My second attempt at Mars on 29/08/20

[AstroNebulee]

This is my second attempt at imaging Mars, I was using my skymax 127 with my new zwo asi120mc-s, x2 barlow and prime imaging without the diagonal in. Through my bedroom window as in a first floor flat. I live in North Cornwall, UK and the seeing wasn't brilliant as quite windy and not long had a few days of deep low pressure, so that's my guessing why the seeing was poor.  As i watched a Damien Peach video on youtube that you need a few days of high pressure and the jet stream not over the country, to create better seeing.  Anyway i digress , I took several captures using sharpcap and processed them in AS3, Registax 6 then PS.  Though they are not sharp or well detailed i can see the reddish and blueish tinges to Mars.  I'm going to try again tonight with my skymax 127 and a  hopeful clear skies forecast, then if clear moro i'll put my explorer 150p back on the mount and try with that and maybe stopped down.  I'm just experimenting with it so far as so much to learn.  I know Mars is not at opposition yet as why its slightly oval so the viewing can only get better for 13th October this year. The really orange capture was my first attempt 20-08-20

01_16_28.CameraSettings.txt 01_17_17.CameraSettings.txt 01_21_36.CameraSettings.txt

Edited August 29, 2020 by LeeHore7

[MarkAR]

Are you trying to shoot through the glass ? If you are that can cause all sorts of image problems.

Hope we get some calm clear nights soon and you get a good chance to get outside and try.  

Looks like an improvement on your first tries but keep at it, practice will definitely help.

[AstroNebulee]

7 minutes ago, MarkAR said:

Are you trying to shoot through the glass ? If you are that can cause all sorts of image problems.

Hope we get some calm clear nights soon and you get a good chance to get outside and try.  

Looks like an improvement on your first tries but keep at it, practice will definitely help.

Hi Mark 

I have no option but to image through glass as live in a first floor flat and window won't open at the bottom, hoping when they fit new windows here I csn get a tilt and turn one fitted to open up, it's not perfect I know but it's all I have. 

[Mr niall]

It will be really really difficult to get any sort of half decent image through a window. Window glass is really along way off being good enough for any sort of astronomy - its almost analogous to trying to read a book placed in a bowl of water. And then factor in double glazing, which is not only doubling the problem but adding another extra thin slice of air with its own air current.

And that is all assuming the windows are perfectly clean, but ignoring the coatings added to glass to increase reflection and reduce UV and IR absorption. 

And then factor in the fact you are trying to record a very very small object at very very high magnification that is quite low in the sky. 

Your best bet is to get as perpendicular to the glass as physically possible, as shooting at an angle will make things much worse. 

I'm assuming you cant get outside - is there anyway you can shoot through an open window?

[MarkAR]

Shame about the windows, is there a flat roof on your block you could get access to ? 

[AstroNebulee]

2 minutes ago, Mr niall said:

It will be really really difficult to get any sort of half decent image through a window. Window glass is really along way off being good enough for any sort of astronomy - its almost analogous to trying to read a book placed in a bowl of water. And then factor in double glazing, which is not only doubling the problem but adding another extra thin slice of air with its own air current.

And that is all assuming the windows are perfectly clean, but ignoring the coatings added to glass to increase reflection and reduce UV and IR absorption. 

And then factor in the fact you are trying to record a very very small object at very very high magnification that is quite low in the sky. 

Your best bet is to get as perpendicular to the glass as physically possible, as shooting at an angle will make things much worse. 

I'm assuming you cant get outside - is there anyway you can shoot through an open window?

Hi

I have no option but to image through a window as it doesn't open, only a small one at the top, I try to image straight onto the glass to cut down the problem but it's all I have as. I know of the problem caused when imaging through a window but some astronomy is better than none they say, it's really hard to get everything down the stairs of stairwell and nowhere outside to properly view from, until I hopefully get the right window. I'm not going to get blow away images but happy to have slight improvements each time with the complexity of the glass, clear skies niall 

[AstroNebulee]

5 minutes ago, MarkAR said:

Shame about the windows, is there a flat roof on your block you could get access to ? 

Yes tell me about it Mark, just praying for a tilt and turn window to be fitted as it's a good view from east to south. There's no flat roof, they are all pitched. 😕

[AstroNebulee]

2 hours ago, LeeHore7 said:

This is my second attempt at imaging Mars, I was using my skymax 127 with my new zwo asi120mc-s, x2 barlow and prime imaging without the diagonal in. Through my bedroom window as in a first floor flat. I live in North Cornwall, UK and the seeing wasn't brilliant as quite windy and not long had a few days of deep low pressure, so that's my guessing why the seeing was poor.  As i watched a Damien Peach video on youtube that you need a few days of high pressure and the jet stream not over the country, to create better seeing.  Anyway i digress , I took several captures using sharpcap and processed them in AS3, Registax 6 then PS.  Though they are not sharp or well detailed i can see the reddish and blueish tinges to Mars.  I'm going to try again tonight with my skymax 127 and a  hopeful clear skies forecast, then if clear moro i'll put my explorer 150p back on the mount and try with that and maybe stopped down.  I'm just experimenting with it so far as so much to learn.  I know Mars is not at opposition yet as why its slightly oval so the viewing can only get better for 13th October this year. The really orange capture was my first attempt 20-08-20

01_16_28.CameraSettings.txt 691 B · 0 downloads 01_17_17.CameraSettings.txt 693 B · 0 downloads 01_21_36.CameraSettings.txt 693 B · 0 downloads

I hadn't noticed it before my daughter pointed it out to me but in the third Mars capture if you look hard enough there appears to be a big alien Martian face looking out, 😉👽😕

[Mr niall]

1 hour ago, LeeHore7 said:

Hi

I have no option but to image through a window as it doesn't open, only a small one at the top, I try to image straight onto the glass to cut down the problem but it's all I have as. I know of the problem caused when imaging through a window but some astronomy is better than none they say, it's really hard to get everything down the stairs of stairwell and nowhere outside to properly view from, until I hopefully get the right window. I'm not going to get blow away images but happy to have slight improvements each time with the complexity of the glass, clear skies niall 

Yep I assumed you knew all that just thought I’d say it just in case!

have you tried taping a piece of cardboard or something with a hole cut out to your window? 
 

it’s not impossible - George Alcock discovered a supernova through 1980s double glazing!

Edited August 29, 2020 by Mr niall

[happy-kat]

2 hours ago, LeeHore7 said:

that looks quite a good capture with some definition

sorry if I have shared this twice but if I have not you might find it useful

http://www.sunspot51.com/Registax6/Registax6.htm

[AstroNebulee]

12 hours ago, Mr niall said:

Yep I assumed you knew all that just thought I’d say it just in case!

have you tried taping a piece of cardboard or something with a hole cut out to your window? 
 

it’s not impossible - George Alcock discovered a supernova through 1980s double glazing!

That's ok niall no problems, I've not heard of the cardboard with a hole cut out of it before, how does that work when stuck on the window, sorry if I sound stupid, it sounds intriguing 

[AstroNebulee]

12 hours ago, happy-kat said:

that looks quite a good capture with some definition

sorry if I have shared this twice but if I have not you might find it useful

http://www.sunspot51.com/Registax6/Registax6.htm

Thank you Kat, very kind of you. Its definitely better than my first attempt. I haven't seen the registax link you shared and have read that and some interesting points that I haven't tried before like using 8bit bmp files, (is that like raw8, not sure) I generally capture in ser with the new camera I can capture in more types of output files now. 

[Mr niall]

2 hours ago, LeeHore7 said:

That's ok niall no problems, I've not heard of the cardboard with a hole cut out of it before, how does that work when stuck on the window, sorry if I sound stupid, it sounds intriguing 

I’ve no idea if it would work bud - but my guess would be that you’d want to minimise sources of reflections in all directions including outside lights / reflections from your own room and other stray light surfaces from creeping in. Just a guess!

[AstroNebulee]

11 minutes ago, Mr niall said:

I’ve no idea if it would work bud - but my guess would be that you’d want to minimise sources of reflections in all directions including outside lights / reflections from your own room and other stray light surfaces from creeping in. Just a guess!

Thank you, I'll give it a go and see if there's a difference but see what you mean 👍