Mars is getting smaller...

[Jarvo]

Hi All, I was a little taken aback at just how much Mars has shrunk as I haven't taken an image for a few weeks.

Can someone advise what causes the secondary edging that is there on the image.  I've reprocessed twice and manually gone through 4k of frames but still the ring exists.

If anyone has any suggestions I would be eternally thankful.

Taken with the C9.25, 2 x Apo Barlow and QHY5III-290C, processed in Registax and minimal tweaking in Gimp.

P.S Is it possible to blow the chip on your CCD camera? I slewed over to the Moon after I finished and the cameras stopped working .

Thanks for looking.

Steve

[Moonshed]

Hi Steve,

I am also surprised at how quickly Mars is reducing in apparent size, every day lost to poor weather is painful!

I do not know what is causing that effect on your image but others will undoubtedly come to your rescue.

As for your camera stopping to work could it have been that when you slewed over to the moon the cable got snagged  and maybe pulled out of the connection just enough to fail. Just a thought, I’m no expert. Have you managed to get it working since? The moon cannot do any damage to your chip, it is after all a common  object to image.

Edited November 26, 2020 by Moonshed

[Jarvo]

That’s for the note Moonshed. No camera definitely plugged in thanks. I’ll do a test in the morning to see if it’s ok. 
Fingers crossed 😊

[Jarvo]

Ok brief update. So there is a whole raft of stuff on this rind effect on this forum and it kinda looks like it’s an optical aberration unresolvable by the looks of things. 
 

I’ve got another .ser from tonight which I’ll look at tomorrow and see if there is any difference

[astroman001]

You are correct, the 'edge rind' is a diffraction pattern and even the best imagers get it. It is affected by seeing but don't worry, it's not anything you have done wrong.

A lot of people use the smudge/blur tool in PS to reduce the effect.

Peter