The Starlight XPress HX-916 is a dedicated astronomical CCD camera made in the U.K. It's CCD chip is 1300 x 1000 pixels, with each pixel 6.7 microns in size. Astronomical CCDs are optimized to take long exposures with minimal random noise-- compared to the CCD detectors in modern everyday cameras. It has an active cooling system, which ensures that the CCD chip is cooled at least 30 degrees celsius below ambient temperature. The CCD camera is attached directly to a laptop and is controlled by a software package called AstroArt.