Mars in Ophiuchus

[multiweb (Marc)]

Here's my first pic from the SPSP 2106 at Wiruna. Had an absolute ball. Best SPSP I've been to, with amazing conditions from Tuesday to Friday night included.

This is Mars close to those three bright stars in a blue reflection neb next to Antares. Very good seeing that night as were the 4 nights I stayed there. Very steady.

This is 30x5min with an FSQ106N at prime and a QHY8 on a G11/lodestar rig.

There's a big one here [2428x1611 - 2.9MB]
and a lighter HD version here [1920x1274 - 1.9MB]

Probably too many hot pixels that I'd care to count. Need a new bad pixel map. Still, enjoy the view.

[Rod771 (Rod)]

Nice one, Marc! Love it when our planets decide to photo bomb some DSO's.

Looking forward to more of your SPSP images.

Cheers

Rod

[Shiraz (Ray)]

very cool image

- apart from the odd pixel maybe

[andyc (Andy)]

That's rather fun! I guess there might be a few chances for planet photobombs over the next few years with planets passing the galactic centre

[RickS (Rick)]

Very cool juxtaposition, Marc! My buddies in the Deep Sky West crowd have been moaning that Mars keeps ruining images of adjacent fields. Now I'll tell them to embrace the big red blighter

Cheers,
Rick.

[Atmos (Colin)]

I don't see Mars, I see an asteroid burning up in the atmosphere!

Nice photobombing Marc

[Retrograde (Pete)]

Wow a unique shot Marc - well done!
SPSP was great this year - good weather always makes a difference.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by Rod771

Nice one, Marc! Love it when our planets decide to photo bomb some DSO's.

Looking forward to more of your SPSP images.

Cheers

Rod

Thanks Rod, I got heaps more. Busy week up there.

Originally Posted by Shiraz

very cool image

- apart from the odd pixel maybe

Thanks Ray. You mean the oddS Doing some darks this week-end and sort this out before I calibrate all the rest of the data I got. Otherwise I'll be spendng my time in PS with the healing brush and a jug of coffee.

Originally Posted by andyc

That's rather fun! I guess there might be a few chances for planet photobombs over the next few years with planets passing the galactic centre

Thanks Andy. Saturn is getting right on the edge of the milky way as well. I was thinking about it but too little time and too many things to shoot. Besides it was too close to M8. My finger was already twitching on the DEC button.

Originally Posted by RickS

Very cool juxtaposition, Marc! My buddies in the Deep Sky West crowd have been moaning that Mars keeps ruining images of adjacent fields. Now I'll tell them to embrace the big red blighter

Cheers,
Rick.

Thanks Rick. Yes it's hard to miss hey? First night I actually synced my GOTO on it as Antares. That made for a few interesting subsequent star hops trying to find the prawn.

Originally Posted by Atmos

I don't see Mars, I see an asteroid burning up in the atmosphere!

Nice photobombing Marc

Thanks Colin. I think it's as big as it gets for this season. The planetary guys are having a ball right now. It's moving quite fast too that's why it's oblong in the shot. I'll make a small animation of the LUM at 1:1 to show the relative motion.

Originally Posted by Retrograde

Wow a unique shot Marc - well done!
SPSP was great this year - good weather always makes a difference.

Thanks mate.

+1 It was the best weather I've had at a SPSP and the seeing was truly exceptional. And for 4 nights in a row. Unheard of. I hit the sack pretty hard Friday night at 1:00am. Not by choice. I was rooted and couldn't keep going. Probably 15 to 20h sleep in 5 days. So I lost the last night.

Regardless the SPSP is the best star party around. Been to a few in every state now and nothing compares to it. Astrofest would be close second (but for the skies only, not the crownies) and BSG too but it's not happening anymore

[Peter Ward]

I really like how you've caught the brightness of Mars in this one. Well done

[Paul Haese]

It's a bright object in that region at present. A good representation of the over whelming brilliance of Mars.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

I really like how you've caught the brightness of Mars in this one. Well done

Originally Posted by Paul Haese

It's a bright object in that region at present. A good representation of the over whelming brilliance of Mars.

Thanks guys. Yes it is bloody bright. Rho Ophiuchus is faint enough as it is, you really don't need a light in the middle of it. Doesn't happen that often though so cool to snapshot one for the books.

[Ryderscope (Rodney)]

Nice.
Looks like a solar bomb in the corner.

[Placidus (Mike and Trish)]

Brilliance embraced. Well done!

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by Ryderscope

Nice.
Looks like a solar bomb in the corner.

Originally Posted by Placidus

Brilliance embraced. Well done!

Thanks guys. Doing a repro on this one once I've got my new bad pixel map. Amazing how many more bad pixels popped up since a year ago. Must be like grey hair for a CCD...

[Ross G]

War of the Worlds!....great photo Marc.

Ross.