Solar System Objects

My Astrophotography » Solar System Objects

This folder contains solar system objects. To obtain planetary images, I almost exclusively capture AVIs using a ToUcam Pro 740k Webcam through my Meade LX90.

First Mars Date: 31/08/2003; Time: 2127 LT; Camera: Phillips ToUcam Pro 740K; Frames: 68 best; Comment: My very first successful image of Mars. The image to the right is from www.Calsky.com.

First Mars

First Mars Description This is the same image as the next one, but this time showing various Martian features.

First Mars Description

Mars Sequence Date: 20/09/2003; Time: 2156 LT; Camera: Phillips ToUcam Pro 740k; Frames: 38 best.

a : Best raw image; b : 38 image stack; c : PS levels adjustment

Mars Processing d : PS 50% unsharp mask; e : PS 100% unsharp mask; f : PS 150% unsharp mask; g : PS 200% unsharp mask

Mars Processing

Mars 01 h : PS 150% image resize; i : PS 150% image resize

Mars 01

Jupiter - No Processing Date: 31/12/2003; Time: 0253 LT; Camera: Phillips ToUcam Pro 740k; Frames: 100 Best; Processing: None; Comment: My first rreasonable image of Jupiter. Very poor seeing (

Jupiter - No Processing

Jupiter - Enlarged Same jupiter image as the next on resized to 200%.

Jupiter - Enlarged

Jupiter - Io Transit Date: 12/03/2004; Time: 2120 LT; Frames : 550 Best; Processing: Photoshop unsharp mask; Comment: At 2120, Io can be seen just emerging from the Jupiter's disc, with its shadow clearly evident.

Jupiter - Io Transit

Jupiter and Moons Date: 12/03/2004; Time: 2128 LT; Setup: DS + F6.3 FR; Frames: 526 Best; Processing: Photoshop unsharp mask; Comment: At 2128, both moons (Io and Europa) are now visible, Europa to the left of Io. The last remnant of Io's shadow is just visible on Jupiter's disc. To capture both moons, gain was increased at the expense of detail. The F6.3 FR accounts for the smaller size of this image.

Jupiter and Moons

Jupiter - Large Date: 12/03/2004; Time: 2109 LT; Camera: Phillips ToUcam Pro 740k; Setup: DS + 2x Barlow; Frames : 65 Best; Procesing: Photoshop unsharp mask + mild guassian blur; Comment: This was a night of a double transit for the moons Europa and Io. At 2109 LT on the left of the image you can see a dark patch on the lower band. The moon Io and its shadow are located in this area.

Jupiter - Large

Saturn Date: 31/12/2003; Time: 0126 LT; Camera: Phillips ToUcam Pro 740K; Frames: 600 best; Processing: Registax histogram; Comment: This image is my first success at imaging Saturn. Very poor seeing (

Saturn

Uranus Date: 18/10/2003; Time: 2216 LT; Camera: Phillips ToUcam Pro 740K; Frames: 38 best; Processing: None; Comment: Brilliant blue colour (even through the eyepiece)! The North-South slight elongation after alignment and stacking may indicate that my collimation needed tweaking.

Uranus

The Moon Date: 29/06/2004 20:30 LT; Scope: Sky-Watcher ST80, f/4.0; Camera: Canon EOS 300D at prime focus; Exposure: 1/400 sec, ISO 100; Processing: RAW image converted to 16-bit TIF in ImagesPlus. Mild sharpen in Photoshop. Mild noise reduction in NoiseWare CE.

The Moon