Capturing the 'Buck Moon' with an 8-Inch Dobsonian
This past July, I had the incredible opportunity to capture the full moon, affectionately known as the 'Buck Moon,' using my trusty 8-inch Skywatcher Flextube 200p Dobsonian telescope. This particular full moon holds its name because it coincides with the time of year when male deer, or bucks, begin to grow their new antlers.
Despite shooting through thin clouds, the result is a beautiful, four-panel mosaic that showcases the moon's surface in impressive detail. The moon was illuminated at a remarkable 99.8% when I took these shots.
Behind the Scenes
To achieve this detailed mosaic, I captured approximately 1000 frames and then stacked the best 67% for each panel. For those interested in the technical side, here are the details of my setup and process:
Equipment:
- Skywatcher Flextube 200p
- ZWO ASI 585MC (borrowed)
- Svbony 685nm IR Pass Filter
Acquisition Details:
- Gain: 46
- Exposure: 10.20ms
Processing and Software:
- Firecapture
- Autostackert!4
- imppg
- Microsoft ICE
- Adobe Photoshop
I've also put together a video showing some behind-the-scenes footage and the live view during acquisition. You can check it out here:
The Final Image
Here is the final mosaic of the 'Buck Moon':
It's always a rewarding experience to capture celestial events like this, and I'm thrilled with how this mosaic turned out. The clarity, even with the thin clouds, allowed for some fascinating details to emerge. Witnessing these lunar phases and capturing them with accessible equipment is a constant reminder of the wonders of our night sky.
