Hi Brian, I never would have dreamed in capturing Pluto when I started astrophotography back in 2016, but thanks to today's intelligent software, it is now somewhat easier to get. I would like to see if I could resolve enough resolution to see its moon, Charon. Another night, another goal Clear Skies, and happy planet shopping.
Thank you for watching my video. I had good "Seeing" that night ... clear sky and not fast moving jet stream flowing overhead, so the atmosphere was quite still. CLear Skies
Thank you. I never thought I could capture Pluto. With these new software tools, particularly in NINA, I am able to instruct the telescope to slew to the exact location of the planet and then to plate solve to put the planet in the exact center of the view. Amazing. Clear Skies
Very interesting video Pat, I’ve not done any planetary imaging, not got the focal length or a planetary camera! Perhaps I should think about that🤔 Excellent image as always mate! Keep up the great work! I hope to have a video out in a week or so! Probably my best image so far!!! Clear skies
Thanks, Simon. I always look forward to your videos. I just bought the ZWO AM3 mount and am testing it out. It's tracking is amazing and no counter weight! What target are you working on?
Hello!! Very good video and good images, as a planetary photographer I recommend that you lower the exposure to 10-20ms and increase the gain, the atmosphere will affect you less and by being able to stack more frames (and better frames) the noise will decrease a lot. I'm going to Saturn at 100fps with a C11 at F20 and it's great. Greetings!!
Hi Martin, I am surprise you can even see the planets at your latitude. If you do, they got to be very low on the horizon. Good luck. When do you usually get your first snowfall there? (That's my meteorology in me speaking) Clear skies.
@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy Hey, yes probably too low, haven't attempted any planets with my gear. Usually in the start of november, but it can start as early as october.
Very useful, Pat. I got a nice photo of Saturn with my Celestron C6 a couple of years ago, but I found the experience of using the basic Celestron mount to do so very frustrating (with a used Dell laptop hooked up so I could use Sharpcap). So I made a decision early last summer to commit to the ZWO ecosystem, which has worked well for me on DSOs and the moon (ASI Air, AM5, ZWO tripod, and William Optics Redcat 61). And in June I used it to get a very nice image of M51 with my C6. I’m now going to try, skies permitting, to do planetary with a used Celestron 8se I bought a couple of months ago with it on the AME and controlled with the ASI Air. I know there will be a frame rate limit that is slower than what I could get with Sharpcap, but I think it can get to 50 fps. Any thoughts about doing planetary with this setup? Also, have you ever tried skipping Registax 6 and using BlurXterminator in PixInsight instead? By the way, great shirt for the season!
The mount could cause frustrations, but with the AM5, that should certainly disolve. (I just purchased the AM3 for a smaller scope and find it amazing) The fram rate should mostly be a function of your camera and your computer speed. The Celestron 8" on the AM5 should provide you with FANTASIC images. I would think you should be able to use Sharpcap with your new system setup. I use NINA to control my AM3 and use NINA to slew to the target, then I disconnect the camera and open it in Sharpcap. Cleaar skies.
Great video. My Workflow : I usually collimate onto a star roughly at the same point as the target planet (and let 2 hours for thermal equilibrium). For focusing, I'm using an Bahtinov applied onto the moons of the planets (or the planet itself for Mars/Ice Giants), and when I'm trying UV onto Venus or Jup, I use contrast (and knowledge of the focus point of my scope). I'm using Firecapture for capture, and for processing PIPP, Autostakkert 4 and Astrosurface (as a replacement for Registax). You should give Astrosurface a try ! As opposed to RS6, it's fully supported and updated :)
Hi Jules, I didn't know about Astrosurface and I am just finding out about Autostakkert 4. I will certainly give them a try. I have never tried using a UV filter for Venus. That is a hard planet to image as it is so bright and alway low in the sky. Clear skies.
I first focus on a star with a Bahtinov mask to get the best focus, it's easier that way, the Planets are so far away anyway that they have the same focus that of a star
Quite true. However, there have been numerous times when I was focused on a star, when I slewed to the planet, the focus seemed soft. But your theory sound correct, infinity focus is just that and it should work. I wonder if it has anything to do with the angular size of the planet and the atmosphere that I am looking through. Thank you for your comment and for watching my video.
I am still amaze that Pluto was able to br found back then. I think it was found by way of mathematics and then discovered using successive plate solving over several nights pointing the scope to where the math indicated it should be. Similar to what I did in this video, without the math. (Well, that's where I got the idea ... ha) Thank you for watching my video and for commenting.
Using digital zoom and cropping decreases the amount of pixels used and resolution, it increases pixel size in the final picture. You should have better luck using optical increases with a focal extender making use of a larger portion of your camera's sensor increasing resolution and the the amount of pixels used.
Hi Dan, Yes, the digital zoom in Sharpcap has no fucntion in the output of the actual image beging recorded. It is only a visual effect. Whether it's not zoomed at all or zoomed 500%, the raw output is not affected.
@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy Yes, only if you're enlarging and cropping for a final image where then fewer pixels are being incorporated into a print. If you have to crop and enlarge for the final image to fit the frame then a barlow will prove helpful. Today's sensors and mounts are so good the f20 and f30 won't be a problem. Seems odd putting a barlow on a 2800mm scope but planets love focal length.
Well, sure, I was scripted to mention "Excluding Earth" but forgot to say it. You are currect, from a distance, it is a very beautiful planet. Clear Skies
Great video and nice capture of Saturn and it's moons (well some of the many many moons). Capturing Pluto is pretty cool too. CS
Thanks, Logan. The planets are always a challenge. I have your latest video in my "To Watch Later" que
Clear skies
Thanks for the video. Pluto is my ultimate target and this type of capture is exactly what I hope to accomplish.
Hi Brian,
I never would have dreamed in capturing Pluto when I started astrophotography back in 2016, but thanks to today's intelligent software, it is now somewhat easier to get.
I would like to see if I could resolve enough resolution to see its moon, Charon. Another night, another goal
Clear Skies, and happy planet shopping.
That live view is incredible. I've never seen it so clean
Thank you for watching my video.
I had good "Seeing" that night ... clear sky and not fast moving jet stream flowing overhead, so the atmosphere was quite still.
CLear Skies
Nice job! I really liked Pluto.
Thank you.
I never thought I could capture Pluto. With these new software tools, particularly in NINA, I am able to instruct the telescope to slew to the exact location of the planet and then to plate solve to put the planet in the exact center of the view. Amazing.
Clear Skies
Nice review Pat. Thanks
Thank you, Craig
Thanks!
Thank you, Don
Very interesting video Pat, I’ve not done any planetary imaging, not got the focal length or a planetary camera! Perhaps I should think about that🤔 Excellent image as always mate! Keep up the great work! I hope to have a video out in a week or so! Probably my best image so far!!!
Clear skies
Thanks, Simon.
I always look forward to your videos. I just bought the ZWO AM3 mount and am testing it out. It's tracking is amazing and no counter weight! What target are you working on?
@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy WR134 colab with Glenn, 50hrs! But don’t tell anyone 🤣
Awesome video and very helpful. I’m going to give Saturn a try tonight. Your video provided some excellent pointers. Thanks!
I'm glad I was able to help. Good luck with the Ringed Planet.
Hello!! Very good video and good images, as a planetary photographer I recommend that you lower the exposure to 10-20ms and increase the gain, the atmosphere will affect you less and by being able to stack more frames (and better frames) the noise will decrease a lot. I'm going to Saturn at 100fps with a C11 at F20 and it's great. Greetings!!
Thank you for the advice.
I will use those settings the next clear night.
Clear skies
Because of your video I pulled out my APM 152 on my AM3 and Pentax 5mm XL EP and looked at Saturn just now Pat.. Thank you
I am glad I was some form of inspiration.
Clear Skies
Great video, thanks! I need some more focal lenght :D
Hi Martin,
I am surprise you can even see the planets at your latitude. If you do, they got to be very low on the horizon. Good luck. When do you usually get your first snowfall there? (That's my meteorology in me speaking)
Clear skies.
@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy Hey, yes probably too low, haven't attempted any planets with my gear. Usually in the start of november, but it can start as early as october.
Very useful, Pat. I got a nice photo of Saturn with my Celestron C6 a couple of years ago, but I found the experience of using the basic Celestron mount to do so very frustrating (with a used Dell laptop hooked up so I could use Sharpcap). So I made a decision early last summer to commit to the ZWO ecosystem, which has worked well for me on DSOs and the moon (ASI Air, AM5, ZWO tripod, and William Optics Redcat 61). And in June I used it to get a very nice image of M51 with my C6. I’m now going to try, skies permitting, to do planetary with a used Celestron 8se I bought a couple of months ago with it on the AME and controlled with the ASI Air. I know there will be a frame rate limit that is slower than what I could get with Sharpcap, but I think it can get to 50 fps. Any thoughts about doing planetary with this setup? Also, have you ever tried skipping Registax 6 and using BlurXterminator in PixInsight instead? By the way, great shirt for the season!
The mount could cause frustrations, but with the AM5, that should certainly disolve. (I just purchased the AM3 for a smaller scope and find it amazing) The fram rate should mostly be a function of your camera and your computer speed. The Celestron 8" on the AM5 should provide you with FANTASIC images. I would think you should be able to use Sharpcap with your new system setup. I use NINA to control my AM3 and use NINA to slew to the target, then I disconnect the camera and open it in Sharpcap.
Cleaar skies.
Planning to do live streams anytime soon?
Not anytime soon
Thk you for this information toke picture of saturn this week but did not sit down to process the image thk you
Thank you for watching my video David. Now finish processing that data you collected. Ha.
Clear skies
Hi Pat, nice image. I was just wondering did you use an Atmospheric Dispersion Corrector device for the Saturn image?
Hi Rob,
No, I did not. The planet was above 35 degrees in elevation and it wasn't neccessary, in my humble opinion.
Great video.
My Workflow : I usually collimate onto a star roughly at the same point as the target planet (and let 2 hours for thermal equilibrium).
For focusing, I'm using an Bahtinov applied onto the moons of the planets (or the planet itself for Mars/Ice Giants), and when I'm trying UV onto Venus or Jup, I use contrast (and knowledge of the focus point of my scope).
I'm using Firecapture for capture, and for processing PIPP, Autostakkert 4 and Astrosurface (as a replacement for Registax).
You should give Astrosurface a try ! As opposed to RS6, it's fully supported and updated :)
Hi Jules,
I didn't know about Astrosurface and I am just finding out about Autostakkert 4. I will certainly give them a try. I have never tried using a UV filter for Venus. That is a hard planet to image as it is so bright and alway low in the sky.
Clear skies.
@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy I have tried imaging Venus in daylight and it is not trivial nor hard. Clear skies :)
Were you using a tracking mount?
Yes, I had the 11" Celestron SCT scope on the Celestron CGX mount
I first focus on a star with a Bahtinov mask to get the best focus, it's easier that way, the Planets are so far away anyway that they have the same focus that of a star
Quite true. However, there have been numerous times when I was focused on a star, when I slewed to the planet, the focus seemed soft. But your theory sound correct, infinity focus is just that and it should work. I wonder if it has anything to do with the angular size of the planet and the atmosphere that I am looking through.
Thank you for your comment and for watching my video.
Don't forget Autumn and winter is the last chance in many years to get Titan's shadow on Saturn
I'll keep an eye out for that shadow.
Clyde Tombaugh would be very impressed
I am still amaze that Pluto was able to br found back then. I think it was found by way of mathematics and then discovered using successive plate solving over several nights pointing the scope to where the math indicated it should be. Similar to what I did in this video, without the math. (Well, that's where I got the idea ... ha)
Thank you for watching my video and for commenting.
Using digital zoom and cropping decreases the amount of pixels used and resolution, it increases pixel size in the final picture. You should have better luck using optical increases with a focal extender making use of a larger portion of your camera's sensor increasing resolution and the the amount of pixels used.
Hi Dan,
Yes, the digital zoom in Sharpcap has no fucntion in the output of the actual image beging recorded. It is only a visual effect. Whether it's not zoomed at all or zoomed 500%, the raw output is not affected.
@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy Yes, only if you're enlarging and cropping for a final image where then fewer pixels are being incorporated into a print. If you have to crop and enlarge for the final image to fit the frame then a barlow will prove helpful. Today's sensors and mounts are so good the f20 and f30 won't be a problem. Seems odd putting a barlow on a 2800mm scope but planets love focal length.
I would answer your question with: JUPITER! (not Saturn)
:-)
You're not alone in voting for Jupiter.
Thank you for watching my video
Most beautiful planet? Earth.
Well, sure, I was scripted to mention "Excluding Earth" but forgot to say it. You are currect, from a distance, it is a very beautiful planet.
Clear Skies
With the rings aligned Jupiter is better than Saturn right now.
You have a good point. Jupiter is quite colorful.