Telescope Camping - Amazing Planetary Photos

I took my giant telescope to a dark sky location for camping. Using my smartphone as a camera, I was able to take cool video and photos of the planets and Andromeda Galaxy through the Dobsonian telescope. Watch the video to see the final results!
#telescope #camping
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//* HOW TO PROCESS JUPITER VIDEO BY DREW HENRY *//
• Processing Jupiter in ...

[@tjzambonischwartz]

My parents weren't amateur astronomers, but nonetheless when I was a kid they scheduled camping trips around naked-eye astronomical events like meteor showers and lunar eclipses. When I was ten years old I got into amateur astronomy hard. Ever since, all my camping trips have continued to be astronomy-centric or astronomy-inclusive. I never fail to have a telescope with me as standard camping equipment.

[@reflactor]

It sounds like your parents knew the secret to making wonderfully memorable childhood experiences. Congrats on keeping the astronomy spirit alive. I bought a slightly damaged Astroscan for the purpose of having a reflector I can go hiking with. Clear skies!

[@nicolasmariotti]

Very nice to see what can be done with a Dobsonian in terms of pictures of planets...

[@robertsonsid]

It's getting harder to find dark skies. Thanks for sharing your camping trip.

[@reflactor]

Absolutely. I use the Hercules Cluster as my guide to light pollution - we went from Bortle 7 to Bortle 8 over the span of about two years.

[@WiseOldOwl3]

Great video - just a difference of opinion. I have done a lot of tent camping. Ponder this - A gizelle will go up in thirty seconds and you can add sides. The door is so big you can move the telescope into a protected tent in a pinch. And you can sit up and get changed. On a bad second day you can read or sit with your phone in comfort next to your cot.

[@reflactor]

Thanks! I hadn't heard of the gizelle. I guess I'm a fan of the tent cot because it's automatically elevated (up on a comfortable cot) and it's all one quick-unfold/fold unit. The only downside is it's pretty small (some people think they feel claustrophobic).

[@JoeJaguar]

Hey John, I’m glad you had a clear night to enjoy. I’m sure you had lots of fun with that size telescope in the sky conditions it’s awesome.

[@reflactor]

It was fun. I really need an equatorial platform though. I don't need a GoTo system, just something that will help me track.

[@JoeJaguar]

@@reflactor I hear you having tracking is really find it very convenient. It’s not a lot cheaper to get one of those down in the US where you are but again still not cheap.

[@hednik]

Channel keeps getting better and better. Keep it up

[@reflactor]

Thank you for watching. Hey... aren't you the author of The Shifting?

[@kevanhubbard9673]

I often combine my hiking and camping trips with stargazing.I was camping in a Bortle 3 area last week and M33 just jumped out with my binoculars.I don't take conventional telescopes as they are too big to pack and take binoculars and monoculars.

[@reflactor]

Binoculars are a great option. Even 10x50 binoculars are very useful for the bigger objects (like Andromeda). I just obtained a used Astroscan telescope which has a strap to use for hiking trips.

[@cwulfe1]

I'm glad that you could get out. Bortal 3 skies are pretty nice! My home skies are Bortal 5 according to Clear Sky Chart.

[@reflactor]

I would say it was probably right between 3 and 4.

[@MatthewHolevinski]

Those were wonderful pictures, but then again any reason is a good excuse to get away from DFW for a spell :)

[@reflactor]

Absolutely. The light pollution anywhere near DFW is off the charts. Clear skies!

[@jackieblank4249]

Nice pics J D. Hope the skeeters didnt eat you alive. Ive been looking at Jupiter n Saturn too last week. Cant wait till it clears and gets cool again.

[@reflactor]

Thanks for watching! Would you believe there weren't any mosquitoes? I think the temperature was just right to keep them at bay. Pretty rare.

[@johngiromini5745]

Looks like a good time, John. A number of years ago, I took several short videos of Saturn using a ZWO finder scope camera on my Zhumell 12” and processing each frame, then stacking. It was the most exciting thing I had done to date.

[@reflactor]

It was fun. The weather was perfect (after that first night). It may be time for me to make the jump from smartphone camera to real telescope camera.

[@deepskymike767]

Awesome. Glad you got some clear skies.

[@reflactor]

It ended up a fun time.

[@jons2447]

Hello, Mr. Dreese; So good to see you had a good trip & your astrophotography turned out so well, too. I've taken a handful of cell phone photos thru the eyepiece but they are usually not 'great'. BTW, does that stacking software work w/ still photographs also? I'd like to try that if it does. It is great to find a darker site close to home, isn't it? I can access a nearby area that is at least a full Bortle darker & maybe a good bit more. About a 3 compared to my house, a 4-1/4 or so. It is only 15 minutes away so not hard to get to even tho it is private property. A few yrs ago we were out to see the comet, while Kim (wife) was viewing I looked the other way. I had not seen the 'Cat's eyes' asterism before. So I was very surprised to see it & Messier 7 (Ptolemy Cluster) naked eye observing! We were out there only 60-90 minutes before the bugs drove Kim to insist we go home. But that was a very good session indeed! Thank you for all you do AND for being such a good youtuber, many don't interact as you do. Have a GREAT day, Neighbor!

[@reflactor]

The first step of the stacking process is a program called PIPP. It's a free program that takes all your video (or images) and does it's best to center the object and crop the images so there is a sequence of similar images. The more images you have, the better. I live in an area that is Bortle 8, so pretty much anywhere away from the city is much better. Thanks for watching and of course..... clear skies!

[@chrisgreen1605]

i live in burnet texas bortle 3 like your videos alot.

[@reflactor]

Hey fellow Texas neighbor. Thank you for watching. Ya know, western Texas has a lot of area that is Bortle 1, so there are opportunities for perfect dark skies.

[@AmatureAstronomer]

Nice.

[@reflactor]

Thanks for watching!

[@g3cwi_Radio_Adventures]

Looks like a fun trip but surely light pollution is not a problem for planetary observation?

[@reflactor]

You are correct. My phone wasn't able to capture any of the deep sky objects other than the blurred Andromeda Galaxy. Visually, I was able to find many of them. I should've mentioned that in the video. Thank you for watching.

[@dbgarlisch]

Where were you camping?

[@reflactor]

Palo Pinto County