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Posts Made By: Mike Wirths

February 27, 2004 11:13 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Jupiter shadow transit, 18" Starmaster

Posted By Mike Wirths
Hi all,

Caught Europas shadow transit last night at around 10:30 EST, the seeing was still only slightly better than average but there were some good moments so what the hell I thought. It was cold, about -13 C, I used a Toucam, 5X's powermate, set the framerate to 5fps, 640x480 uncompressed.
about 10% gain, 20% gamma, 50% bright, full saturation, and 1/33 sec exp. The colour seems kinda washed out perhaps 1/25 would have been better. Unfortunately my computer did'nt like the cold and cut out on me it only came back to life after a while in my warmroom. I used only 100 frames out of 600, and the shadow is still distorted so I'll have to go back and hand pick them, still happy with the image. I used registax 2 and Imagesplus. Scope is a 18" Starmaster with Zambuto primary.

Mike Wirths

February 29, 2004 06:46 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Alpine valley

Posted By Mike Wirths
Though not in the same league as larry's fabulous moon shots, I decided to finally try some webcam shots of the moon for a change. The seeing was too mediocre for planetary work so I thought I'd get some practice in.
Its done with my 18" SM dob, a 3x's barlow, 100 frames in Registax2. I'm pretty happy with it, theres even the rille albeit not very distinct.

cheers

Mike W

February 29, 2004 12:59 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Plato

Posted By Mike Wirths
Hi all,

Well heres the last lunar pic I took last night before clouds rolled in. Its a stack of 100 (Registax) 3x's barlow, toucam, Sm18". I love the jagged shodows on the crater floor!
Boys theres been a bunch of great pics in the last few days nice to finally get saome clear warmer weather!

-Mike W

March 1, 2004 03:36 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Jupiter redone from Fri night

Posted By Mike Wirths
Hi all,

Well now thats its cloudy again I can reprocess in earnest! Hope people don't mind me reposting the same image but I think I've fixed up some problems I had (with the help of of some of you). I took my one good avi hand picked the best from 1/2 the 2 minute clip (to minimize transit distorting) then I re-aligned the colour channels in Images Plus to get rid of the red fringe on the shadow transit. I also tweaked the colour and downsized it to 80%.
I'm satisfied now, since its only a stack of 79.

cheers, and thanks for being such an enthusisatic helpful bunch!!

Mike Wirths

March 9, 2004 11:46 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

almost a GRS Jupiter

Posted By Mike Wirths
Hi all,

Seeing tonight was a solid 6/10, transparency fair, I was shooting a few avi's waiting for the GRS to rotate into view but my computer did not like the -9 C night, and it decided to go to sleep (it woke up after being in my office for a while) so I took the best one and stacked it in Reg2, processed it in Images Plus.
Scope: Starmaster 18"
5'x's powermate, Toucam 5fps, 1/25 exp, 10% gain, 50% bright, 0 gamma, 100% sat. 2 minute avi
You can just start to see the Grs on the edge with the persistent spot preceding it. I think its my best Jupiter to date!

cheers

Mike Wirths

March 11, 2004 05:46 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

GRS transit from last night

Posted By Mike Wirths
Hi everyone!

1st off thanks for all the encouraging comments on my last image!
Not sure if I want to post after Rolandos superb image ;>)
but I will anyway. Seeing was an iffy 6/10, Jupiter was 39 degrees up at 11:07 EST. Scope was my 18" Starmaster and I used a Toucam with 5X's barlow. The stack is 111 handpicked in Reg2, processed in Images Plus. I used 0% gain, 0% gamma, 100% sat, and about 50% bright, 5 fps 2 min avi.

cheers

Mike Wirths

March 23, 2004 12:02 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

oh no! more....transit pics!

Posted By Mike Wirths
Yes I too had about a half hour window before high clouds rolled in, just after 9:15 EST. It was really breezy so using a 5X's was impossible since Jupiter would not stay in the FOV. I used a 3X's televue and got a few vids between gusts. Seeing was pretty good but less than 1/4 of the frames were usable due to the wind.
Theres some weird colour fringing around the shadows which must be atmospheric dispersion, the blue channel has a strange extra blue edge. I wonder is it possible to create a artificial blue channel from the remaining G and R channels?
Scope: 18" Starmaster (tracking)
toucam, 10fps, 0 gain, 0 gamma, 1/25, 100% sat.
stacked and resampled 1.5X's n Reg 2, processed stack of 140 in Image Plus

cheers

Mike Wirths

March 29, 2004 06:09 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Aristillus

Posted By Mike Wirths
Hi all,

Well I missed out on the Jupiter event (it would have been only 17 degrees off the horizon so my observatory walls would have been all I saw) but it was great to see lots of pics here! last night seeing was only 4-5/10 so I went for a moon shot, Aristillus this time. 3X's barlow, 110 frames Reg2, Images plus. 18" Starmaster. I hope to try for the Alpine valley again tonight if seeing permits.

cheers

Mike Wirths

March 30, 2004 05:51 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Copernicus

Posted By Mike Wirths
Hi all,

Got a small window of imaging tonight before clouds rolled in. This was the 1st of two craters I did, I used a 3X's barlow with my 18" Starmaster. Its a stack of 117 done in reg2 and processed in Images Plus. I'm working on tonights Plato right now, I accidentaly used the 5X's barlow but I think it turned out well, the seeing was 6-7/10 at times, I caught 30-40 craterlets in the floor of plato, I'm pretty excited about that!

I'll post it soon

cheers

Mike Wirths

March 30, 2004 06:30 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Plato

Posted By Mike Wirths
Hi all,

Heres my Plato where I accidentaly used my 5X's powermate instead of the 3X's, I remember thinking geez I don't remember Plato being that big...duhh! It seemed though that this extreme image scale worked out, as the seeing was temporarily 7/10. I stacked 109 frames in Reg 2 and processed them in Images plus, there are quite a no of craterlets visible here!! I'm astounded by the level of detail one can capture with a webcam on the moon! Oh yes I used my 18" Starmaster (driven).

--cheers

Mike Wirths

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