imaging mars problem

[icytailmark]

i had a go at trying to image mars tonight and i managed to get in the FOV of the chip. Focused the telescope so mars was a round ball but i could not picked up any surface detail on the screen just a round orange ball of light. What am i doing wrong? My collimation is out? I had some dew on my corrector plate.

telescope used: C14

Camera: DBK618

[asimov]

Sounds like seeing to me, Mark. Of course, LOTS of dew would hamper things a bit, but it tends to decrease the brightness rather than blur things out. Overexposure will of course obliterate any detail too.

[Starcrazzy]

Yes, seeing was shocking tonight in our part of the world. Then the moon really stopped play..

[Poita]

If it is just bright orange then your exposure is too high, crank it back a bit until it isn't so bright. A lot of the detail won't appear until later when you stack the images.

[icytailmark]

i was using 1/30th exposure, 30 fps yuy2 unspecific codec, all the gamma etc on auto.

I havent collimated since i bought my scope a year ago would that be a problem?

[Poita]

Well I'd check the collimation, but I would also set the exposure to be faster.

This is what is *can* look like:
http://www.ssmassey.com/mars.html

[Poita]

How about a picture?

[icytailmark]

i didnt bother to take a picture it looked nasty. What setting should the exposure be? Do i image with the star diag in?

[Poita]

Take the diagonal out, and make sure you have the focus pin-sharp.

Take a pic even if it is nasty, then we can see what needs doing.

[h0ughy]

i suppose the obvious question here is when do you know it is focussed?

[Poita]

Focus on a star or the moon first, then lock it off, then head for Mars.

[Helo]

Hi Mark; I have been trying for the last couple of weeks (when the clouds part for long enough!) with my C11 and DBK618 and also get a fuzzy blob. It shimmers/floats around a lot and from what I gather from others responses to me, viewing quality is the main issue. I have been imaging earlier 8-9pm and over our house so possibly some heat haze from the roof contributes? I was going to try tonight (now 11:45 - but guess what, it rained, again!) but basically trying a cooler part of the night, equipment cooled, and when things upstairs are a bit smoother and hope I get a better image quality. Below is the best I came up with so far. Hope this makes you feel a bit better :D

http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh637/Miles1107/MarsMar92012y800.jpg

[Poita]

Is that image processed or a single frame?

[icytailmark]

thats very similar to what mine looks like!!!!!

[Helo]

Poita and Mark;
Unfortunately that is after stacking and limited prcoessing (limited due to not much I could do with the poor data quality as well as my limited abilities). That was also from the 'better' of my sessions trying to capture Mars but I am sticking in there... if only the weather will cooperate.

[icytailmark]

im seriously considering an electric focuser i get so much image shift when focussing.

[Helo]

I have one on order so hopefully be here in a week. Very hard to focus with the object jumping around everywhere as you do it manually. The feedback I have had from others on settings suggests leave Gamma at default (100) and you want shutter at least 1/60 sec. The codec I am keeping as colour YUY2 + unspecified codec which keeps it as colour so I do not have to debayer (not comfortable with this yet) but can only do 30fps max (60 not available). I hope this may be of some help and hopefully we both get some nicer images soon - good luck! :hi:

[icytailmark]

thanks so much for your help peter will give it another go next clear night. Where did you buy your electric focuser?