A Go At Mars - 21-08-2018

[PhotoGav]

I have been looking at Mars on and off over the last month or so and have not seen much more than a red shimmering blob. Anyway, I decided to at least have a go at imaging it once this apparition despite its low altitude. I used the Marlborough College Blackett Observatory's Thomas Cooke 10" refractor and a ZWO ASI 120MC-S, shooting a 5000 frame video over a couple of minutes, stacking the best 22% of frames in AS!3, running wavelets in Registax and then a final tweak in Photoshop. Relatively happy with the result, but it's pretty poor really!

 

[DarkAntimatter]

Looks nice.  There is some surface detail in there in addition to the pole.  All I see through my scope is a coppery, sun-like ball. 

[astroman001]

A good effort, pretty much what all you can expect at 14 degrees altitude. 

Well done

Peter

[si@nite]

A good uk image, some light detail coming through too, very difficult to get much more at this low elevation well done!

[JeremyS]

Lovely image @PhotoGav!

[PhotoGav]

Thank you folks. It is frustrating that the planets are so low from our latitudes at the moment and even more so when you think that they are only going to sink lower before rising again in a few years time.... argh! I was quite happy with this result as a consequence and anyway it is always a joy to use the old 10” refractor.

[paulastro]

If I remember correctly, at the Mars opposition in two years time it's about thirty degrees higher in the sky and only about 2 arcseconds  smaller at closest approach. 

It will be much better for us northerly observers.

[orion25]

Nice work, Gav!  

Reggie

[PhotoGav]

17 hours ago, paulastro said:

If I remember correctly, at the Mars opposition in two years time it's about thirty degrees higher in the sky and only about 2 arcseconds  smaller at closest approach. 

It will be much better for us northerly observers.

Indeed, in the autumn of 2020 Mars will be much much better placed. It will be interesting to compare and contrast images then.

5 hours ago, orion25 said:

Nice work, Gav!  

Reggie

Thank you Reggie!

[Pete Presland]

Nicely captured, 2020 will be much better for Mars, dust storms permitting!