Mars is now slowly falling behind Earth in its orbit, increasing the distance between us. This may be the best image I may get this opposition with the weather deteriorating. It is a stack of 6748 images, taken through a 10″ Newtonian reflector (f4.7), using a Canon 60D. Each frame was 1/640 of a second at ISO 1000. The North Polar Cap is visible at the top with Syrtis Major on the far right. Image was taken Nov. 15th. Next image is the best I could capture with an 8 inch Newtonian (f6). It is a stack of 3341 images, 1/500 at ISO 1000. Syrtis Major has rotated more towards the center of the disc. The atmosphere was not as clear and steady as Nov. 25th and needed to be over processed to get detail.
Jupiter, taken Nov. 30, 2022 with the 8″. It is a stack of 2441 images. 1/640 second at ISO 1000. Europa is on the left, Io on the right. The Great Red Spot had just passed around the limb two hours before. The atmosphere was steadier earlier in the evening and Jupiter was higher in the sky. The condition of the atmosphere really makes a difference.
A Full Moon occults Mars the night of Dec. 7th but the weather forecast for my area is cloudy with a chance of snow.
A voracious reader and photographer who is now retired from retail. I love to express my artistic talents through photography. Recently I have added writing to that expression. A lifelong punster, I love wordplay and the one-liner. I found that I always wanted to know the "why" in things and that has led me to research various conspiracies and historical events to find that "why." Some of the things that have piqued my curiosity will be covered eventually in this blog. From the battle of the Little Bighorn, the sinking of the Titanic, the assassination of JFK, the Coriolis effect, ghosts to anything astronomy related are all subjects I have already or plan to cover. In photography I have always loved the technically difficult subject. Catching the wings of a hummingbird was an early goal. Then an eagle fishing, a trout swimming under the water and the elusive moose were all subjects I finally captured. Stereo photography has always intrigued me ever since that first disc went into my View Master. Astrophotography was an early challenge and continues to be a passion. The growth of the hobby has far surpassed my ability to keep up (as in money). Expect a little of everything in the future. Let's geek out together.
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Geeking Out with Dave 