[1ponders]
08-08-2006, 10:38 PM
While some of our more accomplished members are getting happy snaps of 13+ mag moons ( :clap: onya Dennis, all hail to thee :poke: :D ) I've decided to settle for something more within my reach. I wish I could claim credit for the idea, but our good mate Andrew "The Mid" middy put this itch in my mind. I've got a hankerin' to catch an animation of both Neptune and Uranus over the next few months to track their switch from retrograde back to pro-grade motion.
Fortunately I have no idea of the size and the commitment to this task or I would already be banging my head against a wall. I'm hoping to get at least 2 preferably 3 images per week. for the next 3 months. I've already posted a three image animate gif of Neptune elsewhere (I now have a few more images to add to it and will post when I work out how to get it under 150 K and still look good), but here is the start of Uranus gif. Again it is only 3 image, and I still have work to do on the alignment, but it's a happy start.
Oh and btw have you noticed where the moon is tonight and where it will be tomorrow night and the next few nights after that :sad:. I don't think Neptune and Uranus could be in worse position for this time of the lunar calendar.
Whoops forgot the details:
Canon 300D prime focus on Orion 80ED, first 2 images composed of 7X120sec ISO800, the third is on 7X60 sec ISO800 (damn moonshine), dark and flat calibrated, aligned, stacked and initial processing in ImagesPlus, final curves touchup, frame alignment, conversion to jpeg and resizing in PS. Animation in Advanced Gif Animator (unregistered).
Fortunately I have no idea of the size and the commitment to this task or I would already be banging my head against a wall. I'm hoping to get at least 2 preferably 3 images per week. for the next 3 months. I've already posted a three image animate gif of Neptune elsewhere (I now have a few more images to add to it and will post when I work out how to get it under 150 K and still look good), but here is the start of Uranus gif. Again it is only 3 image, and I still have work to do on the alignment, but it's a happy start.
Oh and btw have you noticed where the moon is tonight and where it will be tomorrow night and the next few nights after that :sad:. I don't think Neptune and Uranus could be in worse position for this time of the lunar calendar.
Whoops forgot the details:
Canon 300D prime focus on Orion 80ED, first 2 images composed of 7X120sec ISO800, the third is on 7X60 sec ISO800 (damn moonshine), dark and flat calibrated, aligned, stacked and initial processing in ImagesPlus, final curves touchup, frame alignment, conversion to jpeg and resizing in PS. Animation in Advanced Gif Animator (unregistered).