Another First Saturn

[Shibby]

I thought I'd have a go at imaging Saturn last night. The results aren't very good but it's nice to even have the opportunity to image something!

Any tips on how to achieve better? Not sure what's limiting me most: seeing / aperture / settings / magnification??? It shouldn't be focus because I used a Bahtinov mask + Bahtinov Grabber... but I had to use a lot of sharpening!

150 PDS

Televue 2x barlow

SPC900 + IR Cut

Settings: 15fps, max shutter, high-ish gain, no gamma.

Thanks!

[Olorin]

this is actually a very nice start! the focus seems o.k. Yes a barlow will definitely help (try to reach f/25 - so you need a x5 barlow although x3 will do a nice job too)

You didn't mention if you used the wavlets, after the wavelets usually little sharpening is need if at all.

Thanks

Dror

[Shibby]

Thanks Dror,

Yeah I did mess around with wavelets, but found it looked better with a little more sharpening afterwards in PS. Was hoping to capture the Cassini division but only have hints of it - think I need more focal length as you say!

[Stargazer33]

Nice image Lewis,

I had two nights of clear skies recently - only ones in the last couple of months!

Anyway, the first night I couldn't even find Saturn when I popped the web cam into the mirror diagonal, so I gave up and just observed it for a while. On the second night I eventually got the planet in the camera after about 20 minutes of trying, I started the capture which ran for about 20 seconds and then my laptop froze! When I tried to load what I had recorded the file had obviously been corrupted as it wasn't recognised by any of my video programmes!!!

It's not good for your blood pressure this game!

Bryan

[Shibby]

lol, all good fun isn't it!

I spent a long time trying to get Saturn into my FOV too, not realising my finderscope was way out of alignment. For about half an hour I was convinced I just couldn't find focus. Eventually I got some sense and popped an eyepiece in, re-centered... sorted within 30s!

Then, about 5 minutes later, Saturn disappeared behind a neighbour's house!

[todd8137]

Hi there great first image of are ringed monster you got a nice bit of detail aswell keep at it

pat

[Steve Ward]

Aim to get it as accurately centered as you can with a 6mm eyepiece and then swap for camera .

Turn the Gain and Exposure up in your capture software and then adjust focus til you see it .

Defocussed it can be nigh on impossible to spot even if it's bang on the chip.

[Stargazer33]

Yea, I think focus was my problem initially. I didn't realise that swapping the ep for the webcam would mean quite so much refocussing!

I too had knocked my finder scope so I had lined it up on our local church weather vain finial earlier that evening with a 6mm ep and x2.5 barlow in the main tube, so it was as centred as I was going to get it. Didn't stop the laptop from locking up though.

Oh well, I hear we might get a summer in September so I may get some clear skies...in about 3 months!!!

Dorothy and Toto just blew past me here so no chance of getting out tonight with the scope!

Bryan