Mars and Saturn 25th Jan 06

[jjjnettie]

Here is a complilation of what was the best shots of the night.
It was an beautiful clear night between the clouds ( seeing 8/10 ) I took advantage of my freshly collimated scope and got what are the best pics I've taken so far.
I swear I can see a little of the polar cap on Mars.
A question of magnification.
The scope is f5 and I used
a 10mm ep with a 2x barlow = 250x
This image I magnified 8 times with the optical zoom in the camera. Does that mean I was working at 258x or 2000x? Ridiculous! Will someone please help a button brained girly sort out her magnifications.

[rumples riot]

Nice images JJ, good detail in each, well done. Keep them coming.

[fringe_dweller]

Hi Jeanette, yes i also wonder now about the accuracy of adding the optical/digital zoom to the equation of magnification - after all when you do that you arent adding to the magnification that the scope is at? we're just zooming in on the image in ep after all? :confuse3:
anyway you qlders and nsw,ers are getting all the good seeing these days - lucky people!
anyway Very Nice - thanks for posting :-))

[davidpretorius]

purely from image scale on the screen, i would estimate 400 or 500, here is 1044x from a f5 10".

nice seeing, your cassini division is long and there is detail on mars

well done!

[Chrissyo]

Great shots! :) Lots of detail on Saturn there :)

Magnification: I'm not really sure what you've got... Its not 2000X though (though you got that using the same process I use to work out my mag. Might have to look that one up :) ).

[jjjnettie]

I'm surprised that Mars turned out at all. The video was very shakey. The result of a close encounter with a 5 ft + brown snake. I thought a bit of quiet time with the scope would calm my nerves. jjjnettie 1 - brown snake 0

[jjjnettie]

Chris,
I reckon it is 250x. As Fringe said, all the zoom on the camera does is enlarge the image in the scope. I'll post this question at another forum, see what they think.
Jeanette

[Robert_T]

Go Jjjnettie,

The Saturns are great :) particularly 2b. I think I can make out Syrtis Major on mars too - thanks for keeping Mars in the limelight.

cheers,