Saturn on the 9th of Oct

[Mickoid]

Took this at the start of some clear nights last Wednesday. 8 inch Newtonian with an ASI 120mms and a 5X Powermate. Seeing was average to good. My 1st Saturn for the season. :)

[Leo.G]

Wow, that's inspirational Michael, I have an 8" Newt and a 5 times powermate (I've yet to try the powermate).

I'd be happy if I got anything remotely like you've managed to capture, very nicely done.

A quick question for the experienced ("1st Saturn of the season"), I have a Player one Neptune with the IMX178 sensor, it's a larger sensor than what you've used so my image frame will be a lot smaller I'm guessing?

I've only imaged with my DSLR's (D80 in the past and my D810). I can't remember doing planetary with the 810, the one time I tried the seeing was so bad I couldn't even get the moon through the RC (stretching and shrinking through frames), looked disgusting stacked and explained why I had so much trouble trying to focus anything that night but I was too stupid to give up

[Mickoid]

Thanks Leo, glad it's inspired you. The 120mms isn't even 2mp so your 178 which is more than 6mp will have a larger sensor (your frame size would probably be larger). I think this is the case even though your pixel size at 2.4um, is smaller than the 120mms at 3 75um. I never use, even with the small sensor of the 120mms, the full frame. I normally utilise SharpCap's ROI feature to increase my frame rate. It also makes your file size smaller by eliminating all the unnecessary blackness around the planet (unless you're trying to capture the planet's outer moons as well). Good luck imaging!

[Leo.G]

Thanks Michael!
With my DSLR's I've always overexposed the planet to capture the moons then my son has helped to edit the moons into the correct position with the correctly exposed planetary frames. I like the shots with the moons in it but my planets have been tiny.

That reminds me, I have to renew my Sharpcap license, I've used it once since I last renewed it.

[Dave882]

Nicely done and congrats on your first Saturn for the season! Hopefully some more clear sky in the coming g weeks

[AstroLawrence]

Nice picture!