902 replies to this topic

[Peter in Reno]

This is my first time ever imaging planets. I have been imaging DSOs for a while and I have taken interest in planetary imaging recently. Here is Saturn taken last night with TEC 140 APO, 4x PowerMate (3920mm focal length) and ASI120MC-S color camera. Stacked 10% of about 11500 frames. Frame rate was about 33 FPS. 65% to 75% histogram. Gain was between 95 and 100. I am very impressed with my TEC 140 scope being able to magnify to 3920mm focal length.

 

Captured with FireCapture. Used dark subtraction and ROI of 512x512 during capture. Took two hours worth video of 6 minutes each. Stacked, RGB Aligned and Sharpened with AS!2. Color Balance with Registax. I am impressed the way AS!2 sharpened the image that I couldn't do it better with Registax.

 

I think I found the best all around scope for both DSO and planetary imaging.

 

1X:

 

 

Drizzle 1.5X:

 

 

Peter

[BKBrown]

Nice job Peter Gotta love the TEC...

 

Clear Skies,

Brian

[Peter in Reno]

Thanks Brian. I can't believe of the results because Saturn was bouncing all over on the computer monitor and focusing was tricky. Thanks for your suggestion about focusing on Cassini Division and that helped a lot. The focus did not seem to change much during two hours of video capture but the ambient temperature didn't drop much.

 

Peter

[Bomber Bob]

Peter, your Saturn images are gorgeous!  Got me Googling, and ogling...

[Peter in Reno]

Thanks Bomber Bob.

 

I played some more processing. I used PixInsight to adjust/boost color saturation, contrast and brightness to show more details of the planet. I also uploaded Saturn images to my web site to include planets:

 

http://peternagy.smu...escopes/Planets

 

You can blink between images to make the judgement.

 

What do you think? Too over processed?

 

1X with saturation, color, contrast and brightness adjustment using PixInsight:

 

 

Drizzle 1.5X with saturation, color, contrast and brightness adjustment using PixInsight:

 

 

Peter

[Kokatha man]

Very nice!  

[Peter in Reno]

Thanks Kokatha man. It was a nice change to switch from DSO to planetary imaging. It's a different experience.

 

Peter

[Stargazer3236]

Here is a pic of Saturn, overexposed, bringing out the moons themselves. This was taken with a Nexstar 6SE and an Astro Video Systems DSO-S video cam.

 

 

 

[WarmWeatherGuy]

NexImage 5 and NexStar 5SE (Celestron C5). Three minutes at 52 fps for a total of 9585 frames. Stacked the best 75% with AS!2, 1.5x drizzle. Max gain and 1/60 exposure. Y800 codec. Wavelets in RegiStax and Astra Image 4.0. Denoise in Astra Image. Elevation = 40°

 

Edited by WarmWeatherGuy, 15 June 2015 - 02:09 AM.

[Peter in Reno]

Very nice Steve.

 

You could have gone for six minutes (maximum for Saturn due to slower rotation than Jupiter) and stack the best 10% and would probably get better results. Was your scope mounted on Alt/Az or wedge? If it was Alt/Az, then 3 minutes was probably better.

 

My earlier image of Saturn was captured for 6 minutes and total of 11800 frames. I tried stacking best 25% but was not as good as 10%.

 

Peter

[WarmWeatherGuy]

Thanks. I was in the alt/az configuration. I did a long Saturn once, nearly 9 minutes, using the built in wedge. With a 5" scope you probably aren't going to see any cloud swirls so Saturn can spin all the way around and look the same the whole time.

 

There is noticeable field rotation in 3 minutes. I suspect some of the sharpening artifacts are due to this. I tried AS!2's experimental field rotation removal feature but it then lost color.

 

I stacked the best 20% and the best 75% and was able to apply more sharpening to the 75% stack. I had really good seeing and the quality remained high out to 90% or so.

[volkerw]

Here is my best Saturn with 6" Mak (1800 x 2 mm focal length):

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[Stargazer3236]

Warmweatherguy, what suite of Astra Image 4.0 are you using? I just downloaded 3.0 for free, but I want to know what you used. Thanks.

 

Dave

[Stargazer3236]

I just added a JMI Motofocus to my setup, so I hope my focus wiggle will not destroy my Saturn images...

[WarmWeatherGuy]

Warmweatherguy, what suite of Astra Image 4.0 are you using? I just downloaded 3.0 for free, but I want to know what you used. Thanks.

 

Dave

 

I bought the Plus version of 4. You can download version 4 for free to test it out. I think the free version just puts watermarks on the image but at least you can see if you like it or not. If you decide to buy it then all you have to do is enter some code because the free version is the full up install -- minus the code to remove the watermarks.

 

I'm not sure if it is just me but the wavelets on AI seem to be better than on R6. The problem with the AI wavelets is that they will only sharpen a little so I use R6 wavelets just enough so AI wavelets can finish the job. Then the denoise feature of AI seems to be superior. I will probably learn more as time goes on but that is where I am now.

 

Don't forget to save the work done in R6 as a 16 bit file so AI will have the maximum data to work with. Only save as .jpg when you've done all the processing you want to do.

[bw47]

Here is my third go at Saturn May 28/2015 with a C6 and a 2x barlow. Taken with a Canon T2i in movie crop mode (38 sec.). Average seeing and transparency.

Need more a) practice?, b) clear skies?, c) more equipment?

Edited by bw47, 16 June 2015 - 09:52 PM.

[KiwiRay]

bw47: This is actually pretty good.  A few processing suggestions:  You can use the RGB align option in Registax, so you don't have a blue edge above and a red edge below.  Denoise in Registax (or applying a Gaussian blur filter in Photoshop) can be used to smooth out the image.  Also, use histograms in Registax or levels in Photoshop to remove the background noise. Finally, crop off most of the dark background and scale down the image so that the final result looks sharper.  Doing these things to your image gives me the following:

 

[bw47]

KiwiRay: Thanks for your suggestions. It has made quite an improvement. I'm seeing that small tweaks anywhere in the imaging/processing chain can make or break an image. I'm sure to find more ways to improve my technique. Thanks again.

 

Bill

[KiwiRay]

bw47: For me, the biggest improvements came when I started imaging with a 2x Barlow (I also have a C6) and recording much longer avis of up to 10000 frames.  I'm not sure where you are, but here seeing conditions have to be close to perfect to get a good image with Saturn so low in the sky.

[bw47]

KiwiRay: I'm in the Toronto area and seeing hasn't been that good lately. The Saturn image I posted was the first one that I used a 2x barlow. I'll start imaging more frames going forward. Focusing has been a challenge.

[Mert]

Just for the records, here is my attempt of 060615.

Seeing was good but transparency lousy.

Taken with my SW 6" Mak plus 1.5x barlow and ASI120MC

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Edited by Mert, 20 June 2015 - 02:56 AM.

[chrysalis]

Snapped through EP in 6" f/8 11-30-01...digital camera with inserted floppy disc - which is why the gap between the last one where just the rings can be discerned and the previous image !

 

 

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[altair1956]

Here's my contribution. Saturn, June 24, poor seeing. I used my 6 inch F10 Jaegers scope. ZWO ASI120MC with a 2X barlow. Processed with AS!2 and Registax. Cleaned up with GIMP

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Edited by altair1956, 25 June 2015 - 11:17 AM.

[Niklo]

Hi planet friend,

I took some videos of Saturn over the last few weeks and want to show my results. The first videos were taken through the open kitchen window so the seeing was a little bit problematic

 

The first picture show Saturn on June the 6th though my 6" f/8 newton. I had problems with tube currents:

 

Here is a short sequence on youtube:

https://www.youtube....h?v=h_SwSYWZIfQ

 

The next Saturn was captured on June 24th with my 4" f/9 APO a 2x barlow and the ASI120MC. (For all pictures I use the 2x barlow and the ASI120MC).

On the left side you can see Titan. It was visible in the live view of the ASI120MC during recording.

Here a short sequence on youtube:

https://www.youtube....h?v=35S3bh9Fvpo

and with castrator => 320x240:

https://www.youtube....h?v=xRYtX3iwz4o

 

Now on July 1st I went to a better place. At first I want to show two sequence with my 4" f/9 APO:

https://www.youtube....h?v=pmw9Pxm5Gv4

and

https://www.youtube....h?v=e_NNILTl0Yk

 

now with RGB balance.

 

and after resize to 150%:

 

Now the 6" f/8 newton at first a short sequence on youtube:

https://www.youtube....h?v=6WCJsfyKYiM

 

The photo without rgb balance:

 

now with soft rgb balance and rgb align

 

Now after resize to 150%

 

Clea sky,

  Roland

[Niklo]

Hi Peter in Reno,

wow, your Saturn with 140mm aperture is wonderful! You really did a great job. I love all of your versions.

I have to say that I don't know how you did it but you did a very great job. I cannot believe that 140 mm can show such a Saturn.

Wonderful!

Clear sky,

  Roland