Where to start with planetary imaging...

[Beardy Bob]

Hi folks. I have a C80ED, a 350d and a pretty good quality point-and-click fuji camera.

Up to now I have been using the 350d at prime focus for images of large nebulae using a 2" extension tube and adapter, but with nights so light and jupiter quite prominent at the moment I was hoping that I could (relatively) inexpensively adapt my system so I can also tinker with taking some planetary images.

So my questions are these:

1. Which method is best to try and take planetary (i.e. jupiter and saturn really) images; prime focus using the 350d with barlows, eyepiece projection using the point-and-click camera, or some other method?

2. What kit would I need/would you recommend and how would it all hook up?

Hope someone can help. I've tried to include everything!

Bob

[Beardy Bob]

Have I posted in the wrong place, or is it that I just really shouldn't even bother trying?!!

My scope has a 600mm focal length if that helps (pretty short for planetary stuff I know).

[rawhead]

I would personally try the webcam route.

Get a cheapy 2nd hand Phillips, Nose piece adapter and an IR filter (you wont need that straight away)

You will need a laptop though....

Your scope will be fine

Cheers

Jon

[MrEd]

Hi Bob

I dont think your set up is at all ideal for what

you have in mind.

The minimum you should have for planetary

imaging should be at least 100mm refractor

with a high f ratio (f7 upwards) some barlows

and critically some kind of webcam.

If you wish to use your current set up then

you should get a maginified image in your eyepice as seeing

allows and hold the camera to the eypiece to take the

shot.

Your disc images however will be small and grainy.

The webcam option is the way forward.

Ed

[Beardy Bob]

Thanks Ed. I'm well aware that my setup is far from ideal. I just wanted a cheap 'mod' to play with planetary imaging while I wait for long, dark nights again for my faint, wide field stuff to come back around. Thing is, I need details - how to attach what to what.

Jon, you reckon avi recorded onto a laptop is better than 'stills' do you? Interesting. Is that through eyepiece projection? What kit would I need for that? And surely I would also need to magnify the image using a barlow first wouldn't I?

[MrEd]

Bob

Go to my site (listed in my sig)

there is a sumary of a guide to webcam imaging.

Also my gallery shows a typical solar system setup

and connections. (webcam only i am afraid.)

Ed

[Beardy Bob]

sounds good. i'm on it....

[rawhead]

Jon, you reckon avi recorded onto a laptop is better than 'stills' do you? Interesting. Is that through eyepiece projection? What kit would I need for that? And surely I would also need to magnify the image using a barlow first wouldn't I?

I use a scope the same as yours for planetary imaging using a webcam. Yes you will need a barlow.

SGL primer here http://stargazerslounge.com/primers-tutorials/40665-primer-planetary-imaging-toucam.html

[Beardy Bob]

Brill. Thanks Jon. I reckon I'll go down the barlow route then. Probably a 4x based on that primer. (I also see you have a 4x televue in your itinerary. Is that for imaging?)

I reckon I can use the nosepiece currently on my 350d (or a smaller, 1.25" version) to hook it up to a barlow. Then I'll have pretty much exactly the same setup I use for my wide-field stuff but with a honking great barlow to magnify the whole shabang. Then I'm just using a 350d instead of the toucam. I can't see that would make too much difference as long as it takes video.

[legion48]

Take a look at this image of Jupiter. It was taken with an ED80, webcam and a x5 barlow. It looks pretty good to me.

ASTRO-CHAT - Astronomy Forum :: View topic - Jupiter from 25th and 28th July

[DeanWatson]

Hi Bob. I agree with all the advice about webcams, its certainly all true and of course the bigger aperture, the higher the resolution (and generally the higher magnification given a higher corresponding focal length of instrument).

But, you can still get good images by (I imagine this has been talked about on the tutorials listed above - sorry, haven't looked) taking mutltiple images with your canon (as many as humanly possible, at the highest resolution/quality of the camera). This will still build up your signal to noise ratio and improve the quality over one individual frame (Try and take all the images within about say, 2 minutes as the object you are imaging is rotating after all!)

[DeanWatson]

Oops - sorry, forgot to mention - run all the images through Registax (downloadable for free - you can google for it). It wouldn't surprise me if DeepSkyStacker worked as well for DSLR planetary frame stacking although i've never tried it...!)