Well, having plucked up the courage to post my first image, I was somewhat deflated after seeing David Pretorius' fab image of Jupiter in an earlier thread.
Anyway, here goes. The image was a recorded avi using my new neximage setup with a 2X barlow. Wow, how complex is registax to a newbie?
While I am elated with my first effort, I feel sure that you guys can help my standards along with any suggestions as to how the image could be improved. Go for the Jugular....Dont hold back...
First of all - great effort mate, well done for your first image. Enjoy the warm feelings of having mastered set up, acquiring the object, focusing and processing; each a challenging task in itself.
Registax gets easier the more you use it.
I guess my main observation would be that Jupiter looks "over magnified". Try some images without the Barlow and see how that compares. The disc will be smaller but hopefully sharper with more detail resolved.
Great effort MD, if you saw Dave's first efforts you would be very pleased with yourself. I think Dave was writing some stuff on processing for newbies, might be worth PMimg him.
I guess my main observation would be that Jupiter looks "over magnified". Try some images without the Barlow and see how that compares. The disc will be smaller but hopefully sharper with more detail resolved.
Thanks Dennis, Good advice, I actually resized this image in Registax and then its been altered again to upload so this may have an effect. However, I am always likely to struggle with only 4" aperture i guess and so you comment about not using the barlow is interesting. Is this possible with no lens on the neximage? I'll try at the next opportunity.
So 6 months later, lots and lots of questions, practise and practise, $600 on tracking, $310 on a 5x powermate and most importantly patience from bird and ice and asimov and rumples and rob and anthony and dennis and anyone else that has posted images of planets and commented on what was right and wrong with mine.
So the best thing about this forum is to post everything, you learn something and we will learn something.
Yours is a better start than mine. I also remebered trying to get it as big as possible back in august, but now if the seeing is not good, then i will reduce the image until the detail looks good.
The other thing you pick up with experience and lotsa video is a feel for the seeing conditions, if the video is showing a planet that is wobbling (seeing is 2/10) everywhere like jelly, then no matter what you do, the video will be bad. if it is just in an out of focus a few times a sec (say seeing is 5/10), then you can take video and then registax will help filter out the crap. if the seeing is great (8/10 or more) then the image stays in focus for most of the time and you can then really produce a great image.
Yes 4" will retrict you to a certain degree, but as soon as you get that 12" or 16" dob down the track, your processing skills will be ready for the extra light and image scale!!!!
Well done again and never be afraid of posting images. So many guys are so supportive on this site. They give you a great place to show off your stuff and get positive criticism on how to improve.
Besides,show that piccie to anyone on the street that is not a planetary imager and watch their jaw drop. What you have accomplished is something that not many people have done, so be proud of it, show the family and friends and learn from each imaging session you do.
Thanks Dennis, Good advice, I actually resized this image in Registax and then its been altered again to upload so this may have an effect. However, I am always likely to struggle with only 4" aperture i guess and so you comment about not using the barlow is interesting. Is this possible with no lens on the neximage? I'll try at the next opportunity.
Thanks again
Barry
Hey Barry, welcome to the planetary imagers club! You shouldn't need to ditch the barlow. Dennis is right the image is over magnified, but it will be the resampling or resizing you've done in Registax that's the culprit. I used to be a serial upsizer, but have learnt the error of my ways. It's better to have a smaller sharper image so just process at the size you capture in and see how you go.
For a first image that is great. I've taken a good dozen images of Jupiter and haven't done better than that. I'd say you are off to a good start my friend.
(Or am I supposed to be saying "mate" instead of "my friend" when I talk to you guys down under? - LOL. Excuse this ****** yanks language differences. )
Thanks to my friends at this site I was able to do a little better in the imaging department. What I have produced is more grainy but shows more contrast i think.
Wait for good seeing and next step is to try and adjust the colour. Does it have that yellow tinge in the camera???
Less yellow than this image David. I kind of twiddled just to gain more contrast and this shade developed. I have sice recollimated and am waiting another opportunity to shoot Joop. Will post again when done hopefully this week.
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