Jupiter with iPhone

[PeterStudz]

I posted the video/GIF in another thread, but thought it might be worth mentioning here in a bit more detail.

I’ve been playing around with smartphone video (especially planetary & lunar). Eg I find that video can be useful when observing with my daughter. For Jupiter I can stick the camera to the eyepiece, run a live video, and use it to point out various features without going back and forth. Then back to viewing with eyes at the eyepiece. 

Also with animated GIF. For converting video to GIF I’ve tried various apps on my phone/iPad (I don’t have a laptop/computer), but this website is better and the best I’ve found…

https://ezgif.com/video-to-gif

Does anyone know of a decent GIF maker app? I’ve tried a few but they’ve been disappointing.

As a simple example I converted a short sequence of one of my recent & decent-night video captures of Jupiter. It’s been taken using the stock iPhone camera app, adjustments made using exposure/brightness etc within the app. Obviously cropped too. But no third party camera apps. Seeing was good relative to what I’ve had in the last few months. But it gives a good example of what the view was like through the eyepiece and is very close to the live on-screen view.

In fact for recording observations at the eyepiece the animation alone is just as good, probably better, for being used as a record when compared to a static image. And this is really what I’m trying to use the phone camera for. Moreover, under the image/animation Caption I can add a full observation report (there doesn’t seem to be a text limit) which is searchable too. 

However, I’ve also tried to stack, edit and process the same video all on the phone using just phone apps. One thing I have noticed is that using a BST StarGuider 3.2mm, which gives me a power of x375, almost always gives better video results. Not sure why as visually it’s far too much for a sharp image. Because of that I can set it up, with the adapter & phone attached to the eyepiece at the start of the session, all ready to just pop into the focuser. 

 

Taken from Southampton from urban back-garden - 12th December 2023 at 21:30pm. SkyWatcher 200p Dob on DIY EQ platform. BST StarGuider 3.2mm, no-brand smartphone adapter holding an iPhone 14 Pro. 50 second video captured with stock camera app, 4K at 60fps. Sacked edited and processed using the iPhone apps, VideoStack, WaveletCam, SnapSeed and Lightroom.

[geoflewis]

In my opinion that’s a remarkable result just using an iPhone camera and phone apps. I’ve occasionally used Snapseed for daytime photo processing, but I’m not familiar with VideoStack, or WaveletCam. Are they free, or paid for apps?

[PeterStudz]

Hi, @geoflewis. Thanks for that.

I think I paid a small fee, something like £2.99 for VideoStack and WaveLetCam. And I think that they are iPhone only. The original version of VideoStack crashed far too often. But the latest one is much better. Mind, there’s still a bit of learning (at least for me) but easier now that I have a workflow that I know. 

I do enjoy just doing this just on the phone. Maybe if/when I get a laptop I’ll give it a go on there via the more “traditional” route. Oh… and get a camera!

 

Edited January 12 by PeterStudz

[bosun21]

Nice animation Peter 👍.

[Jeff-Colorado]

Fantastic video of Jupiter. You've inspired me to try something similar with my SE 8 and Pixel 7.

[LondonNeil]

I think that's stunning! Dob, eq platform and smart phone,  superb!