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eyepiece projection Nikon D100
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September 20, 2003. 4:30am PST • 11:30 UT
8" f/6 Newtonian (D:20cm FL:1200mm)
Nikon D100, 5x TV Powermate, 15mm Plossl (eyepiece projection)
(40% Actual Size)
Saturn has finally begun climbing back into the morning sky and the last two sunrises have been been both cloud free and fogless. So, with no excuses left, I've shifted from late night Mars shooting to some pre-dawn Saturn imaging. I've learned lots shooting Mars with this same combination of Televue Powermate, Meade Plossl and Nikon D100 camera and here is a typical frame from the 45 or so images taken this morning. This image was processed using Photoshop gamma curves and some unsharp masking. Again, when time allows, I will try stacking a dozen of these using the Registax software.
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Saturn, 8 images stacked using Registax software
Okay, so I couldn't wait to try this. It's only a composite of 8 images but the improvement is obvious. I like this program!
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prime focus • Nikon D100
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August 2, 2003 4:00 am PST
August 2, 2003 12:00 UT
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August 9, 2003 3:30 am PST
August 9, 2003 11:30 UT
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August 3, 2003 3:15 am PST
August 3, 2003 11:15 UT
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August 17, 2003 1:30 am PST
August 17, 2003 8:30 UT
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16" f/4.5 Newtonian (D:40cm FL:1828mm) - 6" Aperture Mask f/12
Nikon D100 with 5x TeleVue Powermate (Effective FL: 9140mm)
Processed with Unsharp Masking in Photoshop 6.0 (40% Actual Size)
I stopped down the DS-16 with a 6" aperture mask and shot this series of Mars images on four different August nights. Mars was pretty low however and I may have been too close to the open garage and all the escaping heat from the house (good seeing was fleeting at best).
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eyepiece projection Nikon D100
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August 24, 2003. 1:10am PST • 8:10 UT
8" f/6 Newtonian (D:20cm FL:1200mm)
Nikon D100, 5x TV Powermate, 15mm Plossl (eyepiece projection)
(40% Actual Size)
I was lazy this night and decided to give my back a break and leave the DS-16 in the garage. Instead, I pulled out my trusty old Meade 826c, 8" Newtonian, and shot off about fifty frames. I was more than pleasantly surprised with the sharper results and will probably shoot the remaining months of Mars' close approach with this instrument. (This image is only smaller than the one below because the 15mm eyepiece was not pushed completely back into the eyepiece projection adapter. Sorry about that).
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August 25, 2003. 1:30am PST • 8:30 UT
8" f/6 Newtonian (D:20cm FL:1200mm)
Nikon D100, 5x TV Powermate, 15mm Plossl (eyepiece projection)
(40% Actual Size)
Out again with the 8" Newt and this time I thought I'd give image stacking a go. I downloaded the Registax software from the web and stacked 6 of the nights best images. And this is the result! I'll have to try this again and might even go back to the older shoot sessions and reprocess those with this software. Pretty neat!!
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September 01, 2003. 12:30am PST • 7:30 UT
8" f/6 Newtonian (D:20cm FL:1200mm)
Nikon D100, 5x TV Powermate, 15mm Plossl (eyepiece projection)
(40% Actual Size)
This is a single frame from tonights 50 or so images. Because the bright pole looks and acts like a specular shine on a 3D sphere and the blue haze helps to give the illusion of dimension, I chose not to rotate this image so that south is down. It almost looks to me like this is a Mars ball on some ones billiard table. When I find more time, I will see what additional detail can be gleaned from this set of photos and process a stack in Registax.
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September 18, 2003. 11:30am PST • September 19, 2003. 6:30 UT
8" f/6 Newtonian (D:20cm FL:1200mm)
Nikon D100, 5x TV Powermate, 15mm Plossl (eyepiece projection)
(40% Actual Size)
This is a single frame from tonights 25 or so images. The clouds and fog rolled in a little after midnight cutting this session short. You can start to see that Mars is beginning to shrink in size, compared to the above image, as we are moving away from it now. Obviously the southern polar cap has shrunk quite a bit as well.
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Phillips ToUcam Pro (webcam)
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Jupiter: 4-16-2005
Meade DS-16 - 16" f/4.5 Newtonian (D:40cm FL:1800mm)
ToUcam Pro, 2x Barlow (6" apeture mask e.f. f/12)
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
The first image using a Philips ToUcam Pro web camera with the 40 centimeter DS-16. I'm more than pleased and can't wait to try more magnification and the IR filter.
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Saturn & Jupiter: 4-6-2005
Meade 826c - 8" f/6 Newtonian (D:20cm FL:1200mm)
ToUcam Pro, 5x Televue Powermate
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
My first try using the Philips ToUcam Pro web camera
with the 20 centimeter 826c from here at home.
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Saturn & Jupiter: 4-11-2005
Meade 826c - 8" f/6 Newtonian (D:20cm FL:1200mm)
ToUcam Pro, 5x Televue Powermate
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Another try using the Philips ToUcam Pro web camera with the 20 centimeter 826c from here at home. Note the moon Ganymede to Jupiter's right.
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Mars: 8-30-2005 (1st of the season)
Meade 826c - 8" f/6 Newtonian (D:20cm FL:1200mm)
ToUcam Pro, 5x Televue Powermate
300 frames stacked and processed with Registax
14 arc seconds diameter, 87% illumination
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Mars is just starting to show good detail in my telescopes.
This is my first shot of it this season.
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Mars: 10-7-2005
Meade 826c - 8" f/6 Newtonian (D:20cm FL:1200mm)
ToUcam Pro, 5x Televue Powermate
960 frames stacked with AstroYacker
18 arc seconds diameter, 95% illumination
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Getting bigger almost every time I look at it, Mars promises to be a good show this year. Here it is only 2 arc seconds shy of its predicted 20 arc second maximum.
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Quick Links: Alayna | Andrea | Jay | Vacation | Astronomy | NewYears 2001 | Home
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