How Did You Capture the Mars Occultation? Share Your Photos Here!

  • Context: Stargazing 
  • Thread starter Thread starter russ_watters
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Mars
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on capturing the Mars occultation using a Celestron C11 telescope equipped with a 0.33 focal reducer and a ZWO ASI1600 monochrome camera. Participants share techniques for imaging, emphasizing the importance of stacking thousands of frames to mitigate atmospheric distortion. The process involves capturing separate images of Mars and the Moon, which are then combined to create a high-resolution final image. This method allows for detailed observation despite the challenges posed by relative motion and atmospheric conditions.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of astrophotography techniques, particularly image stacking.
  • Familiarity with telescope equipment, specifically the Celestron C11 and focal reducers.
  • Knowledge of camera settings and processing for monochrome imaging, particularly with the ZWO ASI1600.
  • Basic principles of celestial mechanics regarding the motion of Mars and the Moon.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research advanced image stacking techniques in astrophotography.
  • Explore the capabilities and settings of the ZWO ASI1600 monochrome camera.
  • Learn about processing software for combining astrophotography images, such as RegiStax or AutoStakkert.
  • Investigate the effects of atmospheric conditions on astrophotography and methods to optimize image quality.
USEFUL FOR

Astrophotographers, amateur astronomers, and anyone interested in capturing celestial events like the Mars occultation will benefit from this discussion.

russ_watters
Mentor
Insights Author
Messages
23,785
Reaction score
11,218
TL;DR
Observation of the Jan 13, 2025 Mars Occultation
Post your pics of the Mars occultation here!

Currently it's 8:20 EST, about an hour from the occultation. Below is a still of what I'm working on (the gray dot near the right side is Mars):

Still 2025-01-13 201746.jpg


I'm using my C11, a 0.33 focal reducer and currently using a ZWO ASI1600 monochrome camera. It's the only setup with which I can shoot the entire moon with the C11. I'm going to shoot the "in" with this setup and the "out" at higher magnification and a color camera. The color camera has a much smaller sensor and pixels so it can't image the entire moon even with the focal reducer.

Zommed-in on Mars:

2025-01-14-0058_9-U-R-Mars_1.png


This is a 3,000 frame stack. Seeing isn't very good, so there isn't much detail to be had.
 
Last edited:
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Drakkith
Astronomy news on Phys.org
Well this ended up better than expected!

Moon-Mars-2024-01-13.jpg
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Nugatory, glappkaeft, berkeman and 4 others
Incredible photo, looks like a composite.
 
Ken G said:
Incredible photo, looks like a composite.
It sort of is. It's not a single frame; to take high-res photos through the atmosphere you take thousands of photos and stack them, which cancels-out the atmospheric distortion. But because the Moon and Mars are moving relative to each other, stacking photos will smear one or the other. So they have to be processed separately and then re-combined, from one or a set of massive video file(s). But it is the same camera, same settings, about the same time, and the separately processed Mars is pasted over a smeared version of itself.
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Ken G and Ibix

Similar threads

Graduate What Challenges Did I Face in Capturing Images of the Andromeda Galaxy and Mars?
  • · Replies 0 ·
Replies
0
Views
2K
High School Infrared Detectors & The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics
  • · Replies 152 ·
6
Replies
152
Views
11K