SATURN 2024

 This year, Saturn will have a peak altitude of  around 73deg here in Cebu.

These images were taken using a Celestron  C14  mounted on an Astrophysics AP900GTO mount and a QHY5III678M and the QHY5III585C  camera. RGB is done using a set of Chroma Technology RGB filters on a Starlight Xpress Motorized filter wheel.  Methane band images are done using a Chroma Methane Band filter (889nm  18nm bandpass).   Amplification is done using an Astrophysics Convertible Barlow working at 2.5X.  I use an Prima Luce ESATTO 2 focuser.

Image acquisition was done using  Torsten Edelmann's Firecapture 2.7 software.  All images are NORTH UP!    Processing was done using AutoStakkert! and Registax.

For info on Saturn's belts and zones please click this link.

You can also see my past images of Saturn at the ALPO Japan Kansai Branch site.
SATURN 2007 SATURN 2010 SATURN 2013 SATURN 2016 SATURN 2019
SATURN 2008 SATURN 2011 SATURN 2014 SATURN 2017 SATURN 2020
SATURN 2009 SATURN 2012 SATURN 2015 SATURN 2018 SATURN 2021
SATURN 2022 SATURN 2023      

 

November 18, 2024

Conditions were very poor today. 

Very few details can be resolved in these images.  Even in high contrast images, there are no interesting features resolved except in the belt and bands.
November 11, 2024

Conditions were poor today because of a nearby typhoon.

Not a lot of features resolved on Saturn except for an oval on the SEBn that can be seen on HDR enhanced images.

 

November 1, 2024

Conditions were very unstable today.  Transparency was also very poor.

Rhea is in transit close to Saturn's South Pole.  It's shadow can also be seen.   Tethys can be seen above the rings of Saturn. 

 

October 16, 2024

Conditions were excellent today but clouds rolled in after I captured less than 5 min of data.

Note that Tethys and it's shadow is on transit. The shadow is just below the ring and Tethys is a white spot on the SEB. Rhea is on the upper right above the rings.

 

October 7, 2024

Conditions were very good today.  The sky was very stable despite the slight haze.  All these images were captured using a QHY5III585C camera.

I was finally able to capture a descent methane band. The QHY5III585C is really an incredible camera.  I just had to get enough data to capture the surface of Saturn in methane band.  Note the dark cloud on the EZn at the CM in methane band.  There is a hint of this on the IR image but not on the color image.  On high contrast images, the SEBs is lined up with white spots.  The moons Rhea (right) and Dione (left) can also be seen.

 

September 22, 2024

Seeing was very good today.  But transparency was poor.

Saturn looks quiet in this region except for what seems to be a white spot below the SEB when you enhance the contrast.  Mimas is suppose to be in transit but could not be resolved in these images.

 

September 7, 2024
 

It's a day before opposition. Conditions were horrible because I had to image through clouds. Transparency was very poor. This was captured using the QHY5III678M.

 

Note the bright white streak just below the ring. Note the two dark spots at +32N.  Note the dark smudges on both sides of the ring.  Visually the rings have become very bright due to the Seeliger effect.

 
June 29, 2024

Conditions were perfect today.  This image was taken using the QHY5III678M with 2X2 binning to compensate the small pixels of this camera.

The 32N dark spot can be seen after the CM.  The STB has some interesting features when you enhance contrast. The south pole is very dark.  The Northern hemisphere shows very dark bands while in the south, the bends are obscure.

 

June 19, 2024

Seeing was perfect today. But transparency was very poor due to thin clouds. That is why I had to use the new version QHY5III585C with higher full well capacity.  I'm getting used to using the Esatto focuser.  Getting precise focus is so easy now.

The +32N dark spot can be seen rising on the left. Note that the N and S bands are not symmetrical. There are more bands in the north than the south.

 

 
June 1, 2024

Conditions were perfect today.  But I had to image close to sunrise. 

The rings of Saturn are close to edge on now.  The ring plane crossing will take happen next year.  There are a lot of details visible dark spot in +32N.

I would like to thank Filippo Bradaschia and Tom Bramwell of Prima Luce for the ESATTO focuser. This focuser is incredible. I can now focus all channels while before I had to compromise with a slightly out of focus blue. Firecapture can remember the focus of each filter and return to the focus point when I change filter! This focuser is so smooth and accurate!