Mars

Polar Caps - Dark Features - Red Planet

Mars taken with a Webcam
August 24, 2003

Once again I used the converted webcam to take a series of exposures that I would stack in Registax, but this time I put to work the new Televue 4x Powermate. This shot shows the "eye" of Mars just left of center, a feature known as Solis Lacus. The southern polar ice cap is prominent at the top of this image. Mars was ~24 arc seconds in apparent diameter at the time of the shot.
Mars would make its closest approach to Earth in ~60,000 years three days later.

Location: Fort Worth Astronomical Society observing site near Springtown, Texas
Seeing: 6/10
Transparency: 7/10
Date and Time: August 24, 2003 @ 3:30 AM
Camera: Logitech Webcam
Equipment: 10" LX-200 with Televue 4x Powermate yielding 10000mm @ f/40
Exposures: Best ~200 of ~2500 AVI frames @ 3 fps
Processing Information: Images acquired with Quickcam software and registered with Registax. Levels adjustment in Photoshop 7. Degrain in SGBNR.

Exposure Notes: Still need a night of good seeing to capture more detail.

Mars taken with a Webcam
August 3, 2003

Using a webcam is surprisingly simple and the stacking software yields excellent results.
Taken with a converted Logitech Quickcam using a 2x Barlow at the prime focus of the 10" Meade LX-200. The first shot shows Syrtis Major at the bottom left and Sinus Sabaeus extending to the right. The second shot, taken ~4 hours before, shows Syrtis Major before the planet's rotation takes its toll. South is up in both images. Mars was ~22 arc seconds in apparent diameter at the time of the shots.

Location: Fort Worth Astronomical Society observing site near Springtown, Texas
Seeing: 7/10
Transparency: 7/10
Date and Time: August 3, 2003 @ 12:30 AM and 3:45 AM
Equipment: Logitech Webcam with 2x Barlow on 10" LX-200 yielding 5000mm @ f/20
Exposures: Image #1: Best ~300 of ~1500 AVI frames @ 24 fps
Image #2: Best ~35 of 81 AVI frames @ 24 fps
Processing Information: Images acquired with Quickcam software and registered with Registax. Levels adjustment in Photoshop 7.

Exposure Notes: This was a lot of fun! The Registax software will take some time to figure out but I'm pleased with these "first light" results with the converted webcam.