I finally got a chance to go out and image. As usual, it's clear during the full moon so I took the opportunity to image the bright planets, Jupiter and Saturn. I got sleepy waiting for Mars to get high enough, so no Mars yet. Probably next month. Right now, because of my latitude both Jupiter and Saturn get up to 45° of altitude above the horizon, so they're well out of the muck!
So let's start with an extra. My son's girlfriend had never seen Saturn through a scope before and she absolutely marveled at Saturn through the C11. She asked if she could take a picture with her phone and I said sure. We all know how that turned out. So I said gimme a try with my phone. There's nothing special about my phone except I know how it operates. I held the phone to my 15mm
EP while she pushed the shutter icon. This is what we got.
Not bad for a cell phone -- I got lucky!
Next, we move onto the main event. I captured Jupiter and Saturn the following night (7/31/20 - a fuller moon) and managed several good video files. The only problem was that the wind was strong enough to move my
OTA (it takes a substantial wind to move a C11
OTA). This kept me from using my 2X barlow which kept my
FL at 2800mm instead of my normal 5600mm. This gave me these smaller images.
For video acquisition I tried a new software title - ASI Studio, Planetary Imaging option selected. This was the first time I've used this title and it is simple and easy to use.
Jupiter: 4000 frames, top 400 used (video elapsed time was less than 3 minutes) through an ASI 120MC (old model) gain 30, exposure 22ms.
Processed in PIPP, AutoStakkert!3 (AS3) with the "Sharpen" box checked, PSCC, RegiStax6 Wavelets (RS6W). I did the RS6W after PSCC and that was new, so was selecting Sharpen in AS3.
Saturn: 5000 frames, top 500 used, ASI 120MC, gain 30, exposure 42ms.
Same processing sequence as Jupiter.
And the final extra is to share how I find the best focus for my planetary imaging. I purchased a used Crayford 2-speed focuser that screws onto the visual back of my C11. This gives me the advantage of fine focusing without any image shift. You may not know that an
SCT image shifts every time you reverse the focusing knob. For visual work, it is only mildly annoying, but in planetary imaging where I'm using the equivalent of a 2X barlowed 6mm ( the diagonal measure of my sensor, effectively giving me a 3mm)
EP in an
f/10, 2800 mm
FL system, image shift becomes a BIG deal. So the Crayford eliminates this annoyance. Also, it makes it easier to "tweak" the focusing, before, during, and after capturing the video file. I set the Crayford at the middle point of its focusing range, then I get my best focus using the
SCT's FeatherTouch focuser. From then on out, I'm using nothing but the Crayford to tweak the focus. Here is what I use.
So fun times have been had and some images I'm fairly proud of came about.
Cheers,
JT
PS, To see what 5600mm of
FL can do, go to my gallery
app.php/gallery/album/11 and scroll down to see my larger versions of Jupiter and Saturn from 2 years ago. jt
∞ Primary Scopes: #1: Celestron CPC1100 #2: 8" f/7.5 Dob #3: CR150HD f/8 6" frac
∞ AP Scopes: #1: TPO 6" f/9 RC #2: ES 102 f/7 APO #3: ES 80mm f/6 APO
∞ G&G Scopes: #1: Meade 102mm f/7.8 #2: Bresser 102mm f/4.5
∞ Guide Scopes: 70 & 80mm fracs -- The El Cheapo Bros.
∞ Mounts: iOptron CEM70AG, SW EQ6, Celestron AVX, SLT & GT (Alt-Az), Meade DS2000
∞ Cameras: #1: ZWO ASI294MC Pro #2: 662MC #3: 120MC, Canon T3i, Orion SSAG, WYZE Cam3
∞ Binos: 10X50,11X70,15X70, 25X100
∞ EPs: ES 2": 21mm 100° & 30mm 82° Pentax XW: 7, 10, 14, & 20mm 70°
Searching the skies since 1966. "I never met a scope I didn't want to keep."
