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Venus - 02-26-2017

Discussion in 'Astrophotography and Imaging' started by Ed D, Feb 26, 2017.

Venus - 02-26-2017

Started by Ed D on Feb 26, 2017 at 6:52 PM

17 Replies 3262 Views 2 Likes

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  1. Ed D

    Ed D Well-Known Member

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    Ed D, Feb 26, 2017
    #1
    My adventures and misadventures with my new found toy continue. Tonight I set up the GEM and used my crosshair eyepiece to get good tracking. I wanted to play a bit more with the AT72ED, so mounted it on the GEM. While I was playing I started having glitches, short white lines flashing at random on the screen and the planet popping across the screen diagonally and popping back into position. "Oh no" I thought, "My new camera is defective". I tried a different cable and a few other things to no avail. I had been using the capture program that came with the camera. I closed the ASI camera program and opened SharpCap. It was the program that was glitching. SharpCap worked superbly.

    I used my Orion Ultrascopic Barlow with the camera and captured a video a bit over 1,500 frames. Venus was low in the sky and there was a lot of atmospheric disturbance. I processed the video using Registax 6, selecting the alignment points, doing the alignment, and then the limit and stacking. Wow, the image didn't come out all that bad. Keep in mind that I was using a wide field refractor, not a planetary Mak.

    I'm taking a few days off from work later this week, and hope to be able to set up my 6" Mak to capture Jupiter. I'm also hoping to get some good lunar images this weekend.

    Ed D

    Venus AT72ED 2x Orion.jpg
     
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  2. Orion25

    Orion25 Well-Known Member

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    Orion25, Feb 27, 2017
    #2
    Great looking image, Ed. I took some shots of Venus myself with my DSLR attached to the Meade Series 4000 zoom and the Orion Shorty Barlow 2x going into the 127mm Mak. Looking forward to seeing your Jupiter and lunar images.
    Here is one of my Venus images:

    [​IMG]

    Reggie
     
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2017
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  3. Ed D

    Ed D Well-Known Member

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    Ed D, Feb 27, 2017
    #3
    Nice shot, Reggie. I'm assuming it is a single image and not processed. I like what you are doing with your Mak and DSLR. Have you gotten a T adapter for the DSLR yet?

    Ed D
     
  4. Orion25

    Orion25 Well-Known Member

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    Orion25, Feb 27, 2017
    #4
    Thanks, Ed. Yes, it's a single shot unprocessed. In this shot I'm using a T-ring on the Nikon attached to a Meade Series 4000 zoom lens, with that attached to a 2x barlow, then inserted into the visual back of the Mak. I rarely spend too much time stacking with brighter objects, but I have done so to good effect with the fainter DSOs. If I can get a good one-off shot, I'm very happy.;)
     
  5. Zigarro

    Zigarro Well-Known Member

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    Zigarro, Feb 28, 2017
    #5
    Uh-oh... playing hookie from work to stargaze eh? (it's all downhill from there!) ;)
     
  6. Zigarro

    Zigarro Well-Known Member

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    Zigarro, Feb 28, 2017
    #6
    When I viewed Venus through my scope last night, the crescent was on the bottom. Both you guys caught it on the right?
    Howzat? o_O
     
  7. Orion25

    Orion25 Well-Known Member

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    Orion25, Feb 28, 2017
    #7
    I had my camera at an angle to get that "lunar waxing crescent look" (even though Venus ironically waning, lol).
     
    Last edited: Feb 28, 2017
  8. Zigarro

    Zigarro Well-Known Member

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    Zigarro, Feb 28, 2017
    #8
    Aha- that explains it.
     
  9. Ed D

    Ed D Well-Known Member

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    Ed D, Feb 28, 2017
    #9
    ...Or, I rotated the image 90 deg to achieve the same effect.

    Ed D
     
  10. Zigarro

    Zigarro Well-Known Member

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    Zigarro, Feb 28, 2017
    #10
    Funny how you both achieved the same idea different ways. I took one- a-focal last night but it looked more like a flying "V" so I deleted it outta shame! Of course, I took it hand-held since Orion's SteadyPix Delux doesn't accommodate my Nikon CoolPix. I figure it'll do better with 2" EPs and a different camera tho.
     
  11. Zigarro

    Zigarro Well-Known Member

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    Zigarro, Feb 28, 2017
    #11
    Mak- a question for you since Maksutov is part of your handle; The Orion Mak 150 has a 2" back while the 180 only accommodates a 1.25? I asked Orion about this and got an uncharacteristically trite reply concerning a "design difference"?
    I'm wondering how a larger (similar) scope isn't also capable of a 2" back?
     
  12. Orion25

    Orion25 Well-Known Member

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    Orion25, Mar 1, 2017
    #12
    Don't mean to jump in here, lol, but to answer your question, the Orion Mak 150 is a newer design and the powers that be decided to add a 2" visual back. I expect soon they'll follow up with a 180 2" design ;)

    Reggie
     
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  13. Ed D

    Ed D Well-Known Member

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    Ed D, Mar 1, 2017
    #13
    Zig, maybe I can help a little bit with that "design difference". The 180mm Mak has a smaller secondary spot, or central obstruction, that visually helps with contrast on planets and the moon. The light cone coming off the secondary toward the focal plane is narrower and less steep than if it had a larger secondary spot. Thus, opening the baffle tube and visual back wouldn't yield any larger field of view, the light cone already being as wide as designed. The 150mm Mak has a larger secondary spot (by percentage of area and diameter) and the light cone is wide enough and steep enough to take advantage of opening up the baffle tube and visual back to 2".

    Maks are fantastic instruments for high power lunar and planetary observation. They give steady, sharp, and high contrast images for visual, as well as for AP.

    Ed D
     
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  14. Zigarro

    Zigarro Well-Known Member

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    Zigarro, Mar 1, 2017
    #14
    Thank you both for that. It sorta clears the fog some. There may be a Mak in my future and it'll likely be the 150.
     
  15. Orion25

    Orion25 Well-Known Member

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    Orion25, Mar 1, 2017
    #15
    That makes sense; thanks for the info, Ed. I guess there probably won't be a 2" inch 180 Mak in the near future after all (?) I definitely agree about the Mak's visual and AP strengths. I have a 127mm and a 180mm and they are both PLANET KILLERS and great on medium to bright DSOs, too. I only use the 127mm for imaging because it's easier to set up (the 180 is a bit unwieldy, unless you have it already set up in an observatory; I tend to move my scope around a lot). I may get a 150mm GOTO eventually, but for now, I'm more than satisfied :p
     
  16. Ed D

    Ed D Well-Known Member

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    Ed D, Mar 1, 2017
    #16
    Reggie, I agree that the 127mm Mak is a sweet little instrument that's very easy to set up and use. I have an iOptron 150mm, but it's large and heavy enough that it takes more effort to take out and use. One would think there wouldn't be much difference between a 5" and 6", but check out the attached pic.

    Ed D

    Maks 1.JPG
     
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  17. Ed D

    Ed D Well-Known Member

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    Ed D, Mar 1, 2017
    #17
    Back on track, I found a good Registax beginner tutorial on YouTube:

    I played with Registax using my Venus capture video. Although the Venus image I posted is as good as I can get it, the features I learned about today will definitely help when doing Jupiter and moon images. I was going to try imaging tonight, but life got in the way. Hopefully tomorrow I won't be as busy in the evening and I can capture the moon with my 127mm Mak. I'm really liking this.

    Ed D
     
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  18. Orion25

    Orion25 Well-Known Member

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    Orion25, Mar 1, 2017
    #18
    Haha, sorry for hijacking the thread. Glad you're having fun with the imaging. You can do lots of interesting things with modest tools. BTW, the difference between the 127 & 150 is surprising!
     
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2017

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