How to make my Jupiter pictures better?

[matt_baker]

I've been able to use my 120MC on my 130SLT for the first time in the last few days and was wondering how I could make the final image better?

My workflow was first capturing in firecapture (no deabayering applied), aligning in PIPP, stacking in AS3!, wavelets in Registax and final touches in photoshop.

I also used a 2x barlow to increase my focal length from 650mm (f/5) to 1300mm (f/10). Should I consider getting a 3x barlow to make it f/15 considering the cameras optimal focal ratio is 19?

Here is a comparison between a raw frame from imaging, stacked image and the final stacked and adjusted image.

Thanks,

Matt

Jup_024753_lapl4_ap67.tif

[symmetal]

Jupiter's very low in the sky from the UK at the moment so you're looking through a lot of atmosphere and clear images will be a challenge. Aim for the highest frame rate (frames per second) as you can, 100fps or higher. I believe the 120MC is USB2 so not sure how high it will go. Set the resolution to the smallest size able to keep it in the frame for the exposure duration to keep the frame rate high. My ASI224 will go up to 200fps using USB3. Due to Jupiter's fast rotation the video length should be kept below 2 mins. Take many 1 min or so videos and experiment with keeping only the highest quality frames in Autostakkert. Try the best 5 or 10%. With luck you'll get an instance or two where the seeing allows for some good frames. From your images posted you seem to have the processing part sorted out. I've used the Astra Image deconvolution option on their plugin for Photoshop along with their other sharpening routines with good results.

When Jupiter is higher in the sky the 3x barlow could be useful though I doubt it will give better results at the moment. It will give a dimmer image so you'll need more gain (higher noise) or longer exposures (lower frame rate) to compensate. Good luck. 

Alan

[Stub Mandrel]

Some ideas:

Consider an x3 barlow. Astroboot do an x3 barlow element of unknown provenance that is at least as good as my 'better quality' celestron-type x2 barlow and costs very little.  I unscrewed the celestron element and used  a bit of insulation tape to bulk out the thread on the x3 insert.

I use sharpcap, and spend a good while on getting a good balance of exposure and gain. Expose as fast as possible without getting a grainy result

Top my shame I have deleted my SER files from last year, but here's a single frame (cropped and preprocessed in PIPP) from a modded Microsoft Lifecam, you should will be able to get a significantly better image than this with the ASI120MC under good conditions. It just takes patience:

Aim for a good preview image rather than worry about frame rate at first, once you have good preview try and get the best possible frame rate (usually about 30)

With the 120ASIMC I use 12-bit mode SER - you can see compression artefacts in the AVI above, these are absent with SER.

Make sure focus is spot on - use a nearby bright star and bahtinov mask.

Consider going through the brain-mangling required to get the hang of winjupos.

Accept that some nights won't be good. Despite the apparent good data above, the actual results after stacking and processing weren't much better!

 

So it's a combination of patience, good seeing, good luck and good processing.

Keep trying, it's addictive and a good thing to do when we don't have any astro dark this summer.

[noah4x4]

I reckon that's pretty good given current conditions. It took me a year to get any better image with that WOW factor, but one night I struck gold, having not done anything particularly different. Seeing conditions are highly material, particularly the amount of atmospheric soup. As Alan says, if a Planet is  low near the horizon , those extra kilometres of Earth's atmosphere is a detail killer. Warmer weather too or if shooting over (warmer)  rooftops or concrete at any time of the year.

[Owmuchonomy]

You could get an ADC but to be honest in the UK, gas giant capture is not good for the next 5 years.  So you have probably done quite well.

[Freddie]

Jup does rotate quickly but you need to take image resolution into account. At your image scale a 4 min capture would be fine.

[matt_baker]

Thanks all for the replies, I'll bear all of these in mind