Saturn from the 7th June

[tdnicholls]

Hi,

Been a lurker on here for a while absorbing the knowledge while I get to grips setting things up as well as building a few bits.

Still early days on the imaging front but here is the best I have manged of Saturn, I am imaging over rooftops and still getting to grips with the processing.

This is taken with a QHY5L-II on a Celestron C6-SGT with diagonal still in place, time spent getting the focus right using a bahtinov mask and bahtinov grabber on a nearby star first.

This was 7000 frames at 320x240, processed in PIPP taking the best 6000 frames and stacked in then stacked in AutoStakkert using the best 3000 frames.

Comments and suggestions for improvement welcome.

Thanks

Trevor

[jambouk]

Really nice. Focus does look good; it pays to take time with this (as I'm finding). Make sure the focus star is very close, and I think at the same declination else there will be too much change in the depth of atmosphere you are focusing through and when you return to Saturn it will be slightly off again, which you won't notice until the next day when it comes to processing!

For me, I think you've over done it on the processing, I think it looks a bit too sharp; I find the images which are slightly softer look more life-like, but that is probably a personal thing.

I'm still not sure what PIPP adds to the mix when it comes to processing, as I've found Registax does everything I need. Maybe you can educate me on that one?

But great image. Thanks for posting and I wish it was clear here in Nottingham tonight as I wanted to have another go myself.

James

[tdnicholls]

Hi James,

I would normally focus on Spica for Saturn but that was just above the rooftops and obscured by a TV aerial so went for Arcturus last night, the depth of atmosphere being a possible issue has not occurred to me - will remember that and go for Regulus next time Spica is out view.

Over processing is something of a problem I have, I tend to like things sharp but also know this can spoil the image, reprocessed and attached a version not so heavily processed.

PIPP seems to offer nice options though how much they are helping me currently I am not sure, to be honest there is an amount of random clicking going on with the processing applications currently, still pretty new to imaging. Am I using PIPP because if give me better results or because I think it does is an open question currently.

I attach a 2nd image created from the same 7000 frame capture processed entirely in R6, stacking 4538 frames....

Lots to learn and figure out yet but pleased I manage to get something out what looked initially like a very fuzzy video.

Thanks

Trevor

[jambouk]

I much preferred these less processed images. They also show more clearly that the focus is slightly off.

I am new to all this too, but it is exciting capturing data then processing it.

I'm not sure how bright the focus star needs to be. Spica really is ideal for saturn though.

I look forward to future work of yours.

James