orion25

Gorgeous! Nice, sharp and not too bright and contrasty. Reggie

Here's a picture I took last winter of the beautiful close pair, a winter Albireo! Reggie

Beautiful shot! I love the Winter constellations Reggie

Thanks, Pierre! Imaging is fun. There's nothing like taking your own pictures of the cosmos. It's not as hard as you think even with modest equipment.

@beka@Stu, and @dweller25 all make great points. A large aperture scope will make the image too bright. My 180 Mak shows an almost white disc with a few soft shadows; when I image with it, I always have to turn down the brightness on the camera to see any detail. My 127mm Mak fares a bit better, but a Mars filter and, perhaps, a polarising filter will cut the glare and reveal more detail. What features are actually visible at the time of observation is also a consideration. Sometimes, albedo features may not be as prominent. And, of course, there was the global dust storm that, for a while, obliterated much detail. The low altitude doesn't help though it's rising now. But more detail is able to be seen now since the dust storm has settled, so you can try viewing on a night with good seeing when albedo features such as Syrtis Major is visible, and use a Mars filter like the Celestron or Orion, or maybe a polariser to cut the glare. Best wishes and clear skies! Reggie

I stand corrected!

Wow! I didn't think this could really work well. You learn something new everyday! Thanks, Stu

Even if it exists, a filter reducing adapter wouldn't be practical. You would want to be able to fully enjoy 2" experience. So, take the plunge, my friend; you're on another level now. Start investing in 2" filters! Reggie

Bravo, Bob! Lots of nice detail. Keep going! Reggie

Thanks, Ray! I've got images going back to June; I may do a superset at the end of the year!

Thanks, Stu! As expected, Mars is getting more interesting as it moves away, lol!

Thanks, David! Yes, it's quickly receding from us, and interestingly gaining altitude for us in the Northern Hemisphere, lol.

Thank you, Avani, my brother! I know your composition will be an epic one! I'll be looking out for it Big hug! Reggie

Thanks, Ruud! Great to hear from you, my friend. Have been doing any good stargazing lately?

Hello, all! Here is a composite of a few Mars images I took last month with my Orion 180mm Mak using a Celestron 2x barlow and the Orion 5MP StarShoot camera, processed in Registax and Photoshop. Mars is on the move but it's giving quite a farewell show : Cheers! Reggie