Imaging the outer solar system.

[Xilman]

Anyone else here interested in imaging objects in the outer solar system?

It's not obviously "planetary" but I can't find anywhere more appropriate to post. Anything less than a parsec away is not deep sky in my opinion.

I'm thinking of TNOs, centaurs, Plutinos, KBOs, SDOs and many other members of the TLA zoo, as well as satellites of Uranus and Neptune.

It seems to me that this is an area ripe for exploration because hardly any amateur images out there. There be dragons!

Not always easy and often a bloody difficult challenge. Who wants an easy life anyway, and who is scared of a challenge?

[vlaiv]

Certainly interesting - but more on DSO side than on planetary side.

None of those objects will be resolved in any capacity and require long exposure images.

Some of them will require special handling when stacking - if they are moving fast enough with respect to background stars. A bit like comet stacking.

[Macavity]

A couple of images from a while back...

Uranus + Satellites over three successive nights:

Neptune + Triton (centre frame) against Stellar background.



Worth a go at KBO's maybe? Pluto is only a *couple* of magnitudes
fainter than e.g. Triton. But probably not too "well placed" just now... 🤔

[Xilman]

Good to see some interest so soon after posting!

Can't offer anything other than planetary satellites yet and won't be able to until I return to La Palma later this year.

Here is an image of Caliban, aka Uranus-XVI. Apologies for the low quality but it was magnitude 22.2 at the time.

I also have Nereid (N-II) and Sycorax (U-XVII), as well Triton if anyone is interested. Images of the big four of Uranus have yet to be processed. Not yet managed to get Miranda.

[vlaiv]

Any details on capture and processing for those lovely images?

[Xilman]

8 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

Any details on capture and processing for those lovely images?

Obviously I can only comment on the Caliban image, not the others.

Telescope: 0.4m (16" for those attached to imperial) Dilworth relay.

Camera: unfiltered Starlight Xpress Trius-PRO SX814

Exposure: 297×30s subs, average-stacked. Very carefully processed for contrast enhancement, details no longer available. Stacking was easy because Uranus and its satellites were near a stationary point and moving less than 2" per hour. The linear streak at the bottom left was from an artificial satellite intruding in one of the subs.

[Xilman]

On 03/04/2021 at 18:45, Macavity said:

Worth a go at KBO's maybe? Pluto is only a *couple* of magnitudes
fainter than e.g. Triton. But probably not too "well placed" just now... 🤔

A possibility may be (472651) 2015 DB216 which is a Uranus co-orbital centaur. It is presently in Virgo at mag 20.2.  If you fancy giving it a try, the position at 2021-04-06T00:00:00Z is 12:20:05 -02:06:00 and moving 8.47 as/hr in PA 280.5.

Not easy, but who wants an easy life anyway? By contrast Umbriel (UII) is mag 15.2 and shows up very clearly on your images.

Somebody please go for it. I can't because my observatory is inaccessible.

[neil phillips]

Did this in 2016 wasnt a very healthy elevation so seeing had to be good. 

Uranus and Neptune 30th August 2016 - Imaging - Planetary - Stargazers Lounge

 

[Pete Presland]

I captured a few of Uranus Moons a few years back. it was very rewadring to catch them.

[Xilman]

14 hours ago, Pete Presland said:

I captured a few of Uranus Moons a few years back. it was very rewadring to catch them.

Do you still have the image(s)? Would you like to post it/them here?

[Pete Presland]

3 hours ago, Xilman said:

Do you still have the image(s)? Would you like to post it/them here?

Certainly will, I do when I get home from work. 

[Pete Presland]

Captured on 29th December 2016,  Uranus + moons, L to R Umbriel, Ariel, Miranda, Oberon and hint of the Uranus's Polar region.

Involved a huge number of frames and around 45 minutes imaging run.

[Xilman]

Impressive!

My kit is not set up for planetary imaging and Miranda has always been lost in the glare. You've inspired me to try again this season.

 

(Presently  part-way through processing some images which show Sycorax, aka Uranus-XVII.  A smudgy trail shows up but much better should be attainable.)

[Xilman]

Here is the image of Sycorax which I threatened.

 

 

Details: 137 subs totalling 8230 seconds median-stacked taken with an unfiltered SX Trius 8145 Pro on a 0.4m Dilworth telescope. Heavy contrast enhancement was needed to make the V=20.7 magnitude satellite readily visible.

The glow at top right is from a grossly over-exposed Uranus which, along with its bright moons, is well outside of the field of view. The image shown here is an enlarged and contrast-stretch region of the full image in which Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon can be seen but Miranda is lost in the glare.

The star marked with an asterisk is Gaia EDR3 75009958852730496 which is catalogued at g=19.03.  A good number of background galaxies are also visible in this image, ranging in magnitude from 18.5 or so down to perhaps 21.5 though I have not yet identified and found good data for any of them.

Edited May 31, 2021 by Xilman
Fix tyop

[Xilman]

This one is of Nereid, aka Neptune-II. According to the MPC N-II was magnitude V=19.1 at the time of observation --- 2020-09-14 02:00. Image is a 2200s stack of 38 unfiltered subs taken with a SX814 on a 0.4m Dilworth.

The prominent asteroid trail is of (16095) Lorenball shining at mag 17.7. Another asteroid, (45618) 2000 DO72, appears at the edge of the full stack but it didn't make the final cut. I have not yet identified the galaxy at the lower right.