Filming / Photographing Planets

[theVenerable]

Hi

This is my first post here.

I'm very new to astronomy,

I got a skywatcher 127 eq3 about a week ago.

I'm getting on ok with it,

I've had some pretty nice views of Jupiter.

But not so much luck filming them.

Jupiter comes out as just a blurry bright dot..

I've tried toggling the gain/ exposure on the webcam software, but to no avail.

I have a logitech quickcam pro 9000, and am running windows 7.

Is there a tried and tested method to get rid of that glare and actually see some detail?

Thanks:icon_salut:

[Nova]

do you have an IR/UV filter on your webcam?

[Psychobilly]

Your probably overexposing ... focus is also critical.. knock up a simple Y-mask use it focus on a nearby star and then slew back onto the planet...

Don't forget to remove the focus mask.. I reckon if they are honest, most people will have left it on there at some time or other...

Peter...

[theVenerable]

my cam is totally unmodded, so no filters ect, or 'y masks' whatever they are.

I think maybe you think i have some knowledge about this..

I have zero.

I dont even understand what you mean, sorry.

I have a unmodded logitech webcam (apart from a plastic ring by the lens to make it rest in the telescope eyepeice and be the 'correct ' distance away to get a reasonably good view.

I didnt remove any lenses.

I tried a moon filter and other filters on my actual telescope eypeice, then placed the camera over it.. but still no joy.... just one color with no detail. Ive also tried focusing it, but no joy again.

Ive tried all sorts of positions for gain white balance ect.. yet still no joy.

There must be something i need to do???

thanks

[Kevdan]

Hi,

How are you imaging Jupiter ?, I just looked at stellarium to make sure but jupiter at the moment is out of sight, It dissapears completely from view in the west at around 3:30pm and comes up again at aroun 5am where it is still light.

Or am I missing out on something?

Sorry just looked again Jupiter comes up at around 1am and is visible till around 2:30ish due to the sunrise but I would have thought it would be too low in the sky to view. Maybe your problems are due to glare from the early sun.

Kev

[Psychobilly]

The first thing I would do is make sure you can get a properly focused and exposed image of a distant terestrial target during daylight...

[theVenerable]

Jupiter is in the east from about 2.30 am , can be seen by me quite clearly.

I've also had clear images of terrestrial images through the cam (tho not very distant, but I see no reason why it wouldnt work at a distance also, it was quite clear, in daylight), so the cam is picking up.

It even picked up a star (Arcturus I think). So I thought it would cope well with jupiter, but i just cant get it to show any detail.. its all just a bright blob - even when the scope is in focus, and the camera is focused, and all the settings toggled.

So as I say, I must be missing something?

[Psychobilly]

The reasoning behind trying a distant target is to make sure you have enough focus travel to get a focused image...

[Stephen]

Have you removed the lens from the camera?

(See this : http://ghonis2.ho8.com/Pro9000mod.html )

[theVenerable]

I havnt removed the lens from the camera.. do i need to do that?

As for focus, i think its fine.. the scope is in focus, and the camera is far enough away to be able to focus on what the scope is seeing.

[Psychobilly]

It would help...

[Stephen]

<snip> Double post

[Stephen]

I havnt removed the lens from the camera.. do i need to do that?

As for focus, i think its fine.. the scope is in focus, and the camera is far enough away to be able to focus on what the scope is seeing.

Are you trying to image through an eyepiece, or without an eyepiece in the chain?

[theVenerable]

through an eyepeice, i need that for the magnification.

Sory to be such an amatuer, but ive been looking at gudes, they reocommend softwares, or setings, but i didnt see one telling me to remove my lense.

stupid really.

That should be one of the first things you are told.

So removing my lens will probably remove the glare?

[Stephen]

through an eyepeice, i need that for the magnification.

Sory to be such an amatuer, but ive been looking at gudes, they reocommend softwares, or setings, but i didnt see one telling me to remove my lense.

stupid really.

That should be one of the first things you are told.

So removing my lens will probably remove the glare?

No, you remove the lens to use the telescope itself as the lens. This is prime focus photography. Your webcam will operate in the same sort of region as a 6mm eyepiece. You're trying to do eyepiece projection.

The glare is due to either too high gain, too high exposure or not in focus. Any of the above will cause it

[Psychobilly]

With an EP in the scope and the lens on the webcam your effectively trying to do Afocal imaging...

Afocal photography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

With an EP in the scope and the lens inthe webcam your effectively trying to do Eyepiece Projection imaging...

the astroscopic labs - article: eyepiece projection photography

With NO EP in the scope and No lens on the webcam your effectively trying to do prime focus imaging...

Overlapping post...

[theVenerable]

phew.. well i dont know

I can tell you i got good images of terrestrial things with the lens on the camera..

so im not sure removign it will have much or any benefit??

As forexposure ect..

Ive tried all settings, and none helped...

[theVenerable]

jeez.. i cant remove this lens anyway..

layer upon layer of casing ive removed, but cant get the actual lens off...

[Stephen]

jeez.. i cant remove this lens anyway..

layer upon layer of casing ive removed, but cant get the actual lens off...

STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING!

To be honest, that isn't a good camera for the job (in my opinion.) it looks like it needs a lot of work to use it for prime focus imaging.

You would be better off with a SPC880.

Have a read of this article (to get an idea of where you are going with this) http://stargazerslounge.com/primers-tutorials/40665-primer-planetary-imaging-toucam.html

and consider purchasing the bundle from here:

Buy Cheap Astronomy at Morgan Computers

[Psychobilly]

Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 Webcam -Planetary, Lunar and Solar Imaging - by Gary Honis

[theVenerable]

thanks very much for the link..

i dotn have a soldering iron tho..

so i guess thats the end of that..

[Stephen]

Have you removed the lens from the camera?

(See this : Instructions for Converting Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 Webcam for Telescope Use -by Gary Honis )

The link I posted above was from that site, looks like you have to destroy the thing to use it at prime

I also notice it has auto focus, that could interfere with any ep projection attempts anyway?

[Stephen]

thanks very much for the link..

i dotn have a soldering iron tho..

so i guess thats the end of that..

and as I suggested above, consider another cheap webcam option that doesn't require destroying the webcam to use it

[theVenerable]

edited

[theVenerable]

sorry to sound ungreatfull..

I was just shocked it would take so much modding to be able to use it..

Thanks for the links.. incredibly usefull..

Maybe I'll calm down & try to do it.. the logitech quickcam images look very good the way he did them .

I tried to look on the website, that bundle isnt available for a month.. lol

im having great luck here...

My quickcam is now ruined.. at least for normal use, so theres no going back.

I'm trying to contact the guy about modding it, maybe he can do it for me for a price...

Other than that.. i wish sumone told me how complicated this all was before i started..

ho hum.

thanks v much for the links and advice