First ever Jupiter and close Moon using webcam

[badboybubby]

Took a couple of Webcam Videos last night using my Skywatcher MAK 127, Celstron Ultima Barlow x 2 and SPC900

https://picasaweb.google.com/114675504770637064902/StackedImages?authkey=Gv1sRgCJbc9ZLF38e1swE

As you can see I struggled to get a good focus and wondered if you had any tips?

I'm totally new to Sharpcap and Registax (and Astronomy to be honest!) so I wasn't really sure what I was doing but I think I selected 1000 frames at 10 fps. I twiddled with a few knobs and saw the image but where I struggled was with the focus on the telescope as every time I moved the knob, Jupiter moved off centre. I think this might have something to do with my AZ GOTO mount which seems to wobble a bit.

Ps. I tracked Jupiter using the AZ GOTO mount.

Is there any way to focus off Telescope if that makes sense?

Cheers

Scott

[spaceboy]

First Light Optics - StarSharp Bahtinov Focus Masks Will help with the focusing. This said a webcam FL is around the same as a 6mm EP so if you are using a barlow that is the equivalent to a 3mm EP and in a 127 Mak thats x500 so for you to get a successful image from that kind of mag the seeing would have to be real good and the scope well cooled. It may have paid to try with out the barlow to start with.

How was Jupiter visually? Did you try the scope out side and was there an improvement over your last attempt ??

[mdstuart]

Focus on the pole star initially...It does not move..zoom in on the laptop screen and then focus the star..then move over to Jupiter and try.

To be honest your pic is pretty good anyway...

Mark

[badboybubby]

I had the scope in the garden, and I set it up about 90 mins before I took the images, in fact the scope was blumming freezing.....

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

[Albireo380]

A good image for the 'scope and conditions Badboybubby. very similar to what I saw through a 127SLT on Saturday.

Cheers

Tom

[bigal1]

Hi there i had a quick look at your image in photoshop and tweaked a few levels , i had to use quite a high ammount though which got me thinking did you adjust wavelets in registax ? it could be quite a number of things like focus , seeing conditions or even dew has caused me to have " out of focus " images . My advice would be to get out as much as you can and eliminate each one i'm sure you will suss it quickly

[spaceboy]

This may help for the future. It's only basic and an older version of registax but it gives an idea of what can be done with wavelets ETC.

It's a good first image and I'm sure the next time we have good seeing there will be a vast improvement.

[badboybubby]

Cheers for the info and edited picture, I'll be giving it lots of goes over the coming months so hope to improve as I practice more.

Cheers again