For the first time since a long time the weather was favourable and I set up my Maksutov MK67 (150mm / 1800mm). As I experienced big problems last time I had it outside with imaging Jupiter, I did not know what was expecting me. Mars was found easily on the screen and I was surprised to see so many details on the Mars surface already.

I took a string of AVIs without any filters inserted (Luminance) and I experimented with different settings of the TIS DMK21 camera. Seeing was not too bad and really improved through the 2 and a half hours I spent outside. Taking the files I found the FireCapture software of T.Edelmann to be somewhat of a masterpiece making imaging very easy.

When seeing had improved after Mars was not above any roofs anymore, I started out taking LRGB sequences. (LRGB = Luminance - Red - Green - Blue). I stopped after 5 complete sequences. I looked through the filmes and found one series extraordinary stable. So I decided to finish at 22.15 local time as I have to get up early in the morning a 5.30.

At the end I moved the scope to Saturn, but as it was still very low above the horizon seeing was extra-poor and I decided not to take a film.

Here is an image showing the "preliminary" results of all AVI films I have taken this night.

Compared to my Mars images from 17 November 2005 (here on this site) these are down in resolution a lot. The reason is that I have a 150mm scope while there was a 203mm C8 at that time AND the diameter of Mars is only 13 arcsec instead of 19 arcsec in 2005.

Date=22.03.2012
Start=19:14:10
Duration=47s
Frames captured=1000
Camera=DMx 21AU04.AS
ROI=252x250
Profile=Mars
Diameter=13.27"
Magnitude=-0.94
CM=9.9°
FocalLength=5880mm
Resolution=0.20"
        

Date=22.03.2012
Start=20:23:50
Duration=45s
Frames captured=1000
Camera=DMx 21AU04.AS
ROI=252x250
Profile=Mars
Diameter=13.27"
Magnitude=-0.93
CM=26.9°
FocalLength=5890mm
Resolution=0.20"
        

Date=22.03.2012
Start=20:33:29
Duration=121s
Frames captured=2500
Camera=DMx 21AU04.AS
ROI=252x250
Profile=Mars
Diameter=13.27"
Magnitude=-0.93
CM=29.3°
FocalLength=5920mm
Resolution=0.20"

Equipment

Optics           : StellarVue Nighthawk Achromat Refractor d=80mm f=480mm (f=1/6)
                 : Intes MK-67 Maksutov Type Reflector d=150mm f=1800mm (f=1/12)
Camera           : NIKON D7000 DSLR unmodified
                 : The Imaging Source DMK21AU4.AS monochrome USB highspeed camera
                 : Philips ToUcam 740 Color WebCam
Filter           : IR/UV Cut, Astronomik H-Alpha, Astronomik LRGB
add. optics      : ED 2x Barlow lens
                 : 2" Apochromatic Field Flattener (TS type) 
                 : 35mm, 50mm, 135mm and 200mm NIKON lenses available
Mount            : VIXEN GP with MT1 / Littlefoot Controller in homemade box
Guiding          : PHD
Aquisition       : Robust Sony VAYO Pentium4 Notebook (Windows XP) or DELL D820 DualCore (Windows 7)
Image Processing : ImagesPlus, NeatImage 7, PaintShopPro XI, PhotoShop LE 9, Registax 6, AviStack 2.0