Contains:  Solar system body or event
Great Conjunction of Jupiter & Saturn (12/22 - Still Close!), JDJ

Great Conjunction of Jupiter & Saturn (12/22 - Still Close!)

Acquisition type: Lucky imaging
Great Conjunction of Jupiter & Saturn (12/22 - Still Close!), JDJ

Great Conjunction of Jupiter & Saturn (12/22 - Still Close!)

Acquisition type: Lucky imaging

Equipment

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Acquisition details

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Description

Jupiter and Saturn were separated by about 0.2 degrees on the night of December 22, 2020, one day past closest approach during the Great Conjunction of 2020. Conditions were better last night during closest approach (how lucky we were!), with seeing and transparency worse tonight. Still wonderful to see the pairing of Jupiter, Saturn, and all of Jupiter's moon's on the same telescopic field of view.

Imaged with a William Optics GT81, 2x Siebert Barlow, Baader UV-IR Cut filter, and ZWO ASI224MC. Imaging train was configured to give ~F/12 (`~950 mm focal length, 0.794"/pixel, 42 pixels across Jupiter). Image capture using Sharpcap. Stacking in AutoStakkert3 (best 25% of 1000 frames). Processed in Registax (wavelet sharpening).

Original version: 0.0028 sec exposure, Gain = 300, Histogram set to ~80% to get a good exposure on Jupiter

Version B: 0.0135 sec exposure, gain = 300, exposure set for Saturn & Jovian moons

Version C: Combined images optimized for (1) Jupiter and (2) Saturn and Jovian Moons using PixInsight. Used Clonestamp to remove Saturn from Jupiter image (and vice versus). Curves transformations (with masks on planets/moons) to equalize background levels. Combined images using Pixelmath process.

Comments

Revisions

  • Great Conjunction of Jupiter & Saturn (12/22 - Still Close!), JDJ
    Original
  • Great Conjunction of Jupiter & Saturn (12/22 - Still Close!), JDJ
    B
  • Final
    Great Conjunction of Jupiter & Saturn (12/22 - Still Close!), JDJ
    C

B

Description: Exposure set for Saturn

Uploaded: ...

C

Description: Used PixInsight to combine images with exposures set for Jupiter and Saturn/Jovian Moons.

Uploaded: ...

Histogram

Great Conjunction of Jupiter & Saturn (12/22 - Still Close!), JDJ