Saturn this morning: Here is a shot of Saturn I took this morning. This is a stack of ~900 frames taken from a 4K video using an 11 inch Schmitt Cassegrain and a canon 5D markIV in 4K...

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

Here is a shot of Saturn I took this morning. This is a stack of ~900 frames taken from a 4K video using an 11 inch Schmitt Cassegrain and a canon 5D markIV in 4K video mode. The stacking software was the freeware program "RegiStax6".

(Download)

NMGal Loc: NE NM

Forgive my ignorance. How come you can’t see any stars?

ClarkG Loc: Southern Indiana USA

Wow! Incredible results! I know how hard it is to get a great image like this! Superb job!

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

NMGal wrote:

Forgive my ignorance. How come you can’t see any stars?

Hi NMGal
Relative to any stars that would be in the field of view, Saturn is thousands of times brighter. If the exposure where long enough to see the stars Saturn would be completely blowout (note: each frame is 1/30 of a second long no where near long enough to register any stars currently near to Saturn). If a really bright star like Sirius had happened to be in the field of view it would show up. The same goes for Saturn's moons the brightest of which is Titan at magnitude 8.4 while Saturn is at magnitude .07, Note the magnitude scale is logarithmic with the smaller value being brighter (the full moon would be magnitude -11). This is the same reason that no stars show up in the Moon landing missions.

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

ClarkG wrote:

Wow! Incredible results! I know how hard it is to get a great image like this! Superb job!

Hi Clark
Thanks. It took over 900 frames to get the image this clean and then some wavelet processing in Registax. Although Saturn is higher in the sky than Jupiter it is still not real high even when it is transiting, so there is a lot of atmosphere to cause blurring. In another decade or so it will be much higher up for those of us in the northern hemisphere and the imaging should be that much better then.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

NMGal wrote:

Forgive my ignorance. How come you can’t see any stars?

For one, as magnification is increased, images become darker.
Then when we expose for the brightest object. The dimmer objects will not register.
If there was no other object, such as stars of the same magnitude in brightness visible, then it will not register.

But this image makes me ask questions too. Why are there no moons visible because being near the planet they usually shine as bright.

Still a good capture though.

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

Wallen wrote:

For one, as magnification is increased, images become darker.
Then when we expose for the brightest object. The dimmer objects will not register.
If there was no other object, such as stars of the same magnitude in brightness visible, then it will not register.

But this image makes me ask questions too. Why are there no moons visible. Usually there are at least 3 visible moons because being near the planet they usually shine as bright.

Still a good capture though.

Hi Wallen
The only moon that might have had a chance of showing faintly was Titan, however it was far enough away that it would not be in the field of view of this image. Note: The picture of Jupiter I sent out earlier today does show 2 of its moons in the images (but they are much brighter than Titan and fairly close to the planet at the time of the image (see https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-600510-1.html)

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

Ballard wrote:

Hi Wallen
The only moon that might have had a chance of showing faintly was Titan, however it was far enough away that it would not be in the field of view of this image. Note: The picture of Jupiter I sent out earlier today does show 2 of its moons in the images (but they are much brighter than Titan and fairly close to the planet at the time of the image (see https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-600510-1.html)

Initially i was hoping to see some of them because you mentioned it was a an 11" reflector as a 6” used under decent skies can show objects down to magnitude 13.5. That would be able to show Mimas, Enceladus & Thethys which are closer to the planet that Titan, specially if they are about to transit.

Then i realize if Saturn is still low in the horizon, atmospheric distortions could have made them impossible to view.

The Jupiter images were beautiful.

nervous2 Loc: Provo, Utah

Ballard wrote:

Here is a shot of Saturn I took this morning. This is a stack of ~900 frames taken from a 4K video using an 11 inch Schmitt Cassegrain and a canon 5D markIV in 4K video mode. The stacking software was the freeware program "RegiStax6".

Both your Saturn and Jupiter shots are magnificent. I've gotta figure out how to at least take a stab at similar shots. Thanks for the posts.

J-SPEIGHT Loc: Akron, Ohio

Ballard wrote:

Here is a shot of Saturn I took this morning. This is a stack of ~900 frames taken from a 4K video using an 11 inch Schmitt Cassegrain and a canon 5D markIV in 4K video mode. The stacking software was the freeware program "RegiStax6".

Excellent capture.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

NEAT!

StevenG Loc: Long Island, NY

Ballard wrote:

Here is a shot of Saturn I took this morning. This is a stack of ~900 frames taken from a 4K video using an 11 inch Schmitt Cassegrain and a canon 5D markIV in 4K video mode. The stacking software was the freeware program "RegiStax6".

Beautiful!
Steve

odujim Loc: New Jersey

My partner is an astronomer and he would be quite jealous of your astro-photography. Well done!

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

nervous2 wrote:

Both your Saturn and Jupiter shots are magnificent. I've gotta figure out how to at least take a stab at similar shots. Thanks for the posts.

It would take a pretty significant investment in gear to do what the OP does.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

Very nicely done! Great photo, as were the Jupiter photos.