Jupiter

[Fieldsy]

Just spent the last 2.5 hrs trying to get a image of Jupiter but was getting a very hazy image on my qhy cam and DSLR anyone else getting a haze ? .could I be right in thinking this could be the result of today’s heat ?.

[Geoff Lister]

I had my Skymax 127 out last night, and the distortion on Jupiter was like looking through the surface of a swimming pool, with gentle ripples oscillating round the edge of the planet. When the dew had fogged up the Mak, I replaced it with the 90mm F/10 refractor from my Cosmos setup; the view was similar, but perhaps slightly sharper. I tried different EPs, and the best view, with both OTAs, seemed to be with my Baader zoom at about x110 magnification. I gave up when the view dimmed, as a bank of cloud covered half the sky.

Geoff

[Blazar]

Jupiter is very low at this point (like most of the planets), so looking and imaging through more of the atmosphere. Then you also have to consider the Jet Stream playing a part in the imaging nightmare we have at present. I have yet to get a good shot this year. I was looking at the transparency for my location and I think tomorrow night is meant to be good....but you never really can be sure ;-)

[mark81]

it was very changeable last week. One night it was very poor seeing although it was clear and the next night it was crisp! I think Jupiter is in opposition tonight, so lets hope for the best

[geoflewis]

7 hours ago, Fieldsy said:

Just spent the last 2.5 hrs trying to get a image of Jupiter but was getting a very hazy image on my qhy cam and DSLR anyone else getting a haze ? .could I be right in thinking this could be the result of today’s heat ?.

The 2 biggest issues are seeing and target altitude, both of which are atmosphere related. The low altitude results in atmosheric dispersion, essentially where the atmosphere acts like a lens splitting the incoming light into rainbow colours. I use an atmospheric dispersion correct (ADC) for both image capture and visual observing with Jupiter currently and will also do so with Saturn and Mars later this year.

'Seeing' is something else and an almost constant problem for UK observers. There are multiple layers in Eath's atmosphere many of which may be travelling at different speeds. The boundary layers between those different wind speeds are very turblent mixing the air and destroying the quality of the light travelling through it - there is nothing that you can do about it other than waiting for better seeing (or putting your scope on a mountain top or space ship above the atmospheric turbulence). One significant factor is the position of the jet stream, so it is always worth checking on line forecasts such as:

https://www.netweather.tv/charts-and-data/jetstream

which gives a general overview

https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/forecast/seeing/bunwell_united-kingdom_2654322

which may be configured for your location and show the jet stream in m/sec - the low the better.

Please note that just because there is a fast jet stream overhead doesn't mean that seeing will be bad as it depends on the turbulence at the boundary layers, hence a high speed constant laminar flow may yield good seeing. Equally other layers than the jet stream may destroy the seeing even when the jet stream is out of the way.

Finally seeing can be very transient, so poor seeing in the UK may suddenly snap into good and vice versa. You just have to keep looking and then enjoy the good times when they come along as happened for me on Sunday night, when I had about 30 minutes of stunning seeing in an already good 3 hour session.

Good luck, Geof

[Blazar]

I also find Ventusky to be pretty cool....you can get a per altitude wind speed view (just change the altitude scale).

https://www.ventusky.com/?p=48.5;-3.2;3&l=wind-10m

 

 

[geoflewis]

12 minutes ago, Blazar said:

I also find Ventusky to be pretty cool....you can get a per altitude wind speed view (just change the altitude scale).

https://www.ventusky.com/?p=48.5;-3.2;3&l=wind-10m

 

 

Thanks, I used to use that one too and can't think why I stopped as it's a great site for checking the atmospheric layers, so thanks for the reminder

[Fieldsy]

Thanks geo/blazar will be very helpful .

anytime out with the scope and cameras are well spent for me  atm still learning just need a little reassurance that the problems I in counter are atmospheric and not me .