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Mars is here!

Started by Roberto, Sep 16, 2020, 16:34:49

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Roberto

My first image of Mars in quite a while!  Taken Monday dawn in above average seeing as the high pressure system moved over SE England.   Details of the acquisition are at the link below:

https://www.astrobin.com/y1nltx/E/

It was imaged using a 10" f/20 Maksutov and a ZWO ASI462MC CMOS OSC camera at 142 frames per second.  1,500 frames stacked out of 30,000 taken.   

I hope the seeing cooperates later in the month and into October for closest approach.

Roberto


Carole

I saw this on Astrobin.  Great detail Roberto.

Carole

Roberto

Thank you Carole!

I managed to extract a little bit from the data (in my view but maybe I'm squinting...) and finished with the below:


Carole

The new version looks smoother.

Carole

RobertM

Excellent work Roberto, that AP Mak is a great scope.

May be I'm squinting as well but I also think there is a bit more teased out of the second image.  I'll be trying Mars myself when I get back from hols.

Robert

Roberto

Thank you Carole, Robert.  Robert it's a TEC Mak, I wish I had the AP!  Enjoy your break  8)

Roberto

MarkS

That's a fantastic image.  Lots of detail.  The seeing must have been good.

Mark

Roberto

Thank you Mark - difficult to put a reference on seeing as I have not observed the planets in literally years because they are so low over the horizon.  I would say it was above average.  I'm hoping for equal or better conditions for early October when the planet will be more illuminated.

Roberto

The Thing

That is fantastic Roberto, the detail is amazing. Seeing must have been very good. I have done a lot of Mars images over the years and also intend to set up for planetary when I get home. My old Meade 8" SCT can't compete with this though and you've done a great job with the colour. Shame the other planets are at such woeful altitudes this year. Did you use an ADC?

Roberto

Thank you! Yes, I did have an ADC in the imaging train. There was some dispersion but it was easily corrected - some 5/7 px at that focal length (0.11"/px). Fingers crossed for good seeing - maybe some this weekend- and we can compare images!

Roberto

Hugh

Lovely picture Roberto

Good to see one of the planets back on the Forum!

Hugh

Roberto

Thank you Hugh!  Yes, with Jupiter and Saturn so low, it's nice to have Mars high(er) in the sky.

Roberto

Roberto

More Mars....

Taken early in the morning of 22 September.  Same equipment but slightly better seeing:

(01:37UT - 7% of 30,000 - resized 150%)



(01:45UT - 5 frames de-rotated and stacked in WinJupos)



(02:00UT - 3 frames de-rotated and stacked in WinJupos)



Animation of the 5 frames from the second image:



What hopefully should be visible in the above...



Roberto

RobertM

Those are really excellent Mars images, great capture.

Robert

Roberto

Thank you Robert!

I added a bit of colour saturation to the last stack.

Roberto