First attempts at Jupiter & Saturn

[rob_r]

I was in two minds about posting these to be honest. Both are single shots with a SkyWatcher 127 and a Canon 600D with a 90 degree diagonal in between. They both viewed much better and as such I think that set my expectations a little too high as to what could be actually achieved. Saturn I managed to see for the first time as I was down in Norfolk just outside Wroxham on the 3rd July, Jupiter was from Preston on the 6th July in poor seeing coupled with some sporadic low cloud. Three of Jupiter's moons are also in the image (towards the bottom right) but very under exposed. Even trying to stack 50 frames of Jupiter, the results were pretty much the same. I have since learned that ideally I should be shooting video instead for better results. The images have just some level adjustments to brighten them up a bit. It's a start at least.

Shutter speed: 1/4 sec
ISO: 100

 

[Pete Presland]

They are pretty good single shots to be honest, its not an easy task imaging the planets at these altitudes.

[WicklowSkies76]

I am here to make you feel better. I have a C11 and a Neximage 5 and this is all I can produce even after stacking and post processing. The seeing last night was awful and I am at 53 degrees North.

[maw lod qan]

Everything I've done so far is single images.

I've found like its said here so many times, seeing conditions are almost everything. The planets are fairly high for me now so that helps.

With my 8" DOB and Canon SL1 this has been my best eyepiece projection of Jupiter.

Saturn is still a struggle for me.

Hang in there, enjoy what you do accomplish as you gain experience.

[rob_r]

Thanks for the replies, I think it was a lesson for me about managing expectations. Seeing a super sharp Jupiter and Saturn through a super wide angle lens does not necessarily translate well to the camera especially given the altitudes and conditions. At least as I understand it Saturn has 'bottomed out' now in it's altitude so hope for better as time progresses. Thanks for the encouragement.

Edited July 15, 2019 by rob_r

[chiltonstar]

I think the key word is "video".

What you see through the eyepiece has been processed by a seriously good computer (the brain) so that you see the sharp detail that may only be fleeting in reality. To capture something like what your eye and brain see requires an avi with say 3000 frames and software to pick out the best frames and stack them. Only then do you get something more like what you see in good moments through the eyepiece. Two night ago, I got a half-decent image of Saturn even at 52 degrees north, and yet individual frames looked very similar to your images above. Persevere!

Chris