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Pages: 1 jsc2501 member Reged: 11/07/12 Loc: MA, USA Realistic expectations?       #5530281 - 11/20/12 02:17 PM Attachment (38 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   What should be my expectations when capturing Jupiter with a Celestron C6 SGT? The attached picture is a video capture using a canon T3 attached to a C6 SGT with a 2X barlow and Backyard EOS capturing 400 frames with the 5X setting. The final image is processed in RegStax 6. The result is a vast improvement over my first attempt but still far short of what I was hoping for. I would love to take more frames but the files get so large that RegiStax cannot open them. Are my expectations unrealistic or is this what I can expect with suck a small scope? Post Extras:       shawnhar Carpal Tunnel Reged: 06/25/10 Loc: Knoxville, TN Re: Realistic expectations? [Re: jsc2501]       #5530327 - 11/20/12 02:34 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Are you using the planetary capture mode to get an AVI in BYEOS or is this 400 individual pics? Wondering becaseu you say the file is too large to open in Registax...are you using Reg 6? Edited by shawnhar (11/20/12 02:36 PM) Post Extras:       jsc2501 member Reged: 11/07/12 Loc: MA, USA Re: Realistic expectations? [Re: shawnhar]       #5530353 - 11/20/12 02:51 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I am using planetary capture mode. The default is 100 frames in Backyard EOS. I bumped it up to 800 frames capture and ended up with 1.7 Meg AVI files that caused Registax to crash every time i tried to load them. So last night I took 400 frames just so my data would not go to waste. Post Extras:       jsc2501 member Reged: 11/07/12 Loc: MA, USA Re: Realistic expectations? [Re: jsc2501]       #5530356 - 11/20/12 02:52 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Yes, I am using RegiStax6 Post Extras:       s58y Postmaster Reged: 12/12/04 Loc: Eastern NY Re: Realistic expectations? [Re: jsc2501]       #5530406 - 11/20/12 03:21 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I've had no problems opening 2.9GB AVI files with AutoStakkert 2, so you might try that instead of Registax6, if you are having problems opening big AVI files. Post Extras:       flava super member Reged: 07/30/09 Re: Realistic expectations? [Re: jsc2501]       #5530418 - 11/20/12 03:26 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   There is software that can crop the avi so you'll get it down to a manageable size for Registax. Virtualdub can do it. "Castrator" can do it too, and roughly aligns the planet as a bonus. With the big avi, try using Autostakkert. Or you could record several films, do several images and use Winjupos "Derotate images" feature to cumbine them. Other solution, get a webcam. Even the old SPC900 does the trick. I also read there are PointGret Firefly models very cheap on ebay (there is a thread arround here about that). Anyway, once you figure out how to use more frames, only seeing is the limit, if the scope is collimated. Here are my Jupiter images from 2011 with a 6": http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e245/fisac/Astro/jupiter_2011.jpg Post Extras:       Eddgie Postmaster Reged: 02/01/06 Re: Realistic expectations? [Re: jsc2501]       #5530455 - 11/20/12 03:40 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I think that there is a learning curve and if you have only just started, I think that you will indeed see better. Also, seeing is always a factor regardless of what kind of telescope you are using. A big part of the experience curve has to do with starting to understand enough about conditions to know if it is even worth plugging in the camera. If you are not seeing at least occasional glimpses of a first diffraction ring visually at high powers, don't expect to get a great result. Truely great conditions will give truely great results, but you may have to be patient. The scope also needs to be cooled down to near ambient. A 6" telescope can capture more detail than you are seeing in your images. There have been a few pictures posted taken wtih similar or smaller aperture scopes, so a better result is possible, but you have to expirement and learn to evaluate the conditions. A bigger scope will of course show more detail, but it is amazing how even a 6" scope can show considerable detail. Keep at it, and learn to judge your conditions. Failure breeds contempt, and if you try to image when conditions are not decent, you will get frustrated with it. I would expect that your scope is capable of much more than you are seeing here though. Post Extras:       jsc2501 member Reged: 11/07/12 Loc: MA, USA Re: Realistic expectations? [Re: Eddgie]       #5530717 - 11/20/12 05:55 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Guys, Thank you very much. AutoStakkert 2 worked perfectly on my large files and Castrator did a great job on reducing the size of the files. Eddgie, The weather here in Massachusetts stinks. It’s either cloudy or if it’s clear there seems to be a high thin cloud layer lately. Being new to the hobby my enthusiasm outweighs my patients. Chilled to the bone, hands frozen to the point where my fingers stop working and then when everything falls into place it’s time for dew and frost. But I have to say, it’s the moment when, expecting nothing to come of the night, The picture that pops up on my laptop makes every moment worth it. Post Extras:       Eddgie Postmaster Reged: 02/01/06 Re: Realistic expectations? [Re: jsc2501]       #5530839 - 11/20/12 07:02 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   A lot of people are surprised to find out that I do image on occasion. I am not the worlds best imager, but that is because I don't think of myself as an imager and devote no great effort to it. I do it almost 100% as a way to confirm my own visual sightings. Even a so-so image will sometimes show more detail than I am seeing at the eyepeice. But from this, I know that conditions are very important to getting really detailed images. Seeing and scope cooling are very important, as is sight lines that don't go over nearby rooftops and such. Also, I don't know how high Jupiter was when you took your image, but your best best best result will often be when a planet is within about 20 degrees of either side of the Meridian. There is just less atmosphere overhead, so the the effects of seeing are reduced and transparency is usually the best, but you have to be careful to not to get under the scope in any way or your own heat plumes can cause the image to blur. But your question was if your scope is capable of more, and it is. I think with patience and dedication you will indeed start getting sharper images with more detail. Post Extras:       Pages: 1

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