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First Jupiter

Discussion in 'Astrophotography and Imaging' started by Scopejunkie, Jun 15, 2019.

First Jupiter

Started by Scopejunkie on Jun 15, 2019 at 11:48 PM

46 Replies 5903 Views 2 Likes

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  1. Orion25

    Orion25 Well-Known Member

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    Scopejunkie, you're doing some great imaging! I especially like your Jupiter, shadow transit and Saturn images. The moon images are pretty amazing, too! I've used inexpensive cams to get some surprising results, too, like the Orion 5MP Solar System camera. Not long ago, I stepped up to the ASI224MC that I'm still learning. Do you use an IR filter on your cam or is it built-in? I've read that IR filters and atmospheric dispersion correctors clean up images nicely when the seeing is not optimal or your dealing with lots of turbulence.

    Regards,
    Reggie :)
     
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  2. Scopejunkie

    Scopejunkie Well-Known Member

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    Thanks Reggie! :cool: I have an IR filter for the camera but I didn't notice a difference in my imaging when I used it. I believe I'm missing something but I'm a bit too new to this part of the hobby to know what it is yet (both hardware & software). I'm open to instructions and suggestions. :D
     
  3. Orion25

    Orion25 Well-Known Member

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    I'm still learning, too. I was told that the IR filter helps clarify the visible wavelengths, giving truer colors. A lot of cameras already have this built-in. I notice a slight difference when I use an IR filter with my ASI224MC. I think that the more sensitive the camera, the more effect the filter has. My Orion 5MP camera has the filter already made into the design (non-removable) and gives really good planetary images.
     
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  4. Scopejunkie

    Scopejunkie Well-Known Member

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    Learning more software tweaks... Less ham fisted, more finesse :cool: Compare the Jupiter image (C14 reduced to 117mm) with post #23. The moons were there in the original image but I didn't know how to bring them out when I processed the original. I also reduced the color to something more reasonable. Hope to do better imaging when the planets return next year. And the learning continues...
     

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    Last edited: Dec 26, 2019
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  5. Ed D

    Ed D Well-Known Member

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    IR does not focus at the same point as the visible colors. When imaging the bright planets, the IR is slightly out of focus and softens the image. By using the filter and blocking the IR the visible colors appear sharper when using a color camera. Nebulae are rich in Ha, which is in the IR region of the spectrum. For this type of imaging you don't want to use the filter, thereby getting more of the red which is not visible to our eyes.

    I live in an area with severe light pollution. I use the Baader Neodymium filter when imaging planets and the moon. It filters out a lot of trash color that isn't visible to our eyes, yet the camera sensor picks up. The Baader filter also filters out IR and UV. I find my planetary and lunar images come out waaay better, sharper, and require much less color tweaking. The Baader filters are not cheap, but I find them indispensable for visual observing and lunar/planetary imaging from my location. I also have a more economical ZWO UV/IR cut filter that works very well.
    ________________________________________________________________

    In contrast to UV/IR Blocking filters, IR pass filters block the visible spectrum and only pass light in the IR spectrum. For instance, the ZWO IR850 filter only passes frequencies above 850nm. When held up to the light it appears as a black piece of plastic to our eyes, but a camera sensor can 'see' the higher frequencies of light.

    I found IR-Pass filters useful during the last Mars apparition, when the planet was blanketed by a dust storm. I made one capture in color, as I would normally do, which had color but little to no detail. I made a second image in IR (642nm) that had no color, but showed quite a bit of the dark areas. By merging the two images I came up with a single image that had color and dark area details.
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    The Agena website has some great articles about filters. Look at the bottom of the main page for the link to the articles.

    Ed
     
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2019
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  6. Ed D

    Ed D Well-Known Member

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    BTW, your lunar images are really, REALLY nice.

    Ed
     
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  7. Orion25

    Orion25 Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for the clarification and info, Ed. Makes a lot of sense :)
     
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