Telescope: Astro-Tech RC8 @ f/8, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: QHY 367c Pro, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Exposure: 64x15ms, gain 2000, offset 50, -20C, saved as FITS

Seeing: good, 4/5

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, Nebulosity, Registax, Photoshop

This image of the nearly full Worm Moon was taken about 36 hours before the moon reached completely full on the morning of March 7^th. The Worm Moon will be another example of a mini-moon with the moon being just a few days past apogee at a distance of 252,215 miles. This will make the moon a tad smaller and a tad fainter than an average full moon. Note how libration has rotated Mare Crisium nearly to the northeastern limb. That means that features along the southwestern limb are rotating into view. In the days following the full moon you may be able to glimpse the Mare Orientale impact basin and its ring mountains.

Telescope: Astro-Tech 8” f/8 Ritchey-Chretien, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: QHY 367c Pro, -20C, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: Astro-Tech 60mm, ZWO ASI120MM mini, PHD2

Exposure: 46x60sec, gain 2800, offset 50, saved as FITS

Darks: 32, -20C, gain 2800, offset 50, saved as FITS

Flats: 64x300ms, Tee shirt flats taken at dusk

Average Light Pollution: Red zone, Bortle 8, fair transparency

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.6

Stacking: Average, 1 sigma clip

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, Nebulosity, Photoshop

I finally had a chance to take a peek at Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) as it passed south of Mars. When this image set was taken the comet was 44 million miles away to the northeast of the Hyades. Mas lay 4 degrees to the north of the comet and more than twice as far away in the background at a distance of 92 million miles. The stars trailing in the background shows the motion of the comet while the source images were being taken. The comet was moving so quickly the telescope was setup to track on the comet so that the nucleus of the comet was reasonably sharp while the stars trailed behind. (Photo credit: John Graham, 2–12-2023)

Telescope: Celestron C11 @ f/25, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: ZWO ASI462MC, 2.5x Powermate

Filter: Meade IR cut filter

Seeing: fair, 3-4/5

Exposure 1x(3min x 10ms, 25%), gain 300, saved as Raw8/SER

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, AutoStakkert, Registax, Nebulosity, Photoshop

While setting up to image Mars I has just enough time to grab one quick image set of Jupiter. Since I am pretty much limited to imaging on the east side of the meridian this may be my last chance to photograph Jupiter this season. Not a bad way to finish!

Telescope: Celestron C11 @ f/25, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: ZWO ASI462MC, 2.5x Powermate

Filter: Meade IR cut filter

Seeing: fair, 3/5 with brief periods of 4/5

Exposure 5x(5min x 3ms, 25%), gain 300, saved as Raw8/SER

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, AutoStakkert, Registax, WinJUPOS, Nebulosity, Photoshop

We had a rare evening of good seeing and I hoped to take advantage of it to get a decent image of Mars while it was still relatively close to the Earth and I am very happy with the result. This image is from the last of 5 sets of images taken as Mars rose higher in the sky into clearer air and shortly before it reached the meridian. The northern limb shows the north polar hood and below that is the broad expanse of the Tharsis Plateau. The soft circular feature to the upper left of Tharsis is the giant shield volcanoe Olympus Mons. The dark feature covering the southern hemisphere includes, from left to right, Mare Sirenum, Aonius Sinus, Solis Lacus, Mare Erythraeum, and Aurae Sinus. Just to the right of center is the giant canyon system the Mariner Valley. To the upper right is Lunae Palus.

Telescope: Celestron C11 @ f/25, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: ZWO ASI462MC, 2.5x Powermate

Filter: Highpoint Scientific IR Blocking Filter

Seeing: fair, 3/5

Exposure: 5% of 5x(3min @ 2msec), gain 400, saved as RAW8, SER

Histogram: 70%

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, AutoStakkert, Registax, Nebulosity, WinJUPOS, Photoshop

This image of Jupiter was taken at 2:30am on the morning of September 8^th shortly after Io completed a transit of the planet. I thought that it was neat that this image shows a hint of detail on Io as well as its beautiful color. I still have some data sets sitting on my hard drive that were taken during the transit that I will process as soon as I get a chance.

Jupiter rises in the northeast during the early evening and is high in the south after midnight.

Telescope: Celestron C11 @ f/25, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: ZWO ASI462MC, 2.5x Powermate

Filter: Highpoint Scientific IR Filter

Seeing: fair, 3/5

Exposure: 5% of 10x(5min @ 2msec), gain 400, saved as RAW8, SER

Histogram: 70%

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, AutoStakkert, Registax, Nebulosity, WinJUPOs, Photoshop

This image of Jupiter was taken shortly before 2am on the morning of September 9^th shortly after the Great Red Spot crossed Jupiter’s central meridian. The Great Red Spot continues to slowly shrink and fade, but still makes quite an impression on the southern equatorial belt.

Jupiter rises in the northeast during the early evening and is high in the south after midnight.

Telescope: Celestron C11 @ f/25, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: ZWO ASI462MC, 2.5x Powermate

Filter: Highpoint Scientific IR Filter

Seeing: poor to fair, 2-3/5

Exposure: 5% of 5min @ 15msec, gain 400, saved as RAW8, SER

Histogram: 75%

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, AutoStakkert, Registax, Nebulosity, WinJUPOs, Photoshop

It has been quite a while since I have done any extensive planetary imaging, but I’m starting to get the hang of it. I wasn’t planning on imaging Saturn as the seeing wasn’t forecast to be very good, but it was better than I had expected. I wanted to test some camera settings and processing work flow that I am working on and I’m pretty happy with the results. A big part of this is getting comfortable with this fairly old (1994) C11 that I have been working with and it seems to be settling in nicely.

Saturn is well placed in the evening sky rising in the east as the sun set and high in the south by midnight.

Telescope: Celestron C11 @ f/25, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: ZWO ASI462MC, 2.5x Powermate

Filter: Highpoint Scientific IR Filter

Seeing: poor, 2/5

Exposure: 5% of 5min @ 15msec, gain 400, saved as SER

Histogram: 70%

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, AutoStakkert, Registax, Nebulosity, Photoshop

This is my first image from the opening of the 2022 planetary imaging season. I still have lots to learn, but I’m off to a good start!

Saturn is well placed in the evening sky wising in the east as the sun set and high in the south by midnight.

Telescope: Astro-Tech RC8 @ f/8, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: QHY 367c Pro, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Exposure: 64x15ms, gain 2000, offset 50, 0C, saved as FITS

Seeing: fair, 3/5

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: SharpCap Pro, Nebulosity, Registax, Photoshop

This is the first-light image taken with my new to me QHY 367c Pro full-frame camera. As sunset approached I used the moon to provide a rough alignment for the mount, slewed to Vega to set the focus, and then back to the moon to take this image set. Off to a great start!

Telescope: Astro-Tech 8” f/8 Ritchey-Chretien, Orion Atlas EQ-G

Camera: Full Spectrum Modified Nikon D810, Baader Mk III MPCC

Filter: GSO IR Blocking Filter

Guide scope: Astro-Tech 60mm, ZWO ASI120MM mini, PHD2

Exposure: 12x120sec, ISO 200, saved as RAW

Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction On)

Flats: 32×1/50sec, Tee shirt flats taken at dusk

Average Light Pollution: Red zone, Bortle 8, good transparency

Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.8

Stacking: Average

White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic

Software: Backyard Nikon, Nebulosity, Photoshop

Comet C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) is a relatively small, faint comet that is slowly crossing southwards across Ophiuchus in the evening sky. As comets go, this comet is visually challenging, though is may be glimpsed in a small telescope as a faint star-like core with a diffuse coma. Physically, this is an amazing comet. It was discovered in May of 2017 when it was in the outer solar system between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus and approaching from deep space well above of the plane of the planets. Comet 2017 K2 is likely a visitor from the Oort Cloud making its one and only pass through the inner solar system before departing for interstellar space, never to return. So, while it may be challenging to locate, it’s a fascinating object to track down.

C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) is currently well placed in the eastern sky at dusk. Although it will remain relatively faint, it will remain visible from the northern hemisphere until August as it flows southwards across Ophiuchus and Scorpius. It will be closest to the Earth (167 million miles) while still inbound to the sun on July 17^th, and it will be closest to the sun (about as far as the orbit of Mars) on December 19^th while it will be visible only from the southern hemisphere.