No more Mars' for a while, it's too low. Seeing wasn't very good though transparency wasn't bad. The difference from when I started imaging last night at Alt +11.5 to this image at Alt +14.44 was quite marked, around +14 degrees must be where my local murk layer stops.
Helas basin top left, South Pole at top, Aeria below the dark bit and Sinus Sabaeus (part of the dark bit) centre. Astronomy Now has a good applet (https://astronomynow.com/mars/?mc_cid=a845f36f23&mc_eid=681bfb9240) if you want to look up mars features on a date.
(http://gallery.orpington-astronomy.org.uk/albums/userpics/10050/2018-08-02-2306_9-DE-OSC-Mars_l6_ap19.png)
FireCapture v2.6 beta Settings
------------------------------------
Observer=Duncan Evenden
Location=Manche, France
Scope=LX90 8" UHTC, X2 ED Barlow, PierroAstro ADC
Camera=ZWO ASI294MC Pro
Filter=OSC
Profile=Mars
Diameter=24.28"
Magnitude=-2.74
CM=354.2° (during mid of capture)
FocalLength=5450mm (F/26)
Resolution=0.17"
Filename=2018-08-02-2306_4-DE-OSC-Mars.ser
Date=020818
Start=230617.021
Mid=230629.417
End=230641.813
Start(UT)=230617.021
Mid(UT)=230629.417
End(UT)=230641.813
Duration=24.792s
Date_format=ddMMyy
Time_format=HHmmss
LT=UT +1h
Frames captured=3000
File type=SER
Binning=no
Bit depth=8bit
Debayer=no
ROI=304x300
ROI(Offset)=1826x1101
FPS (avg.)=121
Shutter=2.867ms
Gain=361 (63%)
AutoGain=off
WRed=50
WBlue=50
SoftwareGain=10 (off)
AutoHisto=66 (off)
USBTraffic=57
AutoExposure=off
TargetTemp=-15
Brightness=30
FPS=100 (off)
Gamma=50 (off)
HighSpeed=off
Histogramm(min)=5
Histogramm(max)=64
Histogramm=25%
Noise(avg.deviation)=n/a
Limit=3000 Frames
Sensor temperature=-12.9°C
Target=Mars, Date: 020818, Time: 230629 UT, Mag: -2.74, Dia: 24.28, Res: 0.17, Az: 173.98, Alt: 14.44, Phase: 1.00, CM: CM=354.2°, Camera: ZWO ASI294MC Pro, Scope: LX90 8" UHTC, X2 ED Barlow, PierroAstro ADC, FL: 5450mm, F-ratio: 26, Observer: Duncan Evenden, Location: Manche, France, Comment: , Seeing:
Well done, hats off to you.
Great applet
Carole
Thanks Carole, time to get the newt back on the mount to do some deep sky stuff. What I really like about planetary imaging is it takes 30s to do and imagining run of 3000 frames (USB3 is wonderful) with FireCapture and 30s to process on my slightly whizzy PC with AutoStakkert3! and good 'ole Registax. Not worth spending more time on processing with the planets so low this year.
You win some, you lose some. Your earlier image of Mars was fantastic but this one wasn't as good. It just shows the huge effect of atmospheric conditions. Nothing you can do when Mars is this low :(
Mark