My first webcam images of the planet Saturn. Taken at 2:41 UT on 11 September 2003.
First image - origional orientation and size - taken at f/10 (prime focus)
Second image - a slight enlargement of the first image
Third image - image rotated so that Saturn is horizontal. Personally I prefer the first image.
I made no color, contrast or brightness changes at all.
I used a radius of 1 and a strength of 900 for the unsharp mask in K3 CCD Tools.
| Date: 11 September 2003 | Telescope: 10 inch SCT | Streaming speed in Astro-Snap: - around 4 fps |
| Times: 2:41 UT | Camera: Logitech Quickcam Pro 4000 | Processing: 200 frames stacked out of 800 |
| Observatory: Hartbeespoort | Magnification: Prime Focus | Software: Astro Snap, K3 CCD Tools and Photoshop |
| Saturn Apparent Diameter: 17.8 " | Illuminated Fraction: 0.997 |
| Brightness: 50 % | Gamma: 0 % | Saturation: 50 % |
| Contrast: 50 % | Gain: 40 % | Exposure Time: 1/5 sec |
My second webcam images of the planet Saturn. Taken at 2:50 UT on 11 September 2003.
Another image of the planet Saturn. Taken at 2:58 UT on 11 September 2003.
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If I wanted to I could have made all 10 stacked images as similar as possible - using the exact same unsharp masking and color. I could also have lined them up perfectly.
However, my result now simulates what Saturn looks like through a telescope ... moving around slightly and only some glimpses of perfectly focussed images popping into view now and then.