Un posted Saturn from 2021

[neil phillips]

I haven't posted this particular capture before. it was one of three I got in 2021 at around 18 degrees elevation no ADC Orion 245mm Newtonian QHY 462c UV IR Cut filter EQ5 Mount GSO 3X ED Barlow. The reason I have never posted it. Another capture I got was slightly better. But through very careful processing. I managed to get it to look quite good. i thought

The seeing this evening was the best I've seen at Lowestoft. Really great seeing.  If only I had seeing this good all the time. And if only Saturn was 50 degrees elevation when it happened. For 18 degrees UK  i  couldn't have done a lot better that year I doubt

Edited November 7, 2022 by neil phillips

[chiltonstar]

Very nice detail and colour rendition Neil.

Chris

[Kon]

Excellent image, hard to believe it is from low UK skies.

[Mandy D]

Superb banding detail. Lovely image. As others have said, hard to believe the altitude.

Congratulations on a job well done!

[geoflewis]

That's a cracking good Saturn Neil

[neil phillips]

Cheers Chris and Mandy

[neil phillips]

3 hours ago, Kon said:

Excellent image, hard to believe it is from low UK skies.

One other thing that's surprising is the lack of a ADC. I discovered something new in fact. When this type of good seeing occurs. The atmospheric Dispersion. Is not as bad. I mean really reduced. I could hardly see any. And at 18 degrees I didn't think that was possible. Still can't quite figure how the good seeing improved the Atmospheric dispersion that much. But it did. 

[neil phillips]

1 hour ago, geoflewis said:

That's a cracking good Saturn Neil

Cheers Geof. Had high hopes for a good saturn this year. But after the council installed a floodlight over my garden that doesn't go off until 12 summer 1 O'clock winter. I gave up. 

[geoflewis]

3 minutes ago, neil phillips said:

Cheers Geof. Had high hopes for a good saturn this year. But after the council installed a floodlight over my garden that doesn't go off until 12 summer 1 O'clock winter. I gave up. 

I had a couple of goes at Saturn with the 462MC, but they were worse than I got last year with the 290MM, however, I had left it until well past opposition this year to even try, also I think I was applying IR as lum last year, so not a fair comparison.

Edited November 7, 2022 by geoflewis

[Space Cowboy]

Crazy good! I'm assuming this was during the summer? If only Jupiter was at opposition then. 

What this image proves is that anything is possible in excellent seeing. 

[neil phillips]

34 minutes ago, Space Cowboy said:

Crazy good! I'm assuming this was during the summer? If only Jupiter was at opposition then. 

What this image proves is that anything is possible in excellent seeing. 

Yes Stuart July 22nd. God knows what gods aligned to allow the weather to calm like that. I know come July. I will be looking for seasonal patterns. There must be a seasonal element to this somewhere ?

[Space Cowboy]

17 hours ago, neil phillips said:

Yes Stuart July 22nd. God knows what gods aligned to allow the weather to calm like that. I know come July. I will be looking for seasonal patterns. There must be a seasonal element to this somewhere ?

The best seeing conditions I ever experienced were just after dusk in June. That was Saturn too at low elevation. Obviously the jet stream is less active during summer months. Maybe the drier atmosphere also helps atmospheric dispersion? 

[neil phillips]

23 minutes ago, Space Cowboy said:

The best seeing conditions I ever experienced were just after dusk in June. That was Saturn too at low elevation. Obviously the jet stream is less active during summer months. Maybe the drier atmosphere also helps atmospheric dispersion? 

Thats exactly my feeling too