Neximage help

[CThody]

Hi. I have a Celestron Nexstar 5SE and a Neximage CCD. I am struggling witht he software to get any decent images and wonder if I am settign it up wrong. would appreciate any tips from people used to imaging, i am new to it and keen to get it right! Will the neximage pick up colour of nebulas like an SLR will? Should I be using any filters on it to get detail of Jupiters rings? (I wonder as all I can get is a bright white blob!)

Any help/advice wouild be much appreciated. Thanks...

[riklaunim]

Neximage is for planetary and lunary images only, so go hunt Saturn and Mars (Jupiter before night also) with it. Also NexStar SE use alt-az mount so you can't use long exposures (planets, Moon are bright so exposure is short).

[CThody]

Thanks... I have a wedge and align it equatorially so I think that helps with longer exposure... How long should I expose for Jupiter for example with the Neximage? And how do I get the detail of the planet rather than a white disc?

[riklaunim]

If it's white - then you need a bit shorter exposures and longer focal length (about 5m for planets like Jupiter) - extended with barlow.