This is the last batch of Jupiter images from an August session processed into a single animated GIF. Finally done. This 74-minute animation features Jupiter’s Great Red Spot with a brief appearance of moon Io. Full details of the animated image follow below.
As noted in my previous post here, I have started adding a spacer to my Barlow lens. The rule of thumb for planetary imaging is that the f-ratio of the imaging system should be 5x the the camera’s pixel size in microns. My ZWO ASI 224MC camera has 3.75 micron pixels so the optimum f-ratio is 3.75 x 5 = 18.75. I had noticed that using a 2x Barlow lens, the resulting f-ratio with my f/10 telescope was not f/20, but slightly less at f/18. This is likely caused by the flip mirror system placed in the optical train. By adding the spacer, I increased the distance between the lens component of the Barlow and the camera sensor chip, thereby increasing the system focal length slightly and raising the f-ratio to f/22-f/23. Better to be a little bit over than a little under.
Animation Details:
August 15, 2022 09:21:24-10:34:54 UT
74-minute time-lapse
North is up
Seeing: Good
Celestron C8 (203mm SCT f/10) + Orion 2x Shorty Barlow + 12.7mm spacer (f/22)
ZWO ASI224MC with IR Cut Filter
26 image animation sequence. Each image is stack of best 3000/10000 frames.
Captured with FireCapture
Processed with AutoStakkert3!, Registax, GIMP