Mars 0330 this morning.

[rumples riot]

Hi all, just to give you a taste of things to come for the season.

Seeing 5/10
Trans 4/10
Toucam
gain 15%
1/25 sec
10fps
Saturation 80%
Gamma 0

2.5x Powermate
Baader uv-ir cut filter

LX200 10" GPS UHTC

Reasonably happy with this image, 419 frames out of 2300. Second try for the year on Mars and already 100% improvement. Settings are a bit different from the gas giants.

Now if only the tree in my neighbours yard would die.

Enjoy

[Dennis]

Very nice image Paul - well done! Thanks for the capture details too.

Cheers

Dennis

[davidpretorius]

i like that!!!

[toetoe (Peter)]

Good one Paul, i like the datail on planet. Polar cap quite visable, does it have one on the bottom ? i just can't work it out.

[gaa_ian (Ian)]

Great Image paul .. one of the best i have seen this year !

[gbeal]

Very nice.
I tried it a week ago, and the image(s) were woeful, seeing and the general view were awful. Well done.

[iceman (Mike)]

Nice improvement Paul, with better seeing it will come out much sharper.

Well done.

[Comet Hunter]

Nice shot Paul, with a bit more time under your belt with Mars and sorting out those pesky settings you will pump out some ripper shots!

[rumples riot]

Thanks guys just got out of bed 930am (lucky I am the boss lol) and there are lots of responses from the three sites I visit.

Dennis, I like to include my capture settings and what equipment for the first couple of shots of a planet. This gives people learning some idea of what to do with their webcams. When I started early last year with webcam imaging, it struck me how petty people were about their settings. Like I would somehow get a better shot than them. So I decided right there and then that I would give out all the information to those that asked and when I got my first lot of decent images. Well, early this year I finally got my Toucam firing on Jupiter and got a great image or two. I think I can truthfully say there are a few guys on this site that have benefitted from my approach. So for the next couple of Mars shots I post you will see the settings that I use. I enjoy looking at other peoples shot especially when I have helped them to get better at it.

Enough babble.....

Toe toe, We can only see the south polar cap at present, that is because of the inclination of Mar' pole prevents us from seeing it. Also I think that the South pole on Mars is a lot larger than the north pole. Something to do with topography and the orbital path it takes around the Sun.

Gary, you really have to watch the Jet Stream links I posted earlier in the year. I tried imaging about a month ago and the image was very ordinary, not even worth posting. I have found that Mars is particularly susceptible to Jet stream. The night I tried last; the jet stream was at 200mph or near to it. I have been watching your home a lot lately and wonder in awe how you guys get the images you get.

Thanks Mike, better seeing will make Mars easier to image. Boy was it cold this morning.

Andrew, yes settings do make a difference for each Planet I have found. What works for Jupiter will not for Saturn or for Mars. I thing I have found is that colour optomising the Toucam and using a baader uv ir cut filter on all the planets makes a huge difference even when seeing is very average. Take my advise and go this path.

Anyway thanks and will talk to you all soon. If anyone posted while I typed this up I apologise for not getting to you.

[toetoe (Peter)]

Just shows how much more i need to understand things. I took it for granted that both are visable, thanks for the info Paul.

[Striker (Tony)]

Nice work Paul....looks great to me.

[asimov (John)]

Very nice capture Rumples!

[beren]

Terrific start Paul well done.....is that the features Helles and Syrtis major showing ?

[ving (David)]

good shot paul

[rumples riot]

Thanks fellas, glad you like the shot.

Stuart, don't know that much about Martian Topography but I am reasonably certain it is not Syrtis, that has a shape more like the Indian peninisula. If someone else can identify it then please let us know.

Thanks again.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Nice shot Paul. The way you're getting it together by the time opposition comes around you'll have it down to a "T"