jupiter + ganymedes' shadow 25-5-08

[AlexN]

first avi edited so far this evening, only at 24deg above horizon, so im sure it wont be the best for the night, but its my first time capturing one of the moons shadows so i got excited and had to post...

Detail isnt paramount, but this is only my 3rd or 4th jup...

8" dob, 2x barlow, spc900nc processed using registax4/ps cs2


EDIT : more pics posted further down, getting progressively better and finally culminating at a nice pair of shots including ganymede, its shadow and the GRS..
I think im starting to get the hang of it all...

Cheers for any comments or pointers!

Alex.

[AlexN]

and heres the 2nd.. better I think...

[AlexN]

time for a 3rd and 4th... this time the shadow has transited almost completely off the planet, the first of this two is perhaps the best jupiter data i've got to date... I'm pretty happy with the progression of quality over tonight too... now looking at the first two images, they were poop... probably caused by the fact that they were taken while joop was between 14deg and 23deg above the horizon, the last two were taken closer to 45deg.

Damn atmosphere!

Anyways.. I think thats it for my editing tonight, got a few more videos to do but im sure they can wait..

all comments / criticisims are welcome.

[iceman]

Nice results, Alex. You should wait until Jupiter gets higher but I can understand the excitement :)

[AlexN]

I plan to head out again in 35 mins or so.. give it another go... was going to try saturn again also however the neighbors (up higher on the hill to the west) were entertaining with their flood lights on the back yard... Wonderful!

[AlexN]

Well... After another run I'm happy to report I have 2 more images, and quality has come up a level also I think...

Mike, You were right (not that I doubted it at all) but waiting till later paid off immensely, at this point, Jupiter was around 80deg up, and the results are great (imho) nothing to write to nasa about, but definitely a step up for me..

Also I think its important to note that the shadow in the earlier images was actually that of Io, not Ganymede.. However in these latest images, you can see Ganymede itself and its corresponding shadow on the planet, not to mention the GRS!!

All in all a very good night for me, and great practice!

Cheers for looking!

[iceman]

Excellent work, Alex.

[Lester]

Well done Alex.

[Robert_T]

hi alex, looking good. the better seeing at higher altitude really helps your later images:thumbsup:.

if u haven't already try an extension tube (say around 5-10cm) between you barlow and your webcam... you'll be surprised at the increased image scale it gives you... though harder to track too and I note you're using a Dob:whistle:

as you progress and you get the urge to spend more money (or is that just me:P), the first addition 'd recommend to any aspiring planet imager is an electric focusser... amzing the difference a fine vibration free focus can make to your images:thumbsup:

[AlexN]

Thanks guys, I'm really happy with how I'm progressing.

Robert T, I haven't as yet tried an extension tube (dont have one), but I've toyed with dropping the camera in only as far as needed, maybe 1cm - 1.5cm further from the barlow than the whole way in, The problem then is when I swap the EP for the cam after aligning the scope, its hard to get the focus right as i cant always get the camera to go in the exact same depth. I was thinking about using a rubber band around the cameras nose piece to try and help that situation... Always tomorrow night I guess.

Cheers again for the replies,

Alex.

[Matty P]

Great work Alex, Well done.

[theodog]

Nice one Alex.
Really shows that shadow well.
I struggle with planet images so appreciate your efforts.
Well done.:thumbsup:

[AlexN]

Cheers guys, I appreciate the feedback.

Im still very happy, Heading to a dark sky spot this weekend, will have another few runs over Saturn and Jupiter, See if I cant get a bit more out of it! :D

[edwardsdj]

Great images Alex :)

You're really starting to capture some detail with these.

[AlexN]

cheers Doug, Yeah im getting there... I really need more image scale, better conditions and an IR blocking filter I think.... But im very happy with how far ive come in the 3 weeks since I posted my first jupiter image

[edwardsdj]

I agree. Your results are very impressive for three weeks in.

IR blocking filter is next on the list for me too. I have read some threads on IIS about using the IR blocking filter in the lens assembly you remove from the SPC900NC and mounting it in the Mogg adapter.

I'm keen to give this a go as soon as I find the time.

[AlexN]

sounds interesting enough.. let me know when you're going to do it... either take some photos so I know what I'm looking for or we could meet up and go at it together.... 2 heads being better than one and all..

[edwardsdj]

Hey Alex,

I did some searching and tracked down the thread describing the technique of using the IR filter in the lens assembly:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=15302

There is also this one showing some results with a ToUcam II:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=21803

I've actually been able to get some nice images without it. I'm really busy looking for work at the moment and will probably be even busier for months starting a new job soon, so this is probably not possible for me in the near future.

Take care,
Doug

[AlexN]

Cheers for that Doug, I'll give it a fly during this week of HORRIBLE Brisbane weather... :)

Just thought I'd post this, After reading the PDF that davidpretorius produced on his jupiter editing technique, and buying astra image, I re-processed one of the better jupiter shots from this thread using ME deconvolution and applying a little unsharp mask... Came out rather well....

Also, on the topic of my image scale / focus, I've taken other advice from this thread, and purchased a 3x barlow, in which I'll use my 2x barlow with the lense removed to increase image scale further, and also an electric focuser..

As soon as this weather clears up, I will hopefully be able to post a bigger better joop!! (thanks again to this wonderful wealth of knowledge)

Heres the re-processed pic.

Thanks everyone for your invaluable input.
Alex.

[edwardsdj]

Awesome reprocess Alex. There is so much detail there. Matt put me onto the unsharp mask recently and it works wonders.

More image scale makes all the difference.

[Screwdriverone]

Hi Alex,

WOW, all of these shots are fantastic!

I especially like the last one, the detail you captured is amazing.

Great work!

hmmmm, SPC900NC hey? hmmmmmm.......excellent...... :2thumbs:

One question, are you doing all this on a DOB??? If so, thats even more impressive!

Cheers

Chris

[AlexN]

Cheers chris, and yes, its all manually lined up in the EP so jupiter will float through the centre (whilst focuser is set for spc900nc to be at focus) when its lined up, swap the ep for the cam and wait for it to drift into frame, record for a max of 12sec... hit stop, repeat!

Im actually out for the first night since the 25th imaging jupiter at the moment... 40mins till GRS pops its head out for me :) initial data so far looks the best I've seen to date, heres hoping for matching results...

Edit: just captured Io and Europa coming out from behind joop... Can. Not. Wait. To. Process. Images!!