'Best of' Saturn 2011 apparition

[asimov]

I didn't get too many good ones this apparition due to my lousy seeing here in Jetstream city, but them's the breaks. I'm happy enough with these three. Besides, 3 is my lucky number..

Thanks for looking.

DBK/C11

[Quark]

A most excellent set of images there Asi, real rip snorters of the highest order. Hope the weather changes for you so you can produce more of the same.

Regards
Trevor

[von Tom]

These are excellent John. Thanks for showing them!

Tom

[michaellxv]

3 of the best John.

[lcd1080]

Looks like the gold standard for planetary AP to me! Are the two light blue color bands on either side of the dark blue band called the North Temperate Zone and North Tropical Zone or are they the North Temperate Belt and the North North Temperate Belt? I can't quite figure that out when I look at diagrams of Saturn's nomenclature.

Thanks,
Peter

[Saturn%5]

Very nice shots, I can wait to get my new scope.

[asimov]

To heck with it, adding my capture of the moon/shadow transit to these three.

Peter, I can't answer your question. I'm just a taker of pretty pictures:lol:

Google might provide the answer for you:thumbsup:

[John Hothersall]

The middle one in the first 3 is astounding regarding detail and colour balance, your Saturn Moon transit was very nice indeed. Its been a remarkable Saturn season.

John.

[asimov]

Thanks John. The image you refer to was the best night of really good seeing I've had since residing here. Every other night I'd call 'just above average'. So I can safely say I had one good night of excellent seeing in the 3 years I've been here. Not very good odds is it:rolleyes:

You also had a remarkable, but small run of excellent seeing too. Glad you were present to collect the excellent data you received:thumbsup:

[RobF]

Stunning images John. Thanks for showing. If that's your idea of average, then you need recalibrating....!

[Waxing_Gibbous]

Sweeet!
You've really nailed tose.
Well done.

[asimov]

Well, without putting tickets on myself Rob, I've learnt quite a few post processing secrets over the years. The end results on the 3 I call 'just above average' I'd class as very good; the seeing on all 3 was ranging from 5/10-7/10. I call 5/10 average BTW.

Later, I'm going to knock together some seeing related vids or animations from certain data, alongside the finished product as a reference.

Thanks guys.

[lcd1080]

I've been studying Saturn nomenclature for the past week however there are so many belts and zones that it gets confusing when comparing a diagram to an actual image. Here's the diagram I found last week (note that the names for the northern and southern hemispheres are the same):

http://www.weasner.com/etx/buyer-newuser-tips/images/saturn2.jpg

[Shiraz]

Excellent images John. The odds on getting good seeing sure are pretty low and the question "why am I doing this" can occur when it's cold and the seeing is *!!#. Your images show that the effort can all be worthwhile. Regards Ray

[asimov]

Thanks Peter. Sure is confusing for me too. I did actually go in search of data on this subject, but I didn't come up with anything! Only plenty of info on the rings, so thanks for that link.

Thanks Ray. I say "why am I doing this" almost every night lol. Right now here where I am, it's clear almost every night, with absolute crap seeing ranging from zero to 2/10. Damned jetstream!

I'd rather it clouded out with no hope of imaging I think. Oh well, it WILL come good eventually..

[peterl]

John.
That DBK and c11 scope combination works well together.
I have a set of Saturns similar to that in my OBS but taken on Hubble.
Your shots are fantastic.

Please show us more of your images again.
thanks for showing.. :)

Peter

[asimov]

Thanks Peter.

Actually, there might be a few more to come from this apparition, as I've learnt a few more 'secrets' of late.....It's a never ending process with me as I'm addicted to trying different forms of processing that are not necessarily 'in vogue' with current processing techniques by the high end imagers.

[Matt Wastell]

Great images regardless of the conditions - a really good summary of 2011!

[asimov]

Thanks Matt.