a quick pic of mars on the nearest night!

Given my 'issues' with focusing lately, do you think that's maybe what you're suffering from? Or is it the seeing?

I used to think that I was bang on with my focus until I started taking longer and longer images. I quickly realised that although I thought I'd nailed it, my focusing was still off. In fairness, most of the images *looked* in focus but closer inspection of the 60 plus second expsoures started showing 'softness' around the edges of the stars. Focusing really is a critical operation. But until I can afford an electronic gizmo plus the software, I'll just have to keep trying...

By the way, with just 80 stacked frames, I assume that even though you were 90%+ quality, the image was not worth posting??

At least with the storm coming, you can blame *that* next next time :lol:

Cheers

Dave

I get awfully confused with N/S/E/W - I usually shoot FITS images. The DSI software seems to show a N at top but E/W is reversed, I think*. The confusing part comes when I open the FITS image via the FITS Liberator plugin for Photoshop - the image seems to be vertically inverted by the FITS Liberator...

Cheers

Dave

* I'm not sure if my E/W depends on which side of the Meridian I'm on. To match the image with TheSky I sometimes have to switch to a mirror image view.... Awfully confusing, but I guess a minor point for now with all the other issues I have when imaging

I understand from reports that there are two dust storms, which are some distance apart.

There is one intense large one between Margaritifer Sinus and Sinus Meridiani. I can't remember the specific location for the other one. I also understand that these storms will not be encircling ones. Have you tried using the Ikemura simulation in order to compare images? This may help in deducing the dust storm locations

Eamonn A

Lovely images!

:oops:
fair enough, its the other pole. you cant always be right.

Given my 'issues' with focusing lately, do you think that's maybe what you're suffering from? Or is it the seeing?

I used to think that I was bang on with my focus until I started taking longer and longer images. I quickly realised that although I thought I'd nailed it, my focusing was still off. In fairness, most of the images *looked* in focus but closer inspection of the 60 plus second expsoures started showing 'softness' around the edges of the stars. Focusing really is a critical operation. But until I can afford an electronic gizmo plus the software, I'll just have to keep trying...

By the way, with just 80 stacked frames, I assume that even though you were 90%+ quality, the image was not worth posting??

At least with the storm coming, you can blame *that* next next time :lol:

Cheers

Dave

You could be right about the focusing Dave.
I'm doing it by eye at them moment, I'm going to use the zero shift focuser soon enough, we'll see how that works out.

The 90% quality stacked images were not able to take any processing in photoshop as they were too grainy.