Simple planetary imaging start - capture and processing basics

[@bobafiatcoupe]

Excellent videos, very clear with simple and very useful explanations, well done! thank you so much

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Thanks, really glad it was helpful 😊

[@gary4307]

You make some of the best instructional videos. Hopefully you are still planning on coming for the eclipse, I look forward to seeing your pictures. As for your weather challenges I live in the Seattle area and I feel your pain!

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

That’s really kind! Even with an offer of accommodation, Dallas was just too pricey, so I’ll have to skip the eclipse unfortunately.

[@walterwadlow9438]

Thanks!

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Thanks very much! Really hope the videos can be helpful 🥰

[@ianjeffery3762]

Amazing video - I found this really useful, thank you

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Thanks, really glad to hear!

[@astroskyman]

Fantastic video Ivana, thanks for sharing your processes, definitely some great learning points 👌.

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Thanks so much! Really glad it’s useful.

[@Thomas_J_Giraffamann]

Great inspirational post for us long-time visual folks who are just entering the digital astrophotography world. Thank you 🙏🏼

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Thanks!! Very pleased to hear it’s useful.

[@1701c14]

I like your clear and concise videos.

[@Z3JohnLB]

Thank you for this, very useful. We have the same problems as I'm in Southampton!

[@ABCMO-bl5pi]

Excellent video, and I really like your advice to be empirical about things. Just see what works well and what doesn’t. And for the many Mac users who need to go Windows for planetary, to keep the costs down, consider the reconditioned market. Two years ago on Amazon we found a reconditioned Dell Latitude with an i7 processor, 16GB of ram, and 512 solid state memory for just under $400. I ran it with Sharpcap and for processing PIPP, AutoStakkert, and Registax. Then over to my Mac for Photoshop. As I mentioned in a comment to your setup video, I’m going to try planetary with my ASIAIR+ and AM5-being empirical-but maybe it will work. If it doesn’t, I’ll likely use my Dell and Sharpcap again. By the way, you didn’t mention PIPP. It is often recommended although hard to find online these days, but I can’t see the advantage of using it in a workflow prior to using AutoStakkert. Do you have any thoughts about that?

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Thanks! For a regular planetary workflow, I don’t use PiPP (Autostakkert does everything), however it’s irreplaceable for ISS and it also handily makes gifs, converts files, and can crop a series of images to a same size while centering the object. Unfortunately yes, it’s retired now, but I found it in a google cache! Good luck.

[@BrokenPik]

love the 45 sec Myth ! good job, dont know till you try... im gonna sell my ASI120MC and look at the 662/585MC . looking forward to your next planet imaging. keep up the good work. cheers.

[@vladimirschmidt1037]

Very awesome video, Ivana - Thank you so much for sharing it 🥰

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Thanks so much Vlado 😊

[@Russellhawker]

Thank you, that was really helpful. I'm just along the coast in Southampton and the seeing on average is poor. Especially over the last 9 months. Here's hoping the new season of planetary is better.

[@Jcorban08]

Wow, you’re doing super work for your local seeing conditions. I’m impressed with what a positive difference the ADC makes. I like how you say for viewers to test - so many variables. CS!

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Thanks! I don’t get much but on the rare occasions when it’s decent around here, it’s exciting. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@nbw555]

Thanks for the tips, your planetary images are awesome 👌 saw you at the show but didn't get to say hello. All the best Astro grandad

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Ah thanks, hopefully I’ll see you at the next one, please do say hi!

[@elvisvelez6609]

Always look forward to seeing what you have for us, I’m just getting started in Astrophotography and your insight has been useful to me. Thank you…

[@jrwestimate6953]

Another great instructional video. You explanations are perfect for people like me who learn better by knowing the background thinking and decision making that you use in your processing method. I recently got my first larger aperture telescope and chose the Celestron CPC after watching your videos. It just seemed like the right choice. I'm definitely happy with it. Thanks for sharing.

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Thanks so much! That’s so nice to hear. Very pleased it’s helpful, and so glad to hear you’re enjoying your CPC. It’s such a great scope. Good luck!

[@coryfreeman353]

Love your videos and i can sympathize with your seeing conditions as i have similar conditions! Just makes those few nights of good seeing all the more spectacular!

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

That’s so true! Thanks

[@kevingambrell]

HI, Im in Crawley with a 10 inch Meade SCT and the viewing is no better. I fully agree with you regarding the huge range of cameras available from just one maker. I have just ordered a ZWO camera but fully intend on continuing using my modified webcam and modified DSLR as backups. Great videos thank you.

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Hi, almost-neighbour! Yes we aren’t blessed when it comes to skies, but we do what we can. Hope the new camera treats you well.

[@rdilley1]

Great tutorial! Thanks!

[@jonathanpearceff]

Very informative, thank you.

[@petesastrophotography]

Great video and nice final image. I gave up on planetary imaging years ago due to our terrible seeing conditions (I'm up on the north east coast of Scotland), but am starting to take an interest again to make use of my CPC1100 that I haven't used for at least 10 years. Still hoping to have a go at the ISS as well after watching your videos but that's going to be an even bigger challenge given my latitude.

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Thank you! I’ve definitely branched out into other astrophotography disciplines because with such poor conditions, planetary alone would leave me a bit frustrated. But it’s really great when it works! Good luck, and fingers crossed for the ISS!

[@craiglowery4427]

Nice advice Cellist. We live right next to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado USA. So I often have upper air turbulence to deal with. This year I will try a camera with larger pixels to see if that helps with focus.

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Thanks! Good luck, I know how tricky focus can be when the air isn’t steady.

[@KevinRudd-w8s]

I'm not a planetary imager, but did find this a very interesting watch none the less. I live about three hundred or so miles further north from Brighton and the seeing is pretty awful here too, but the worst thing by far is the almost constantly cloudy skies at night. Since last September I've been averaging two clear nights a month when I have been able to capture any worthwhile data and even then it's usually only two or three hours worth a night. Nice final images by the way, hope the weather and seeing are better for you this coming season.

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Thanks! I do some DSO as well and I know how dire it’s been. Fingers crossed for a better year ahead. And do consider joining us on the planetary side!

[@johnmheaton]

Saved! Thank you.

[@OlliesSpace]

I agree with all the camera models it's quite dizzying. Lots of good tips here and yes it's a fine line between overdoing an image. BTW I also found the Dyadic mode in Registax can work well. Cheers 👍

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Thanks! Yes I’ve played around with all the options, for some images it works great and for some not at all - I figured I’d keep it simple for the sake of the video.

[@billmurphypenguins3774]

Thanks for your video, easy to follow. Ive just had first light with my C8 and am experiencing mega soup, i was wondering if you use the new dew rings for your C9.25? im think mine has turned mega soup into stew

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Hi, yes I got the dew heater ring for the 9.25 as well! It keeps the dew off successfully but if the night isn’t good, it’s just not good.

[@RT65CB-SWL]

I have two manual alt-az mounts [AOK-AYO and Tele-Optic Giro]. Can I do planetary imaging with them?

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Alt-az is perfectly fine for planetary, but life is much easier with some sort of GoTo. You just have to find a way of quickly and smoothly recentering the target when it drifts. Good luck!

[@ohwell2790]

Why not using the ZWO capture soft ware ?

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Hi! As brilliant as ZWO capture software is for deep space (I use ASIAIR myself), it just doesn’t have the bandwidth for planetary. Dedicated software on a laptop/PC is much faster and more adaptable.

[@fernandorivera2395]

Hi did you get to see the total solar eclipse after all??

[@CellistOnTheRoof]

Hi, no it ended up being way too expensive to go. Hoping for 2026 in Spain!