Archives for December 2022

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.