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Here's a simple technique to view the Moon in INFRARED (below) using a simple digital camera, webcam, or camcorder (click for larger image).

Follow the STEPS below to convert your ordinary digital camera (or camcorder in this case) into a Infrared camera.

STEP 1: A simple camcorder above, like most digital cameras, has a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) that allows pixels of information in visible and Infrared light wavelengths to be recorded.

Unfortunately, for us earth-bound observers, the majority of infrared wavelengths (mostly in the far-infrared region of wavelengths) usually get blocked by water molecules in our atmosphere. So it is near impossible to observe these wavelengths except from very great heights, for example, on high mountains (e.g. like the observatories on Mauna Kea), or by sending balloons with infrared instruments attached to them above the water-molecule boundary, or by sending probes into space. Fortunately, for us however, a portion of the near-infrared wavelengths which lie close to the visible part of the spectrum of wavelengths (the ones we see through our eye everyday all around us) are observable, and it is these that our modified camera will look at.

STEP 2: So, you have your camera (preferably an old one that you don't use anymore)! You have your small set of screw-drivers like above (watchmaker's type is what you usually need as the screws in cameras are extremely small)! Lets begin! First you need to Disassemble your camera accordingly. Here you see several parts to the innards of the camera, and the interesting part we will look at is at the centre of the image (seen in next step below).

STEP 3: This optoelectronic part includes the CCD device mentioned above, and it also holds a blue filtered piece of glass that we will remove to transform the camera into a Infrared device.

STEP 4: When the end section in the part is unscrewed, the CCD device is exposed (it won't do any harm to open it like this, but do not touch or smutch  it). The filter glass -- the blue square above -- looks tiny in this case, and it is this that allows in all light/near-infrared wavelengths (note, in some cameras this glass may just have a thin sheet of blue or red film stuck upon it, or, may in fact cover the CCD instead).

If this is so in your camera setup, you can try and peel it off, however, it is quite tricky to remove and once so done it is even more trickier to stick back on again (hence, the old camera option use). Removal of the thin film can either be tackled by shear brute force, or by using one of those paint stripper solvents if the glass it is stuck onto is 'real' glass and not 'plastic'. If you are successful in eventually peeling it off and do want to try stick it on again after you've conducted this infrared camera conversion, do so with a very clear, quick-drying glue; avoid any bubbles between the surfaces. Note: Removing the piece of blue glass (~ 2mm thick) may cause a slight out-of-focus effect with this experiment, however, some cameras have auto-focus options (like mine above), so there wasn't a problem with final images I produced. If the out-of-focus problem still exists for you after you've finished the infrared conversion, however, you might want to replace a similarly-sized piece of clear glass in place just to keep the same distance that the CCD was initially from the blue filter glass you took out. But all that said, these are just minor notes, and most likely, you won't need to do any of the above, and it will work for you.   

STEP 5: The trick now is to replace the blue/red filtered glass/film you took out with something that will block out the visible portion of light but that will allow in only the Infrared light into your camera. The best material that you can use to do so is the negative part of film that you usually receive with developed coloured photos. Taking the darkest sections of the negative film and cutting two suitable squares (like above), fit these into the area where the blue glass originally was, and where the CCD connected into it (arrowed above in this case). Screw the end section back on again, and if all went well for you, your optoelectronic part should now look again like in Step 3 above.

Note: If these negative filters don't work for you, try other dark filters (e.g. solar filters, floppy-disk film etc.,) or add/delete other negative squares to the assembly to best suit the image you want.

STEP 6: That's it...you're done! Now all you have to do is reassemble all the parts of your camera back again so as you end up with the same setup you initially started off with. You now have a Infrared camera...go try it (in the image below, I have attached it to my scope and it's all ready for viewing the Moon).

Note1: This IR camera setup is mainly working in the near-infrared range as mentioned (around 650 - 1000 nanometre wavelength), and so will only show areas of certain wavelengths that the eye cannot see. If needs be that you want to see better in these wavelengths, you could also create, or buy, infrared LEDs lights and use these (shine upon an object) along with your infrared camera. Note 2: Those cameras that show heat wastage in houses, for example, are working in the far infrared range (around 12000 - 14000 nm), however, as the IR sensors involved in these are quite expensive, most likely this simple conversion experiment is one you might want to try first as it's cheap and anyone can do. Note 3: It wouldn't be advisable to try this IR conversion on expensive cameras, like SLRs, however, if you're mad enough, it can be done (I've seen it) but I wouldn't recommend it -- not unless you can access the filter and CCD easily, or you can set it up so as that you can allow/block the wavelengths without going in through the camera's innards. Whatever option you choose in the end however, I guarantee you it will be well worth giving it a try  -- not only for viewing the Moon in IR, or for observing it in daytime (see Peter Llyod's images), but this method could also be very useful for tying to attain the best Crescent Moon possible. IR observing can also be fun, for example, looking at other everyday objects (see below). What have you got to loose...but just an old out-dated, camera, camcorder or webcam lying somewhere in a pile of other electronic jumble you've gathered over the years :)))

A Infrared camera is also capable of viewing the unseen in some instances, so have a look at some of the other areas you might experiment (have fun) with. These are real, actual images below.

Veins (wrist)

Currency (check for counterfeit)

See-throughs -- Left: (wine/cola), Right: (tablets in dark bottle)

Coloured objects

TV/Computer remote...click as normal your remote at a close-by object and see it flash through your Infrared camera

Landscapes

NB. To simply change back your camera to a normal camera again, do all of the reverse above. My Homepage (Moon: Atlas, Poster, Globes, News, Mission etc.,).