Drift integration software re-aligns the images that have drifted when captured by a web cam.
Because the Earth
is turning objects drift across the night sky. Traditionally expensive
tracking telescope
mounts are used to keep objects centered in the telescope. Drift
Integration allows you to shoot with a stationary mount and then
re-align the images when integrating the frames.
The sensor in a web cam is a grid of transistors that collect light. Every fraction of a second the camera captures another image. If you point your telescope with web cam attached towards the sky to capture an image of an object, the earths rotation will cause that object, and the surrounding stars for that matter to move across the field of view. Drift integration software uses image comparison to re-align images. Drift integration will use a point in the field and re-align the next frame so that that point is in the same grid box as the previous frame. This means your telescope mount does not have to be as accurate as when you do not use drift integration software. You will still need to track for long exposures or part of the image will move out of the frame.
Image Before Drift Integration
Image After Drift Integration
Visit astro-observer.com to see information on the amateur astronomy as a hobby.
There is some great information on telescopes, eyepieces, mounts, and accessories in the selecting a telescope section.
