From: Terrence Redding <tredding@mac.com>
Date: October 17, 2009 4:02:16 PM MDT
To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] I think this is my best Jupiter image so far!
Good evening Ray.
I am on travel this weekend in Deland, Florida.
Best image of Jupiter so far. I started this particular learning adventure about July 15, when I decided if Christopher Go could produce world class images from the Philippines than I should have a go (pun noted) at it, but with a Mac solution, from West Palm Beach, Florida.
Most of my time is spent doing occultations and all of it with the goal of eventually doing exoplanet research. Imaging seemed an ideal task for those times when other higher priority targets were not occupying my time. And I am convinced the family will appreciate images by far more than they do the stuff I have been doing.
Along the way I have learned of a dozen or so imagers who routinely produce better images than Go, not that his aren't great. He is notedly more consistent in his efforts to share his work, has a website, is often cited, and thus better known. But the path to world class images with a Mac seems to involve Astro-IIDC, a DMK21, and a filter wheel.
About 8 weeks ago I ordered the filter wheel - I was notified last week that it has arrived and is now in - and has been shipped from OPT to me. I suspect I will get it this next week. I have imaged more than a dozen hours of Jupiter - in an effort to produce a pretty picture - and yet - to date - I have not produced a single stacked, or post processed image. Though the data is there. I guess should bite the bullet and start doing post processing runs.
I have also imaged about six hours of mutual events looking at the extended atmosphere of Io. Scotty Degenhardt has discovered that it extends out from the moon much further than originally thought - and that it is detectable with amateur class telescopes.
So, today, when asked for examples of my best Jupiter images I have to point to the canned video streams I have posted to the web. Here are a few:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF74j2nWrl4
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1918554
Comments welcome.
Terry - W6LMJ - 14.287
Terrence R. Redding, Ph.D.
Redding Observatory South, West Palm Beach, Florida
http://olt.net/learningstyle/Site_2/Learning_Style_Research.html
How do amateur astronomers learn?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSgiXGELjbc
American Association of Variable Star
Observers (AAVSO): RTN http://www.aavso.org/
On Oct 17, 2009, at 10:56 AM, Ray Byrne wrote:
Hi Terrence,
At the risk of sounding sarcastic. What? is the your best Jupiter image so far. I'd really like to have a look :o]
Ray Byrne
On 17 Oct 2009, at 14:10, Terrence Redding wrote:
Alan, I am slowly getting all the pieces in place.
I have a Homeyer's Motorized Filter Wheel on the way and all of the other items you suggested in the list below. Lets hope I can become a competent planet imager. Lucky for me I did not have to move. (-:
Thanks for the help.
Terry - W6LMJ - 14.287
Terrence R. Redding, Ph.D.
Redding Observatory South, West Palm Beach, Florida
http://olt.net/learningstyle/Site_2/Learning_Style_Research.html
How do amateur astronomers learn?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSgiXGELjbc
American Association of Variable Star
Observers (AAVSO): RTN http://www.aavso.org/
On Jul 15, 2009, at 12:38 PM, Alan Friedman wrote:
Hi Terry,
I sent a response to one of your earlier posts from vacation but I don't think it made it through. Milton brought up the issues of working with an analog camera and the compression pitfalls that limit the results using IMovie for planetary imaging. I'd suggest going this route:
DMK21AF04 firewire camera (60fps - 15fps on 41 series camera is too slow for Jupiter)
IR blocked RGB filters Astronomik work well)
color filter wheel - manual rotation is fine.
Astro IIDC for camera control
home in Florida (you have that, lucky dog)
The last time I used my astrovid for imaging was at the Venue transit:
http://www.avertedimagination.com/img_pages/venus_transit.html
it works, but a digital firewire camera will remove many limitations and let you get the best from the fine seeing at your location.
cheers,
Alan
On Jul 15, 2009, at 11:07 AM, Terrence Redding wrote:
Tim, I am not familiar with the camera you used - but assume it is a color firewire camera. I notice they have them from 80 fps down to 7.5 fps. I assume the higher frame rates are needed to freeze the rapid rotation of Jupiter, something like a 9.5 hour day.
But I would appreciate hearing comments on which cameras are best for which applications. I am also interested in inserting a date/time stamp on the individual frames to support photometry. Is there a system for doing that with firewire?
Terry - W6LMJ
Terrence R. Redding, Ph.D. RTN
http://olt.net/learningstyle/Site_2/Learning_Style_Research.html
How do amateur astronomers learn?
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On Jul 15, 2009, at 9:47 AM, Tim wrote:
But I forgot to check the "notify" box when I uploaded it, so here it is:
http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/0NJdSpsXT-XxZMm72Mhg! puzbRAOXrQTTduGcNu8Khts6IpdHmAiBUm7_bZZeoHz8JAEOkhaiV0sK6gNeUXVWNtcu5gsVGk_duPaZyE8h165r/Planetary/2009-07-15_121502_UT_TJP.jpg
I've just started stacking the movies, and I shot a bunch of movies. This was the first one processed.
For some reason, Astro IIDC is showing 0 frames at the 75% confidence level, with all 1001 frames represented by a single spike. So for now, until I figure out why, I'm letting it stack all the frames (the seeing was pretty good, after all).
-Tim.
