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jupiter and Mars morning of 10/11

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#1 BKMaynard

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Posted 11 October 2024 - 06:41 PM

Good seeing! Tweaked collimation. Thanks Don! 

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  • Mars.jpg

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#2 dcaponeii

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Posted 11 October 2024 - 07:37 PM

Good seeing! Tweaked collimation. Thanks Don! 

That's a nice looking Jupiter.  Mars too.  A bit of curves in post can suppress that diffraction ring (halo).  Look up Itaku's stuff about using Jupiter's moons as a collimation guide.  Con's done a lot with the technique.  It's not as good as using an in-focus star but since they are usually close by they make a nice alternative that is usually good enough.


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#3 gstrumol

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Posted 11 October 2024 - 09:48 PM

What was the scope used?



#4 BKMaynard

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Posted 12 October 2024 - 05:34 AM

 

What was the scope used?

Meade 10" LX200 ota 



#5 Ittaku

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Posted 12 October 2024 - 06:43 AM

Look up Itaku's stuff about using Jupiter's moons as a collimation guide.  Con's done a lot with the technique.  It's not as good as using an in-focus star but since they are usually close by they make a nice alternative that is usually good enough.

I beg to differ - it is as good as an in-focus star.


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#6 BKMaynard

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Posted 12 October 2024 - 08:44 AM

I used an in-focus star this time because for the first time ever, for me, the Airy disk was clearly visible. I ended up with a perfect bullseye. I believe I've reached my 10" scope's maximum resolution. Time for a bigger one.


Edited by BKMaynard, 12 October 2024 - 08:45 AM.


#7 dcaponeii

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Posted 12 October 2024 - 08:46 AM

I beg to differ - it is as good as an in-focus star.

Ok.  I'll agree that it's close enough!!  Still don't think it beats Metaguide.  I've done collimation several times in the last week or so, first with the moon flares and then with Metaguide.  Metaguide always points to a small additional tweak in the direction I was already moving from the flare.  In simple terms, once the flare is inside the limb of the moon you're done with the flare technique as you have no additional information to work with.  However, apparently with a point source like a star, Metaguide can see that I had not quite moved all the way to a good diffraction pattern and required one additional tweak in that direction.
 



#8 marvyyk

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Posted 12 October 2024 - 08:52 AM

Great images!!



#9 Ittaku

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Posted 12 October 2024 - 09:09 AM

Ok.  I'll agree that it's close enough!!  Still don't think it beats Metaguide.  I've done collimation several times in the last week or so, first with the moon flares and then with Metaguide.  Metaguide always points to a small additional tweak in the direction I was already moving from the flare.  In simple terms, once the flare is inside the limb of the moon you're done with the flare technique as you have no additional information to work with.  However, apparently with a point source like a star, Metaguide can see that I had not quite moved all the way to a good diffraction pattern and required one additional tweak in that direction.
 

The in and out of focus on the moon with gamma applied tells me much more than the flare alone. The flare is my starting point with moon collimation. Metaguide fails on my scope always bouncing around (maybe something intrinsically wrong with my scope but the moons don't suffer this.)


Edited by Ittaku, 12 October 2024 - 09:09 AM.

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#10 dcaponeii

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Posted 12 October 2024 - 09:12 AM

The in and out of focus on the moon with gamma applied tells me much more than the flare alone. The flare is my starting point with moon collimation. Metaguide fails on my scope always bouncing around (maybe something intrinsically wrong with my scope but the moons don't suffer this.)

Have you turned up the averaging?  Mine launches at 0.3 or some such number.  I raise it to 5.0 and the bouncing stops pretty much entirely.  On bad seeing nights I'll turn it up to 7.0 but you have to remember to wait long enough after each change.  I don't have the control panel in front of me but I think it's a time-constant that the image is averaged over.  The control is directly below the red dot window.
 



#11 Ittaku

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Posted 12 October 2024 - 02:11 PM

Have you turned up the averaging?  Mine launches at 0.3 or some such number.  I raise it to 5.0 and the bouncing stops pretty much entirely.  On bad seeing nights I'll turn it up to 7.0 but you have to remember to wait long enough after each change.  I don't have the control panel in front of me but I think it's a time-constant that the image is averaged over.  The control is directly below the red dot window.
 

Yes I don't even try with less than 7, I've tried even longer, no dice.




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