Jupiter and Saturn 3 July 2019

[geoflewis]

Hi all,

I made several attempts to capture Jupiter last week after a fairly successful run on 28 June, but mostly the results were terrible, despite views at the eyepiece being passably good and for brief moments very good. The best session turned out to be on 3 July, when I also captured my first images this year of Saturn.

The below Jupiter images are a stack of 6 x R-G-B runs and for comparison, a stack of 3 x IR (742nm) runs. The data in each of the separate videos had to be handled quite delicately and I maybe pushed the IR data a bit more than the RGB, but at 15 degrees and in poor to fair seeing it is what it is. The images are displayed south up.

By the time I'd completed the Jupiter runs, Saturn was gaining altitide so I had my first run at it this year. Cassini was clearly visible in the eyepiece and well resolved on screen in the red channel, less so in green and barely at all in blue. I attempted to sharpen the final image by layering a stack of the R+G data as a luminance using 60% opacity.

What surpised me was how much the ring system has closed since last year. For comparison I have attached below my best Saturn image from 2018, captured at a similar altitude, but in better seeing, which clearly shows the ring system extending above and below Saturn's globe.

Both Saturn images are displayed north up.

Thanks for looking.

Cheers, Geof

Edited July 9, 2019 by geoflewis

[Ibbo!]

Very good for this year I would say.

Yes I was out but I am still prodding and poking the stacks.

[geoflewis]

Thanks Steve,

Good luck with the prodding and poking 😀. I'm not sure if I'll continue with planetary imaging much longer this year. I stuck with it last year hoping that Mars would come good, but there some summer DSOs that I'd like to capture that I haven't looked at for a few years due to me mainly focusing on planetary imaging from late April through early September. I'll let this Moon cycle clear out of the way, then probably switch cameras as we move back towards fully dark skies again.

Geof

[Ibbo!]

25 minutes ago, geoflewis said:

Thanks Steve,

Good luck with the prodding and poking 😀. I'm not sure if I'll continue with planetary imaging much longer this year. I stuck with it last year hoping that Mars would come good, but there some summer DSOs that I'd like to capture that I haven't looked at for a few years due to me mainly focusing on planetary imaging from late April through early September. I'll let this Moon cycle clear out of the way, then probably switch cameras as we move back towards fully dark skies again.

Geof

I know how you feel, it seems a dead loss at the moment. I have banished the C11 back to the cupboard -again.

[astroman001]

Hi Geoff,

Great image of Jupiter. Saturn looks harder than ever this year so well done for getting a reasonable image.

Peter

[geoflewis]

Thanks Peter, I had low expectations for planetary this year, so I’m pleased to get something on the bag. Geof

[MarsG76]

Very good for the location.. I find that the the atmospheric conditions down here are not playing ball either...

 

[geoflewis]

2 hours ago, MarsG76 said:

Very good for the location.. I find that the the atmospheric conditions down here are not playing ball either...

 

Thanks @MarsG76. Yes, very difficult from up here - fancy a swap..? 😉

[sloz1664]

Great shots, I must turn my attention to planetary in the near future.

Steve

[geoflewis]

Thanks Steve, they’re a tough get from the UK currently, but Mars should be much better (easier) next year. Geof

[MarsG76]

7 hours ago, geoflewis said:

Thanks @MarsG76. Yes, very difficult from up here - fancy a swap..? 😉

I don't know if the local low atmospheric pressure will help much.

[chiltonstar]

Pretty good for this near to the North Pole!

Chris

[geoflewis]

Thanks Chris

[xtreemchaos]

cracking shots Geof, mighty detail mate. well done. charl.

[geoflewis]

5 minutes ago, xtreemchaos said:

cracking shots Geof, mighty detail mate. well done. charl.

Thanks Charl,

Not sure about 'mighty detail', but any detail is good to see from this far north.....😌

Cheers, Geof

[xtreemchaos]

your too harsh on your self mate, a low Jupiter + pants seeing, there top notch mate..

[Pete Presland]

Fine set of images there Geof, especially with the current altitudes and conditions.

[geoflewis]

Thanks Pete,

Geof