Best of Mars 2020

[orion25]

I've officially ended my Mars imaging for this apparition but the observing will continue for bit longer. Here are two of my best images from 2020, ironically neither from the dates of perigee or opposition. I was stoked to get Olympus Mons and Syrtis Major never disappoints:

Orion SkyView Pro 180mm Mak-Cass, ZWO ASI224MC, Celestron 2x barlow

Captured using FireCapture, processed in Registax 6, post-processing in Photoshop

To Mars!
Reggie

Edited November 27, 2020 by orion25

[Moonshed]

Hi Reggie

Great pictures!  
I am also using a ZWO ASI224mc with a Celestron 2x Barlow but with an 8inch/200mm Celestron.  My images are nowhere as good as yours and I would appreciate it if you could let me know the software you used to capture, stack and process your images.

I used FireCapture, Autostakkert and process in Registax and finally Photoshop.

I have a sneaky feeling your images are so much better due to your processing skills, something I obviously need to master.

Keith

[orion25]

2 hours ago, Moonshed said:

Hi Reggie

Great pictures!  
I am also using a ZWO ASI224mc with a Celestron 2x Barlow but with an 8inch/200mm Celestron.  My images are nowhere as good as yours and I would appreciate it if you could let me know the software you used to capture, stack and process your images.

I used FireCapture, Autostakkert and process in Registax and finally Photoshop.

I have a sneaky feeling your images are so much better due to your processing skills, something I obviously need to master.

Keith

Thanks, Keith! I use FireCapture , Registax 6 and Photo shop as well. The key for me is making sure the elevation and the seeing is excellent. Mars is giving us great elevation but the seeing must also be great for the best images. I make sure the camera gain is not too high or low, but just enough to give me a good image on my laptop. I carefully focus my scope and if I can see decent detail on the screen (like the polar cap), I'm pretty sure I'll get good data to stack. Believe it or not, I only capture about  30 seconds of data max and then go straight to Registax 6. You may have to be creative with the settings to get the best image. Try some different settings, tickle the wavelets so to speak, as see what works best for you.

[Moonshed]

6 hours ago, orion25 said:

Thanks, Keith! I use FireCapture , Registax 6 and Photo shop as well. The key for me is making sure the elevation and the seeing is excellent. Mars is giving us great elevation but the seeing must also be great for the best images. I make sure the camera gain is not too high or low, but just enough to give me a good image on my laptop. I carefully focus my scope and if I can see decent detail on the screen (like the polar cap), I'm pretty sure I'll get good data to stack. Believe it or not, I only capture about  30 seconds of data max and then go straight to Registax 6. You may have to be creative with the settings to get the best image. Try some different settings, tickle the wavelets so to speak, as see what works best for you.

Thank you for the advice, it is very much appreciated.  I can see that I have had two problems here. The first is that I was planning using my Canon 1100D  and by the time I was able to see Mars above next door’s trees it was already past opposition and I discovered my trusty DSO capturing Canon was not the right camera for Mars. The delivery for the ZWO took 2 weeks and by the time I had got the hang of it and a clear sky my first attempt was Nov 15th, a month past opposition. Secondly, you talk about seeing conditions and here they have been dreadful, Mars wobbles about on the screen and squashes in and out, seeing the polar caps was impossible. Had it not been such an opportunity I would not have bothered trying under those conditions but glad I did. Although not great I am nonetheless pleased with the result. 
I thought about it and finally decided to show my best image here in the hope it will encourage others to have a go even though conditions may not be perfect.

Thanks again for the advice, I will keep trying!

Yes, I do know this image will not win a gold medal 😂

 

 

Edited November 27, 2020 by Moonshed

[Neil H]

Thats not bad better than mine using a bresser 127 refractor and asl224mc my image was so poor i stopped after stacking waiting now for a good night to try again 

[Moonshed]

26 minutes ago, Neil H said:

Thats not bad better than mine using a bresser 127 refractor and asl224mc my image was so poor i stopped after stacking waiting now for a good night to try again 

And waiting and waiting and waiting......

[Neil H]

Yeah clear while i am at work clouds when i get in at 2am

[orion25]

Not too bad considering the conditions. Just wait until a night of good seeing and when Mars is at its highest elevation for your location and try again. I know it's been over a month since opposition but Mars is still a respectable size right now. Don't give up!

Regards,

Reggie