seat of the pants SATURN - April 23

Robert_T · #1 24-04-2006, 09:46 AM

Hi All, third night in a row I've setup for Jupiter only to be clouded out. As I was setting up last night though saw that my chance for imaging Saturn this season was fast dissappearing toward the branches of the infamous mars-eating Iron Bark.

Now this capture is about as rough they come, but methinks might not have another Saturn for 6 months or so. This was one of one avi I managed to snap, with cloud and tree approaching rapidly, only 30min cool-down time under wraps, quick focus on screen and snap without even checking gain or exposure of colour balance etc. Seeing was average. When I did check exposure after the avi saw I was set to around 1/33rd and gain at 100% and gamma 10%. There was some obscuration of the field by the Iron Bark and a little cloud fading.

Surprisingly given those conditions I've actually done worse. Worth posting as it's probably my last Saturn for the season, and all I've got to show for 3 nights attempted imaging. I've tried to boost the area where one of the moons was lurking - I can just make it out on LCD, but if you can't use your imagination (there's surface detail, volcanoes and outgassing OK).

cheers,

iceman (Mike) · #2 24-04-2006, 10:03 AM

Quote:

use your imagination (there's surface detail, volcanoes and outgassing OK).

ROFL nice one Rob

That's a great Saturn, good banding detail right up to the pole, but at the expense of no Crepe ring.

Still a very good job given the rushed conditions. I'm in the same boat with Saturn, it's pretty much season over for me thanks to trees and usually bad seeing right after sunset.

Robby · #3 24-04-2006, 10:14 AM

Rough huh!! That's a bloody good Saturn Rob! You guys are getting too good if you call this one rough. Just like Mike's "better than a kick in the teeth" Jupiter from the other day!!!
Cheers

h0ughy (David) · #4 24-04-2006, 10:38 AM

Well its a very ordinary shot that one! I mean you can only see some detail, that gap in the rings, a shadow across the rings.

A few of those temperal bands and some swirling masses.

Yeah I'd rate that pretty ordinary

ving (David) · #5 24-04-2006, 11:05 AM

darn fine ordinary job!

Robert_T · #6 24-04-2006, 11:10 AM

Thanks Guys, guess when I said "rough" it was more the conditions under which the image was taken than the image itself. The image quality around here too of late is pretty amazing - even a little daunting

- so this image is certainly nothing special.

I just received by e-mail this morning too a Saturn taken by a fella in france using an 8 inch mewlon that leaves this and most other Saturn's I've seen for dead - has more bands than a Carnival in Rio

!

cheers,

ving (David) · #7 24-04-2006, 11:30 AM

hey can you upload it here robert?

[1ponders] (Paul) · #8 24-04-2006, 12:37 PM

Yeah I had one like that the other night, but decided to throw it away, just too rough

Yeah right

Great shot Rob. Its nice to be able to see a final saturn before it disappears into the afternoon glare soon.

I did take a shot the other night and yes I did throw it away. Just as well I say