Saturn 8th April

[asimov]

Ok. Time to get serious. ;) Got the scope to ambient using the cooler taking 1.5 hrs & collimated at 800X I then plugged the cooler back in & waited for max. elevation on Saturn.

1200 frames total, 200 stacked optimized @ 90% in registax V2.

Toucam settings: Brightness 35% gamma 60% gain 40% (I decided to knock back a bit on gain & gamma as the seeing was 6-7/10)

2X barlow & extension tube. @ 5 FPS 1/25th exposure.

I'm happy. Watch out Jupiter, 'cos I'm gunna GETCHA GOOD!! :)

BTW see the black dot @ 5 O'clock, at the intersection of rings & planet limb....A moons shadow?

[Striker]

Your best so far Asimov...well done mate.

[matt]

well done Asi. Glad you're getting some good seeing. Seems the cooler works and you're getting the collimation nailed down. Just checked Starry Night. Don't think that's a moon's shadow. Maybe an artefact introduced in processing? Now, hurry up and post another jupiter image.

[Robert_T]

Asi this one's awe inspiring :eyepop: :thumbsup:
one of the best Saturn's I've seen, clear, crisp, great ring detail and colour is spot on, congratulations mate!

[asimov]

Could be better seeing. It's now wavering between 4-8/10. Wish it would stay stable for once! Oh well, I'll just take longer AVI's to compensate.

Clouds are rolling in so I'll be lucky to get jupiter tonight, damn it!

TY Tony & Matt. Collimation is the easy bit, at least I'm in control...The cooling is a bit harder to control ie: KEEPING everything at ambient once your there....More thought required here..

[asimov]

Heres another one with identical everything, except it's without the extension tube. Taken straight after the upscale version. This verifies that black shadow is no artifact ?? (it's closer to the limb in this image).

[davidpretorius]

well done mate, can't wait for the seeing to pick up and nail that jupe with the extension tube!

[matt]

there's nothing in Starry Night to suggest it's anything else??? What time exactly did you capture? first one definitely better. can see cassini division all the way round

[asimov]

8:15 CST Matt. Doesn't matter I guess, it's just I don't usually get artifacts in any of my images. This will be a first.

[matt]

It matters Asi. Wanted to work out what was there. As a fellow 9.25er it's exciting to check out what each other's doing. If artefacts are there maybe we can work out how they were introduced? But you need to confirm in the first place that it is artefacts

[asimov]

Will spotting it in 1 single frame before stacking prove it I wonder?

[matt]

Dunno mate. All I know is according to the software I've got there's no moon's shadow there around the time you were imaging

[Starcrazzy]

Hey guys..hope ya don't mind...i was bored and intrigued to know what the annomally(bad speller) was...I played with it a bit in photoshop...i am as far from an expert as would be possible but in my ps image it doesn't look to me to be anything BUT a shadow???and it did move between images....so i'd have to agree with asi:shrug:

[asimov]

I don't mind in the least starcraazy. It has me intrigued now that's for sure!

I'm not saying Starry night is wrong, but I got rid of that proggy yonks ago because it...shall we say, WAS wrong on a couple of occasions. lol

[iceman]

Excellent image Asi. Easily your best Saturn and among the best produced here.

I'm sorry though that is an artifact from the alignment processing in registax, which is why it shows in the big AND small versions. I've had them on mine in the past where the ring meets the globe. The difference in contrast makes it difficult for registax to stack properly, I imagine.

To my knowledge, none of Saturn's moons are big enough or cross the plane in front of Saturn at the right angle to produce a shadow. I've never seen a shadow on Saturn from any imager.

[matt]

there ya go. the 9.25's good, but not THAT good! let's all take a breath eh? (LOL)

[asimov]

LMAO. So you've seen this before then Mike. Damn, that spoils the image knowing theres a rotten 'artifact' in there! Gonna re-stack it now.

[matt]

I've seen it before, John. Plenty. Otherwise I wouldn't have suggested it in the first instance. If you look closely at the lower right edge of the planet's globe near the artefact you can also see a slight flattening of the globe. That's also a bit of a giveaway.

[asimov]

Oh ok, first time for everything hey? One learns something new every day. And to think I was beginning to suspect I had captured a moon shadow :rolleyes: :rofl: Strange I've never seen it before though, I have over 70 Saturn finals on my computer (all shot with the refractor) & never once seen that particular artifact. :confuse3: A reflector produced artifact perhaps?

[RB]

Mate that's one fine image of Saturn, well done John.
Better than anything I've ever done with Saturn that's for sure.
And the C9.25 is a rippa.....:thumbsup:

Gotta be happy with it.