Mars just before the rain (24 November 2022)

[Kon]

Atrocious weather out there tonight, again! I just managed to bring in the Dob before the rain started. Awful jetstream and blowy winds. Not the sharpest but glad to have got it. Good practice when and if we ever get the good seeing. 8" Dob, manual, asi462mc, 2.5x TV powermate. Resized 150%. Happy for feedback/criticism.

@geoflewisI tried to use some of your tips from your Mars post and I think it has helped to bring out some more details than my usual approach.

 

[geoflewis]

1 hour ago, Kon said:

Atrocious weather out there tonight, again! I just managed to bring in the Dob before the rain started. Awful jetstream and blowy winds. Not the sharpest but glad to have got it. Good practice when and if we ever get the good seeing. 8" Dob, manual, asi462mc, 2.5x TV powermate. Resized 150%. Happy for feedback/criticism.

@geoflewisI tried to use some of your tips from your Mars post and I think it has helped to bring out some more details than my usual approach.

 

Hi Kostas, that's a nice Mars. I'm please that my tips gave you some different things to try; it is a lot of try this try that, I find. I've just come inside from what I think will prove to have been a fruitless session. About the only thing I'm confident about is that I got frozen cold. The wind was really too strong and the seeing was absolutely dreadful, so I spent ages NOT getting anything focused. I ran a few SERs, which I'm just going to transfer over to my processing laptop to take a look, but I fear they will all end up on the cutting floor.....

[Kon]

6 hours ago, geoflewis said:

Hi Kostas, that's a nice Mars. I'm please that my tips gave you some different things to try; it is a lot of try this try that, I find. I've just come inside from what I think will prove to have been a fruitless session. About the only thing I'm confident about is that I got frozen cold. The wind was really too strong and the seeing was absolutely dreadful, so I spent ages NOT getting anything focused. I ran a few SERs, which I'm just going to transfer over to my processing laptop to take a look, but I fear they will all end up on the cutting floor.....

Thanks Geof. It's great when people share their techniques or tips on their processing; I know that it will not always work but gives a different perspective.

It sounds you had a terrible night last night. I hope you can salvage somehting out of the effort.  I had same issue with focus, and to be honest I am surprised that I managed to get anything at all from the capture. I dodged rain twice last night. It's not looking any better tonight either 🌧️☁️.

[Nik271]

That's pretty good considering the conditions! I was observing visually at about 11pm last night and it was hard to even spot the easiest feature, the promontory of Syrtis Major even at low magnifications. Mars was dancing too much and the wind was not helping either. We need a high pressure weather front for next week at the closest approach!

Edited November 25, 2022 by Nik271

[neil phillips]

Was difficult last night. You still got some good detail out

[geoflewis]

1 hour ago, Kon said:

Thanks Geof. It's great when people share their techniques or tips on their processing; I know that it will not always work but gives a different perspective.

It sounds you had a terrible night last night. I hope you can salvage somehting out of the effort.  I had same issue with focus, and to be honest I am surprised that I managed to get anything at all from the capture. I dodged rain twice last night. It's not looking any better tonight either 🌧️☁️.

I've had a look at what I got and this is the best 5% from one of the 6 min runs. I haven't fully processed it, but it 10% sharpened in AS3!, then histogram, RGB align, RGB balance and wavelets in Registax.

I tried everything, i.e. with the barlow, without the barlow, with and without the ADC, but I just couldn't get a stable image. The major (no pun intended) features can be seen, but no fine detail at all. I'm not sure if it's worth processing any further, but I'll probably try.

[geoflewis]

10 minutes ago, Nik271 said:

We need a high pressure weather front for next week at the closest approach!

You can say that again, it's been terrible so far this apparition.....

[Kon]

15 minutes ago, neil phillips said:

Was difficult last night. You still got some good detail out

 

8 minutes ago, geoflewis said:

You can say that again, it's been terrible so far this apparition.....

But we are still trying 🤣 although we know that we will not get super images!

[geoflewis]

1 minute ago, Kon said:

But we are still trying

It is a very trying hobby......😠

[Kon]

10 minutes ago, geoflewis said:

I've had a look at what I got and this is the best 5% from one of the 6 min runs. I haven't fully processed it, but it 10% sharpened in AS3!, then histogram, RGB align, RGB balance and wavelets in Registax.

I tried everything, i.e. with the barlow, without the barlow, with and without the ADC, but I just couldn't get a stable image. The major (no pun intended) features can be seen, but no fine detail at all. I'm not sure if it's worth processing any further, but I'll probably try.

Looking good for the conditions.It's pretty much what I did with my processing. It seems you were out 1hr or so later than me (mine was at ~11) based on the rotation.

[geoflewis]

42 minutes ago, Kon said:

Looking good for the conditions.It's pretty much what I did with my processing. It seems you were out 1hr or so later than me (mine was at ~11) based on the rotation.

I also went out around 11pm, but had passing clouds for the first hour or more, so what with the wind and poor seeing, I had no chance to focus. Checking SAT24 I knew it would clear, so I hung around, though began to wish I hadn't bothered. It was 00:11 when I eventually got my first capture, but they were dreadful. That one was at 00:50. I captured a couple more, but gave up around 1am. The only plus is that it's the first time I've seen Mars transit the Meridian this apparition, shining very brightly at >61° elevation, so high that it seemed almost overhead.

Edited November 25, 2022 by geoflewis

[neil phillips]

42 minutes ago, geoflewis said:

I've had a look at what I got and this is the best 5% from one of the 6 min runs. I haven't fully processed it, but it 10% sharpened in AS3!, then histogram, RGB align, RGB balance and wavelets in Registax.

I tried everything, i.e. with the barlow, without the barlow, with and without the ADC, but I just couldn't get a stable image. The major (no pun intended) features can be seen, but no fine detail at all. I'm not sure if it's worth processing any further, but I'll probably try.

To be fair Geof. When conditions are right your setup will leave our setups in the dust. It's just not helping you at all. We have time. But its not looking great at the moment. Pretty sure i haven't nailed what's possible yet either. You already have a couple of nice ones under your belt. But i know your like me. Wanting the best UK sky's can offer

[Space Cowboy]

Another creditable image Kon.👍