Planetary images taken in 2003

These CCD images taken with my 10" f/10 SCT. They were taken with my MX916 CCD camera.

The images below of Jupiter were taken roughly 10 minutes apart. I was able to then make an animation of the planets rotation and the Great red spot.

	Taken on 2003-01-12 with a x3 camera tele-convertor on my LX200. Average of 15 images each 0.05 seconds at 00:31UT. Linear and contrast stretched. Also un sharp masked.
	Taken on 2003-01-12 with a x3 camera tele-convertor on my LX200. Average of 15 images each 0.05 seconds at 00:36UT. Linear and contrast stretched. Also un sharp masked.
	Taken on 2003-01-12 with a x3 camera tele-convertor on my LX200. Average of 15 images each 0.05 seconds at 00:38UT. Linear and contrast stretched. Also un sharp masked.
	Taken on 2003-01-12 with a x3 camera tele-convertor on my LX200. Average of 15 images each 0.05 seconds at 00:51UT. Linear and contrast stretched. Also un sharp masked.
	Taken on 2003-01-12 with a x3 camera tele-convertor on my LX200. Average of 15 images each 0.05 seconds at 01:00UT. Linear and contrast stretched. Also un sharp masked.
	Taken on 2003-01-12 with a x3 camera tele-convertor on my LX200. Average of 15 images each 0.05 seconds at 01:10UT. Linear and contrast stretched. Also un sharp masked.
	Taken on 2003-01-12 with a x3 camera tele-convertor on my LX200. Average of 15 images each 0.05 seconds at 01:20UT. Linear and contrast stretched. Also un sharp masked.
	Taken on 2003-01-12 with a x3 camera tele-convertor on my LX200. Average of 15 images each 0.05 seconds at 01:31UT. Linear and contrast stretched. Also un sharp masked.
	Taken on 2003-01-12 with a x3 camera tele-convertor on my LX200. Average of 15 images each 0.05 seconds at 01:41UT. Linear and contrast stretched. Also un sharp masked.
	Taken on 2003-01-12 with a x3 camera tele-convertor on my LX200. Average of 15 images each 0.05 seconds at 01:50UT. Linear and contrast stretched. Also un sharp masked.
	Taken on 2003-01-12 with a x3 camera tele-convertor on my LX200. Average of 15 images each 0.05 seconds at 01:59UT. Linear and contrast stretched. Also un sharp masked.
	Cropped and combined gif image of the above 11 images. It shows the Great red spot rotating over half a rotation. I was getting too cold and tired to get the other half!!

Not to be out done, I also took a quick set of images of Saturn. Taken on 2003-01-12 at 00:22. Average of 15 images each 0.01 seconds.

2003 Aug 8th. Mars is coming upto one of its best displays in many years. Although its a lot closer than normal and its size is bigger, from the UK its quite low to the horizon.

My first image of Mars. Average of 50 images, each 0.1 seconds long, taken at 00:15UT on 20030809. I used a x3 camera tele-convertor in front of the CCD camera. I then averaged the images and increased the image size by 200%. After an unsharp masking filter, I have a reasonable image.

I increased the image again by 200% on the left and compared it to an image created by the program 'Mars Previewer II' (see Sky and Telescope page 'here' for more info).

The South polar cap is visable at the bottom, the dark area left of middle is Mare Sirenum. The dark area north of the Polar cap is Mare Cronium and the white area on the lower left limb is Eridania.

2003 Sep 13th.

Taken on 2003-09-13 using a ToUcam webcam and 10" LX200 with X2 barlow and IR reduction filter. About 40 images averaged using K3CCD Tools. Image then unsharp masked in Astro Art.

2003 Sep 16th.

	Taken on 2003-09-16 using a ToUcam webcam and 10" LX200 with X2 barlow and IR reduction filter. About 100 images averaged using K3CCD Tools.
	The above image was then unsharp masked in Astro Art.
	After processing I enlarged the image by 200%. The colour balance is a little off but looking pretty good!