Saturn captured with mobile phone - 29 Mar 2014

[Gary]

Saturn captured with my mobile phone through 12-inch manual dob (thanks ggodetucsamoht!) at East Coast Park on 29 March 2014. Seeing average. Thin clouds blocking Saturn every now and then. 6 more weeks to opposition!

[kimo]

Hi,

very Nice pic. is it prime focus or Eyepiece projection? its looks like eyepiece projection. I wanted to photography planets but never get through. Thanks.

[Gary]

Thanks Kimo. Yes, handheld phone over eyepiece projection. You should give planetary imaging a try. They appear in the night sky for months.

[VinSnr]

Thanks Kimo. Yes, handheld phone over eyepiece projection. You should give planetary imaging a try. They appear in the night sky for months.

Awesome......especially for handheld. How do you guys keep it so steady?

[kimo]

I have to arrange tools to do EP projection . I think your hand is super steady man!

[Airconvent]

Its been a while since I saw Saturn through a scope, Gary..nice one!

[Gary]

Awesome......especially for handheld. How do you guys keep it so steady?

I have to arrange tools to do EP projection . I think your hand is super steady man!

Thanks. Anyone can improve their steadiness of holding a phone camera over eyepiece via the "proper" grip, posture and breathing patterns. Patience and perseverance is also important. Can also make full use of the phone camera functionality to increase the chances of getting a good/lucky shot - e.g. voice-activated and burst shooting.

Beginners can practice under less "stressful" conditions first - at home with bigger and easier-to-find terrestrial objects. After a while, you will develop an instinctive feel of roughly where to position your phone over the eyepiece.

With sufficient practice, you will then be able to shoot calmly and quickly while a crowd watches over your shoulder or with a long queue behind you in a sidewalk environment.

Its been a while since I saw Saturn through a scope, Gary..nice one!

Thanks. It's a timely reminder to observe Saturn. Its opposition is next month!

[Airconvent]

Thanks. It's a timely reminder to observe Saturn. Its opposition is next month!

Time flies.... Seems like yesterday all we can see of the rings are ....nothing!