First go at Mars this time round.

[geoff_k]

Not sure it was worth the effort but you gotta try.

As I'm only getting out about once a month these days, I guess I should be thankful for small mercies.

A few thousand frames from last night with my ATIK camera, 4 Imagemate and Fringe Killer filter (only realised later that I had picked out the wrong one from the box). Re-sizing etc in PS after the event.

We shall try again, conditions permitting.

[Theninjagecko]

Thats good for a first go. What Telescope was used?

[geoff_k]

I should have said. Orion Optics 250mm F4.8 Newtonian.

Quite a lot of resizing given how small Mars is even in a 10 inch.

Geoff

[Kokatha man]

Geoff, although there's something funny going on with distortion of the shape etc this image looks like it was essentially very good.....resizing/resampling may be a culprit: could we possibly see it more to its original scale....?

Certainly looks like quite a lot of detail was captured!:)

[Kokatha man]

.....colour alignment could be affected too on closer inspection.

[Theninjagecko]

Did you allow time for cooldown?

[geoff_k]

Thanks chaps, but the original videos are not that great. I reviewed them today but thre is nothing more to be had from them.

I suspect collimation was not as good as it ought to have been. I do check it religiously but sometimes you just can't. Those of course are the times the sky clears. The scope had been out for several hours so that wasn't a problem.

Not the most photogenic planet. Too small on the webcam chip, too much surface brightness, not close enough, rubbish astro-imager, the list goes on. I often wish that those silly Internet rumours that surface from time to time about Mars being as big as the Full Moon were true for once.

Next time, methinks, possibly a little closer to opposition.

Geoff

[Clayton]

Hmmm. It look's to me like there is a bit more in there? But Mars can be difficult to work with. I found that Registax was very harsh in rejecting frames with Mars. How many frames did you end up with in your stack?

[neil phillips]

Its not easy this year geoff, your capture looks like what mine did at f50 too few frames, and signal to noise not strong enough. If possible next time think more frames, and a stronger signal,though you may risk burnout

[Taff]

Nice picture Geoff' of the red planet.Mark