saturn opposition 2023

managed to have clear skies, decent seeing and the next morning off enabling me to catch saturn at the exact time of opposition and within minutes of local transit:

Saturn 8/27/23 08:16 UTC
Eastbluff, CA

here's a wider view with the moons.  

Saturn and Moons
8/27/23 07:54 UTC
composite image

none of the bright moons were blocked by saturn's glare, though several were out of the field.  had i known i would have captured a wider mosaic to catch them all.  

Dew soaked imaging rig:

Imaging details:

camera ZWO ASI 290MC with IR block

ZWO ADC

celestron 11" Edge HD, no barlow

East Bluff, CA

close up:

16 x 90 second captures, 1 x 422 sec

gain 351, exposure 1.988- 8.904ms, 77%-29% histogram, 100-200 fps

wide view:

composite

60 sec gain 351, exposure 100ms, 100% histogram, 10fps

60 sec gain 351, exposure 9.497ms, 89% histogram, 24 fps

captured with firecapture

stacked in autostakkert (upsampled 1.5x)

combined in winjupos 

processed in registax and photoshop

notes:

image snapped to focus on titan

meridian flip in past created tube currents in perfectly calm scope

cooled down aiming at planned imaging location in sky

fire capture ADC adjustment worked really well (custom button assigned for easy access)

blow drier much better than dew heater

dramatic increase in histogram after use mid capture

best images initial or after blow drier

shorter exposure better for 30% histogram 

(80% histogram exposure limits capture rate)

longer imaging time better

7 minute capture slightly worse after winjupos derotation

(required debayering of long AVI in PIPP)

but still better than 90 second.  

should increase to 120 for saturn

needed to set LD to .5 in winjupos

 

appendix:

3x no fan

0757

FPS (avg.)=39

Shutter=8.904ms

Gain=351 (58%)

Histogramm=77%

0758 

FPS (avg.)=112

Shutter=8.904ms

Gain=351 (58%)

Histogramm=74%

0800

FPS (avg.)=106

Shutter=8.904ms

Gain=351 (58%)

Histogramm=71%

3x fan on (no clear difference)

0802

FPS (avg.)=109

Shutter=8.904ms

Gain=351 (58%)

Histogramm=69%

0804 

FPS (avg.)=106

Shutter=8.904ms

Gain=351 (58%)

Histogramm=72%

0806

FPS (avg.)=108

Shutter=8.904ms

Gain=351 (58%)

Histogramm=72%

3x short exposure/low histo (no clear difference)

0808 

FPS (avg.)=199

Shutter=4.754ms

Gain=351 (58%)

Histogramm=42%

0810

FPS (avg.)=194

Shutter=4.754ms

Gain=351 (58%)

Histogramm=38%

0812

FPS (avg.)=194

Shutter=4.754ms

Gain=351 (58%)

Histogramm=36%

3x saa after blow drier (clearly better)

0821

FPS (avg.)=192

Shutter=4.754ms

Gain=351 (58%)

Histogramm=72%

0824

FPS (avg.)=192

Shutter=4.754ms

Gain=351 (58%)

Histogramm=71%

0826

FPS (avg.)=171

Shutter=4.754ms

Gain=351 (58%)

Histogramm=70%

3x shorter exposure.low histo

0828

FPS (avg.)=207

Shutter=1.988ms

Gain=351 (58%)

Histogramm=31%

0829

FPS (avg.)=217

Shutter=1.988ms

Gain=351 (58%)

Histogramm=32%

0831

FPS (avg.)=218

Shutter=1.988ms

Gain=351 (58%)

Histogramm=33%

0833 

FPS (avg.)=215

Shutter=1.988ms

Gain=351 (58%)

Histogramm=30%

0843 long run

FPS (avg.)=209

Shutter=1.988ms

Gain=351 (58%)

Histogramm=29%