How to make the moons visible in low exposure/iso shots of planets?

[Ahgii]

Hello, i was wondering how i can see/ add the moons of planets in my planet shots, since at the exposure neccesary to pick up detail on the specific planet moons are no longer visible. I don't know what should i do to make them visible with still resolving detail on the planet. The answer is probably trought stacking a high exposure frame with a low exposure/ detailed frame but im not sure, Please help and Clear skies!

[mikeonnet]

The way I do this is to image the planet (I assume it's Jupiter your imaging) with the exposure setting just right to get the detail of Jupiter itself but at this point the moons won't show and save as an avi file. Then increase the exposure so the moons appear as white dots (Jupiter will just show as a white ball) and record a seperate avi file. Then using the stacking software, process the avi file for Jupiter and save as a TIF and then repeat the stacking for the moons and save as a seperate TIF.

Once done, it's then a case of processing them in PS (or in my case GIMP) as 2 layers and using layer masking. I can't give clear instructions on this as it's always trial and error but below is my example of Jupiter and it's moons (origianally 2 seperate avi's).

There maybe an easier way of stacking both exposures in one go but I have had no luck, hence I had to do them seperately.

Regards,

Mike

[Stub Mandrel]

I have used Mike's technique with my lifecam, or if I have the exposure just right I have been able to use a mask to lift the moons of Jupiter into visibility.

For some reason (perhaps exceptional transparency recently!) I have had no problem getting both moons and planet to expose properly with my ZWO ASI 120MC. This may be good focusing and good conditions rather than a better camera. It's critical to be very clever with offsets in PIPP to get the moons in frame, then putting an alignment box over each moon in AS!2.

(Despite the name of the image its 10 not 11 May!) Ganymede, Europa, Callisto, Io.