bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

Details on image...

bwa

(Download)

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Cool Brian!
Keep after it!

I think my best chance is at the convergence, if even then.
But my new neighbors took down a large tree that blocked a chunk of Western Sky real estate. (Yeaaa!)

Here is an example of my Planetary Imaging. Kinda disappointing with my little 80.
But I got lucky and got all 4 moons last time I shot it.

Jupitor w/ 4 moons.

(Download)

Lagoonguy Loc: New Smyrna Beach, FL

Cool. Thanks for sharing.

mikedent Loc: Florida

These are similar to the kinds of images I have gotten with d5300 nikon, 300mm f4 lens with 1.4x extender. Wondering if there is a way to get the washed-out brightness of Jupiter to look more clear? Always get that whitish halo around the planet's border. Maybe this lens combo is too short for such a goal? Thanks-

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

I wouldn't be too disappointed with that Jupiter and Moons.

Wasn't that the tree I suggested you chop down a few years ago?

bwa

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

420mm is really a short (small focal length) lens for planets. Even the 840mm I used for the individual planet shots in my composite image is marginal for planetary imaging. I normally use something in the range of 3000-6000mm focal length for planetary imaging, assuming I have the sky quality to take this power (which is seldom!). My best Saturn images (a couple attached) were shot on nights with the best sky conditions I've had in the past decade(s). I haven't seen as good a sky conditions in the past five years...

The washed-out brightness may be the result of over-exposure. Try a variety of exposures, probably the best being the one where you can barely see the planet on the liveview screen (remember I'm using Sony mirrorless cameras). Any exposure where you can see Jupiter's Moons is far too long to see Jupiter's surface features.

You could also try 'zooming' the resulting image. The Saturn and Jupiter inserts in my image were 'zoomed' 16x using Topaz's GigaPixel AI.

Good luck

bwa

Saturn-2017Jul07 (2700mm, best 10 of 1000video frames)


Saturn-2010May10 (2700mm)

mikedent Loc: Florida

Nice shots, thank you! I have 1500mm fl C6 on order, should help some. What shutter speed did you use? I've tried 1/60 up to 4 seconds, none looked really good.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

At f/9, ISO 400 I've used 1/160-1/250 on Jupiter with fair results for surface features.

As for 'really good' you're going to have to shoot lots of video frames or images and align and stack the best ones to get a final image. I've been shooting 4K video recently with acceptable results; normally a couple of minutes (3000-4000 frames). I normally run the video/images through PIPP to center and stabilize them then use Registax to align and stack the best 10-25%.

The C6 will give you a step up in planetary imaging. Add your 1.4x TC into the mix and you get 2100mm which is a good start. Mind you, when you get to this type of focal length you almost require a tracking mount to keep the planet in the field-of-view long enough to image it, and some people have problems actually finding the target at higher focal lengths .

As one of my experienced astro buddies states, "focus, focus, focus". Without a good focus you might as well watch TV. I use Bahtinov masks of various sizes for focusing both lenses and telescopes. They work very well! Also, focus is impacted by temperature changes, i.e.: lens and telescopes change length (and focus) with temperature. Let them come to the ambient temperature before using (and check as the temperature changes).

Then you just hope for great sky conditions...

bwa

mikedent Loc: Florida

Thanks, I have not done any video captures yet. Using Sequator for now. I didn't think of using the 1.4x along with the C6 and camera later. Will try it. I do have iOptron cem25p mount to help keep things aligned.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

You're good to go!

bwa