From: "neale_monks" <nmonks@biocomp2.unl.edu>

Date: April 22, 2005 1:08:39 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: saturn with five moons

Alan,

I'd agree with this wholeheartedly, though I admit I'm from the much less accomplished 

end of the skill spectrum. Looking through what I've taken, it's not altogether obvious that 

the _theoretically_ best webcams have always been the ones I used to get my best 

pictures. Sometimes, but not always.

I think the telescope makes a big difference, though whether this is optics or additional 

factors like sensitivity to atmospheric conditions and thermal equilibrium is debatable. 

Aperture is also another factor that seems to get overlooked in the fuss over technology; 

at least to me, a 10 inch / 250 mm aperture seems to be the threshold between "nice" and 

"awesome" shots of Saturn, for example. There may be some optical design constraints 

here, so a good Mak-Newt or Apo with smaller aperture winning over bigger short focus 

Newtonians or mass market SCTs.

Cheers,

Neale