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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Jupiter Imaging by Old Meigs Field
19 October 2009

A warmer and clearer night than yesterday, I took the opportunity to do some solo quiet astrophotography by the old Meigs airport - south of the Adler Planetarium. Quiet, no one around...just me, the scope and some tunes.

It was quite warm when I started out at 7:30 pm and I doffed off the heavy jacket and in shirtsleeves, but by 9:00 pm, it was started to get chilly and by 11:00 pm when I packed it in...it was quite cold.

Using the C5 SCT and Canon Powershot S3, I polar aligned the mount and attached the motor tracker. This time it did a better job than the last session, keeping Jupiter in the filed of the 25mm eyepiece. Sky conditions were not prime for observation, as a haze and high thin clouds were in the area - and streetlamps displayed a slight halo...but the Jupiter imaging was an ok one, better than last time.

Processed by hand, (no Registax or other processing - perhaps later on ), they came out alright in these series of C5/imaging tests. Using a 25mm eyepiece and zooming in on the camera, atmospheric conditions were not good, as much blurring with brief moments of clarity. You can make out the Great Red Spot and good banding - with the northern band coming back nicely after dimming dramatically two years ago.

Exposures were varied from 2 seconds down to 1/4th and some on tungsten setting. But all on full manual and wide open aperture of 3.2. (Perhaps next time I'll do some video and stack the images on registax for much better pics.)

I also imaged the Pleaides rising in the east, but just through the camera at 12x. Imaging through the C5 did not capture the entire star cluster well and cut off several stars. Imaging through the 60mm finder scope on the 4.5" reflector would do a better job. Next time.

I also did some experimenting on city buildings, pushing the magnification and imaging capabilities of the duo. Some imaging using insane magnifications on the antennae array of the Sears Tower...

Starting out with the 25mm, I ending up using a 10mm...and got in quite close to the piping near the catwalk cradle.

I had attempted to target M31 Andromeda and M57 Ring Nebula, but conditions were such, that I could not locate either one of them...or anything else for that matter....dispite intensive searching.

So, with a laser, I wrote my name on the Chevelle with a 15 second exposure..

In the trunk, I have installed a LED pull chain light...and it came in quite handy for the session, but I think I shall install another one with a red light for these type of sessions in the future.

It was a nice, pleasant and quiet observation/imaging session - just by myself. Without attending to visitors and crowds, I have sorta forgotten how nice it is just to be alone with the universe.