Saturn: My First Planetary Photo and a Glimpse of a Moon!
Hello fellow stargazers! I'm incredibly excited to share my very first attempt at capturing a planet, and it just happens to be the majestic Saturn!
The Gear and The Process
For this shot, I used my Celestron Nexstar 130SLT telescope. To capture the image, I connected my iPhone 15 using a Celestron Nexgo adapter. This setup made it surprisingly accessible to dip my toes into planetary imaging.
From a stack of 400 frames, I selected the best 33% to process. The journey involved a suite of powerful software:
- Pipp: For initial preparation and alignment of the video frames.
- Autostakkert: To stack the best frames and bring out the finer details.
- Registax: For wavelets and sharpening, bringing the planet to life.
- Photoshop: For some final, subtle adjustments to enhance the overall appearance.
A Glimpse of a Moon!
What makes this shot even more special is that I believe I managed to capture one of Saturn's moons! As this is my first planetary photo, seeing that tiny speck of light next to the giant planet was a truly rewarding moment.
This experience has definitely ignited a passion for planetary astrophotography, and I can't wait to see what else I can capture as I continue to learn and refine my techniques.
Let me know what you think in the comments!
