Hi-Res Lunar images (finally!)

[iceman (Mike)]

Hi all

It's been ages since i've been able to capture any hi-res lunar images, but the seeing was good enough on Saturday night (20th October) to give it a try.
The session was made much more difficult due to local winds which bounced my long wobbly tube around and sent the feature flying off the FOV.

12" newt + EQ6 + DMK21AF04 + 5x powermate + Astronomik R filter.

I captured around 3000 frames (@ 30fps) for most of these images, and stacked approx 280 in each alignment point (all images were MAP processed, some in registax, mostly manually).

I also attempted to capture some "different" features than the norm - although I couldn't help but go for Tycho and Vallis Alpes.

I'm really happy with the Maurolycus+Barocius image - it's probably my best moon shot in ages - so if you look at only one, look at that one The dynamic range and illumination is just right - and the seeing was much steadier during that capture.

1. Maurolycus + Barocius
2. Schomberger + Simpelius
3. Boussingault
4. Nassireddin, Miller + Huggins
5. Maginus
6. Tycho
7. Vallis Alpes

Comments welcome, thanks for looking.

[Orion]

Very nice indeed Mike!

[Alchemy (Clive)]

Actually i like the detail on the floor of tycho and i like the contrast in tycho ;the slump between craters on No 4 is interesting as well havent seen that one posted before.. shes a big FL youre working with there, like the variety you have posted. BTW have you completed the lunar 100 ? (American sky and telescope April 2004) also avail separately i think.

[bird (Anthony Wesley)]

Excellent images, Mike. Glad to see you getting some good seeing.

cheers, Bird

[Dennis]

Wow - a stunning portfolio Mike, terrific job! I like the smoothness of the images. It looks like your Clavius hi-res days are over, unless you get a bigger chip!

Cheers

Dennis

[RB (Andrew)]

Stunning images Mike !

Good to see some Lunar shots from you again.

[h0ughy (David)]

cant say much more than what ^ have said

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

All good Mike but the Maurolycus + Barocius is a cracker.

[davidpretorius]

thanks Mike,

a very nice way to enjoy my lunch....superb images!

[sheeny (Al)]

Superb, Mike!

Always enjoy your work!

Al.

[citivolus (Ric)]

I really like the depth in Schomberger + Simpelius.

[bluescope]

Very nice images Mike.

I particularly like the Tycho detail i.e. central mound/structure and also the Alpine Valley.

[ving (David)]

from me. nice ones mike. tycho looks great!

[seeker372011 (Narayan)]

all good to great images, nice to see

[Sedna]

Hey Mike,

I love your tycho image.But they are all fantastic ones.Well done.

[iceman (Mike)]

Originally Posted by Alchemy

Actually i like the detail on the floor of tycho and i like the contrast in tycho ;the slump between craters on No 4 is interesting as well havent seen that one posted before.. shes a big FL youre working with there, like the variety you have posted. BTW have you completed the lunar 100 ? (American sky and telescope April 2004) also avail separately i think.

Yeh Alchemy i've seen the L100 lists and articles but haven't ever purposely set out to capture them. Although I did see in the latest AS&T (chuck wood's article) that Maurolycus is number 45 or something
Unfortunately my west view is pretty much dead from right over head, so my best view to image the moon is when it's rising in the East up to overhead. Leaves me pretty much with waxing gibbous and waning phases.

Originally Posted by Dennis

Wow - a stunning portfolio Mike, terrific job! I like the smoothness of the images. It looks like your Clavius hi-res days are over, unless you get a bigger chip!

Cheers

Dennis

Thanks Dennis, you're right that Clavius takes up more than a single FOV. I'd love to get a DMK41AF04 - then I wouldn't need to do so many mosaics. But after seeing Bird's latest Clavius mosaic, I don't think i'll ever do a clavius again

Originally Posted by Sedna

Hey Mike,

I love your tycho image.But they are all fantastic ones.Well done.

Thanks Sedna, Tycho does have great contrast in this shot. I did love the shadow of the central peak.

Thanks to everyone else for your comments. It was really nice to be processing some lunar images again, but it took days!

I've got some low-res shots from the next day that I've only just begun processing!

[tornado33]

Gee well done, they look as good as apollo images