Uranus and Neptune, C14 first light

[andyc]

I've joined the C14 club in an attempt to up my game for next year's planet parade - first light was on the ice giants!

These are with the new C14 XLT, a new ASI290MM camera and IR642nm filter. I'm pretty happy about the bright spot that shows up on Neptune - one of the bright high clouds that's showing up on Neptune these days, possibly it's the big equatorial storm seen by Keck earlier this year - right latitude, but I've not been able to find much about it's longitude or variation over the months. Maybe it's something else, though it's near the equator.

All 5 of the brighter chunks of ice orbiting Uranus, including little Miranda, were visible in an f/11 stack. Uranus' polar region (lower right) is bright as expected, but I'm fairly sure the patchiness in the bright part is down to seeing/processing and not storm activity. I just need more clear skies so I can do more shots with time gaps/rotation to make them more convincing!

Both images are on PVOL (http://pvol2.ehu.eus/pvol2/) as well.

[Dennis]

Excellent work, with oodles of separation between Miranda and Uranus.

Cheers

Dennis

[Atmos]

Wonderful first light with the new beast!
Having never done planetary imaging (hoping to with a Mewlon 250 next year), is there is a reason for the “ghosting” look at 2 o’clock on Uranus?

[Camelopardalis]

Well done Andy, what a cracking first light :thumbsup:

[andyc]

Thanks Dennis! The overexposed Uranus from the stack with the moons isn't nearly tight enough to compare to the guys who go after the rings, but surprisingly no problem picking up Miranda well away from the planet with 300ms exposures.

It's a really good question, answers on a postcard :rofl:. This is my first go imaging with an SCT, and so I suspect I have a bit to learn about getting the collimation just right, it may well have been a touch off. But more likely - there was some dew on the corrector at one stage (had to get the hairdryer out), and maybe that was the cause, though I'm not sure why it was off-centre. It's something I'll be looking out for in subsequent images.

Thanks Dunk, am looking forward to the big planets! :D

[Troy]

good images, and any pics of the new scope?

[andyc]

Thanks! Well, why ever not?! The scope, the scope on the Uranus imaging run, and the scope family before I sold the 16" Dob to a friendly fellow IISer :D.

[bigjoe]

Great work with your new C14 with the needed IR filter ..Was just observing this days ago, and Uranus.
And you got Triton in the shot as is needed for PVOL.
Im going to have a crack at some planetary imaging with a proper ZWO soon enough..Inspiring stuff.
Cheers bigjoe.

[Camelopardalis]

No kidding :eyepop: I’m looking forward to seeing what you do with it :thumbsup:

[RickS]

A great start, Andy!

[strongmanmike]

Great first light result Andy, you must be pretty excited :cool:..great telescope porn too! :evil2:

Mike

[andyc]

:rofl: well, that may be 'peak glass'! Looking forward to some bigger targets...