20 replies to this topic

[swholden]

Not to good.
Focusing was a bear.

One shot is just a single image. The 174th out of my 3 set of images.
The one is what came out stacked using drizzle.
I tried many different ways in stacking and kept coming out with something that looks over exposed, even though many of the images don't appear that way.
Don't ask me about settings, because.......well.........forgot to look. Just took the defaults and let it auto expose.
It was set for planetary, that I do know.

I took 3 sets over the course of 2 1/2 hours in the freezing New England cold.

[swholden]

Saturn....take 2.
So playing around with the settings, and this time using my Barlows, this is what I got.
I'm pretty happy with this one, but know the focusing needs work.
Really would love a remote focuser.
This is 66 pics from 74.
Again, can't remember the exposure, but pretty sure it's <1 sec.
Stacked, then enlarged.
What I like is you can actually see a band on the planet. I'll play around with it tomorrow and see if I can stach fewer/higher quality images and bring out the detail more.
Another very cold night in Mass., but can't wait to try again (clouds and rain the next couple of days).
Thanks, meade for a great product.
My neighbors were with me and couldn't believe what they were seeing. (You may have another customer soon!   )

[Fish Cat Fish Dog]

Swholden,


I notice the picture file is 4.31 KB which of course is very small.  Does the picture look better on your computer in the full size file?  I am curious.

[swholden]

No, about the same, however some images you can see a band on the planet.
I think I may have stacked too many photos, so I'm going to try stacking fewer and then work on it in Photoshop or the like.
File size is small, because I lowered the resolution, since we're just looking at it on the computer.
I'm going to play around with it today.

I'll post something updated if it is any better.

[wsuriano]

Just look at how far you've come in just two sessions!  Focusing is an art that requires practice over time.  Did you shoot this with the Meade LPI?  What scope are you using?  In some of your images, Saturn is burned out on the upper half.  Right now Saturn is bright on the top half and in shadows below.  That contrast difference makes is hard to image.  If this is happening, try turning off the autocontrast and slide the white point slider of the histogram to the right.  It works for me.  Attached is one I took last week in a rare break for us here in Chicago, converted to a jpeg.  It's probably the same for you, but if its clear here this time of year, its cold.

[swholden]

I like yours. Good Job.
I'm using an ETX125 and DSI (not LPI).
I did do as you suggested and shut off the Auto Contrast which is why it's not as bright as the first.
Well played around with it some just now. Less images stacked - got rid of many of the blurry ones.
Then adjusted contrast et al, so I think this is better. I can see the band on the top of the planet (hope you can).
Focusing is very difficult, but I found it easier using the barlow because the image was larger.
I really do need to get an remote focus to eliminate all the vibrations when trying to focus, especially when the adjustments need to be so minute.
Let me know what you think of this one.

[wsuriano]

I like it.  You can see the Cassini division.  The DSI, with the exception of the DSI III, is not the best planetary imager around.  It's a lot better on deep sky objects that aren't so bright.  You've pushed it pretty far.  Keep it up - it looks to me like you're off and running.  Over the long haul, consider a Hartmann mask to help make focusing easier.  There are commercially available focus masks that can help narrow things down and make focusing a bit more exact and less grueling.

[swholden]

Yes a mask is on my want list.
I have some instructions to make my own, just haven't gotten around to getting to a craft store to purchase a ring (you know, the kind for needle point.)
Thanks for the input, and of course I'll keep it up.

After Saturn last night, tried Orion, but since I wasn't getting anywhere focusing and I was freezing, packed it up and went inside.
Next time.

[Don Myers]

I made a Hartmann's mask for my 10" LX 200 SCT out of a plastic paint bucket lid. I cut the outer edge off of it and cut two round and one triangular holes in the resulting disk. I suppose one could use other sized lids from various products for different apperatures. Mine works great especially with an electric focuser. I got the best image of Saturn I've ever taken the other day with an old cheap webcam and did it through the foggy upper atmosphere....go figure. It was similar to yours.

Clear skies,
Don

[Don Myers]

Here's my first webcam version of Saturn through some pretty bad seeing. Some of the frames in the video went almost completely black when the clouds got too thick. Amazing what a fast exposure and a few hundred of them can do.

[Fish Cat Fish Dog]

Don,

Sweet shot

[swholden]

Nice shot Don!

How about posting a picture of your mask?
Perhaps this will help others (including myself) in making their own.

[akhnaton]

I have taken this one with my LPI almost a month ago. I have stacked the best 150 amongst 300 frames using Registax.

[Fish Cat Fish Dog]

Ishak,

How our your skies in Turkey?

[akhnaton]

Hi Aidan...
The skies are increasingly light polluted in Turkey. The region where I live is close to Istanbul (a city over 14,000,000) and the skies are far from dark. 150 km away from it and still no milky way...The weather is not helping much. It has been cloudy and rainy for almost a month now and the picture of Saturn which is on the forum was taken more then a month ago. This is not unusual since the winters are rather long and quite harsh here. I am still waiting for a clear night ...

[Fish Cat Fish Dog]

Ishak,


Light pollution is becoming a real problem.  I live on top of a 100 meter hill 7 miles from the nearest town.  The cities lights are so strong I can walk around at night without a torch.  With snow on the ground it reflects even worse.  We too have had a long winter.

I really need to go about 50-75 miles away to view.  However I need to downsize my 14" scope to something easy to travel with.

I do not know how to travel with the it.  I have a scope buggy to pull it out of the garage and a trailer but have not figured out how to get it in and out of the trailer.  It is too heavy for me to lift.

I would like to sell this scope and get a refractor.

Anyway Clear Skies Ishak

[Philip Pugh]

If you check this link, I've snapped the Sun, Moon and Saturn today:

http://philippugh.fo...servations.html

[codec]

Another Saturn snap from last night. Well when I say snap its actually the result of about 300 images of which most of which I have to say registax turned its nose up at , and this is what it left. Taken with an ETX-125 PE with an LPI and a 2x barlow.

[swholden]

Very Nice Codec,
I'm hoping the weather hold out that I'll be able to get a chance at my 3rd attempt.

[trkr75]

Ok, my wife told me I should put my first few pics up here, since everyone else was to. So here you go. I am using a etx-125 with a LPI, not sure on the settings, one of the first things I learned is to write everything down so you know what you did the next morning. I got a few of Saturn and the moon. I ordered a JMI Moto focuser and can't wait to use it. (I didn't have it for these) enough said so here you go