The post-production attempt on my part is as good as it can get with the CanoScan 9000F photoshop suite that I use. I used a Bahtinov focusing mask for initial exposures and barely tweaked it several times throughout the imaging session using the "hunt method". Halfway through I refocused with the Bahtinov mask and found the initial focus was indeed spot on. Cassini Division is clearly visible as well as a bit of banding and a polar cap. Saturn's shadow is detectable on the ring structure behind it.
Saturn Rising
- Hankmeister3
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Saturn Rising
I captured this single-frame image several months ago at our Penfield dark-site when Saturn was in a favorable position at along the southern meridian . Captured with a SkyMax 180mm f/ 15 (2700mm focal length) with 1/2 inch Meade orthoscopic eyepiece projection (circa 1978 manufacture) at ISO 320 and a 1/8 second exposure. One of 60 images I took that night and this image probably represents one of those "lucky shots" given the seeing conditions were fairly average under Pickering 5 skies but with a lot of humidity in the air column above our location. Single-frame capture. It's the best image of Saturn that I've taken since getting back into astro-photography last April/May 2018.
The post-production attempt on my part is as good as it can get with the CanoScan 9000F photoshop suite that I use. I used a Bahtinov focusing mask for initial exposures and barely tweaked it several times throughout the imaging session using the "hunt method". Halfway through I refocused with the Bahtinov mask and found the initial focus was indeed spot on. Cassini Division is clearly visible as well as a bit of banding and a polar cap. Saturn's shadow is detectable on the ring structure behind it.
The post-production attempt on my part is as good as it can get with the CanoScan 9000F photoshop suite that I use. I used a Bahtinov focusing mask for initial exposures and barely tweaked it several times throughout the imaging session using the "hunt method". Halfway through I refocused with the Bahtinov mask and found the initial focus was indeed spot on. Cassini Division is clearly visible as well as a bit of banding and a polar cap. Saturn's shadow is detectable on the ring structure behind it.
Telescopes: Meade LX90 10-inch f/10 UHC Coma-free SCT; Explore Scientific 127mm f/7.5 APO ED triplet refractor; Explore Scientific 102mm f/7 APO ED triplet refractor; Explore Scientific 80mm f/6 APO ED triplet refractor; Skywatcher 72mm f/6 ED Schott doublet refractor; Meade 70mm f/5 APO quadruplet astrograph refractor; Skywatcher Quattro 8-inch f/4 Newtonian astrograph; Orion 6-inch f/4 Newtonian astrograph; Skywatcher SkyMax 180mm f/15 Maksutov; iOptron 150mm f/12 Maksutov; Orion f/9 Ritchey-Chretien RC astrograph
Eyepieces: Set of 7 Baader Hyperion eyepieces, 3 Meade 5000 glass handgrenades; 1970s era Japanese manufactured Meade 12.5mm Orthoscopic, and too many other eclectic eyepieces to list
Mounts: Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro mount; Orion Atlas EQ-G mount
Post-production Software: Not good enough … oh, okay ... Canon's proprietary CanoScan ArcSoft 9000F photoshop suite
Eyepieces: Set of 7 Baader Hyperion eyepieces, 3 Meade 5000 glass handgrenades; 1970s era Japanese manufactured Meade 12.5mm Orthoscopic, and too many other eclectic eyepieces to list
Mounts: Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro mount; Orion Atlas EQ-G mount
Post-production Software: Not good enough … oh, okay ... Canon's proprietary CanoScan ArcSoft 9000F photoshop suite
- Mac
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Re: Saturn Rising
This is my very 1st image of Saturn taken last night under very poor skies. I think the humidity was around 90%. I could just barely see it with naked eyes.
Celestron 6" Schmitt-Cassegrain on AVX mount
Celestron 6" Schmitt-Cassegrain on AVX mount
Steve
Scopes : Explore Scientific ED102 Triplet APO - Radian Raptor Triplet APO - Orion 50mm
Mount : AVX EQ | Software : KStars - EKOS - Stellar OS | Cameras : ZWO ASI533MC ASI1600MM ASI120MM-mini
CPU : Mac Studio, iMac - Kstars-Ekos on Raspberry Rpi4/RPi5 | Misc : Thousand Oaks dew controller - DewNot straps - Optolong L-enhance - ZWO EAF
Image Processing : PixInsight - LightRoom - Photoshop - macOS 14 - Windows 11
Scopes : Explore Scientific ED102 Triplet APO - Radian Raptor Triplet APO - Orion 50mm
Mount : AVX EQ | Software : KStars - EKOS - Stellar OS | Cameras : ZWO ASI533MC ASI1600MM ASI120MM-mini
CPU : Mac Studio, iMac - Kstars-Ekos on Raspberry Rpi4/RPi5 | Misc : Thousand Oaks dew controller - DewNot straps - Optolong L-enhance - ZWO EAF
Image Processing : PixInsight - LightRoom - Photoshop - macOS 14 - Windows 11
- Hankmeister3
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Re: Saturn Rising
Given your conditions, I'm surprised you captured any useable image at all of Saturn. Here in central Illinois many of us astrophotographers are very familiar with that kind of weather conditions and sky. When it comes to lunar and planetary photography, good sky is just about everything whether you're using inexpensive telescopes or high-quality "moderately" priced 'scopes! In many cases, when sky conditions are marginal at best, one generally finds going to a smaller (but quality) aperture telescope, like something in the 70mm to 102mm range, handles the bad seeing conditions a bit better. So bigger isn't always better, imo.
Telescopes: Meade LX90 10-inch f/10 UHC Coma-free SCT; Explore Scientific 127mm f/7.5 APO ED triplet refractor; Explore Scientific 102mm f/7 APO ED triplet refractor; Explore Scientific 80mm f/6 APO ED triplet refractor; Skywatcher 72mm f/6 ED Schott doublet refractor; Meade 70mm f/5 APO quadruplet astrograph refractor; Skywatcher Quattro 8-inch f/4 Newtonian astrograph; Orion 6-inch f/4 Newtonian astrograph; Skywatcher SkyMax 180mm f/15 Maksutov; iOptron 150mm f/12 Maksutov; Orion f/9 Ritchey-Chretien RC astrograph
Eyepieces: Set of 7 Baader Hyperion eyepieces, 3 Meade 5000 glass handgrenades; 1970s era Japanese manufactured Meade 12.5mm Orthoscopic, and too many other eclectic eyepieces to list
Mounts: Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro mount; Orion Atlas EQ-G mount
Post-production Software: Not good enough … oh, okay ... Canon's proprietary CanoScan ArcSoft 9000F photoshop suite
Eyepieces: Set of 7 Baader Hyperion eyepieces, 3 Meade 5000 glass handgrenades; 1970s era Japanese manufactured Meade 12.5mm Orthoscopic, and too many other eclectic eyepieces to list
Mounts: Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro mount; Orion Atlas EQ-G mount
Post-production Software: Not good enough … oh, okay ... Canon's proprietary CanoScan ArcSoft 9000F photoshop suite
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