Can I get better (Jupiter)

[Langy]

So as soon as I got my first Telescope (Celestron Astromaster 130EQ)  I tried a bit of Afocal which to be honest wasn't too bad, very fiddly and hard work to get it working correctly.

I've since bought a 2x Barlows and adaptor for my Canon EOS 300D and with the two hours of clear skies last night had a go again at trying to get something out of Jupiter.

Will I be able to get any more detail or better images with my setup? Will a web cam (xBox one on the way) produce anything better?

 ISO 400 1/20 Second

ISO 400 1/40 Second

[Cornelius Varley]

Webcams are the way to go with your telescope. With your DSLR you can only take single shoots, which means capturing the finer detail can be a hit and miss affair. Webcams take a few hundreds/thousands images in a short space of time which can be stacked together to give a better image than a single shot. Modern DSLRs which can also take video, together with a long focal length telescope give reasonable results. You can also increase the effective magnification of your barlow lens by increasing the distance between the lens and the camera sensor by using using an extension tube. For example, if the barlow lens has a focal length of 50mm moving the sensor 50mm further away from the lens increases the magnification by a fctor of 1, so the barlow now has a magnification of 3x. A 100mm extension would give your barlow a power of 4x etc. You may also need an RA drive to keep the target on the sensor.

[Pete Presland]

+1 for the webcam route so much better. you can "freeze" the seeing conditions many times a minute. reject the poor frames and stack the rest

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[Kirscovitch]

+1 for a webcam. There are lots out there designed for planetary imaging or if you aren't too shy about DIY, there are lots of ways of modifying a simple computer webcam. Just search youtube and you can find lots of ways to do this.

[leelee970]

Hi Paul,

Peter is spot on, a webcam is the way to start.

[jambouk]

Search for "jupiter dslr" and you'll see that people can do quite impressive things with this setup.

But webcam / dedicated smaller sensors (ccd/cmos) is what most people use.

Jd

[Joves]

Saturn with a webcam

[Langy]

I've just had an xBox webcam delivered, just need to kill the LEDs.

Reading some comments elsewhere I may put the lens mount back in less the filter so it can be used for normal outside capture away from the telescope.

Yesterday I picked up a load of 1.25" pipe from work, cut it into 2", 3" and 4" lengths to use for a webcam only to find the pipe is about 1-2mm too thick to fit in the EP holder. Back to the drawing board there.

[Langy]

Saturn with a webcam

Very nice, but the question was also related to my equipment as I've more of a starter setup.

[leelee970]

Paul, it all takes practice (and with the weather that's not too often).

 

The thing I learnt most was to take logical notes on a session - the time of night, weather conditions, temperature, time allowed for cooling down etc. as well as all the equipment you are using. Make a detailed note of settings as well.

 

Then after a while it should be a little easier to replicate results (although in my case I still make silly mistakes).  

Lee