Live Color Sky View Orion Starshoot All Sky Camera	Latest Meteor Image of Interest

Panorama View Compiled from the All Sky Camera Image at Upper Left

Sky Summary Showing Sky Conditions Plotted Throughout the Past 24 hours.

About the Missouri Skies "All Sky" Cameras:

These cameras are a part of an amateur scientific project that I am doing to continuously monitor and record the day and night skies above Missouri for weather phenomena, aurora, meteors, fireballs, bolides, satellites, and other transient terrestrial and astronomical phenomena.  The camera's exact location is given below.  These cameras are highly sensitive video cameras mounted to the top of my observatory. and my home.  I can have up to 7 different cameras monitoring the skies at the same time.  The analog video feed from these cameras is transferred into my home through a wire and then converted to digital on a computer for recording to storage media and Internet.  Both of the main cameras are oriented the same and utilize the same focal length make/model of lens.  All observations, video, and images of bright fireballs are reported to the American Meteor Society.

To visualize what is being represented in the cameras one can just imagine that you are lying down on the ground looking up at the sky with your feet pointing South.  This web page is designed to refresh itself every minute although the image itself may not refresh that often.  Sometimes the images will not update or be left blank for a minute or two until the next refresh.  This is caused by upload frequency.

Missouri Skies All Sky Cameras (Data)

• Latitude:  40°14'54.73" North
• Longitude:  94°19'11.19" West
• Altitude: 910 feet - 277.4 meters (Camera 9 feet above ground.)
• Google Map Locator: Link to Google maps HERE
• Time:  Time is given for the Central Time Zone including Daylight Saving Time when in effect.
• Make: Orion Telescope & Binocular All Sky Camera Generation #1, Watec 909H2 B&W Video Camera, Orion Starshoot Deep Sky Color Video camera.

The All Sky Camera  #1 tower as seen from below.  The tube coming from the observatory pipes warm air to the camera preventing dew from forming on the dome.	A view of the top of the tower for the All Sky Camera #1.  The outlet for the dew prevention device can be seen on the left.  The Hail guard is in the foreground and is not deployed.
Here is the All Sky Camera #2 mounted on the roof of my home.  This setup can house any camera that will fit inside the tube.  I currently exchange a Watec 902H2 and an Orion Deep Sky Color camera in the tube depending on my desired results.  I can mount any number of lenses on these cameras.  The camera and lenses can be quickly exchanged and adjusted from inside the house.	Here is a closeup of the All Sky Camera #2 looking south.  The dome is a thick acrylic plastic which is mounted with silicone to a regular 3" closet flange.  Everything is easily removable for cleaning or replacement.  I am currently working on a frost and dew removal system for this mount.

A Perseid meteor comes into the atmosphere.	The improvised hail guard in place.

Click on the meteor image above to see the YouTube Video of this event.
Click the Image above to view the Geminid Meteor Recap Video on YouTube

Below are some noted events that have been captured.

During construction of the main tower the camera sat on the ground.
Here is a night visitor that came to see what was going on.

This page dedicated in memory of Jerry Chab

Jerry Chab lived in Falls City, Nebraska and owned and operated an Orion All Sky Camera.  He passed away on August 6, 2013.  Although we never met in person, Jerry and I developed a friendship over the years as he and I were avid amateur astronomers and often corresponded through e-mail about the stuff that we were seeing in the skies above the Midwest.  Jerry was a Nebraska State Highway Patrolmen and left behind a wife and two sons. He died at his home. Jerry and I operated an "All Sky Camera" network from our homes. This small network of two cameras monitored the skies 24 hours a day for meteors, aurora, satellites, storms, and other phenomena. Our cameras were 70 miles apart but often recorded the same satellites and meteors due to the fact that they are so high up. We had great fun sharing images and reporting our findings. I knew something wasn't right when Jerry's camera stopped updating on August 6, 2013 which is the day that he died. Posted above is Jerry's last picture still in place just as it looked that day. Rest in peace, Jerry. Clear Skies.