Saturn 2nd April

[asimov]

Seeing was very up & down (ranging 2-6/10) but while I thought it was 'up' decided on an F35 capture. In the shot is Tethys left & Enceladus right.

C11/DBK618

[U.K.Cowboy]

Lovely shot again John.

Btw have you been tempted to try the 14" Dob?

[asimov]

Thanks Stuart.

Oh yes, chaffing at the bit to get the 14" up & running again - I'm having collimation (the holding of!) problems as well as EQ6 RA problems right now although I'm nearly sorted..

[EricB]

Very nice shot John. Well done!

Eric

[Solar]

Excellent result for the conditions and FL.:thumbsup:

[von Tom]

Comments regarding images with ringing and banding are normally negative, but in this case: nice rings and bands! :) Well done Asi - can't wait to see what you can do with the 14"!

[Larryp]

Very nice John!

[Shiraz]

that's a beautiful image - excellent restrained processing. regards Ray

[hotspur]

great image,I like seeing the two moons,well done on such good work.

[U.K.Cowboy]

Your mounting the flextube on the EQ?

[asimov]

Thanks guys. Well it's a home made 'flextube mate. Have you not seen it? Collimation is done by 2 wires with turnbuckles wrapped around the OTA 180 degrees, 180 degrees apart.

[U.K.Cowboy]

Nope I've not seen your creation John, any pics online?

[asimov]

Full story here Stuart > http://oortcloud.org/index.php?topic=16816.0 Or visit my equipment folder in Facebook.

[Paul Haese]

Very nice despite the conditions John. I can see the Enke and even detail in the B ring, maybe even the Maxwell gap? Having Saturn higher is making for better imaging prospects. I really must get my act together.

[Quark]

Nice result Asi, shame about the variability but reckon you have certainly got the most from it.

Regards
Trevor

[U.K.Cowboy]

Ahhh I have seen that pic but did not realize it was your SW Dob! Looks fantastic John what a transformation! Tube thermals should not be a problem. ;) That definitely needs pointing at Saturn! :)

[asimov]

Yes Paul it's about time mate, get cracking;)

Thanks Trevor. I actually set up twice. The first run was passable seeing but after stacking a few, deleted the data packed up & called it a night. 30 mins later I setup again determined to get something better. I run a lot on intuition & gut feeling these days..:thumbsup:

Yeah, no thermals Stuart:lol: although it still takes a lot to stop that big mirror from shedding heat & creating that barrier layer which is just as damning in effect as thermals. I hate newts man..

[asimov]

This is an interesting result to me, interesting because it was a test using 60FPS with a 30% full histogram. Unfortunately the image scale has to be around F20-22 & no more, but in reasonable seeing, Saturn should be imaged at a minimum of F30 to gain the desired resolution. The point is, don't be too concerned about sticking to 'rules of thumb' about full histo's on THIS target. On Jupiter, the histo rule is set in stone IMO.

[EricB]

Great picture John, and thank you for the imaging tips.

Eric

[asimov]

Another two results from the same date. Seeing wasn't overly good at this stage so I stuck with F22.

[strongmanmike]

Man, there are some incredible Saturns being displayed here...love this age of imaging we are in...heavens knows what the next decade will bring...

Excellent John :thumbsup:

Mike

[asimov]

Thanks Mike. I'm just waiting for some excellent seeing here, & then I might be satisfied. I agree though, it's a great time to be an imager!

[Paul Haese]

Yep seeing is the only real determinative now. Good seeing is hard to find in most place.

Mike I am with you, this is the best time to be an imager. I remember well the 1980's and the disasters I had with film. Very frustrating.

[asimov]

Good seeing seems to be had in most areas eventually, but the words 'eventually' & 'fleeting' can really test a mans patience so I can see why it pays to diversify ones imaging & not just stick to one area of expertise.

[Dennis]

Wow – a stunning series there John, these are really excellent Saturn images.:)

Thanks for all the examples and explanations underlying each technique/equipment combo – really useful stuff.:thumbsup:

Cheers

Dennis

[asimov]

No problems Dennis, & thank you!:thumbsup:

[Paul Haese]

Pick your battles is my motto now. I found I get more out of waiting and filling in time doing other projects than trying to hit it each night I go out. I also made the decision to image directly from Clayton rather than home. The seeing at home is influenced by the hills and I just wonder what I missed out on during 2008 if I had been imaging down there then.

So diversifying your imaging interests makes for more lovely images to create. Just like you are doing Solar now, also consider other forms too John.;)