My October / November Mars collage

[_Rachael_]

There weren't many clear nights over the past 6 weeks so these images come from about two or three nights. 

It's my first Mars season. I'm shooting with a Skywatcher 150pl on an EQ3 Pro. I don't have a planetary camera so just using my EOS 700D attached to a cheap as chips 8-24mm zoom lens and varying the zoom for the seeing. 

Used BackyardEos then processed in Pipp, AS3! and did the layering in Photoshop instead of Registax. 

Anyway, I was quite happy for my first Mars efforts but really need one of those electric focuser things. 

Also, should the pole be at the top or bottom in Mars photos? 

[Knighty2112]

 Nice work. Well done!  

Edited November 13, 2020 by Knighty2112

[Nik271]

That's a great set of images for a 6 inch scope! Did you use eyepiece projection?

I prefer the correctly oriented view as your images with the south pole down. The inverted view is the more classical/old school choice because in the past the biggest telescopes were Newtonian reflectors. In old maps of the Moon and the planets south is always up.

[dweller25]

Great images 👍

[_Rachael_]

Thanks for the compliments 👍

I'm not sure what counts as eyepiece projection? 

I had my 8-24mm zoom eyepiece directly in the focuser and had a T adapter on the thread of that with my DSLR joining there, in the same way I'd attach my camera to a Barlow. I don't know if that's eyepiece projection but it seems to work? 

[Nik271]

7 hours ago, _Rachael_ said:

Thanks for the compliments 👍

I'm not sure what counts as eyepiece projection? 

I had my 8-24mm zoom eyepiece directly in the focuser and had a T adapter on the thread of that with my DSLR joining there, in the same way I'd attach my camera to a Barlow. I don't know if that's eyepiece projection but it seems to work? 

Yes, this is eyepiece projection. The advantage is you get a large image on the sensor, the disadvantage is stability and precise focusing issues.

Another method is 'prime focus imaging' where the sensor sits directly in the focus plane of the telescope without any eyepiece. This is a more stable set up and because there are fewer glass surfaces it can produce sharper images. The image will be small though so you need 2x or 3x Barlow lens inserted in the focuser before attaching the camera.

  

[orion25]

Great collage! You have a nice document of this great apparition of Mars  

Regards,

Reggie

[Kokatha man]

👍