SGL 2022 Challenge 8 - Pick a Planet

[MartinB]

It has been a great period for planetary imagers as has been demonstrated by the stunning images entries into this challenge.  Solar system imaging challenges always come up against the problem of an unlevel playing field.  The higher in the sky the target the less the atmospheric disturbance.  This tends to make things more challenging for imagers at higher latitudes.  To allow for this we have an overall first place regardless of latitude and then a 1,2,3 for imagers based at 50 degrees and above.  

The challenge has been difficult to judge with opinions divided, partly because of the sheer variety of images.  The star of the show has been jupiter with animations, transits, and the GRS.  Saturn has also made a good showing.  Mars is always challneging because of its small size and we have taken this into account.

First overall

Astrovani - Saturn

Vani also produced some stunning Jupiter imagers but we kept coming back to this beautifully captured and processed Saturn, complete with moons.

Northern latitude (50 degrees and higher) results.

1) Geof Lewis Jupiter animation

A very effective animation with superb underlying detail.

2) Kon - Mars

Small but perfectly produced

3) Neil Phillips - Jupiter 

A superb Jupiter which could so easily have taken first place

 

Well done to everyone who has submitted entries.  It is well worth having a look through the challenge thread, I am sure you will come up with a different set of winners!

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/397715-sgl-2022-challenge-8-pick-a-planet/

 

[geoflewis]

OMG, it’s the first time I’ve won anything, so how happy am I. The standard set by everyone was excellent, so to get my animation voted best in the >50N deg category in such illustrious company is very pleasing indeed, thank you.

Congratulations also to Avani, Kostas and Neil.

[neil phillips]

Congratulations to the all winners. Special mention to Kostas. Who is doing it the hard way. Great choice from the judges there. And my friend Geof who only recently started up again with a colour camera.  Next year Jupiter will be fairly high. Will be interesting to see what results all of us in the UK will present.

well done everyone

 

[Kon]

There were a lot of good images; I am speechless and very honoured to be inbetween Geof an Neil. I really want to thank Neil for the tremendous support and advice on my processing since I started this year.

[geoflewis]

22 minutes ago, Kon said:

There were a lot of good images; I am speechless and very honoured to be inbetween Geof an Neil. I really want to thank Neil for the tremendous support and advice on my processing since I started this year.

Ditto to that about @neil phillips, I had a huge amount of help from Neil, both in which colour camera to chose this summer, and then how to optimise using it with my rig. He's still one of my primary gotos for continued advice, so I feel a little bit that I cheated him out of winning.

[neil phillips]

19 minutes ago, geoflewis said:

Ditto to that about @neil phillips, I had a huge amount of help from Neil, both in which colour camera to chose this summer, and then how to optimise using it with my rig. He's still one of my primary gotos for continued advice, so I feel a little bit that I cheated him out of winning.

Thats a winning set of images if ever I've seen them. Well deserved. Just glad you like the camera. I love mine since day one. Even with its slight niggles

[neil phillips]

48 minutes ago, Kon said:

There were a lot of good images; I am speechless and very honoured to be inbetween Geof an Neil. I really want to thank Neil for the tremendous support and advice on my processing since I started this year.

It's been a pleasure and a lot of fun interacting kon. I started many years ago with your spirit of adventure. Putting camcorders up to the eyepiece. You're doing better and more advanced. Always respect anyone who doesn't let limitations of equipment hold them back. So well deserved again

[Kon]

14 minutes ago, neil phillips said:

It's been a pleasure and a lot of fun interacting kon. I started many years ago with your spirit of adventure. Putting camcorders up to the eyepiece. You're doing better and more advanced. Always respect anyone who doesn't let limitations of equipment hold them back. So well deserved again

Still a lot to learn as I go along this journey. I appreciate your advise based on my current limitations but also your gentle push on how to improve by small equipment changes/upgrades.

[happy-kat]

Super images well done all

[astroavani]

I am honored to have my photo among the chosen ones, there have been many excellent works and everyone is to be congratulated.
My friend Geof's animation is as good as the best I've ever seen, the sync was excellent as well as there was no difference in light and tone from one frame to another, it certainly deserved to have taken the top prize because you fight in very difficult conditions.
This year I'm realizing what it's like to image a planet at such a low altitude in the sky since Mars here is only at 36º.
Congrats to the other winners (Neil and Kon) both images are deserving of first place as well.

Edited November 18, 2022 by astroavani

[Space Cowboy]

Well done Vani, Geof, Kon & Neil! Tremendous collection of images. Remarkable what Kon is producing with a manual Dob!