This post documents my backyard astrophotography session capturing Saturn near opposition (March 20–25, 2011) using the Celestron NexStar 4SE telescope and Celestron NexImage CCD webcam.
The video below shows the complete workflow — from GoTo alignment and telescope setup to live planetary capture and final image processing in RegiStax.
Backyard Planetary Imaging Workflow
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Telescope: Celestron NexStar 4SE (GoTo, Solar System Align)
Camera: Celestron NexImage CCD (VGA 640×480)
Barlow: 2× Barlow (1.25")
Capture Software: AMCap
Processing: RegiStax 5.1.9.2
The video demonstrates:
- Solar System GoTo alignment
- Selecting Saturn in the NexStar controller
- Physical setup of telescope and NexImage webcam
- Live capture of Saturn using AMCap
- Stacking and sharpening workflow in RegiStax
- Final processed Saturn images
Capture Details
Two video sequences were recorded:
- 7 minutes (420 sec) at 5 fps → 2100 frames
- 1 min 40 sec (100 sec) at 10 fps → 1000 frames
Processing settings in RegiStax v5 included:
- Align: Default / Center of Gravity / Gradient2
- Drizzle optimization
- Wavelets: Gaussian (Initial Layer 2)
- RGB Align – Estimate
- Histogram stretch
Even from an urban backyard, careful stacking revealed remarkable detail in Saturn’s ring system.
Cassini Division from a Backyard Telescope
A thin black gap in Saturn’s rings — the Cassini Division — is clearly visible in the final stacked images.
The Cassini Division is a 4,800 km wide separation between Saturn’s A and B rings. Observing it with a 4-inch telescope under city skies is always a rewarding confirmation of good seeing conditions and proper processing.
Equipment Setup – Behind the Scenes
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| NexImage and Celestron 4SE- Brooklyn Astrophotography |
In the first image, the NexImage CCD webcam is shown attached directly to the telescope’s (photo taken from behind the telescope for better detail).
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| Brooklyn Astronomy and Astrophotography - Celestron 4SE and Celestron NexImage |
The second image shows the full backyard setup — telescope, NexImage webcam, USB cable connected to the laptop running AMCap software.
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| NYC Astrophotography - Celestron 4SE and NexImage |
The third image shows the telescope from the opposite side, with the NexStar GoTo control panel clearly visible.
Small Telescope, Real Planetary Detail
This setup demonstrates that meaningful planetary astrophotography does not require a large observatory or expensive professional equipment. Even with a small and relatively affordable 4-inch telescope like the Celestron NexStar 4SE, a basic planetary webcam, and proper stacking techniques, detailed views of Saturn are achievable.
Features such as the Cassini Division, ring shadowing on the planet’s disk, and subtle atmospheric banding become visible after stacking thousands of video frames and applying careful wavelet sharpening.
This is one of the most exciting aspects of modern amateur astronomy: high-resolution planetary imaging is accessible to backyard observers using compact, beginner-friendly equipment.
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