Larry's presentation started with a short slide show of planetary images, set to "Air" from the Symphony number 3 in D major by J. S. Bach.  With the proper mood set, the presentation continued with a few basic concepts about planetary imaging.

Coupling cameras to telescopes, selecting the best cameras, finding the best site from which to image the planets, and watching out for local sources of air turbulence were all topics of discussion.  As Larry explained, each can contribute to your overall success at imaging the planets.

Raw images taken at the telescope often seem a bit disappointing.  But with an understanding of the basics of image processing, some image stacking software and a bit of experimentation, anyone can extract stunning detail from "fuzzy" raw images.

To demonstrate how it's done, Larry setup a TouCam Pro webcam on a small refractor, and used an SBIG CCD camera with color filter wheel to image "simulated" planets. 

Using raw images acquired with a C14 telescope of the planet Saturn a couple of weeks earlier, Larry demonstrated how to stack and enhance, using RegiStax version 3.  Later, Larry demonstrated how to further enhance the image using PhotoShop CS, and how to combine black and white CCD images taken through color filters to create a color image.

"I had a great time giving the presentation!  Thanks again to Jim Honeycutt and Bill McKibben for their hospitality and the great snacks!"
--Larry

If you missed the meeting you can download Larry's presentation HERE. 

Last Updated Saturday, June 03, 2006