First light with C8 N

[seeker372011]

First light with the new scope. web cam was Atik 1 c.

Images acquired on Saturday 6 February-first night out with new scope.


700 frames stacked for Saturn, 300 frames for Jupiter.

Comments and suggestions for improvement most welcome

[seeker372011]

and Saturn

[rumples riot]

good solid attempts Seeker, a little over processed though. Try reprocessing with a gaussian shot at it in registax3 in the wavelets. I frequently over process myself and have to go back after an hour just to view the shot with fresh eyes. You might try this yourself.

Anyway, these are great shots. Keep up the work.

[iceman]

Great start seeker! how was the seeing? What's the focal length and focal ratio of that scope?
You might try a barlow in next time, if you haven't already..

If you want to zip up one of the avi's and upload it somewhere, I can have a shot at processing it if you want??

[Robby]

Nice one seeker. Getting good planet shots is one of the hardest chellenges in Astrophotography I reckon. So many things got to be right.... seeing, focus, colimation, tracking, etc etc.
Well done

[gbeal]

Very good attempt Seeker, and as has been suggested try slightly less processing.
Also if the seeing and conditions allow, try more image scale, perhaps a 2x barlow, or as I do, some eyepiece projection.
Saturn is hard though, being so low.
Gary

[seeker372011]

The focal length of the scope is 1000 mm-F/5

This image is with a 2x barlow

The actual avi is about 300 Meg-I might be better putting it on it on CD and posting it to you or something..I dont have any webspace that would hold that much?



Everyone, thank you for your helpful comments. In the cold light of the day I see what you are saying about overprocessing.

Will give it another go tonight

Once again thanks for looking and the comments.

Image scale I don't think I can do much -I already have used a Barlow-except try eyepiece projection next time.

Seeing on the night was actually quite poor but not terrible so i cant really blame the image quality on the conditions. Operator error you have to put it down to.

[iceman]

ah that explains the image scale. You have the same problem as me :)

Eventually you could get a 3x or 4x powermate (or stack 2x barlows) to increase image scale.

Is that all one avi? How many frames is it? You could use virtual dub to save only half the frames, for example. I've also found that the avi compresses very well using winzip/winrar, so you might be able to get it small enough to upload it somewhere.

Let me know if you want to send it, or whether you want to wait until you get another avi in good seeing.

[Robby]

A couple of years ago Gary & I did the 2 Barlow thing. If I recall correctly we coupled up a 2x Barlow with a 2.6x Barlow, giving us essentially 5.2x, but it was actually more due to the positioning of the Barlows. Worked ok from memory, but we only ever did it once, so it can't have been that good. I think it was on Mars. Since then both Gary & I have aquired 2.5x Powermates. It would be an interesting experiment to couple them up one day!:confuse3:

Cheers

[seeker372011]

ok had a go at reprocessing the Saturn avi myself.

went easier on the wavelets as suggested.

any better you think?

[iceman]

Yeh I think that looks nicer! Good job.

[gbeal]

As Rob said we did a bit of barlow stacking, and to be honest it was OK, but now I would suggest to do it some other way.
The 5x Powermate is really the only way if you have a scope with a native focal length of about 1000mm. (I use it on the 10" f5 newt, 1250mm).
Other option is what I also do, use eyepiece projection. I am actually favouring eyepiece projection, as it allows me to fine tune the image scale, by using differing eyepieces. With the fixed 2.5x or 5x Powermates I am limited to these amplifications, whereas I can use either a 16mm, a 12.5mm, a 10mm, an 8mm a 6mm, or a 4mm (all Zeiss orthos), with the 12.5mm being similar to the 2.5x.
Try it, you may be surprised.
Gary

[iceman]

Do you put the lens back in the webcam for eyepiece projection? How do you keep the webcam in place? Do you use the steadypix adapter or equivalent (your homemade one)?

[gbeal]

Ice,
when Rob and I first got into webcams the only 1.25" adaptors available were ex the US, and pricey, well pricey for a couple of Kiwi bludgers. So Rob drew some diagrams, and got a local machinist to turn a few. Ours were from a hard plastic, and coincidently the "front" hole was about 24mm. I got the front opening threaded to accept the raw 24.5mm thread that the Zeiss orthos have (after you remove the trim eye ring), and I simply attach the ortho to the front of the ToUcam (with adaptor of course). The ortho goes into the focuser, and away I go. Perfect.
Need a picture?
Eyepiece adapters are available commercially, so take a peek at one of these.
NO, the ToUcam lens is never back in the ToUcam, it has been lost ages agao.
Gary