Try to image Mars

[dennisjames1]

Hello, i would like to image mars, i have a meade 8 inch SCTon an LXD 75 mount,Meade DSI 11 Color imager and a laptop.

The mount is reasonably polar aligned.

Can it be done with what i have, at the moment i don't have the funds to buy more equipment at this stage else and this will be my first effort in this area.

All help would be greatly appreciated, what do i need to do? or is the task too much for a first time astrophotographer

Cheers

Dennis

[astro744]

The linear image size = angular image size (deg) x effective focal length of telescope / 57.3

eg. Moon = 0.5 deg. Image size on film plane for 8" SCT = 0.5 x 2000 / 57.3 = 17.5mm

eg. Mars = 14.1 arc sec = 0.0039 deg at best this opposition. Image size on film plane for 8" SCT = 0.0039 x 2000 / 57.3 = 0.14mm (Small!)

I am not an imager and am not familiar with the Meade DSI II and so am not sure of its sensor size or the size of each pixel. However, I would think you need a little more focal length to capture Mars effectively. This can be achieved with a 2x or 3x Barlow or 2x, 2.5x, 4x or 5x Powermate.

Look at what equipment others are using in the Images\Solar System part of the forum to get some ideas. No harm in trying with what you have though.

[mswhin63 (Malcolm)]

I would agree, possibly a barlow of something if possible simple thing to do is just to try and fill the screen.
Managed to get mars last night un-tracked with 1500 FL but effective FL was a bit more due to the CCD element but was extremely difficult.