Saturn storm March 6th in good seeing.

[Quark]

Hi All,

Imaged Saturn this morning, the predictions for the conditions were nothing to get excited about but when I connected my camera I was pleasantly surprised as the live feed looked good.

I generally aim to capture a RGB & 807nm IR data set about every 30 mins, but for each data set the seeing dropped off just that bit more, still I am more than happy to get at least one good data set. Note the large dark spot over towards the Western limb, this was at the CM in my images from March 5th, also note the quite distinct small white plume that has separated just to the South of the main storm structure.

Have attached an RGB & 807nm IR image set. I have 5 data set that I have put into RGB & IR animations, have attached links to the animations. The animations represent 138 min's of Saturn rotation and reveal the drop off in seeing but still show reasonable storm structure right up to the head of the storm.

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/uploads/20110306SatRGBanim.gif

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/uploads/20110306IRanim.gif (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/uploads/20110306IRanim.gif)


Thanks for looking
Regards
Trevor

[Shiraz]

Corker images Trevor - wonderful smooth detail. And an excellent demo of the effects of seeing changes. Regards Ray

[John Hothersall]

If only one set of data is very good then thats a win. Dust can be seen breaking up in excellent detail in the RGB and the IR really does show different structure with that odd dark spot right in storm line drowned out in the RGB. I would like to see what UV shows but it would need to be at much shorter FL?

John.

[Troy]

The dark spot is easily seen in rgb colour image. Nice Trevor :thumbsup:

[Matt Wastell]

Beautiful stuff Trevor!

[Quark]

Thanks very much Ray, a bit of a shame the conditions for the first data set didn't hang in there, would have made for a real blinder of an animation.



Thanks John, I believe the subtle dark structure we are seeing in the rings has an electro-magnetic origin, it seems to be showing up in hi res images captured by various amateurs around the world of late. The dark spot within the storm structure initially formed over a very active region of the storm and may be due to chemical reactions related to the lightning deep within the atmosphere.



Thanks Troy, Saturn is supplying us all with a real smorgasbord of various features within the storm structure to image, just how lucky are we.



Thanks very much Matt.