Camera and Lens
The camera used for the quick all sky camera is the ZWO ASI 120 mc-s. The 120mc is a planetary camera that when purchased comes with an all sky lens. Screw the camera lens into the camera. The camera can be screwed onto any standard tripod. Plug in the usb 3 cable into the camera and computer.
Computer and Software
The software needed for the project is ASI Studio. It is free to download here https://www.zwoastro.com/software/.
The computer I use was an old Dell laptop. The only software installed on it is some miscellaneous astrophotography stuff, such as Polemaster software and the ZWO ASI software. In the ASI software there is an option for ASI MeteorCap under the Wide Field Imaging tab. The ASI MeteorCap is the software you will want to use for this quick all sky camera. The software is easy to setup and the camera is found almost instantly. All you have to do is find the camera in the drop down box and connect.
The MeteorCap software starts recording the whenever it notices the changes in the image. The only problem with how it worked is there were many false alarms. I had many videos to look through in hopes of finding that one meteorite.
Many of the false alarms are from flashing lights, planes, and car light reflections. If I used the software and setup more, there are probably a ways to cut down on the false alarms. There are a few settings to change including sensitivity.
Final Capture
At the end of the day I did get a captured meteorite. Here is the clip.
Miscellaneous Parts and Notes
For this setup you will need a tripod to attach to the camera. The tripod is used is just a cheap Amazon tripod.
The cable needed for this setup will come with the ZWO camera. If you don’t have one, it is a usb 3 cable with a A-male and B-male end.
