From: Willie Strickland <cwskas@earthlink.net>

Date: February 7, 2010 3:05:11 AM MST

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: 2 Mars images from tonight

These are the two images from tonight.  I captured 5 movies, but the last three movies were oversaturated in a large area.  I had forgotten to click the box that highlights areas that are oversaturated so I didnt notice it.  Grrrr!

You can tell I sharpened the second one much more.  I think it looks better.  Doesnt look like I over did the sharpening does it?

This is the first time I have had my C11 out since last fall and the first time I have had the DMK 21AF04.AS on this scope.

I tweeked the collimation on a defocused star using the DMK until it looked pretty good to me.  I used 2 2x barlows stacked, one was an Orion shorty and the other was a Televue 2x which belongs to one of my buddies.  I dont have a 3x.

These were with no filter at all.  I didnt do any flat or dark correction either.  I would estimate transparency 7 or 8 of 10 and seeing was 6 or 10 or slightly better.  My Sky Quality Meter read 21.39 and 30 deg f when I took down.  I had frost all over my table, chair and eyepiece cases.  I had a dew shield and heater strip on the scope.

I am reprocessing the first image now, to see if it will take more sharpening.

Willie

Taken at 20100207_055621 UTC

Stacked 352 out of 820 frames

Taken at  20100207_055459 UTC

Stacked 163 out of 804 frames