I love these images - and your wonderful filter-data. I just wish more people would seek & find knowledge about these additions to one's viewing. I commonly endeavor to educate folks' about them - and how people's sense of colour-perception is so amazingly variable. Nothing worse than reading some blow-hard chastising a 'newbie' regards such different 'takes' on this last-to-develop sense in the Human-Being.

Leave alone explaining how all aspects of man-made (women too!) contraptions are actually manifestations of the Human-Mind becoming externalized. Fun!

FREAK OUT!

We ARE the Computers,

Dave - Mad-Scientist

 

Cheers Dave. I colourised (PhotoFiltre 7) the lunar images in the last pictures as the Moon looked a bit Camembert what with it being so low in the west.

I originally intended to use my new Baader Orange 570nm longpass filter as it was more or less daylight when I started. However, I had to wait over an hour just to get a few minutes. So I went 'commando' with no filter whilst playing hide and seek with the Moon between the clouds.

http://www.photofiltre.com

 

I found the image below over in the 'Depths of Mordor.' I bring it up as I think the colours on it are quite beautiful! It's also an excellent take of the ISS - very clear details.

Any idea on what was being used to accomplish this effect?

Oh Hell! I get a "The File Is Too Large For The Server To Process."

It's a <JPEG> that weighs in at 2.77MB for crimminy-sake!

Oh George? Can you kick the server a few times for me?

evaD

PS - It was similar to both this shot of Mercury:




And our Moon:




But no ISS <sniffle>.

 

I suspect it's some form of composite overlay. You can display the Moon with a selection of these with the VMA.

 

You're amazing me! 'Bogusslawsky?'

Lordy! I need a vacation...

Dave

 

Yeah, it gave me a bit of a 'Bill & Ted' moment too lol. VMA opens with a highlighted ephemeris feature near the terminator every day. Sea of Tranquillity today.



Sunny but cloudy here. I might get a chance around 20:00.



Last time was an easy AII on the Antoniadi. It was only the clouds that obscured the image.

Antoniadi Scale:

(I.) Perfect seeing, without a quiver. Maximum magnification can be used (300x in my case).
(II.) Slight quivering of the image with moments of calm lasting several seconds.
(III.) Moderate seeing with large atmospheric tremors.
(IV.) Poor seeing, constant troublesome undulations.
(V.) Very bad seeing, hardly worth attempting viewing lunar features.

 

I managed a good session from around 19:30 to 21:30 BST. Moon was at 52° declination when I started and the conditions were good.



Started off at 143x then 164x with the Baader Orange 570nm Longpass. I was very impressed with the way it performed, particularly highlighting graben and the dorsa around Mare Tranquillitatis.



Highlights were Piccolomini, Fracastorius and Posidonius. Cyrillus, Theophilus and Catharina were very prominent although I couldn't see much detail inside Catharina because of excessive shadow.



At around 20:30 I switched to the 4mm AH ortho' for 225x and swapped the Baader Orange for the Neodymium filter. This was first light on the 4mm AH.



It didn't disappoint at all. I have the 6mm version as well so I'm used to these. To be honest, I think what I saw this evening are some of the finest lunar views I've seen for a while. Those tiny ortho's are hard work sometimes but really worth it.



Eventually though I lost the transparency. I had a quick butcher's at a rising Jupiter and packed up around 21:30. At about 20:05 I saw something white and angular travelling rapidly roughly westward across the Moon. ISS or a Zeta Reticulan scout ship? I'm not sure lol.


Images CDC & SN7

 

The Reticulan's let their teenagers swipe their saucer-keys and go "wilding" on Earth. They think it's good fun - as did their parents!

I love those little Ortho's too! Amazing & simple.

Line of t-storms with tornadic-activity heading straight at us now. Time to batten the hatches here - catch you later!

"Toto! Toto!"

Dave

 

Yeah, those crazy Zeta Reticulans!



I only need a 5mm ortho' now to have a complete set. Although my 7 and 12.5mm are Fujiyamas, the others are Astro Hutech, apart from the 9mm which is a Circle T. Of course, everyone here seems to be out of stock of 5mm ortho's. I blame those bloody Reticulans.

 

I waited out the clouds, it was quite pleasant out, and finally got a few minutes observing Jupiter and the Moon. I was seeing Jupiter through some light cloud but surprisingly the seeing was above average. Which was unexpected considering the transparency. I could relatively easily make out the GRS near the limb. Plus some detail in the northern equatorial regions.



I got a good 225x on the Moon with a 4mm TS Optics Planetary HR.



It always amazes me that sometimes the seeing can be good but with seriously below average transparency. Jupiter has been virtually impossible to observe properly the past few sessions, but last night there were short periods of good clarity and I was viewing through cloud. Weird lol.



I'm pretty certain I could see a condensation feature at about 22:00 BST. I've placed a rather exaggerated version in the picture above. It was north of the Equatorial Zone and appeared to be touching the North Equatorial Belt. It wasn't circular like a planetary shadow. It seemed large for a barge feature which are difficult to see with a 13 centimetre aperture anyway. Unless it's those pesky Zeta Reticulans again. lol

Images CDC, SkyPortal & VMA

 

I had another session playing hide and seek with the clouds. I did get 300x on the Moon though with the Solomark 6mm Plossl and a TeleVue 2x Barlow.



Eratosthenes and the Montes Apenninus looked very good at 300x. Clavius was beautifully dramatic right up against the terminator.



The Solomark is nicely finished with no plastic parts and is just as good IMO as the 6mm Omni and GSO Plossls.


At 150x with the Solomark I'm pretty sure I could see a planetary shadow on Jupiter. The blue coatings are quite noticeable and I found I could dispense with the neodymium filter for 300x on the Moon.



It's rapidly becoming my favourite 6mm Plossl. Plus, it was three quid cheaper than the Omni!

Images CDC & VMA

 

Yet another cloud hide and seek session. I did get Clavius and Copernicus at 300x for a short while. It was nice out, if a bit windy.



What do you reckon Flo?

 

I may just keep my eye(s) open for one of those Solo's. Looks to be a good find!

Thanks, Mak -

Dave

 

I'm pretty sure this 6mm 'Gosky' is the same thing.

https://www.amazon.com/Gosky-1-25in...d=1494082206&sr=8-2&keywords=gosky+6mm+plossl

 

How would you say that the 6mm EP you've got there stacks up with an orthoscopic?

Curse you! You've ignited my curiosity! Gosky? I may have to get one for the name alone.....

Dave

 

Well, obviously the FOV is wider. I don't think that Plossls quite have the contrast that ortho's have, but that doesn't diminish the viewing nor does it make them inferior, just different.

I don't know how the Solomark/Gosky fares in faster scopes yet, but it isn't inferior to any other 6mm Plossl I have. In fact, in overall build quality I'd say the nearest to it was the 6.4mm Meade 4000. Those retail at £29 here.

 

I think June 15th is the Saturn opposition.



I'm getting all learned up on Saturn.

 

I had a daylight/twilight session on the Moon and Jupiter from about 20:00 to 22:00. As it got very cloudy and I ended the session after a couple of hours. Aristarchus and part of Schroter’s Valley were right near the terminator and Prinz, Dorsa Argand and the Montes Harbinger were very sharp and clear at 150x, 164x and 225x.



I used the Baader Orange 570nm longpass filter for a while until the sky became darker. I couldn’t see Herodotus because of the terminator. Jupiter’s GRS was starting to appear. I packed up at 22:00 and went and had a steak and kidney pudding supper convinced that was it for tonight.



At 01:30 it had cleared and I couldn't resist going out for another session. I blame the steak and kidney pudding. I watched the terminator slowly move to reveal Herodotus and observed both the Moon and Jupiter with the Baader Blue 470nm bandpass filter. This time I had a good 281x on the Moon.



There was a brief interval of cloud but afterwards I could see a rising Saturn. I observed Saturn through transit at 03:51 (altitude 15.6° Sagittarius) until around 05:00. I used the stacked Baader Green 500nm bandpass and Yellow 495 longpass filters at 180x. I also used the Blue 470nm filter. I could see the Cassini Division and a very small amount of detail in the northern equatorial regions. Titan was easily distinguished although I couldn't see other moons. This is the best view of Saturn I’ve had this year. I'm still impressed with the Baader filters.



Images by CDC and VMA

 

Well, the Met Office pork pie factory app wasn't too right about the 'hour' of clear sky I would get. They were only out by about 55 minutes or so. I did get to see a very clear Schroter's Valley at 150x with my favourite 6mm Plossl though. Jupiter looked good for a few minutes as well. I think the overall seeing would have been good, but for the localised cloud.

 

I had another twilight session last night. Jupiter was the main target as the lunar phase was near full. Schickard looked good though with the Baader Blue 470nm filter and 225x with the AH orthoscopic.



I started off at 150x and 164x then stayed more or less for two hours duration with the little ortho’ at 225x. 225x was probably pushing it though, it works out at about 44x per inch of aperture. So that’s 4x over the 40x rule of thumb for Jupiter. I reasoned that the AH was such good quality though and as the 4mm AH, a filter, two mirrors and the Earth’s atmosphere were the only things between me and Jupiter I’d be OK lol. I watched the slow occultation of Ganymede, and more or less at the same time, the appearance of the GRS.



I used the Baader Blue bandpass filter for a while and expected the image to brighten as twilight gave way to night. Unfortunately, although the seeing seemed very ‘A2’ the overall transparency wasn’t quite up to it. The sky was basically cloudless but I think there was a localised haze causing Jupiter to appear less bright. Notwithstanding the relatively close proximity of a rising almost Full Moon. The Baader Orange longpass was even less successful. So I tried a conventional Wratten #11 (TS Optics/GSO) as it has a huge 78% transmission and this was much more successful. The biggest surprise was when I tried the #82A Light Blue with its 73% transmission. As this gave the overall best view of the night. It seemed to show more detail than using a Baader Neodymium, although the Baader is probably better at making the GRS appear more red and pronounced.



This substantiates everything I’ve claimed about the #82A with apertures less than 150mm. I think with a reflector under six inches the conditions have to be good to really utilise an #80A to its fullest potential. It can work well in good conditions and with a very bright Jupiter, but if Jupiter itself isn’t that bright in the sky, the #82A is a better bet IMO. The only problem with those TS Optics/GSO filters is that they seem to dew or mist up fairly early. I just don’t get this with the Baader filters.



It could be that I’d kept the container they were in held in a bag on the lawn and they got cold causing condensation. They cleaned up perfectly once I’d got them back inside. I should keep them in a trouser pocket when I’m outside or something as my body heat might prevent this fogging. I have some cargo trousers with big pockets. I’d love to be able to buy a good quality #82A and #11 from somewhere local.



I'm getting all learned up on the Caldwells.

Images ~ CDC & VMA