Ganymede, Io and Jupiter

I have to sneak this one in, it's the result of my first Jupiter session this year, and is my best to date.

Edited By jason udall on 26/02/2016 16:24:59

amazing!

Michael W

The good bit is I get to do both

> amazing!

Thanks Michael, you should see what other people can get!

The secrets are stacking lots of pictures (that's the best 12% of about 3,000 frames over 3 minutes) and advances in image processing - I invested in a really powerful program called Astra that does deconvolution - the technique developed to correct the badly focused images from Hubble before it was fixed. You fiddle with sliders and things like the faint white storms start appearing on t belts. They aren't artefacts either because I compared this image with a much clearer one taken with a 14" scope at the same time, and it has all the features on my image - plus more!

Neil

A really impressive & beautiful image Neil!

Martin.

I see one of those naff sand orniments they sell at blackpool and a couple of ink splats...time to go to me shed me thinks! Ignorance, as they say, is bliss....

Have you seen the new Pentax Neil. It has an "Astrotracer Function" whatever that is?!

**LINK**

Sounds neat, but I doubt it can follow the stars for very long.

Neil

There was a double transit of Io and Europa last night.

You probably won't be able to pick out Europa just above its shadow, but Io is very easy to spot moving onto the disk.

Neil

I don't know but do a search, you'll see the system works very well. The Pentax Astrotracer function started with the use of a dedicated GPS module but it's now built into several Pentax DSLR's as standard.

It is very clever and works by moving the sensor so there must be limit to how far the sensor can move.

This must mean it will struggle at long focal lengths, but I am sure it works well with shorter lenses.

Neil

Some very different shots last night, just with the camera on a normal tripod - Moon & Jupiter in conjunction.

Though I say it myself, well worth right-click --> view then click with the magnifying glass.

Neil