From: "Tim" <tjp314@pacbell.net>

Date: April 22, 2005 11:36:06 AM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: saturn with five moons

Alan:

--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, Alan Friedman <alan@g...> wrote:

Tim -

1. seeing conditions and frequency of observing sessions

    (1a. Astro IIDC, of course! (8^)

This is an important point.  Not that there MIGHT NOT be other capable software packages 

out there, but from reading about Astro IIDC in more detail from the readme file last night, 

the fact that it's written for astrophotography is a huge plus right there, without going into 

the details about specific cameras compatible with it.  I underscored this last night, when I 

tried again to image with my 3Com Homeconnect camera on my iMac, versus running it 

from my PC.  Big difference is that the software for the PC is MUCH more user adjustable 

than the drivers for the Mac (in macam, that is).  With the mac, I had a very hard time 

setting the exposure and gain without oversaturating or darkening the image beyond 

usefulness.  And I got no readout of what the settings were once I did set them how I 

wanted them.  I'm anxious to try out Astro IIDC's many settings, but need a firewire 

camera, first!

2. experience in image processing

Fortunately, I've been processing planetary images for over 20 years  now at JPL (Viking 

Orbiter and Lander, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Global Surveyor, and now the MER rovers), and 

I've been an amateur astronomer since I was a kid (started planetary photography 33 years 

ago, switched to digits 5 or 6 ago).

3. excellent optics and good collimation

Got a few options there!  ;o) C9.25, a 12.5" f/23 Cass (Ed Beck optics), an old Jaegers 6" f/

10 (false color can still be annoying even with a contrast booster filter, but it does green 

filter monocrhome of Jupiter VERY well), and the 8" f/6 Springfield I built 24 years ago 

(Optical Crafstman primary).

4. imaging equipment

More to go, for sure.  Am considering bidding on an iBot, just because they're so cheap 

it'd be hard to go wrong.

5. tracking platform, telescope mechanics

Fortunately, for planetary, all one really needs is a reasonably accurate RA drive, though a 

Dec drive is a strong desire as well.  My 8" Springfield has a Meade 2080 drive gear in it, 

and the periodic error is large enough to move the planet off-chip.  The Nexstar 9.25 has 

a much smaller periodic error, but it still must be on the order of 40 or 50 arc seconds.  

Planet stays on the chip nicely, though.

-Tim.