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This is the website of Skybadger.net, dedicated to all aspects of Astronomy from the Skybadger observatory : observing, imaging, building instruments and getting results.

Planetary Imaging at SkyBadger.


Equipment

Typically for planets I use the Vixen NA140SF with Baader Fringekiller in front of the RGB filters and a mono USB camera - currently a ASI 178mm CMOS whic has 2.3um pixels.

Alternatively I have been recently trying to use the RC12.5" scope with the ASI 178 with colour filters and also a ASI 071 colour camera

On balance the 140mm refractor probably gets better views.

Cooke 152 mm refractor at Rossall School Observatory using Practica ML10 SLR on home-made camera mount. Eyepiece projection on Ilford FP4 @125ASA 1987, rest of details unknown.

Lights

April 2020 Vixen NA140SF barlow projection using TV x2.5 into ASI178 on EQ8. Stacked in autostakkert3, wavelets in MaximDL

Lights

April 2020 Vixen NA140SF barlow projection using TV x2.5 into ASI178 on EQ8. Stacked in autostakkert3, wavelets in MaximDL. Stacked in autostakkert3, drizzled x1.5, wavelets in MaximDL

May 07 2020 12" RC at prime focus into ASI178 on EQ8, no filter

Lights

May 19 2020 12" RC f/9 prime focus into ASI178 on EQ8. IR685 filter.Stacked in autostakkert3, wavelets in MaximDL

May 20 2020 12" RC f/9 prime focus into ASI178 on EQ8. IR685 filter.Stacked in autostakkert3, wavelets in MaximDL

>May 29 2020 12" RC f/9 prime focus into ASI178 on EQ8. IR685 filter.Stacked in autostakkert3, wavelets in MaximDL

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Vixen VC200L on GP-DX/SS2K using ToUcam on x2.5 Powermate.( f/25 ) 1/5 sec exposures, 90 from 300 taken in 60 secs. Aug 04 2003 02:30 GMT, seeing 2/5, transparency OK

2014 Mar 25 captured using Vixen NA140SSF refractor, LRGB Composite ASI120mm 30% of ??? frames stacked and aligned in AS3! and wavelets sharpened in MaximDL.

2018 09 August LRGB Composite ASI120mm 30% of ??? frames stacked and aligned in AS3! and wavelets sharpened in MaximDL.

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Vixen VC200L on GP-DX/SS2K using Toucam x2.5 Powermate.( f/25 ) with 5 fps. Apr 22 2004

Lights

Vixen VC200L on GP-DX/SS2K using Toucam x2.5 Powermate.( f/25 ) with 5 fps. Apr 22 2004

Vixen VC200L on GP-DX/SS2K using ToUcam on x2.5 Powermate.( f/25 ). Exposures range from 1/25 sec to 1/60th with various gains. 2010 Sept 03 0035 GMT, seeing 4/5, transparency OK


Vixen NA140SF on AE/SS2K using SMC900 using eyepiece projection, 12mm ( f/45 ). 800 frames from 1000 at 5 frames per sec with various gains. 2012 Dec 10 23:10 GMT

Vixen NA140SF on AE/SS2K using SMC900 using eyepiece projection, 12mm ( f/45 ). 800 frames from 1000 at 5 frames per sec with various gains. Plenty of ringing around the planet though. 2012 Dec 10 00:24 GMT

2015 Feb 07 01:17 first of two LRGB sequences for this night - this is the later set composed in to a colour image.

2016 Feb 07 01:17 The second of two LRGB sequences for this night - this is the later set composed into a colour image.

2016 Feb 07 01:17

2018 May 07 RGB Composite with wavelet sharpening.

2010 October 11 2209 GMT, seeing 2/5, transparency OK

Vixen VC200L on GP-DX/SS2K using ToUcam on x2.5 Powermate.( f/25 ). 90 seconds at 5 frames per sec with various gains.

2010 Sept 21 2259 GMT, seeing 2/5, transparency OK

Vixen VC200L on GP-DX/SS2K using ToUcam on x2.5 Powermate.( f/25 ). 90 seconds at 5 frames per sec with various gains. Note how even though taken with a slower webcam and a larger scope, its not as sharp or as well resolved as with the faster cmos camera with the smaller pixels on the smaller scope. Refractors win, unless you have a C9.25.

NA140 SSF Refractor composite of LRGB assembled from 60 seconds each filter , using x2.5 TV Barlow to f/21 and ASI178MM uncooled

Captured in Firecapture using image alignment, stacked in AS3! and sharpened in MaximDL wavelets after colour component compositing

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Vixen VC200L on GP-DX/SS2K using ToUcam on x2.5 Powermate.( f/25 ) 1/5 sec exposures, 90 from 300 taken in 60 secs.

Dec 16 2003 23:57 GMT, seeing 2/5, transparency good

Vixen VC200L on GP-DX/SS2K using ToUcam on x2.5 Powermate.( f/25 ) 1/5 sec exposures, 90 from 300 taken in 60 secs.

Jan 08 2004 00:35 GMT, seeing 3/5, transparency good

Vixen NA140SF with Philips SMC900 on AE/SS2K using 12mm Meade 4000 series plossl in eyeypiece projectionb at EFR~45. Registax from video at 5 fps.

24 April 2012 22:31 GMT

2018 July 14 LRGB Composite ASI120mm 30% of 2000 frames stacked and aligned in AS3! and wavelets sharpened in MaximDL.

2018 Jul 17 23:23:09

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