Join us on Discord for weekly office hours where. Teams can use this time to get questions answered, compare notes, and do supplemental imaging practices.  
Tuesdays, 4pm to 6pm CT 

Network practice observations on solar and lunar imaging are planned leading up to 2024 TSE on the following dates. 

Solar Observations

Saturday, February 24
Time: 11am – 3pm CT

Saturday, March 23 – REQUIRED FOR ALL DEB TEAMS
Time: 11am – 3pm CT

Lunar Observations

Thursday, March 14
Time: varies by location

Practice images are automatically uploaded to debra.physics.siu.edu. You can check this site at any time to verify your images are being taken correctly.

DEB training videos were made possible through our partnership with Einstein’s Incredible Universe (EIU), an NSF funded project led by Cosmic Picture. Videos were produced by the Center of Teaching Excellence at SIU Carbondale. They are available in two different versions. The first version of the videos is split into two approximately 20 minute segments. These videos were produced specifically for our EIU girl groups, but are excellent training for any new DEB teams.

Training videos featuring two former Citizen CATE Experiment 2017 volunteers, Adriana Macieira and Sammy Hasler, are in two parts and available on Vimeo.

DEB EIU training part 1, Introduction and Assembly

DEB EIU training part 2, Observation Procedure

DEB Training featuring the DEB Coordinator, Chris Mandrell, is split into several small segments available on Vimeo. Note, this is the same training as above just explained in a slightly different way and split into smaller segments. These shorter segments are useful for teams looking to watch a shorter clip on a specific subject.

DEB Training Segments – Mandrell

As of February 10, 2024, we have distributed the bulk of our DEB equipment and have 81 teams in the project. Some of the teams are self funded and have purchased their own equipment. Teams that had existing equipment such as a tracking mount and a laptop have been able to participate by purchasing only the additional components they need. A full list of the equipment is provided below. Note that the cost of this equipment is approximately $1,800 per setup.

Mount: iOptron Skyhunter EQ/AZ

Telescope: Askar FMA 180 Pro

Camera: Neptune-M Player 1 Camera

Solar Filter: 60mm Solar Filter, Rainbow Symphony, Black Polymer

Adapter: ZWO M42 to M48 Extender (16.5mm), ZWO T2-M48-16.5

Extension Tube Kit: SVBONY, SKU: F9190A

Laptop: Dell Inspiron 15 3520, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD