into astrophotography. Such a camera was used for wide-field, narrowband observations of the Cygnus Superbubble in the Observing Nebulosities project (Christopherson and Kaltcheva, 2015). One of the downfalls to using a DLSR for such a study is the inefficiency of collecting data from the buildup of heat in the sensor during data collection and the noise introduced into the images as a result. For this project an active cooling modification was designed and installed on a DSLR camera allowing the camera sensor to be cooled and held at a temperature below ambient conditions to reduce noise in speed up the data collection process.