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This business of imaging progressively fainter stars during the day is
rather fun.  We need a simple app that shows a contrast-stretched view
through the sextant telescope.  Suggested configuration:

- sextant with sextant telescope (the longer the focal ratio, the
better; 7x35 ought to be a good start)
- red or yellow filter
- place the phone's camera near the telescope eyepiece with a simple
holder of some sort (afocal coupling)
- run an app that stretches contrast and also does other
computational-photography-ish stuff, such as detecting the horizon and
leaving it alone in the image (or enhancing it only a little)

To use, precompute the sextant setting and look at the phone's display
while rocking the sextant.  Getting the azimuth to the star of
interest is a bit of a problem with a completely blank, bright, blue
sky; will have to start from the sun's azimuth or a magnetic estimate
(possibly from the phone's own sensor) and start searching from there.

Does this sort of app already exist, even if only as a generic "photo
special effects" product?

Cheers,
Peter

   

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