Precious few nights with good seeing so far for '22. The shot from 21/8 were in quite stable seeing but transparency was a bit below average. The week before it was the other way round but we take what we can get don't we?!
Saturn is just past opposition and high and well positioned, but Jupiter was still quite low over my neighbour's roof for the Io transit so not very good conditions.
I'm doing lots of experimenting with different capture settings at the moment trying to get the most out of the c14. These ones:
Saturn:
3min SER with ASICAP
10ms
100fps
300gain
c14 + 1.8x TV barlow (suspect I've oversampled for only average seeing so might remove the barlow next time)
asi224mc
ZWO ADC
I've been trialling different capture programs as well. After struggling with low frame rates through ASIAIR (max about 65ish fps), Firecapture was my preferred option but something has happened now so that I can not get any more than 3fps now no matter what settings/ROI I put. It's such a pain as I love the UI of Firecapture but now just can't get it to work for me on the mac (pc version is still fine and running at full speed).
I've found however that ASICAP is quite good (almost as good as FC), and even with a modest ROI i was getting full 200i fps for 5ms exposures on Jupiter. Zero frames dropped! Also, I still need to work out Winjupos cause after several attempts still can't get a good result.
Personally, I think the view through the eyepiece is much more rewarding in variable seeing. In those few seconds when the sky stabilises the view is absolutely mind-blowing through the binoviewers - seriously enough to make your heart skip a beat. At 400x, the colour, texture and fine detail is exceptional, and I find my brain hangs onto that image for a bit even when the seeing blurs out again... But it's nice to take a memento once every so often too even if it doesn't fully capture the same experience.
Very nice images David.
We only use ASICAP as it gives much higher capture rates running on Linux than FireCapture. The other thing we find with it is the interface is easier to use at night, not so many little buttons, sliders and icons to deal with.
Thanks for posting your images, was thinking that I should as well, maybe. Have to agree that in ordinary seeing when the image is bouncing around the screen and shape shifting that the visual is much better. The seeing so far this planet season has been less than good.
Have also been wondering why the drought of planetary images so far this year, uncooperative weather probably something to do with it.
Jeff yes you should put some of your shots up! I have noticed hardly any planetary shots posted this year too! I think that’s probably due to pretty poor conditions and some may want to wait till they get a cracking image before they post something I’m yet to capture anything I’m really happy with but think it’s nice when people share what they’ve got even if it ain’t gunna be an apod!!
Top shots Dave. I have one of those ADCs and only tried it on Venus lower on the horizon.
Thanks Marc- tbh I’m not sure whether it’s worth using the adc at higher altitudes and it’s virtually impossible to do a fair comparison shot. But since I’ve got it I just use it, and for whatever reason, I found that I need to adjust the levers even if right overhead. At low altitudes I’m looking right over the neighbours roof and the haze is terrible so adc or not it’s hard to get any good shots!
I’m yet to capture anything I’m really happy with but think it’s nice when people share what they’ve got even if it ain’t gunna be an apod!!
