Beginner needs help imaging Jupiter

[PeterCPC]

A Bahtinov mask can be easier because it can take the guesswork out of it - if you get perfect focus on a nearby star (which is very easily done) then you have perfect focus on your planet even if it may not look like it on the screen. Saves all that up to focus - beyond - back stuff. Once you see how easy it is you won't do it any other way.

Peter

[riklaunim]

For a moving primary mirror the focus may shift. Bahtinov is rarely used in planetary imaging (even less if the camera is mono and you have filters that focus at different points).

[Lee_P]

You've all convinced me -- I've just ordered a Bahtinov mask!

[datman]

The chip on the Meade camera is tiny compared to your DSLR chip, about 6.3mm vs 43mm across the diagonal.

This will make it much harder to frame objects, just making things harder IMO. It's also from the days of Win98 so pretty ancient.

[Lee_P]

There was a brief gap in the clouds last night, allowing me to glimpse Saturn. I didn't have much luck after attaching the camera directly to the telescope; the disc of Saturn was absolutely tiny! I tried eyepiece projection again and fared a little better. The seeing was awful, so perhaps no surprise that the video I made wasn't up to much. I had a little more luck with still photos that I then stacked; result below. Pretty dire I know, but a step in the right direction..?

[wxsatuser]

Thats not to bad.

[PeterCPC]

It's a learning curve that we all go through - stick at it.

Peter

[Kropster]

That's a good start.

I find the problem with planets is their tiny size and have to use a Barlow to get near to a usable image size.

I used to think they would be an easy target but now think the opposite!

Sent from my XT890 using Tapatalk

[PeterCPC]

Planetary imaging is not an easy option but, then again, no astrophotography is an easy option!

Peter