No detail... help!!! Telescope FUBAR???

[MGTechDVP]

Hi everyone,

The last number of times, 4 or 5 nights, when I tried to image Jupiter I was getting extremely poor to no detail on Jupiter. Even tonight the moon looked soft too.

I was getting much more details on Jupiter a year ago, now I'm only getting a blurry ball using the same setup I did last year.

I let the sct climatise to the temperature, there is no dew on the lens, lenses eyepieces and the DMK CCDs are clean. My collimation seems to be spot on.

Does anyone know what could cause this?

Jupiter is quite close to 11k voltage powerlines, I'm not imaging through the lines, just near them... Could powerlines create some distortion?

Responses greatly appreciated,

Mariusz

[Shiraz]

It's just the current bad jetstream combined with the low altitude. until the jetstream gets below about 50kts, nobody is going to see any detail on Jupiter or the moon this low down. You may get slightly better results with a red filter on the moon when it gets to higher altitudes.
http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/charts/viewer/index.shtml?type=windbarb&level=200hPa&tz=AEDT&area=Au&model=CG&chartSubmit=Refresh+View

[MGTechDVP]

Thanks Ray, I hope you're right...

[Shiraz]

last time I tried, the red channel looked like this. familiar?

[MGTechDVP]

Yes, that is nearly identical to what I was capturing/stacking using a 3X TeleVue and the DMK618.

Hopefully it'll clear up next weekend when I give it another go... weather permitting.

[Poita]

Check the moon visually, but yep at the moment Jupiter is very soft for me.

[MGTechDVP]

Can only get better as we approach opposition, Pete.